New exhibition reveals why museums hold the key to protecting our natural world

A new exhibition showcasing Queensland Museum Network’s vast specimen collection, past scientific discoveries and vital future research is open at Museum of Tropical Queensland.

Natural Curiosity: Discovering the secrets of Queensland’s greatest Collections is set to provide visitors with an insight into Queensland Museum’s biodiversity collections and why they play such an important role in preserving the natural world for future generations. 

Minister for Science and Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said the new exhibition was a great way to learn more about Queensland’s State Collection and signature biodiversity. 

“The State Collection, which includes more than 1.2 million objects and 14 million research items, is a comprehensive showcase of Queensland’s unique biological heritage,” Minister Enoch said. 

“This new exhibition takes visitors on a journey in exploring and discovering more about the world around us, including the areas of marine, corals and palaeontology.” Queensland Museum Network CEO Dr Jim Thompson said the State Collection was a fundamental resource for learning. 

“With more than a million specimens including animals, fossils and plants, it allows significant and unique biological research to be conducted by museum scientists,” Dr Thompson said. Museum of Tropical Queensland Senior Curator of Corals Dr Tom Bridge is looking forward to showing visitors the advanced scientific research techniques used by researchers and revealing important specimens for the first time to the public. 

“We hope visitors will be in awe of the work we do behind the scenes at the Museum of Tropical Queensland. From discovering new animal species to the research into saving the world’s reefs, these collections allow our scientists to learn from the past in order to make calculated predictions about the future.” 

Natural Curiosity will take visitors on a journey through the many research areas of the museum including our areas of expertise of marine, corals and palaeontology. The exhibition showcases items from their iconic collections including animal skulls, preserved skeletons, study skins and fossilized bones, dinosaur tracks and teeth. 

Natural Curiosity: Discovering the secrets of Queensland’s greatest Collections will be on display at Museum of Tropical Queensland to Sunday 10 November 2019. 

Entry is included with admission. Visit www.mtq.qm.qld.gov.au for further details. 

The Museum is open daily from 9.30am – 5pm and will be closed on Good Friday and Anzac Day.
For the full program visit mtq.qm.qld.gov.au

Museum of Tropical Queensland
70 -102 Flinders Street, Townsville
Queensland 4810
Get Directions
Open 9:30am to 5pm daily