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Our  winter excursion this year was a visit to the Melbourne Museum.  Fourteen members of the Friends met  at the Museum, some travelling by train and others who were already in Melbourne went directly to the Museum.

Display case

The Museum is a very large place and with so many exhibitions and displays on show, we really didn’t have the time to spend too long in any one gallery.

Gallery

We saw the Museum Discovery Centre, the Story of Melbourne, the Forest Gallery and Wild – Amazing Animals in a changing World.

Forest Gallery

Forest Gallery

Forest Gallery

The group was met by Museum Preparator, Dean Smith who kindly gave up his Saturday to take our group  on a downstairs tour of the preparation rooms.

Lift

Lift down to Preparation Rooms large enough to cater for delivery trucks

Dean’s job involves  preparation of specimens  using taxidermy methods, modelling, moulding & casting, and articulation of skeletal material for  education and exhibition.

Storage cupboard

Storage cupboard containing many different types of specimen preparation

Dean with Horse Shoe Leather Jacket specimen being prepared for Angair

Dean with Horse Shoe Leather Jacket specimen being prepared for Angair

He showed us some of the many and varied techniques  which are used to create realistic displays.

Dean explains the procedures

Dean explains the procedures

We were grateful to be able to see  behind the scenes, it was very interesting and our thanks to Dean for allowing us this opportunity.

Australasian Fur Seal specimen in preparation

Australasian Fur Seal specimen in preparation

Leatherback Sea Turtle washed up at Aireys Inlet in 2013

Leatherback Sea Turtle washed up at Aireys Inlet in 2013

We left the department about 2.00 pm and following lunch, and a quick look through the Museum shop, it was time to make our way back in time to catch the 4.00 pm train home.

Pygmy Blue Whale skeleton

Pygmy Blue Whale sign

It was a very successful day, although time constraints  meant that most people will probably return at some future date and explore in more detail what the Melbourne Museum has to offer.

Margaret MacDonald