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Museums Victoria Collections
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CULTURAL SENSITIVITY MESSAGE – Please read

First Peoples visitors please be aware that this website contains images, voices or names of deceased persons.

Language

Certain records contain language or include depictions that are offensive both culturally and generally.

These records are not the current views of Museums Victoria and are not appropriate.

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Whilst every effort is made to ensure the most accurate information is presented, some content may contain errors. We encourage and welcome advice to correct and enhance information on this site.

World Oceans Day - 8 June

The deep sea remains one of the most mysterious environments on Earth. Voyages led by Museums Victoria scientists have explored the deep-sea biodiversity found in our region, collecting samples, mapping underwater mountains, and revealing previously hidden worlds. This World Oceans Day, we are highlighting some of their discoveries.

Investigating the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) article Investigating the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) The deep sea remains one of the most unexplored environments on Earth. New scientific voyages are now revealing amazing underwater seascapes, from sandy plains to huge mountains and even extinct volcanoes. The animals that live at ...
Sampling the Abyss article Sampling the Abyss The abyss is the largest and deepest habitat on the planet, covering half the world's oceans. Despite its size, it remains the most unexplored environment on Earth, largely due to the difficulty of reaching and working at such ...
Octopus, Grimpoteuthidae specimen F 245704 Octopus, Grimpoteuthidae
Invertebrates
Common nameoctopusSpecimen natureWholeHigher taxonomyMollusca, Cephalopoda, OctopodaCollectedAustralia, Tasmania/Victoria
<em>Bathypterois grallator</em> (Goode & Bean, 1886) specimen A 31808.1 Bathypterois grallator (Goode & Bean, 1886)
Ichthyology
Common nameTripod SpiderfishSpecimen natureSpirit specimenHigher taxonomyChordata, Actinopterygii, AulopiformesCollectedAustralia, Tasmania/Victoria

Shining Bright: Treasures of the Numismatics Collection at Museums Victoria

Museums Victoria's numismatics collection is the most important of its kind in Australia, and the collection of Australian coins is the most significant in the world. This display of famous Australian coins, brilliant ancient coins, and beautiful French art medals includes some of the stunning treasures in the collection. Now on show at Melbourne Museum.

Shining Bright: Treasures of the Numismatics Collection article Shining Bright: Treasures of the Numismatics Collection Numismatics - the collection and study of coins, tokens and medals - was amongst the earliest public collections in Victoria and part of the 1861 Victorian Exhibition on William Street, Melbourne. The numismatics collection was ...
Power & Wealth - Treasures of the Ancient Coin Collection article Power & Wealth - Treasures of the Ancient Coin Collection The ancient Greek and Roman empires stretched far across the Mediterranean and beyond. Borrowing the idea of coins from Asia Minor, they used coins to promote their rulers, achievements, and the gods that protected them. The coins ...
Famous Australian Coins - Treasures of the Australian Coin Collection article Famous Australian Coins - Treasures of the Australian Coin Collection Being on an island far away from their known world of Europe, Australia's early European colonists had to make do with the coins they brought with them. Occasionally they imported foreign coins to expand the circulation. Later, ...
Medals As Art - Treasures of the French Art Medals Collection article Medals As Art - Treasures of the French Art Medals Collection Bronze medals and plaques minted in France and Belgium in the late 19th and early 20th centuries show artistic expression while not necessarily commemorating military or sporting achievements. More than shiny discs of metal, they ...

Explore our collection

Explore a wealth of collections and research about natural sciences, history, technology and First Peoples from Museums Victoria in Australia.

Closeup of old typewritter keys Articles 2,392 Read about people, places, events, and our collections
Brass pocket compass sundial Items 114,589 Things made and used by people
Closeup shot of a butterfly Specimens 1,306,213 Animals, fossils, and rocks in our collections
Closeup of blue coloured bird Species 1,540 Read about some animals you might see in the wild

Explore the collection on display

Closeup of a taxidermied owl Melbourne Museum
Closeup of a robot Scienceworks
Illustrated impression of a ship on water Immigration Museum
Moving sculpture lit up by stage lights Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre

