Culture:
Subtopics
Fusion, feminism and food
Flavours that flipped Australian kitchens.
Fusipala: a Tongan princess, a costume and a community that keeps her memory alive
Who was the princess behind the costume?
Burlesque dancing and basket weaving: the incredible life of Aunty Veronica Barnett
Step into the adventurous past of one of the Melbourne Museum's public faces.
10 peculiar and splendid masks
Masks might come to symbolise 2020. But they have a rich and often strange history.
The timeless and living art of possum skin cloaks
The First Peoples of south-eastern Australia have been making possum skin cloaks since time immemorial—today the practice is flourishing.
One Year On
One Year On – Stories of COVID-19 in Melbourne's Suburbs is a digital display that brings together a snapshot of stories collected across the suburbs of Melbourne in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Connected Bodies
Paul Stillen and Miso talk about their collaboration on the Documenting the Body exhibition at the Immigration Museum.
Identity: Yours, mine, ours
What does it mean to belong and not belong in Australia? Through personal stories and compelling images, find connections with others and challenge the assumptions we make about each other every day.
Origins
What are your origins? Where have Victorians come from? Why did they come? This website presents government census information on Victorian communities from 85 countries of origin.
Immigrant Stories
Everyone who immigrates has their own unique story to tell. Explore these stories – why they came, where they settled and how they made Victoria their new home.
Customs House
Home of the Immigration Museum, explore the rich history of one of Melbourne's most important 19th century public buildings.
The Plants of Milarri Garden
Milarri Garden, located within Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, is planted with native flora significant to the Aboriginal people of south-eastern Australia.
First Peoples
First Peoples tells the story of Aboriginal Victoria from the time of Creation to today. Explore the galleries within Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
Journeys to Australia
Immigration is a vital feature of Australia's history and national identity. Celebrate the journeys that changed Australia forever.
Marvellous Melbourne
Melbourne is a young city by world standards, but it has layers of history. Discover how each era shaped the city we see today.
Discover Documentary: The Murray Explored Bioscan
Following in the footsteps of William Blandowski, the Museum's first curator.
History starts today
A new collection of banners from the 2017 Women's March on Melbourne has important historical links.
Rare scene of first European contact
Provenance of carved boomerang uncovered.
Bunjil's wings
A glimpse of First Peoples' multimedia installation.
A treasure trove of freshwater fish biodiversity
The Kimberley region in Australia’s northwest is one our last great pristine unspoilt places, and a hotspot for species discovery.
Fashion Redux at Melbourne Museum
Major fashion names used the Museums State Collection, in collaboration with Melbourne Fashion Festival, to create a completely unique look.
The journey to Station Pier
Melbourne’s heritage-listed Station Pier was Victoria’s most important arrival point for migrants. Find out why it plays such an important part in Melbourne’s migration history.
An underground affair
An anti-Vietnam war love story.
10 treasures of Aussie Rules
And what they say about us.
The hidden history of Aboriginal stockwoman
As told by a Koa stockwoman, mother and doctor of philosophy.
The Pizzini women and their ‘souls of steel’
How three generations of strong women helped build a wine and tourism dynasty
Uncovering the Exhibition Building's secret WWII stories
Untold war stories revealed.
The resilience of Sallie Jones
The Victorian dairy farmer overcoming family tragedy, bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bright spots in dark times
Pork farm prospers amid COVID-19 lockdowns.
Black Day, Sun Rises, Blood Runs
Stories of colonial violence in Victoria.
A discovery of stitches: needlework and 19th century girlhood
What can needlework samplers tell us about often forgotten figures from history?
Birthday honours: 21 of our favourite things about the Melbourne Museum
Fascinating facts about Melbourne’s favourite museum.
Baradine Repatriation of Carved Tree (Dendroglyph)
Carved burial tree returned to traditional owners.
Flight of fashion: when feathers were worth twice their weight in gold
The high price of feathered hats in the 1800s.
Unboxing the museum: Mirka Mora Collection
Mirka Mora was all about being herself, her fashion style, her artistic practice, her friendships and creative circles, and her food culture.
Lunar New Year: 10 Australian tigers
Think you know tigers? What about those found in Australia?
Forbidden objects in the museum's collection
What do a doll, religious text, gun, and surprised-looking cat have in common?
A piece of Neighbours history that really takes the cake
Not just a legacy of Neighbours’ most famous episode, Scott and Charlene’s wedding cake has many layers of history.
A Wurundjeri First Peoples coming of age ceremony revived
Meet the Djirri Djirri Wurundjeri Women's Dance Group, who are reconnecting to their cultural heritage and bringing the younger generations with them.
Lunar New Year
This Lunar New Year, come for a tour of the Chinese Zodiac through the Museums Victoria collection.
Significant Mi'kmaq regalia crosses oceans and time to return home after 150 years in Melbourne
A unique regalia from Canada has finally returned home, in a major international repatriation from Museums Victoria’s collection.
This briefcase holds tiny art with big meaning
An artistic collaboration with refugees and asylum seekers, Attaché Case challenges Australia’s controversial migration policy.
Unravelling the tale of Melbourne's mystery Chinese dragon
Solving the mystery of Melbourne’s forgotten Chinese dragon with a dusty 120-year-old head, a rare photograph, and a determined historian.
神秘传说：墨尔本的中国龙
一位锲而不舍的历史学家，靠一个积满灰尘，120之久的龙头和一张罕见的照片，解开了墨尔本尘封已久的“联邦龙”之谜。
Tìm lời giải cho câu chuyện về con rồng Trung Hoa bí ẩn của Melbourne
Với cái đầu rồng phủ bụi và bức ảnh hiếm, nhà sử học quyết tâm giải đáp bí ẩn về con rồng Liên bang bị lãng quên của Melbourne.
Basket, Binak, Healesville, Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia
Coiled basket, or binak, with oval base, possibly purchased from Coranderrk Aboriginal Station circa 1870s-1880s.
Football jumper - Nicky Winmar, St Kilda, 1993
St Kilda Football Club jumper worn by Nicky Winmar during his celebrated stand against racism in sport in 1993.
Melbourne's Biggest Family Album collection
In 2006 over 1000 favourite photographs of Melbourne were collected from Melburnians' private albums.
Phar Lap collection
Over 350 items of racing equipment and memorabilia relating to champion racehorse Phar Lap.
The Federation Tapestry
Almost 41m long and 20,000 hours in the making, the tapestry marks the centenary of Australia's Federation.
Stool, Papua New Guinea
A stool made from a single piece of wood with a standing figure forming the back.
Maori Feather cloak
Kahuhuruhuru is the name for this type of cloak made of fine fibres made from flax or whitau.
Diprotodon tooth
A tooth fossil showing markings which appear to be man-made.
Indigenous Protest, Australian Bicentenary, 1988
In 1988, the year of Australia's bicentenary, Indigenous peoples from across the nation converged on Sydney to protest the so-called "celebration of a nation".