Batavia Lecture Series

Time: Lectures start at 6:00pm
(unless specified)

Cost: $10.00 per person
(includes GST)

Venue: WA Maritime Museum,
Victoria Quay

Phone 9431 8455 to reserve your place.

museum@work

Conserving Rock Art Of The Burrup
6.30pm, 25 April, Western Australian Museum - Albany
9841 4844

Preservation Of Maritime Wrecks
2pm, 27 April, Western Australian Museum - Albany
9841 4844
Dr Ian MacLeod, the WA Museum’s collection management and conservation executive director will give two fascinating presentations in Albany. Dr MacLeod will discuss how moisture and sea salt spray effect the biodeterioration of Burrup rocks as well as his experience conserving some of Australia’s historic shipwrecks from HMAS Sirius to the Batavia.

Conserving Mawson's Hut
7pm, 3 May, Western Australian Museum - Geraldton
9921 5080

6.30pm, 17 May & 2pm, 18 May, Western Australian Museum - Albany
9841 4844
Dr Ian Godfrey, head of materials and conservation at the WA Museum, will describe his 11 week expedition in the Antarctic leading a team of heritage specialists in the restoration of the hut built by Sir Douglas Mawson almost a century ago.

Prostitution From The Goldfields To Roe Street
7pm, 21 May, Western Australian Museum - Geraldton
9921 5080
In the late 1890’s debate was rife on the topic of prostitution. Sheryl Milentis, author of The Scarlet Stain, will discuss her research on the topic and the public attitudes that shaped the industry.

A behind-the-scenes look at the work of the Museum's scientists, historians and exhibition designers.

museum@work is a series of free fortnightly presentations providing a snapshot of the research and specialist work undertaken by Museum professionals. The 45 minute presentations start at 1pm sharp in the Tunnel meeting room at the Western Australian Museum, Perth. All welcome. Enquiries call 9427 2836.

Click here to print a pdf flier of the upcoming museum@work presentations for 2006.

2006

Western Gems July 28
Peter Downes, Assistant Curator of Minerals and Meteorites will discuss the history of diamonds in Western Australia, including their high-pressure origin deep within the Earth's mantle, their rapid rise to the surface and explosive deposition in volcanic pipes. Peter will reveal the source of their famous pink and yellow hues that make Western Australian diamonds such attractive gems.

The Pearl Project August 11
Researchers have been looking at the naturally occurring sponges that damage pearl oysters used in the lucrative pearling industry of Western Australia. Dr Jane Fromont, Western Australian Museum and Dr Anthony Hart, Department of Fisheries. will discuss the interaction between the sponges and pearl oysters off 80 Mile Beach and Lacepede Islands near Broome. The talk will also offer some fascinating insights into the biology of the silver lipped pearl oyster.

Fishing Kimberley Style August 25

‘Their only food is a small sort of Fish, which they get by making Wares [weirs] of Stone across little Coves or Branches of the Sea.’ When William Dampier described the fishing practices of the Bardi from the South-west Kimberley in 1688, he failed to capture the many fishing styles or the variety of species fished. For over 20 years Bardi people have shared knowledge about traditional practices with Moya Smith, Curator of Anthropology. Today you might learn how to catch 'the big one"!

Cosmic Gems September 8

Following on from Peter Downes’ talk, Associate Professor Alex Bevan, Curator of Mineralogy and Meteoritics, will discuss diamonds and other gems that have their origins in space. Some meteorites contain millions of tiny diamonds, rubies and sapphires which pre-date the formation of the Solar System. These ancient minerals formed in the atmospheres of stars that ended their lives before our Sun was lit.
Some of these gems have found their way to Earth.

Weavers in the Dark: Orb-web Spiders September 22

The Australian continent hosts an immense diversity of conspicuous orb-weaving spiders of which the ‘Garden Orb-Weaver’ is just one. These spiders vary greatly in colour, shape and ecology, and also in the architecture of their web. Are the tiny males of many orb-weaving spiders dwarf females, or are the females actually gigantic? Arachnologist Dr Volker Framenau will unveil the web of mystery surrounding these peculiar spiders.
All welcome and bookings are not required.
Enquiries to Luke Donegan, Discovery Centre, on 9427 2836.