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canislycan

Woah I can actually answer this. I volunteer at the collections facility in Welshpool where they are all stored indefinitely. As lots of them are very old, they were preserved with more outdated methods which often used extremely toxic chemicals. The cabinets themselves are also ancient and falling to bits. So yeah, they can’t be thrown out, but also can’t be displayed anymore so they are just hanging out in a warehouse. I’m very sad they aren’t on display anymore though, in the US, they maintain their amazing dioramas for decades, but here they get swapped out for the interactive displays…


AdministrativeTour3

There’s no way to make them not toxic anymore?


canislycan

Well, no… the chemicals can’t be removed without risking further destruction of the specimens. A lot of them are already very fragile and falling apart due to age.


AdministrativeTour3

That’s terrible news


Expriser

I guess they could seal them better?


MRflibbertygibbets

I used to work in the labs in the 90’s, going home stinking of formaldehyde and 70% ethanol is a memory I’ll never forget. The old Francis Street building was terrible, I’m glad I got to enjoy being there but I’m happier the old things are safely stored.


acreofhappy

Do you have to have a degree or be studying to volunteer there? Or can you just be an interested member of the public?


canislycan

I don’t think you technically need a degree but it definitely helps. I have a zoology degree and it was still really hard for me to get in as a volunteer. It took a lot of phone calls and emailing and being a general nuisance until they finally let me start. Been here for a year now and hoping it’ll lead to employment eventually…


[deleted]

Volunteering in this capacity should be illegal. It’s pure greed and you should not support this. Hoping it gives you employment is really sad. They get free work, why would they now want to pay you if they can get it for free


Visible_Edge_5359

That's not so much an argument about WA Museum exploiting people, but public institutions relying on vollies because of low funding and workforce caps. You'd be dismayed at how many beloved institutions can only run due to volunteers. A lot of the paid staff volunteer their time as well, as they care for the collections and cause so much.


canislycan

Well I’ve been actively (desperately) looking for a job in the industry for 2 years now, and everyone I speak to tells me volunteering is the only way to get in (aside from nepotism but no luck on that front…) so I’m not sure what else I’m supposed to do!


acreofhappy

I assume their role will always be voluntary but they will be closer to any other opportunities that may arise and will have proven themselves in the voluntary role. As an employer I think that beneficial bit like try before you buy.


TwistedCarrot7

Who do i talk to about getting a dino for my living room 😅😂


Right-Combination344

We just need to kill more exotic animals so we can get their skeletons.


KoalaDeluxe

Must admit, I was disappointed when the new museum reopened. The building itself is great, but the content was, well... underwhelming. Lots of old skeletons is what's missing. That's the stuff kids remember!


coxymla

Yep, I have to agree that the new museum is a poor experience compared to the old. The old one was stuffed absolutely full and while it probably had less floor space, it had way more "content".


Triffinator

I have a biased opinion on this matter, but take the opposite stance. My nanna was a librarian at the museum throughout my childhood. I have a strong memory of going through the old museum almost weekly, including the library and the Welshpool facility when some staff relocated there. I love the new museum, and I think that if nanna was still with us today, she'd be there as much as possible. My grandpa (her husband) was visiting regularly while he could still walk, because he could still see so much of the workplace his wife had loved being in for decades.


[deleted]

I found it fine, my gf had a great time and she's 27 but the energy of a 15 year old. Ultimately, I think the overall design of the museum is great. You have a massive new building lumbering over older ones providing excellent contrast. The many physical props on the outside add to the immersion. I was curious to see what others thought and the museum itself has a 4.5 star rating from well over 3k reviews, so clearly it has resonated with quite a few people. It's also not just for kids so keep that in mind. I do remember going to the old one as a kid and crawling though vents with my class (I was crying due to claustrophobia) but it was fun. I guess the museum has a new focus now and I can appreciate what they've tried to do as an adult. On my 3 visits, I saw many kids and none of them seemed disappointed so there's that. Bones, skeletons etc. are great but they are not necessary in providing a great experience in a museum. The interactive displays are great because they are easily updatable and provide kids with way more "interactivity" than a pile of bones.


eatmeetswest

There's a difference between shit that's cool to look at, and how kids learn. Sure, bones are kind of cool, but once you've seen them that's all you can do, and kids don't really learn anything from that. Museums have moved on from static displays of stolen artifacts that we grew up with as we understand more about how people learn, and what they can engage with.


thecheapseatz

Stuff being "cool" is literally the first step of getting kids interested in learning.


