The South Australian Museum is a museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

 in Adelaide

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

, South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

, founded in 1856. It occupies a complex of buildings on North Terrace

North Terrace, Adelaide

North Terrace is one of the four terraces that bound the central business and residential district of the city of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It runs east-west, along the northern edge of the CBD.-North Side of North Terrace:...

 in the cultural precinct of the Adelaide Parklands.

History

The South Australian Institute, incorporating a public library and a museum, was established in 1847 in the rented premises of the Library and Mechanics' Institute in King William Street

King William Street, Adelaide

King William Street is the part of a major arterial road that traverses the CBD and centre of Adelaide . It was named by the Street Naming Committee on 23 May 1837 after King William IV, the then reigning monarch, who died within a month...

 whilst waiting construction of the Institute building on the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue. Frederick George Waterhouse

Frederick George Waterhouse

Frederick George Waterhouse was an English naturalist, zoologist and entomologist who made significant contributions to the study of the natural history of Australia....

 offered his services as curator

Curator

A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...

 of the South Australian Institute Museum in June 1859 in an honorary capacity. When the Institute building was completed, the Board appointed him as the first curator, a position he held until his retirement in February 1882. He was succeeded by Wilhelm Haacke, who in January 1883 recommended the South Australian Institute Museum be renamed the South Australian Museum, and the position of Curator be changed to Director. Wilhelm was appointed the first of eleven Directors of the South Australian Institute Museum.

In 1939, Haacke’s recommendation was finally realised; legislation was passed that gave the South Australian Museum autonomy from the Art Gallery and Library, and the South Australian Institute Museum was officially renamed the South Australian Museum.

The Museum

The current Director, appointed in April 2007, is Professor Suzanne Miller.

The museum contains the largest collection of Australian Aboriginal cultural artifacts in the world.

Permanent galleries include:

• Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery
• South Australian Biodiversity Gallery
• World Mammals Gallery
• Mawson Gallery
• Megafauna Gallery
• Minerals and Meteorites Gallery
• Fossils Gallery
• Pacific Cultures Gallery
• Ancient Egyptian Room

The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize

Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize

The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize is the richest prize for natural history art in Australia. It is named after Frederick George Waterhouse, who was the first curator of the South Australian Museum...

, the richest prize for natural history art in Australia and named for the museum's first curator, has been awarded annually since 2003.

External links

• South Australian Museum website