In 1859, the year Queensland separated from New South Wales, a group of individuals curious about science, technology and biodiversity formed the Queensland Philosophical Society.

The Queensland Government granted the Queensland Philosophical Society use of a room in the Windmill on Brisbane’s Wickham Terrace and £100 to further their aims. Two years later, on 20 January 1862, the Society opened its first public display – a hodge podge collection of shells, birds, fossils, stereoscopic photographs and a microscope.

And so, Queensland Museum Network was born.

Queensland Museum is custodian of the state’s natural and cultural heritage, caring for more than a million items and specimens in collections that tell the changing story of Queensland.

We deliver museum services across the state, through a network of public museums:

• Queensland Museum, Brisbane including SparkLab Sciencentre
• The Workshops Rail Museum, Ipswich
• Cobb+Co Museum, Toowoomba
• Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville
• Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying, Brisbane

Our expert services include:

• Research on a broad range of topics spanning biodiversity, geosciences, cultures and histories
• State-wide loans service
• Regional services program – Museum Resource Centre Network – providing professional and community support for collections and museums across the state
• Publishing business for wildlife, historical and children’s publications
• State-wide public Discovery centre
• Online learning resources for schools

To find out more about the Queensland Museum Network, visit our website.