Australian Museum, Sydney
This place was talked about and thought about for years. I'll bypass all of that because it wasn't super material to it actually starting in 1827. (Which is super old especially for an active penal colony? Kinda crazy)From originally housing collections in an office of the Colonial Secretary to the building it is in now that was built in 1849. That's also a very long time for the same location of a major museum.
Voraciously collecting for almost 200 years, and heavy on the unique flora and fauna of the Australian continent, gives this museum quite an expansive collection. Plus they have a lot of special events, and is free to visit. So it definitely seemed worth the price to me. I killed a few hours there for sure.
The Arrival
I walked to the museum from my hotel, about 15 minutes or so, up hills (Sydney is quite steep in places). Then up to the door where I waited for the ticket time I'd booked online, and in I went.Westpac Gallery
The Westpac Long gallery, with a lower floor of artistic interpretations and "treasures" plus many levels of birds which are exceptionally abundant here.Wild Planet
Examples (all dead, yeah, sorry) of semi current animals around the world in the original main hall of the museum.Dinosaurs
They have dinosaurs on the top floor, along with lots of very excited school children (plus excited Rob because, hey, they are cool).Special Exhibit
Included with your entrance was the Australian Geographic photo competition for kids. These shots are astounding, and what they included were all the settings on how the shot was taken. There is an accompanying book available that I purchased to learn how to photograph better myself.Minerals
There is an entire area just for the minerals, and the wealth and diversity of them here is a major reason Australia has a good economy.Other Sections
So there are other sections that I didn't have enough pictures of (or they weren't super engaging to me) to have a separate section, so I will clump them here.
Various cultures all indigenous, together"
Old school grand space
So many parrots
This is the Emu, which the British Army lost a war against. Look it up
One good tern deserves another
Well, the original way up, not for my knees today
65 million year old fish you can find today
The well known mascots of Australia, the Roos
Big ass animals used to roam"
The sloth, he takes his time no matter what
I don't like the way this guy is looking down at me
Movie stuff, raptors were not that big!!!
The big boys that everyone is fascinated with
This one 'breathes' and Rob scared the hell out of some school kids too intent on the model
Such great composition and color and even after 60,000 pictures, I can know more
Thoroughly impressive and humbling that people 1/3 my age are doing this quality
Night shots, something I struggle with quite profusely, to be honest
Pretty crystals
UV light making some glow in amazing ways
Meteorites, lots of Iron in these things
Opals, the national gemstone
Lots of gold in Australia
And some intensely large singular discoveries
Plus a lot more gold, which is still mined
Another area for special events, which seems nothing planned right now
Can you survive Australia? Hint, Rob almost didn't in 2023
Crikey, look at that sheila!
Aboriginal tools and technology
Kids area#1, part of the Burra
More of the Burra, very very popular
The only dining venue open my day, the Billabong Waterhole, there is another place on the top floor
Summary
At first, there doesn't seem to be a lot in the museum, but as you continue to just go through it, you find it's really all-encompassing and time quickly slips away.There is also the Bistro Cadi with much more elegant food on the top floor, open Monday-Sunday for lunch (but somehow it wasn't when I went, Doom on Rob).
Yes, this is worth cutting out time from beaches, shopping and shrimp on the barbie, to see.