Description of the attraction
The Museum and Art Gallery of Tasmania was founded in Hobart in 1843 by the Royal Society of Tasmania, the oldest outside England. Today it is the leading cultural institution in the Australian state of Tasmania, which contains priceless treasures of history, science and art in its depths. A museum, an art gallery and a large herbarium are located under one roof. Among the permanent expositions of the museum there is a collection of objects telling about the history and modern life of the aborigines of Tasmania "Ningennah tunapry"; an exhibition dedicated to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean "Island of Ice"; collection of numismatics; a zoological gallery and a gallery of fine arts from the colonial period of Tasmania.
All the exhibits of the museum reveal, first of all, the history of Tasmania from ancient times to the present day. Here you can learn about the geological history of the island, its development during the interglacial periods, and the unique megafauna. Of particular interest are exhibitions devoted to the history of the aboriginal population of Tasmania, the history of the first British settlements on the island, and its past as a penal colony. The pride of the museum is the world's largest collection of Tasmanian pine furniture. 54 pieces are made in the classic Georgian style, renowned for its simplicity and elegance. The Art Gallery contains wonderful works by artists of the colonial period and paintings by contemporary masters.
In the near future, the administration of the museum plans to begin large-scale work to expand the exhibition space and storage facilities, since the current ones no longer contain all the exhibits collected over the long years of the museum's existence.
Special attention should be paid to the branch of the Museum of Tasmania - the Markree Museum, located in the center of Hobart. It houses permanent exhibitions on Tasmanian history from the early 20th century and regularly hosts decorative arts exhibitions. The museum building itself, built in 1926 for the Baldwin family, descendants of the first settlers of Tasmania, is a fine example of local architecture. In 2008, this house, along with a solid collection of art, historical artifacts and documents (about 4,200 items in total!), Was transferred to the Museum of Tasmania in accordance with the bequest of Henry Baldwin. It was the largest donation in the history of the museum and one of the largest ever made in Australia.