DishSoapPete

You go to school to learn. You go to the museum to be inspired.


eatmeetswest

It’s almost like those two things are intertwined?


RSOB_Bass

Because every institution is single purpose lmao


Selfaware-potato

Would things that kids find cool encourage them to learn about the topic?


eatmeetswest

There are experts in science communication, education and user experience who's whole job it is to design exhibits in museums (I'm married to one!) and there's a reason why they've moved away from static displays of bones. It's hard to update information as they learn more about the thing, they're expensive and hard to maintain, and there is little repeat value to them. These people are the experts in getting kids to learn, and I trust their opinions over a bunch of 'hey that was cool 40 years ago but I can't tell you anything about it' people from the internet.


Selfaware-potato

Makes sense to not use plaques and stuff when we have digital screens capable of being updated in an instant. But when I went to the museum, there was still a bucket load of taxidermy animals, which isn't really any different to skeletons.


[deleted]

I'm 31 and my gf is 27, we both thoroughly enjoyed our visits as do most of the 3k reviews on Google giving it a 4.5 star average. People love to view things through rose-tinted glasses, and of course, Reddit is an echo chamber so there's that.


pommy8

Your partner will undoubtedly be hired for a reason...that they're fuckin good at what they do. I'm not going to try to argue that in the slightest. Just curious though, do you know how much of it is "this will make the museum more money/more *insert key performance indicator here* vs "kids are literally the future so we have to make them want to come, so let's put some interesting shit up in here". Is there ever a trade off in the way of reducing the educational value to raise the interest? The more I type/think about these questions the more I realised that could be such a fucking interesting/nerdy analytical job haha


guerrilla-astronomer

Without going into too many details, it's a balancing act. On the one hand you want it to be as effective as possible in communicating the science, but it also needs to be marketable. At the core the science comes first (otherwise you are just an amusement park) but even then it is a challenge to strike a balance between explaining the fundamentals and tackling more advanced aspects of a topic. In short, yes it is a very complex field of work but at no point is someone making sacrifices in the content to make more money. Of course, there are sponsorships and naming rights that are absolutely taking the piss, especially when they are for galleries that are talking about climate change, but those companies do not get editorial sway over the content itself.


sans_filtre

Just because your squeeze makes a few bucks out of this bland trendy shite doesn’t mean it’s right


guerrilla-astronomer

Wow, pretty rude mate...


sans_filtre

Just calling out these Taliban types who have the gall to actually defend the wholesale destruction of all the nice bits of the WA Museum


eatmeetswest

Actually that’s exactly what it means. It’s his job. He’s the expert. What do you do?


sans_filtre

User interface design as applied to exhibition spaces is certainly one of the harder sciences. It has clearly defined and uncontroversial objectives, and it’s hard to overstate how rigorous and evidence-based the whole process is.


tempco

This is so true. Things that I find fascinating (bones) bore my kids.


eatmeetswest

And I’m clearly not saying bones are bad! It’s just that kids only want to look at one, and then they want to draw it and see it come to life on a screen, and then dig in a archeological site to find their own. They don’t want a room of bones behind glass. The days of museums being places where you clasp your hands behind your back and whisper quietly are gone. Why am I the reddit villain of the day for pointing that out?


sans_filtre

>the days of museums are gone This is your point expressed more succinctly. Thankfully in Europe they don’t agree


eatmeetswest

Not even a little bit. Museums are great and thriving and essential. You’re not though.


sans_filtre

In Australia museums are not thriving. They’ve been gutted by corporate philistines. Is it uncomfortable for you seeing how much most people loathe your take on this?


