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Friends enjoy exclusive access to special events including our monthly Object Club and Time Traveller's Book Club.

Object Club

Join us on the last Friday of each month as one of our Museum curators, conservators or other expert staff share their deep understanding of an object or exhibition. Free for Friends, bookings essential.

Object Club – Digital twins: activating Norman Hetherington’s puppets Time: 10.30am–11.30am Date: Friday, July 25, 2025 Ticket information: Log in to book your ticket Ticket information: Book tickets

How has a digital twin helped the Museum capture Tom Hetherington-Welch performing with his grandfather’s puppets? Join Asti Sherring and Candice Cranmer from our Changeable and Digital Collections team as they discuss their collaboration with the Hetherington family and the University of New South Wales. Free and exclusive to Friends, bookings essential. Join Friends

Object Club – The Reluctant Dragon Time: 10.30am–11.30am Date: Friday, August 29, 2025 Ticket information: Log in to book your ticket Ticket information: Book tickets

Join Senior Conservator Kerryn Wagg and Senior Curator Danielle Cassar to go behind-the-scenes of our Mr Squiggle and Friends exhibition and hear how Norman’s spectacular painted stage backdrop from his 1950 play, The Reluctant Dragon, was prepared for display. Free and exclusive to Friends, bookings essential. Join Friends

Time Traveller’s Book Club

Our Time Traveller’s Book Club is hosted by the Friends team on the last Tuesday of each month. Free for friends, bookings essential.

Event Time Traveller’s Book Club – A Brief History of Korea Time: 11am–12pm Date: Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Ticket information: Free, bookings essential Ticket information: Book tickets

Journey through Korean culture in this fascinating look at the country’s dynasties, empires, states, foreign conquests, occupation and division. Michael J Seth explores how Korea transformed from isolated peninsula to two starkly different nations, from the seventh century to today. Exclusive to Friends. Join Friends

Event Time Traveller’s Book Club – Näku Dhäruk: The Bark Petitions by Clare Wright Time: 11am–12pm Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2025 Ticket information: Log in to book your tickets Ticket information: Book tickets

Don’t miss this special book club event! Join Professor Clare Wright OAM, author, historian and Chair of the Council of the National Museum, for our August meeting. The third book in her Democracy Trilogy, this important Australian work is a personal and engaging narrative of the bark petitions created by the Yolngu people at Yirrkala in north-east Arnhem Land in 1963, protesting mining on traditional lands. Exclusive to Friends. Join Friends

Event Time Traveller’s Book Club – Lest: Australian War Myths by Mark Dapin Time: 11am–12pm Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025 Ticket information: Log in to book your tickets Ticket information: Book tickets

Join us to discuss Lest, the latest work by acclaimed journalist and historian Mark Dapin. Millions of dollars are spent commemorating Australia’s military history, but do the myths reflect the reality? What actually happened? This book aims to set the record straight. Exclusive to Friends. Join Friends

March

Unmaking Angas Downs by Shannyn Palmer, ISBN 9780522878387

Buy in Museum Shop

April

Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica’s Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton, ISBN 9780753553459

May

Living with the Anthropocene: Love, Loss and Hope in the Face of Environmental Crisis edited by Cameron Muir, ISBN 9781742236889

Buy in Museum Shop

June

Games People Played: A Global History of Sport by Wray Vamplew, ISBN 9781742236889

Buy in Museum Shop

July

A Brief History of Korea by Michael J Seth, ISBN 9780804851022

August

Näku Dhäruk: The Bark Petitions by Clare Wright, ISBN: 9781922330864

Buy in Museum Shop

September

Lest: Australian War Myths by Mark Dapin, ISBN 978-1761108075

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