The National Museum of Australia is a social history museum in Canberra. We explore the land, nation and people of Australia. We celebrate stories of ordinary and extraordinary Australians, and provide a dynamic forum for discussion and reflection, fun at home activities, and share insights on caring for collections. We welcome your feedback: www.nma.gov.au/about/contact-us.
If you loved listening to Adam you can join him for an on-site tour of our Forecourt Garden on Saturday 31 October 2020. For more information or to book, please visit nma.gov.au. If you have any more questions make sure to comment here so that we can get back to you!
Hi Mike, in answer to your question, we do not source Indigenous products from overseas. We do stock Indigenous products that are made overseas using authentic artwork under licence with artists and art centres. Thanks for watching the live stream!
Hi Deborah, sorry we couldn't get to your question during the live stream. Yes we do source products from overseas. These suppliers work within a framework of ethical standards in regards to sourcing materials, employee standards etc.
Thanks for watching! Please feel free to ask questions even if you are not watching live. Make sure to comment here so that we can get back to you! Check out the Museum shop on Instagram: instagram.com/the_museumshop/
@Hannah: What was the most surprising thing you learnt about the garden? "That there is a guillotine on the side of the Dream House and it represents how impossible it is too buy a house." "That there are references all over the Garden to famous Australian artworks such as Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles & Arthur Boyd's Great Hall Tapestry."
@Jenny Turbet: Are there any plans to add more languages to the forecourt to accommodate the more cultures arriving in the country? No, unfortunately not at this stage! As the Garden of Australian Dreams is considered an artwork in itself and undergoes similar conservation measures as other objects in the museum, there is no intention to make modifications at this stage.
@julianne evans: What can you tell us about the big red cross? It represents the signatures of illiterate persons who arrived in Australia, such as many of the convicts.
@Diana Streak: Who is the artist that made the beautiful brolga sculpture? The artist who made the Gurdurrku (brolga) sculpture is Gunybi Ganambarr, a Yolngu artist.
Question from @TonyKennedy 'I think it was the NMA, where a couple of years ago there was a weekend to promote old trade skills, do you think this could happen again?' - There are heritage skills networks around that put together fairs and trade shows. We hope when the restrictions are lifted we will know more about when it will be operating.
Question from @DeborahShannon 'are there any older paddle steamers still on the rivers?' - Our vessel is the second oldest continuously operating paddle streamer in the world. Fun Fact: the oldest paddle steamer is the Skibladner in Norway, 1856. The oldest recently restored Murray River boat in Australia is the PS Adelaide, 1866.
Question from @thekaxmax 'Are there plans available?'- Yes the Museum has plans for the vessel. Feel free to email us at programs@nma.gov.au for more information.