Recently modified

Charpoo | Ornament, head. Dieri, Wangkangurru. Lake Eyre, Eyre, South Australia, Australia. pre 1921 item X 28217 Charpoo | Ornament, head. Dieri, Wangkangurru. Lake Eyre, Eyre, South Australia, Australia. pre 1921 This headband was collected by the ethnographer George Horne in 1921 from Mungerainie Bore, a small settlement east of Lake Eyre in South Australia. This remote area is home to the Wangkanguru people who made these headbands or ...
Card - Dept Of Finance, Damage Survey Committee To Theodorus Perdon, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 1940s item HT 57061 Card - Dept Of Finance, Damage Survey Committee To Theodorus Perdon, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 1940s
Migration & Cultural Diversity, Childhood, Home & Community, Images & Image Making, Medicine & Health
Card (in Dutch) from the Schade Enquete Commissie (Damage Survey Committee), Department of Finance, the Netherlands to Theodorus ...
Short-faced kangaroo, <em>Simosthenurus occidentalis</em> (Glauert, 1910) specimen P 232584 Short-faced kangaroo, Simosthenurus occidentalis (Glauert, 1910)
Vertebrate Palaeontology
Higher taxonomyChordata, Mammalia, DiprotodontiaCollectedAustralia, Victoria
Negative - International Harvester, D300 Van, Ball & Welch, Balaclava, Victoria, 1940 item MM 115105 Negative - International Harvester, D300 Van, Ball & Welch, Balaclava, Victoria, 1940
Engineering, Sustainable Futures, Transport
Part of a large collection of glass plate and film negatives, transparencies, photo albums, product catalogues, videos, motion picture films, company journals, advertisements and ...
Soil in Aspirin Bottle - H.W. Goldby, Chemist, Bentleigh, Contains Soil Sample, circa 1916-1930 item HT 48575 Soil in Aspirin Bottle - H.W. Goldby, Chemist, Bentleigh, Contains Soil Sample, circa 1916-1930
Public Life & Institutions, Home & Community, Medicine & Health
Soil in an asprin bottle made circa 1916-1930 and labelled H.W. Goldby, chemist, of Bentleigh, Melbourne. The soil is a sample of unknown origin, but was possibly ...
Syringe - Glass with Cork, circa 1920 item SH 850160 Syringe - Glass with Cork, circa 1920
Medicine & Health, Public Life & Institutions
Two glass syringes circa 1920. Used at Victorian psychiatric hospital pharmacy 1910-1950.
Cabinet - CSIRAC Computer, Back 5, Mercury Delay Line Control Circuits, 1949-1964 item ST 44222.1 Cabinet - CSIRAC Computer, Back 5, Mercury Delay Line Control Circuits, 1949-1964
Information & Communication
Cabinet holding circuitry for controlling the mercury delay lines. In Melbourne, CSIRAC's main memory consisted of a temperature controlled box containing 24 mercury delay lines and two cabinets ...
<em>Carduelis chloris harrisoni</em> specimen BE 14023 Carduelis chloris harrisoni
Ornithology
Common nameEuropean GreenfinchSpecimen natureEggHigher taxonomyChordata, Aves, PasseriformesCollectedScotland
<em>Emblema pictum</em> specimen B 21189 Emblema pictum
Ornithology
Common namePainted FinchSpecimen natureMountHigher taxonomyChordata, Aves, PasseriformesCollectedAustralia
Our Fauna, Sea - Emperor Penguin, <em>Aptenodytes forsteri</em> specimen B 20922 Our Fauna, Sea - Emperor Penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri
Ornithology
Common nameEmperor PenguinSpecimen natureMountHigher taxonomyChordata, Aves, SphenisciformesCollectedAntarctica
Research Focus, Victorian Birds - Plains-wanderer, <em>Pedionomus torquatus</em> specimen B 21064 Research Focus, Victorian Birds - Plains-wanderer, Pedionomus torquatus
Ornithology
Common namePlains-wandererSpecimen natureMountHigher taxonomyChordata, Aves, CharadriiformesCollectedAustralia, Victoria
<em>Tyto novaehollandiae</em> specimen B 25864 Tyto novaehollandiae
Ornithology
Common nameMasked OwlSpecimen natureMountHigher taxonomyChordata, Aves, StrigiformesCollectedAustralia

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Bookings and general enquiries 13 11 02

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  • Getting here and parking
  • Visitor map
  • Accessibility
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Education

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Discover

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Join and support

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  • Venue hire
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About us

  • Board and Executive team
  • Staff directory
  • Corporate documents
  • Touring exhibitions for hire
  • Publications

Media

  • Media releases
  • Enquiries and filming requests

Collections & research

  • Explore our collection
  • Journals
  • Library
  • Archives

Careers

  • Careers
  • Student placements

Our museums

  • Melbourne Museum
  • Scienceworks
  • Immigration Museum
  • Royal Exhibition Building
  • Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre
  • IMAX Melbourne
  • Museums Victoria
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Melbourne Museum

Open daily 9am to 5pm

11 Nicholson Street, Carlton

Bookings and general enquiries 13 11 02

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