National Museum of Australia

Brief description

The National Museum of Australia is social history museum that explores the land, nation and people of Australia. Our collecting, exhibitions and programs focus on three themes: Indigenous histories and cultures, histories of European settlement and people's interactions with the environment. The Museum came into being with National Museum of Australia Act 1980. The National Historical Collection is broad, diverse and eclectic. It contains one of the world's largest collections of bark paintings and the ethnographic and anatomical collections of the former Australian Institute of Anatomy, including the racehorse Phar Lap's heart. The collection also features an assortment of historical vehicles, material related to Australian politics and politicians, over 300 convict tokens, and an extensive collection of Aboriginal breastplates.