Welcome to the Cultural Collections of the University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne owns 30 Cultural Collections. The origins of some lie in the earliest years of the University's establishment in the 1850s, while regular new acquisitions keep the collections dynamic and relevant.
The Cultural Collections embody the history of many of the academic disciplines taught at the University of Melbourne, including law, classics, history, languages, medicine, dentistry, botany, zoology, physics, fine arts, music and engineering. Object types include rare books and manuscripts, paintings, sculptures, archives, photographs, medical and dental implements, scientific apparatus, musical instruments, mineral, plant and animal specimens, and ethnographic and archaeological artefacts.
The University encourages the use of the collections by students, staff and the wider community, whether for research, teaching, conversation or enjoyment.
Supporting the Cultural Collections
The University’s 30 cultural collections benefit from the support of alumni, students, staff, philanthropic trusts, corporate sponsors, friends groups and many interested individuals. More information on how you can contribute.
News and Events
Treasures Revealed Application now available for iPad, iPhone and Android
University of Melbourne Cultural Treasures Festival
The biennial University of Melbourne Cultural Treasures Festival is a free program of exhibitions, thematic walks, talks and seminars, demonstrations and displays, and guided tours which showcases the University's rich array of museums and collections.
The Cultural Treasures Festival is a free two-day event and will take place over the weekend of 28 and 29 July, 2012.
The Redmond Barry Fellowship for 2012 is now open for applications. The Fellowship shall be awarded to scholars and writers to facilitate research and the production of works of literature that utilise the superb collections of the State Library of Victoria and the University of Melbourne. Up to $20,000 shall be awarded to the successful applicant to assist with travel, living and research expenses.
Applications close 27 April 2012.
New Exhibitions
Appeals to a Child’s Imagination: The Morgan Collection of Children’s Books, Special Collections, 30 November 2011 to 11 February 2012, Ground floor, Baillieu Library
A new display from Special Collections that highlights the Morgan Collection of Children’s Books has recently been installed in the ground floor of the Baillieu Library. This collection is based upon a generous donation to the Library in 1954 by the British antiquarian Frederick Charles (F.C.) Morgan (1878-1978). As a result of his generosity, the University acquired one of Australia’s foremost collections of children’s book and a significant collection in world terms.
One of the many highlights of the Morgan collection is its wealth of lavishly-illustrated books. The present display celebrates the colour illustrations by the prominent nineteenth-century children’s book illustrators Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott and Kate Greenaway. Additionally, the collection contains not only books, but also various toys and games enjoyed by children of the Victorian era. As shown by the display, the collection includes a mid nineteenth-century cube block puzzle, a portable folding globe c.1866, paper doll story books and a child’s magic set. Through its rich array of items, the Morgan Collection offers staff, students and the wider community the opportunity to engage with the social milieu of a past age through treasured childhood stories and playthings, some of which are still familiar today.
Building Rural Success: the early years of Dookie Agricultural College, 4 November 2011 to 11 February 2012, Leigh Scott Gallery, level 1, Baillieu Library
This exhibition commemorates the 125th anniversary of the founding of Dookie, and celebrates the culture and history of Dookie, its personalities and its role as an educational facility and operational farm. It explores the broader historical contexts and social histories of the period, such as the impacts of the first and second world wars and the Soldier Settlement Scheme, the changing role of women, Dookie’s sporting prowess and its identity within the regional community.The experiences of those who lived and studied at Dookie dominate the collection’s subject matter. The items displayed in this exhibition provide an insight into what everyday life was like for the students, staff and families who called Dookie Agricultural College home.
New Publications
Managing volunteers in museums and cultural collections: ten things you should know by Helen Arnoldi
Helen Arnoldi’s splendid new publication Managing volunteers in museums and cultural collections: ten things you should know was launched by Margaret Birtley, General Manager of Heritage and Tourism, Melbourne Cricket Club, on 22 September in the Leigh Scott Room, Baillieu Library. This practical, comprehensive and user-friendly publication is now available as a downloadable PDF under Research and Publications on the Cultural Collections website.
Hoard House, issue 12
The latest issue of Hoard House, the bulletin of the Grainger Museum, has been published and is now available online.
University of Melbourne Archives Bulletin 29
The latest edition of the University of Melbourne Archives Bulletin (No. 29, July 2011) has been published, and is available from the University of Melbourne Archives website.
University of Melbourne Collections 9
| Issue 9, the new edition of University of Melbourne Collections, has been published and is now available. |  |
Cultural Policy
| The University's Cultural Policy sets out the guiding principles which assist the University to configure its cultural resources, including its Cultural Collections, to best serve the whole community. |  |