In July 2026, the Museum announced that after decades on display, the collection will enter a planned period of rest and will temporarily close to the public from Monday 3 August 2026.

During this time, the Museum will commence a major conservation and cultural care program in partnership with local Pacific communities, ensuring significant pieces are preserved for future generations.

This collaboration will ensure that cultural authority, knowledge, protocols and traditional ceremonial practices will guide the care and stewardship of ancestral objects and tumbuna treasures.

Museum visitors are encouraged to visit the Gallery until Sunday 2 August 2026 to see this important conservation project as it progresses.

High-resolution 3D digitisations of objects will be available to view shortly.

The Museum is committed to reopening the Pacific Cultures Gallery in the coming years after completing the conservation program, with strong community voices, more contemporary storytelling and broader representation of Pacific cultures.

These artefacts from the Pacific region represent Papua New Guinea, the Solomon and Santa Cruz Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji and New Zealand.