Description of the attraction
Queensland Tropical Museum, located in Townsville, two minutes' walk from the city center, introduces the history and natural heritage of the region. Here you can find huge collections of coral from the Great Barrier Reef and historical artifacts from the past of North Queensland. The exhibitions tell about life in the tropics, about the local flora and fauna and about the creatures that inhabit the depths of the ocean. In total, the museum has more than 2.5 million samples!
Corals are the main area of interest for the museum, with numerous research programs focused on the evolution and current state of coral reefs. The coral collection of this museum is considered the most scientifically important collection in the world. And the scientists of the museum have long gained international recognition in various fields of science, primarily in those related to the study of the sea.
Of particular interest is the collection of artifacts from the sunken British warship Pandora. The ship sank off the coast of northern Queensland in 1791, carrying some of the participants in the famous mutiny on the Bounty. The artifacts are located in the Marine Archeology section.
The museum was opened in 1987 as a branch of the Queensland Museum. In 2000, a new building was built to house the museum's extensive collection. The construction cost A $ 18 million.
