The Magnificent QVMAG

Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) is the biggest museum in Austrilia which is not located in capital city. It was established in 1891 and located at Inveresk at the former Launceston Railway Workshop.

QVMAG is opened 7 days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with free admission. It has museum, planetarium, art gallery, special exhibition, shop and cafe.

After crossing North Esk River, just turn to the right and you will be directly at the site of old Launceston Railway Workshop. There stands the huge QVMAG, a container look-alike building.

The first sight when I turned to Inveresk

QVMAG

The building

The lawn in front of the museum

The front desk of QVMAG

QVMAG consists of many sections. The first exhibit that I entered is the science centre. It seems like the objective of this section is for kids. There are many trivia about science and mini models for people to play with.

Perception tunnel: the ceiling is rotating to create the illusion of swinging bridge and you really feel giddy afterwards

Some science trivia

The science exhibit

The second section is Art Rage 2016 Collection, located in the Object Gallery. The collections are all the production of young artists across Tasmania who are studying Art Production and Art Studio Practice as part of their certification.

The object gallery

The title is Female Alpha, the one that captivated my eyes

Another exhibit

Photos of the southern sky

The next section of the museum is all about the railway of Tasmania. The exhibition features many objects from QVMAG's railway collection.

Tasmania's first railway was initiated in Launceston in 1857 for the railway connecting Launceston and Deloraine. However, it was only turned into reality 10 years afterwards. Due to shortage of fund, the government asked money from the citizens of Launceston. When the citizens refused to pay, government officers would take stuffs in people's houses to be auctioned afterwards.

Another train line was opened in 1884 as a connection to Burnie due to the booming of the mining industry in Tasmania. Other than for mining, railways were also built to transfer timber logs from forests.

The alley approaching the exhibition with many old railway related notices

The train displayed in the exhibit

The train can carry everything and anything

Even a dog

The Launceston Railway Workshop

Choo Choo Choo

QVMAG also has a planetarium. Actually it is not an actual planetarium but an exhibit of astronomy in Tasmania. It has many telescopes and other equipment that have been use in the astronomical studies in the state.

The section is called Southern Sky

Tasmania's first planetarium projector

Walter Walters' Telescope, used for more many many years, he himself built the mount

There is a rocket too!

The next section is A to Z, literally. It shows dinosaurs and fossils, geology, flora, fauna, transportation, industry, World War I, history many more things about this island state. I could not absorb every single thing!

A to Z exhibit

Dinosaurs

The cars and carts

The bicycles

This fossil tree is more than 20 million year old

The fauna of Tasmania

Zygomaturus tasmanicum, the biggest marsupial ever lived up to 50,000 years ago

One section that interested me, the story about the shipwreck that occured in 1796. The ship was called 'Sydney Cove' and it was under the mission to carry goods and foods from Calcutta to Port Jackson. A month after the ship started sailing in November 1796, the ship started to leak. The situation got worse and the captain decided to set ashore at Preservation Island off Tasmania on 09 February 1797.

17 men was sent by long boat to reach Sydney and get some helps. However, they were again wrecked at the mainland. They continued on foot and in the end only three men survived and reached Sydney in May 1797.

Two boats were sent to salvage the remaining crews and goods but one of the boats were wrecked. The remaining boat underwent a few voyages to make further salvage.

The wreck was relocated in 1977 and the artefacts were excavated and exhibited in QVMAG as of now.

Part of the exhibition about 'Sydney Cove'

Speculative cargo

The last section which I visited is the exhibit about World War I. It shows the propaganda that the government did to recruit the men of the country, the conditions during and after the war as well as the injuries done to the men. There is a special dark room that simulates the condition in a trench during the wall but I did not dare to enter. There are too many warning signs outside the room.

It says that Australia was the only country with a volunteer army throughout the war

The propaganda poster

The room I dare not to enter

The effect of World War I is globally devastating

I really enjoyed my time in QVMAG. It's so informative and broad. I learned a lot of things there! 2-3 hours would be enough for quick skimming through the exhibits but if you wish to learn everything by heartr, you probably need a few times.

And I brought home a picture perfect.

Love is in the air,
Little Feet