Cultural Collections

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

Cultural Collections Projects Program 2013

The Cultural Collections Projects Program has returned for 2013, offering over 40 unique opportunites for students, alumni and volunteers to engage with the cultural collections managed by the University.

Further details, individual position guides, and an expression of interest form can be found on the Projects List 2013 page.

Redmond Barry Fellowship

Applications are now being accepted for the Redmond Barry Fellowship 2013. 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 26 April 2013.

Call for submissions: Grainger Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal No. 3

Submissions are now sought for issue #3 (to be published in 2013) of Grainger Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal.

The scope of the journal is broad and goes well beyond music. It is not essential for articles to discuss Percy Grainger or his work explicitly. There must however be a link between the topic of the article and something in Grainger's range of interests.

The editors also welcome book reviews, reports including conference reports, and short studies.

For more information please download the flyer.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 5 April 2013.

New Publications

University of Melbourne Collections 11

Issue 11, the new edition of University of Melbourne Collections, has been published and is now available.

Collections cover

A Handbook for Academic Museums: Exhibitions and Education

Helen Arnoldi, Cultural Collections Projects Coordinator, has written a chapter which looks at the interaction of students and volunteers with the University collections in an international publication recently published by MuseumsEtc, A Handbook for Academic Museums: Exhibitions and Education. Helen's chapter is titled A Mutually Beneficial Exchange: The University of Melbourne's Cultural Collections Projects Program. The book is available for purchase online here.

Exhibitions and Education book cover

Architectural ornament: The history and art of Wilson Hall at the University of Melbourne

A publication based on the recent exhibition, Architectural ornament: The history and art of Wilson Hall at the University of Melbourne, is now available to purchase for $19.95 from Co-op Bookshop, Baillieu Library Building, University of Melbourne.

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.

Cultural Policy

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