Alive with

wonder

The South Australian Museum holds collections of national and international significance and is a leader in remote and regional community engagement, and in Australian Aboriginal heritage and scientific research.

Here’s what's on at the Museum right now

Dogs: a story of our best friend


29 November 2019–26 April 2020

Life-changing research, right here at the Museum.

Most visitors to the Museum’s galleries and exhibitions on North Terrace, in the heart of Adelaide’s cultural precinct, will be totally unaware of the dedicated team of scientists and anthropologists who conduct natural history and cultural research, publishing their discoveries in peer-reviewed national and international journals, book chapters and scholarly books. 

South Australia’s Museum

The South Australian Museum has been committed to making Australia’s natural and cultural heritage accessible, engaging and fun for over 150 years.

It is a place where families can learn and grow together. Today the Museum is one of the most visited museums in Australia and holds collections of national and international significance. It is a leader in remote and regional community engagement, and in Australian Aboriginal heritage and scientific research.

What's On

The Shadow Initiation

Museum collections

The South Australian Museum houses over four million specimens and material cultural items. These specimens and items provide irreplaceable records with which we are constantly building and modifying our knowledge and understanding of the natural and cultural world.

They are a vital part of Australia’s national heritage and play an integral role in the international scientific and anthropological communities' endeavour to document our world.

Koala with singed fur in a tree

Australian bushfire crisis

How to help

The South Australian Museum is devastated by the loss and destruction left behind by the Australian bushfire crisis. Our heartfelt thoughts go out to the affected communities, those who have lost loved ones and their homes and for the enormous loss of Australian wildlife who have died during these terrible bushfires.

Our scientists work to understand, study and protect native wildlife and their habitats and it’s heartbreaking to see this extreme loss in biodiversity. The koala population on Kangaroo Island is the only known disease-free population, making it critically important to the long term survival of the species. ⠀
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If you’d like to support the charities on the ground, you can through the links below: ⠀
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The Kangaroo Island and Cudlee Creek Fire Appeal - www.sa.gov.au/bushfireappeal
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The Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park - https://bit.ly/2SWZc1W
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For other ways to help, visit: https://bit.ly/2ujXKfP ⠀

📷: Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park

The South Australian Museum acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website contains images or names of people who have passed away.