‘Overwhelming’, is the word that sums up my experience of New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa. It is all that it promises to be but I could not possibly comprehend everything that was exhibited in one visit. This museum reminded me that New Zealand is quite a different country to Australia both culturally and physically. The indigenous people make a significant … [Read more...] about Te Papa: the national museum of New Zealand
Exhibition Reviews
The Dream of a Century: The Griffins in Australia’s capital
The capital city of Australia is a twentieth century creation. It emerged from a paddock in rural New South Wales one hundred years ago. On 12th March 1913 Lady Denman, the wife of Australia’s Governor-General, stood on the newly laid foundation stones and announced the name of the city to be – Canberra. The city had already been born by the time the crowd gathered in the … [Read more...] about The Dream of a Century: The Griffins in Australia’s capital
Twenty Five: Stories from Australia’s First Parliament
Twenty five stories from Australia’s first parliament – intriguing! During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries political debate in Australia was vigorous and at times innovative. There are a wealth of great stories lurking in the pages of Hansard and the tightly packed columns of colonial newspapers. From the vantage point of today these stories are fascinating but … [Read more...] about Twenty Five: Stories from Australia’s First Parliament
GLAMming it Up – Two Days in Melbourne
Galleries, libraries, archives and museums are known as the GLAM institutions. I spend a lot of time in these places doing research, but I also enjoy visiting exhibitions and taking behind the scenes tours. When I travel I try to squeeze in an exhibition or two. Unfortunately I find that I often don't have much time to do this so I either miss out or I have to cram as much as … [Read more...] about GLAMming it Up – Two Days in Melbourne
GLAMming it up – Canberra in Two Days!
GLAM is an evocative acronym referring to Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums. I had booked an extra couple of days in Canberra after attending a digital humanities 'unconference' (called THAT Camp Canberra), so I GLAMmed it up and visited some of our national cultural resources. I had a ball, but there was a more serious motive behind it all. Aside from generally … [Read more...] about GLAMming it up – Canberra in Two Days!