For a break from watching movies today I decided to go check out the Melbourne Museum and
IMAX theatre.
The first place in the museum I went to was the forest gallery, which I think is mostly
for the benefit of the city people who haven't been out in the bush before - I really don't need to see a bullant as I've been bitten by them enough.
Bunjilaka (the Aboriginal Centre) was the next exhibition I had a look at. My favourite
exhibit was the photographs from Arhnem Land with the people in the photos describing what
they were doing when the photos were taken.
On my way to the Science and Life gallery I saw the skeleton of a Blue Whale which was still seeping oil even though it had washed up on a beach 10 years ago.
In the Science exhibit the first part I looked at was the @digital.au space. It has an
'evolution of information systems' Sumerian Cunieform to Digital and strangely has an exhibit comparing the Internet to the 'Human Internet' of the telegraph.
What I also liked was the old CSIRAC computer (which is one of the only ones still in one piece) and how they had a pocket organiser next to it to compare.
The Science Arcade section was fun as you got to press buttons to do stuff (some of it was closed though.)
For some strange reason they put the dinosaur bones right out of the back of the science part of the museum (they had about five full size skeletons in there.)
Upstairs my first stop was the Mind and Body Gallery which has a warning on the door about nudity, human organs, sex and other interesting topics. There were heaps of school groups at the museum today and there were already some kids having a go at the keyhole surgery exhibit
so I checked out the 'body parts' exhibit and found a display on phrenology (it was a DIY examination though) with someone's head in a jar.
My two favourite parts of the Australia Gallery were Phar Lap and the full size shelter shed from the school playground which had visitors writing all over it.
An excellent way to spend a few hours (or full day if you have kids). Be sure to take a camera so you can take a picture of your hand touching the 'do not touch' signs.