Western Australian Museum

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Western Australian Museum – GERALDTON

GALLIPOLI: A TURKISH VIEW

Western Australian Museum - Geraldton
24 July - 7 September 2008
Admission free

AN AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL TRAVELLING EXHIBITION

The events of 1915 at Gallipoli created the ANZAC legend, a story with profound importance for the Australian sense of national identity. In Turkey the sense of defeat for foreign invasion gave Gallipoli mythical status within Turkey's national identity, under the charismatic command of Mustafa Kemal (later Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish republic).

This Australian War Memorial travelling exhibition offers Australians the events of Gallipoli from a new perspective – that of the Turkish people. Through photographs and a selection of Turkish relics, the exhibition suggests how the Turks experienced Gallipoli in a manner both similar to and very different from those of their enemies, including Australians. The conjunction of these powerful national stories surrounding the Gallipoli campaign reflects the main cultural bond between Australia and Turkey

This Australian War Memorial’s Travelling Exhibition program is funded by the Australian Government’s Commemorations program, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

For more information about this travelling exhibition, visit the Australian War Memorial website here

museum@work lecture

Meteorites: A journey through space and time
Speaker: A/Professor Alex Bevan
Curator of Mineralogy and Meteoritics, Head of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Western Australian Museum
museum@work is a series of public lectures presented by Western Australian Museum scientists, curators and conservators

Western Australian Museum – Geraldton
7.00pm, Wednesday 20 August (during National Science Week)

How many times have you seen a spark of light streak across the night sky, then fade into the blackness? Popularly known as 'shooting stars', these celestial fireworks, called meteors, result from the destruction of tiny fragments of natural space debris hurtling through the upper atmosphere. Some larger objects fall to Earth to become meteorites, and are occasionally recovered by us.

Most meteorites are 4 555 million years old and represent debris left over after the formation of the planets. Like messengers across space and time, meteorites carry a unique record of the birth of the Solar System. What are meteorites made of? Where do they come from? How did they form and, what do they tell us about the infant Solar System?

Alex’s talk will examine some of the remarkable scientific discoveries made over the last two centuries.

Entry by gold coin donation
Bookings essential on 9921 5080

Western Australian Museum – Geraldton
Batavia Coast Marina, Geraldton

For more information on this lecture download a PDF flyer here

NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK

SCINEMA: Festival of Science Film
Western Australia Museum - Geraldton
Screening during National Science Week, 16 - 24 August 2008
All screenings for SCINEMA are free. All programs are rated G fo General Exhibition.

Come and explore the best and brightest science films during National Science Week as the WA Museum hosts screenings for SCINEMA, Australia’s premier festival of science film.

SCINEMA is travelling to venues across Australia, bringing a program of science drama, documentaries, multimedia and short subjects. The program for 2008 features a wide range of topics ranging from climate change, human health and natural history, to broader social films.

SCINEMA SCREENING SCHEDULE
Saturday 16 August, 2:30pm - Sustainability
Sunday 17 August, 2:30pm - Animal Kingdom
Monday 18 August, 5:15pm - To the Moon and Back
Tuesday 19 August, 5:15pm - Making Sense of the World Around Us
Thursday 21 August, 5:15pm - Origins of Man
Saturday 23 August, 2:30pm - The Human Brain
Sunday 24 August, 2:30pm - Under the Sea

SCINEMA (pronounced with a long ‘i’ to emphasise the science behind the cinema) is a partnership of the CSIRO, Cosmos Magazine and the National Museum of Australia, with funding from DEST’s National Science Week program, and ACT Department of Health.

For further information on the SCINEMA screenings download a 2008 SCINEMA Travelling Program PDF here

PRIDE OF THE FLEET -

THE SEARCH FOR HMAS SYDNEY (II)

Open from 24 April
Admission by donation

Local audiences and visitors to the Geraldton region can now visit the exhibition Pride of the Fleet – the search for HMAS Sydney (II), a nationally significant story considered to have a strong link to the community and importance to the nation.

The ship HMAS Sydney (II) was lost after a fierce sea battle with the German raider HSK Kormoran on the 19 November 1941. None of the 645 crew on board survived and this loss had a profound effect on wartime Australia, generating enormous grief and a need to find out what happened on that fateful evening.

Sixty-seven years later, on 16 March 2008, the wreck of HMAS Sydney (II) was found about 112 nautical miles off Steep Point Western Australia in 2,470 metres of water. This momentous find occurred five days after the wreck of the Kormoran was also discovered.

This is the first formal exhibition featuring the work of the team aboard the Geosounder to be opened in the nation, it covers all major aspects of one of Australia’s most enduring maritime mysteries.

Pride of the Fleet gives a comprehensive overview of the story of HMAS Sydney II as well as telling some of the stories of the men who were lost and the families they left behind.

It also gives due recognition to the Finding Sydney Foundation, the HMAS Sydney Search team and their work in discovering the battle site and wreck sites for both ships.

Pride of the Fleet – the search for HMAS Sydney (II) will be on display at the WA Museum – Geraldton until late 2008.