Upcoming event
'The Compleat Archaeologist': Mike Smith, desert archaeology and museums
Friday 8 February 2013, 10:00am to 4:30pm
Dr Mike Smith is a pioneering desert archaeologist, author and senior research fellow at the Research Centre at the Museum. Join Mike and other distinguished archaeologists, historians, artists and Museum staff as we celebrate 30 years of his work.
Past conferences
These are conferences, seminars, symposia and other events organised by the National Museum of Australia.Collections symposia 2006–2010
These symposia have been organised by the Research Centre focusing each year on a different aspect of collections.
Collections symposium 2010 – Caring for collections
14 May 2010
More information on the speakers and program
Collections symposium 2009 – From collections to exhibitions
27 March 2009
The 'From collections to exhibitions' symposium brought together speakers from across Australia to discuss the nature and uses of collection material and objects for display in various forms.
More information on the speakers and program
Collections symposium 2008 – Material histories: objects as sources?
30 May 2008
The 'Material histories: objects as sources?' symposium featured speakers from across Australia considering the different ways curators, archaeologists, historians and anthropologists have approached physical evidence.
Museums are full of objects with stories to tell. Often the object illustrates a story gleaned from other sources such as books, documents, memories and photographs. But can the objects themselves be regarded as evidence of the past and, if so, how might we use them to create new interpretations of Australia's past? How can 'material history' inform our understanding of the past? What challenges might it pose? What benefits might it bring?
Collections symposium 2006 – History of the National Historical Collection and its collectors
21 March 2006
The 'Collecting for a Nation' symposium marked the 25th anniversary of the Act which brought about the National Museum of Australia and its National Historical Collection.
More information on the speakers and program
Event held in 2011
A tribute to Bob Edwards
22 March 2011
Dr Robert Edwards AO has played a crucial role in museums, Aboriginal art and culture, and the visual arts in Australia. At this tribute, friends, colleagues, protégés and admirers will celebrate Bob's contributions to diverse fields over seven decades of public life.
Listen to the audio and read the transcripts
Events held in 2009
Barks, Birds and Billabongs: Exploring the legacy of the 1948 Arnhem Land Expedition
16-20 November 2009
A five-day symposium revisiting this landmark international venture and exploring the vast collections with an emphasis on Indigenous perspectives.
WARNING: Visitors should be aware that this website includes images and names of deceased people that may cause sadness or distress to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Indigenous Participation in Australian Economies
9-10 November 2009
A conference held at the National Museum of Australia, in association with the School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Faculty of Arts, Australian National University looking at perspectives from anthropology, history and material culture studies. A major theme was how local ‘hybrid economies’ develop through Indigenous and settler interaction, and how new complexes of transactions and relations emerge.
Online information about the conference
Listen to the audio and read the transcripts of some speakers
Violent Ends: The Arts of Environmental Anxiety
11 June 2009
Fears around global warming were explored through different mediums by a group of artists, poets, dancers, singers, scientists, film makers, historians, creative writers and cultural theorists.
