At the heart of Melbourne Museum is the Forest Gallery—a piece of Victoria's mountain landscape complete with tall eucalypts, ferns, rare plants and wildlife. Behind the glass doors, you’ll experience the misty air and damp earth of the forest, walk beneath tall trees and hear birdsong you won't hear anywhere else in the city.
Along the way, look for the Forest Gallery's animal residents from native fish and spiny crayfish in the creek, to tiny wrens that flit among the bushes. Somewhere up above is a Tawny Frogmouth. And if you're lucky, you'll see the Satin Bowerbird dancing in his bower decorated with blue objects.
Just like a real forest, the Forest Gallery changes through the seasons as birds nest, flowers bloom, fungi fruit and berries ripen. A lone chimney rebuilt here after the 2009 Black Saturday fires stands as a symbol of bushfire – a destructive force, but one that is also essential to regenerating the forest.
As you wander through the Forest Gallery, look for the signs for Biik Milboo Dhumba | Country Is Always Talking, a chance to experience the forest in a different way.
Hear First People of the Eastern Kulin Nations share their personal perspectives on what it means to connect with Country. A visit to The Sacred Tree of Our Songlines, a sculpture by artist Robert Young, provides space to reflect on the knowledge and wisdom of Country passed on through story.
Take a virtual tour of the Forest Gallery to learn more about life in the Victorian forest.
Please view our accessibility page for general information. Contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at [email protected] to discuss how we can support your visit.
Museums Victoria acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung Bunurong peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations where we work, and First Peoples across Victoria and Australia.
First Peoples are advised that this site may contain voices, images, and names of people now passed and content of cultural significance.
