Queensland Museum & Community Collections

Author: Dr Jo Wills

  • Edmund Jarvis and his amazing cane beetle displays

    It’s not often I get called to look at natural history or entomological collections. And, when I was contacted by staff at Meringa Research Station near Gordonvale to come and assess the condition of some old display cases, I must confess to being a little skeptical. Imagine my surprise, then,…

  • Follow up from Cyclone Nathan, FNQ

    After two weeks of watching and waiting as Cyclone Nathan carved an erratic path back and forth across the Coral Sea, it finally passed over the FNQ coast on Friday/Saturday between Cape Flattery and Cape Melville. This more northerly crossing meant that the museums in Cooktown were spared the worst…

  • Anticipating Anzac: upcoming exhibition on the Atherton Tablelands

    Are you Anzac-ready? Or busy working on an Anzac-related project? As museums and historical societies across the state continue preparations for a suite of Anzac projects for the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli, let’s take a sneak preview of a project underway in far north Queensland. Anzac Treasures…

  • Conserving Mareeba’s “Portraits of the North”

    Last week, volunteers at Mareeba Historical Society worked with Queensland Museum Conservator, Sue Valis, and FNQ MDO, Jo Wills, to conserve their First World War related collections in a project called “Portraits of the North”. Funded through the Queensland Anzac Centenary grants program administered by the Anzac Centenary Coordination Unit,…

  • North West Queensland’s First World War collections

    In this first year of the First World War centenary commemorations, it’s hard for the MDOs not to notice World War One collections as they work with Queensland’s regional museums and communities. As we write grants and work on a variety of projects, we’re all keenly aware of the importance…

  • Heritage North – bringing local museum communities together

    Heritage North is an association of museums and historical societies from north and far north Queensland that meets quarterly to discuss issues affecting the region. When the organisation meets, members have the opportunity to share ideas and stories about the region’s history and their museum collections. Members work closely with…

  • Defending the Pacific – North Queensland and the First World War

    MDOs from North Queensland, Ewen McPhee, and Far North Queensland, Dr Jo Wills, have curated Defending the Pacific, an exhibition that commemorates Australia’s (and North Queensland’s) first action in the First World War. Using material drawn from collections from the Cairns Historical Society, Zara Clark Museum, Army Museum of North…

  • Just around the corner… Yarrabah

    How many people do you know who have never visited their local museum or gallery? Quite often we are unaware of the treasures hidden inside buildings that are just around the corner. Or perhaps we have just never got around to visiting them as we’re too busy with our daily…

  • The art of making tea: Mulgrave Settlers Museum’s New Tea Cosy Competition

    Mulgrave Shire Historical Society and the Mulgrave Settlers Museum are holding a Tea Cosy Competition this year to celebrate and promote the art of making tea cosies. The Museum is calling for locals, artists and other interested participants to submit an entry into one of three categories: Knitted; Crocheted; or…