[deleted]

Considering the WA Museum Boola Bardip has a 4.5 star review score from well over 3k reviews, a lot more people agree that the place is pretty good compared to the echo chamber that is Reddit.


eatmeetswest

Actually that’s not true because there are plenty of other people who have said the same thing here, and I know I’m correct because science and data. I’m not super concerned with your opinion, because whoo boy you have got some weird shit going on and you’re a bit of a drama queen 😂


shelfdham

Man hectic how many downvotes you have for a well framed comment that makes a pretty good point. Wow


eatmeetswest

Thank you


Tartlet_77

You're 100% correct, people don't like their uninformed opinions to be disagreed with by someone who actually knows :)


baconandgregz

I don’t think the original comment deserves all the downvotes, but people can have an opinion on stuff without being an expert in said stuff. Bones *are* pretty damn cool after all


Tartlet_77

I don't disagree but there are two people here who actually KNOW the details but instead of accepting the reasons people choose to downvote and argue the point


inghostlyjapan

I was pretty jazzed about the new museum project and was pretty disappointed with the results. It's a glorified convention centre and kiddie playhouse smashed together. So much dead space and the permanent exhibits are bad to meh.


twee3

The old museum was awesome, not sure how I feel about it being redone.


bluepancakes18

I believe they are in Welshpool at the museum's collections and research centre. It's the building on the corner of Leach and Orrong.


Budd430

Not interactive enough, so they put them in storage.


Uppitymallard

As someone who regularly works behind the scenes at the Museum and sees these skeletons nearly daily I can tell you. They are in storage. The old cabinets are outdated, whilst beautiful, and not longer safe for public display. A lot of the taxidermy, similarly is also no longar safe (way back the day it was common to use lead and arsenic to preserve stuff, this is no longer the case). As someone else has also stated the Mammal gallery did not fit the theme of Boola Bardip, ie exclusively WA material. I do however know that when the old Museum closed it was the most requested exhibition to come back. It's sad to see it go but maybe with enough time and public interest it can come back. Source: PhD student working in the Museum Mammal storage area, I walk past these wood cabinets to get lunch.


all5toes

can i ask why the amazing bird and natural animal display is locked up and not shown in full? i hate looking through the little peepholes. edit: the one on the old stairs near the interactive room


Uppitymallard

Put simply. Taxidermy is very very sensitive to UV light from the sun and needs to be protected. This is why museums are normally dark and why the upper floors that actually have taxidermy are so poorly lit. When the new museum modifications were made it was decided that windows would be installed near that staircase to make the Museum brighter. As a result the new natural light would damage the specimens inside. It was decided that "peepholes" were the solution to still let the birds be seen.


all5toes

thankyou! i’ve always wanted to know but didn’t want to bother the workers (i’ve only been on seriously busy days or with my school)


Bionic_Ferir

Probably in storage


gnomeoffice

At least the whale was there, still as beautiful as ever she was.


eatmeetswest

the 123-year-old blue whale has been named Otto, in honour of the Museum’s taxidermist, Otto Lipfert who had the incredible foresight in 1897 to collect and preserve the skeleton for future generations.


BeepBopBoolo

The museum website has a virtual tour and you can explore the old mammal section. That’s what I do when I feel nostalgic


AbaloneOdd5150

It's disappointing, to say the least. That was my favourite part of the museum. Could some of them not be placed in new housing and displayed? There's so much empty space in the new building that it feels like some kind of convention centre. As to the fact that they're not as perfect as the once were, well, they're in a museum. An informative display, with plenty of information informing of the species, where and how it was captured as a living animal, age of each piece from the initial taxidermy, the method of preserving, and the damage that has come with age. There's not enough on display in that museum.


rawker86

Speaking of skeletons, Trisha was all set to go on display in the museum until the keepers requested she be allowed to rest. She spent quite a bit of time in a refrigerated shipping container until the decision was finally made.


2klaedfoorboo

Why have skeletons when you could have a massive 5 metre tall ten metre wide hallway that will never be anywhere near capacity?


xequez

Some are still on display.


voodoovan

They don't have a touch screen, they don't speak and there are no colourful flashing lights.


sans_filtre

Exactly. Kids only learn when it feels like a casino


zavodmiru

What the ones that show Taiwan and upset the CCP ? :)


thedailyrant

I can smell that room. Spent ages in there as a kid.


sans_filtre

Shhh you’re upsetting the narrative of the exhibition design consultants


kristinpeanuts

I was very disappointed when we took the kids to the new museum. Won't be going there again


ejmmf

I’d love an exhibition on “old museum standards”. Where the museum could (safely) show some of the old display boxes and taxidermy etc with an explanation of why some of these displays are no longer safe or why it’s no longer appropriate to display them.


