Melbourne Museum Launches 'Our Wondrous Planet' Gallery Amid Expanded First Nations Museum Initiatives

Melbourne Museum opened its new science and biodiversity gallery, "Our Wondrous Planet," in September 2025. The 1,800‑square‑metre immersive space recreates four global biomes with light, sound, interactive digital experiences and a collaborative area called Our Moment, linking visitors to biodiversity research, citizen‑science projects and the Museums Victoria Research Institute.

At the same time, Australian museums are deepening partnerships with First Nations communities. The Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory (MAGNT) hosted a smoking ceremony for repatriated Larrakia cultural material, introducing "Hold‑in‑trust" agreements to replace previous loan arrangements. Queensland Museum ran its second First Nations Undergraduate Student Summer Research Program, offering eight‑week placements for five students to develop research skills and present findings on provenance, policy and repatriation, supported by the Maria Vasas Foundation.