- by Coen Ramalli
- 6 October 2021
Spring has sprung and we’re celebrating by getting outside and smelling the roses. Spring in Australia brings new flora and fauna as well as the omnipresent magpie. If you are smelling the roses, don’t forget to watch your back!
So let's explore some of our favourite parts of spring through the Museum's collection.
‘Life. Be in it.’ launch
There's no better time to get outdoors and exercise than in spring.
‘Life. Be in it.’ was the slogan for what became one of the best-known health promotions in Australian history. The campaign aimed to increase physical activity and general wellbeing among Australians, and encourage them to take control of their health.
The campaign was initiated by the Victorian Government in 1975. It was taken up by the Australian Government in 1978 and introduced throughout Australia.
‘Life. Be in it’ aimed to educate the Australian public about exercise in a fun and non-threatening manner, making it part of everyday routine.
Ivy Lovric, the woman who inspired Alex Stitt to create the Aunty Ivy character, had a life-long passion for gardening. Her interest was nurtured from a young age. Over the years, Lovric became well-known in Sydney. She shared her love of gardening through newspaper columns, at garden shows, on her own talkback radio segment and on television.
Knowing Australian Plants
Plants and flowers come to life in spring. Australia’s First Nations peoples, who have been here for more than 65,000 years, have an ancient knowledge of native plants.
Plants featured in creation stories were markers of different seasons, and provided food, medicine and materials for making everyday items.
Through our Knowing Plants interactive, discover Indigenous knowledge of native plants collected during the HMB Endeavour’s 1770 Pacific voyage.
Botanists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander collected thousands of plants, many previously unknown in Europe. Together they form the world’s oldest collection of Australian plants.
Fun at home – Bogong moth
Every spring the Bogong moth migrates south to the alpine areas of New South Wales and Victoria. During its migration the moth is a popular sight in Canberra. In this Fun at home activity, create your own bogong moth inspired by the Reko Rennie artwork in our Gandel Atrium.
See our step-by-step bogong moth instructions or explore our other activities
In our collection