New exhibition showcases cutting-edge research from Museums Victoria Research Institute
Photographer: Phoebe Powell | Source: Museums Victoria
A new permanent exhibition featuring world-class research and ground-breaking discoveries by the Museums Victoria Research Institute will open at Melbourne Museum this week.
The Research Institute Gallery at Melbourne Museum will open on Saturday 11 March 2023, offering visitors a unique glimpse into the research work that happens behind the scenes at Museums Victoria.
Visitors will learn about the history of research at Melbourne Museum, the Museums Victoria Research Institute's most topical projects, and the impact of the Institute's work on the Australian and international community as it explores the big ideas and challenges of our time.
The Research Institute Gallery will launch with an exhibition featuring multimedia presentations and artifacts that showcase the museum’s research in fields such as marine biology, geology, palaeontology and minerology.
Also, on display will be many of the taxidermy specimens that visitors have missed since Melbourne Museum’s WILD exhibit closed in 2020. Some collection items will be on show to the public for the very first time, including the subject of recent debates about de-extinction, the Thylacine.
The exhibition will also feature images of deep-sea creatures discovered during the recent Investigator sea-voyage, taxidermy examples of threatened native bird, mammal and reptile species, and fossils discovered by ‘citizen scientists’ on the shores of Port Phillip Bay.
“The Museums Victoria Research Institute Gallery shines a light on the critical, behind the scenes work of our researchers, much of which is world leading,” said Lynley Crosswell, CEO and Director Museums Victoria.
“Our hope is that the gallery will inspire visitors of all ages and backgrounds to take a deeper interest in science, in research and in pursuing knowledge that will support a thriving future for all."
Dr Nurin Veis, Director of the Museums Victoria Research Institute said, “We work with the community to research and protect our amazingly unique natural heritage. We are proud of the work that our researchers are doing and look forward to showcasing the many ways in which their research is having a positive impact on the world.”
In addition to the new gallery, Museums Victoria will host a series of talks about the Institute’s ground-breaking research. MV Lectures and Future Forum events will provide an opportunity for the community to interact with Museums Victoria Research Institute experts and learn more about the latest developments in key Research Institute projects.
March’s MV Lecture, ‘Lost World of Leviathans’ shines a spotlight on the work of Museums Victoria Research Institute's Senior Curator, Vertebrate Palaeontology, Dr Erich Fitzgerald. The presentation, and following discussion, will delve into findings from the Melbourne bayside suburb of Beaumaris, one of Australia’s richest fossil sites, as featured in the Research Institute Gallery exhibit, ‘Are these clues to a lost world?’
Research Institute Gallery
Opening date: Saturday 11 March 2023
Tickets: Entry is available with a general admission ticket - available at Melbourne Museum and online.
MV Lectures: Lost World of Leviathans
Event date: Wed 22 March, 6-7.15pm, Melbourne Museum
Tickets: Available from the Lost World of Leviathans website
For further information on the Reseach institute Gallery visit the Research Institute Gallery website
