Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Exploring Sydney's Museums and Galleries
Sydney boasts a rich variety of museums
and galleries that reflects the cultural,
artistic and historical heritage of this, the
country's oldest city - and of Australia as
a whole. The growth of such institutions
in recent years parallels a corresponding
growth in public interest in all things
cultural, a phenomenon that seems at
odds with Sydney's predominantly hedonistic image. In
fact, Sydney has a long-standing cultural tradition, one
that has not always been widely recognized. It may even
surprise some people that museums and galleries attract
more people than do high-profile football matches.
Nautilus
scrimshaw, National
Maritime Museum
Detail from
Window of Dreams
at
the National Maritime Museum
TECHNOLOGY AND
NATURAL HISTORY
well as a gallery devoted to
Asian art and a collection
of contemporary and photo-
graphic works. Thematic
temporary exhibitions are
also a regular feature here.
The far newer
Museum
of Contemporary Art
(MCA)
is best known for its
impressive blockbuster
exhibitions. Many of these
take advantage of its prime
harbour site to create a fine
sense of spectacle. It also has
a considerable permanent
collection, and hosts literary
readings and talks.
The
Brett Whiteley Studio
,
housed in the studio of the late
artist, commemorates the life
and works of perhaps the
most celebrated and contro-
versial Sydney painter of the
late 20th century.
The substantial collection
of Australian painting and
sculpture held by the
SH Ervin
Gallery
is supplemented by
frequent thematic and other
specialized exhibitions.
The undisputed leader in this
area is the
Powerhouse
, with
traditional and interactive
displays covering fields as
diverse as space travel, silent
films and solar energy. The
Australian National Maritime
Museum
has the world's
fastest boat,
Spirit of Australia
,
as part of its indoor/outdoor
display. Also part of their fleet
are the destroyer HMAS
Vampire,
the
Onslow
(a sub-
marine), and the
James Craig
(1874), a three-masted barque.
The
Australian Museum
, in
contrast, emphasizes natural
history with its displays of the
exotic and extinct: from birds,
insects and rock samples to
giant Australian megafauna.
Collage on one of the internal
doors of the Brett Whiteley Studio
VISUAL ARTS
The
Art Gallery of NSW
has
one of the finest existing
collections of modern
Australian and Aboriginal art.
It also boasts an outstanding
collection of late 19th- and
early 20th-century English
and Australian works as
ABORIGINAL CULTURE
With more than 200 works,
both traditional and contem-
porary, on display, the
Art
Gallery of NSW'
s Yiribana
Gallery has the best and most
Jabarrgwa Wurrabadalumba's
Dugong Hunt
(1948), Art Gallery of NSW
