Gallery development

The National Museum is undergoing exciting new changes as we work to build a bigger and better Museum experience for our visitors.

Our new Great Southern Land environmental history gallery and our Discovery Centre for children and families will open in late 2021.

Great Southern Land

Great Southern Land (formerly Life in Australia) tells the story of this unique and ancient continent. It is designed by Local Projects, global leaders in experience design and based in New York. The new gallery engages visitors with bold new spaces, immersive multimedia and more than 1100 compelling objects.

It reveals the powerful forces that shape life in Australia, its deep human history, seasonal rhythms and incredible biodiversity. Great Southern Land shows how our continent has been transformed through time and can guide us towards facing change in hopeful, creative ways.

Discovery Centre

The Discovery Centre is a fun space for children and families, where young visitors explore the Museum’s stories through play-based and hand-on experiences. This dynamic and educational space will spark curiosity, stimulate imagination and build knowledge. The Discovery Centre also functions as an ever-changing workshop for events, programs and functions.

Master Plan

Gallery development is part of the Museum’s transformative Master Plan. The plan seeks to upgrade the Museum’s display space and extend the range of public experiences.

This includes our stunning new Forecourt Garden and a mirrored Welcome Wall, open to the public from 2019.

While we are in the process of transforming the galleries, some areas will be temporarily unavailable. We apologise for any inconvenience.