About the Queensland Museum
Vision
The Queensland Museum is valued as an innovative, exciting and accessible museum of science, environment and human experience, of international standing.
Mission
The Queensland Museum's mission is to enrich and enliven all Queensland communities.
The Museum is custodian of the State's natural and cultural heritage, housing many thousands of objects and specimens that tell the changing story of the Queensland.
Founded by the Queensland Philosophical Society on 20 January 1862, the Museum enhances the cultural, social and intellectual life of all Queenslanders through its dynamic network of research facilities, regional outreach services and statewide network of public venues.
These venues include: Queensland Museum South Bank in Brisbane; Cobb + Co Museum in Toowoomba; The Workshops Rail Museum in Ipswich; and the Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville. The Queensland Museum also operates the Lands, Mapping and Surveying Museum at Woolloongabba (in partnership with the Department of Natural Resources and Mines).
Behind-the-scenes, internationally recognised scientists studying the Museum's unique collections are making critical contributions to a wide range of global issues, including:
- the protection of endangered species;
- the development of new cancer drugs; and
- understanding climate change.
Similarly, the Museum's cultural heritage collections are an important resource for historians and archaeologists from around the world in their quest to uncover the stories of our people, places and society. The Museum also works closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the State to promote better understanding of Australia's Indigenous cultures.
The Museum's exceptional research and collections are interpreted through diverse displays at each venue, dynamic public programs, best-selling wildlife and historical publications, an innovative web site and special exhibitions that tour Australia.
Our Regional Services Program provides essential professional support for community collections and local museums across Queensland through the Museum Resource Centre Network. It also includes the Museum Loans and Strategic Learning Services, which are nationally recognised for the excellence of their projects and invaluable contribution to education in Queensland.
The Queensland Museum is a statutory authority of Arts Queensland and it is governed by a Board of Trustees under the provisions of the Queensland Museum Act 1970.