Recent acquisitions

The Sparkes cup is a nineteenth century engraved solid silver goblet. It was awarded to Australian bare knuckle fighter William Sparkes.

> More on the Sparkes cup

The Ritchie Family collection consists of the 1934 Melbourne Cup trophy won by the horse Peter Pan.

> More on the Ritchie Family collection

Several items of personal clothing belonging to Aboriginal historian and activist, Dr Jackie Huggins, worn in campaigns for reconciliation.

> More on the Jackie Huggins collection

A tuckerbox and wharfies hook belonging to Aboriginal political activist Joe McGinness are some of the growing number of Indigenous civil rights material from the Museum's collection.

> More on the Joe McGinness collection

The recent acquisition of several late 19th century Aboriginal artefacts from north-western New South Wales will extend our understanding of iconography and cross-cultural frontier contact.

> More on the Aboriginal artefacts collection

These woven grass figures from Western Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory are a recent take on a traditional Aboriginal story about mermaid-like spiritual beings.

A small gold locket which belonged to Winnie O'Sullivan, the sweetheart of Australian boxing champion Les Darcy, tells a poignant story of a love lost.

A magnifier and plane table frame used by explorer Captain James Cook would have been used in the making of accurate maps, essential for safe navigation.

A collection of cricket gear belonging to Australian players including Greg Chappell and Bill O'Reilly covers more than five decades of the game.

Several distinctive silk batiks are among the latest additions to the National Museum's rich collection of work from Ernabella Arts, one of Australia's longest continuously running Aboriginal arts organisations.

A small Pembroke worktable dating from the 1790s helps to tell a remarkable story about style, patronage and commerce in the early days of the Australian colony.

A silver snuffbox presented to New South Wales Governor Philip Gidley King in 1801 marks the birthday of an English king and the gratitude of an early naval officer.

> More on the silver snuffbox

Australia's leading representative netballer Liz Ellis has contributed a goal keeper's uniform to a new netball display at the National Museum.

Small coins engraved with messages of affection from convicts to their loved ones are a rare personal and emotional record from prisoners transported from England to Australia.

A clock salvaged from the Southern Cloud aeroplane, wrecked in Australia's first major civil air disaster, came to the National Museum after a chance schoolyard sale 30 years ago.