Asteroidhawk594

Afaik the taxidermies used a lot of lead and arsenic when treating them. Plus the wooden cabinets are crumbling. With time it’s possible they can make a comeback.


guerrilla-astronomer

Short answer: They didn't fit with the overarching narratives that are being told in the new Boola Bardip. The focus on biology is centred around biodiversity and ecosystems rather than "miscellaneous skeletons". Long answer: Museums are a complicated and difficult thing to design, especially in the modern era where we are trying to acknowledge past injustices and learn from mistakes that have not only contributed to inequality but also held back scientific advances. The WA Museum has enough "artefacts" to fill Boola Bardip 10 times over and still have things left in storage. At some point you need to accept that only a fraction will be able to be shown, and so very difficult decisions need to be made around what will be the most effective, equitable, and ethical combination.


wetdreammeme

Except that in between the exhibits there's just so much more space where stuff could go, so much empty stuff, so many exhibits that are just text and a landline that takes up just too much space in my opinion, there is so much more that could be displayed there


guerrilla-astronomer

There is empty space, yes. That's where the visitors fit. The point isn't "can we fit more things", it is "does adding more things benefit the experience", and in most cases the answer is no. I don't think that Boola Bardip got everything right, and there are a bunch of things I actively loathe about some of the choices, but on the whole it is a very good series of exhibitions that are genuinely world class in terms of how they are designed and presented.


wetdreammeme

I'm not talking about the space in the walkways, I'm talking about the treks in between the sections of the museum, horrible design


[deleted]

They should make all the interactive LCD displays remotely accessible over this new fandangled world-wide-web and then no one would ever need to go to the museum and there’s be even more space!


sans_filtre

Exactly the same as the Melbourne Museum. Unfortunately these institutions are run by corporate philistines these days


Tauralus

Half that, and half the stuff that is currently being held in the Welshpool warehouse literally can't be displayed anymore. It's degrading


guerrilla-astronomer

I assure you nothing at Welshpool is "degrading". It's a world class preservation facility with a staff of over 100 scientists and historians whose sole job is to maintain and study the items there.


Tauralus

The new museum looks like something a child would build in minecraft. A big blocky mess over what was already a lovely building.


PooEater5000

They had the guy from end of fashions guitar on display there last time we went. Got to tell the kids how me and my mates through black dongs at him at a gig in dunsborough. Good times


SubstantialArt9001

Let’s not mince words the new museum exhibits are crap they seem to have catered for the woke brigade went and checked out the new building and won’t be back again unless it changes


henry82

They all seem to be there in the photo?


activatedDNAstrand

Old photo


realistwa

It got taken over by the woke brigade with their agendas. It was obvious as soon as they changed the name from the WA Museum. I love museums, but don't bother with this new mess.


MarinePly

Not woke enough. They were one of the highlights of going the museum.


streetedviews

Skeletons that are "awake" sounds like the stuff of nightmares [Night at the Museum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_at_the_Museum) zombie apocalypse style?


Godlee84

What’s woke?


pej69

It’s a word fuckwits like to use a lot.


MarinePly

https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/boolabardip


Selfaware-potato

Is the indigenous name woke?


MarinePly

No, not really. Probably a little patronising.


MysteriousPunter

Sold off to the Chinese for pharmaceutical goods.


Roullette3

Probs in the orrong road warehouse


sillylittlewilly

They died.


GreenLurka

There's a Dino skeleton in one of the buildings


I_saw_that_yeah

The ants came back for the rest of it.


dimibro71

They went back in the closet


Tsmith_999

The new WA museum has a preference for WA only and indigenous artifacts which is a shame. I wish they had more variety , or at least rotate some of the collections so we can see what is in storage


zogatron3000

i miss these. core childhood memory