MEDIA BACKGROUND – Wednesday 16 December 2015
SELECTED TREASURES OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM
HORNED TORTOISE SKULL
This bizarre skull of Meiolania platyceps, the best known species of the extinct horned turtles, comes from Lord Howe
Island in the Tasman Sea, east of Coffs Harbour. Commonly referred to as the “hole in the head skull”, it is about
100,000-120,000 years old.
“This is an extremely rare example from our palaeontology collection, an essential part of the Australia Museum. It
provides a great glimpse into the prehistoric past and reminds us of the importance of science and scientific discovery,”
Dr Rebecca Johnson, Director of the Australian Museum Research Institute, Science & Learning, said.
The hole in the skull is not a mysterious third eye, but the result of an unfortunate miscalculation during excavation in
1980 on a combined American Museum of Natural History/Australian Museum field trip. Exposed bones identified as
shoulder girdle of Meiolania were removed from a block using a series of drill holes. To everyone’s surprise, when the
block was removed, it turned out to contain a skull with a 2cm drill hole punctured through it.
KOALA GENOME PROJECT
Prior to the AM’s breakthrough Koala Genome Project, virtually nothing was known about the immune system of
Australia’s “honorary citizens”, which are threatened by Chlamydia and Koala retrovirus KoRV. The project has already
identified over 12,000 Koala genes, sequencing their genetic blueprint and isolating a special gene in defence against
cancer and viruses.
“The thousands of markers in this genomic data will allow the Museum to analyse the genetic structure of Koala
populations at a level of detail comparable to human forensic analysis,” Dr Johnson said. “This fantastic resource also
opens the way to exciting research possibilities incorporating the rich collection of historic samples housed in natural
history museums around the world.”
As well as finding new ways to diagnose and treat the diseases affecting Koalas – and manage their population – the
Genome Project, involving scientists, veterinarians and bioinformaticians, promises to benefit the development of
immunological tools to fight diseases in other threatened and endangered wildlife species. This research has also
revealed that the majority of Koala genomic sequences share similarities with the Tasmanian Devil, showing how
comparisons of the immune genes of marsupials can provide insights into how they combat disease.
NIGHT PARROT
The Night Parrot, Pezoporus occidentalis, could just be the most elusive bird in the world – and possibly Australia’s least
known. This rather undistinguished looking, plump, medium-sized parrot is intriguing for its resilience., in part due to the
recent discovery of a population in remote Queensland in 2013.
A ground-dweller, it is restricted to remote parts of the arid zone with dense, low vegetation. It hides during the day,
becomes active at night, and was thought to be extinct until fresh sightings began in 1979, when several birds were found
in South Australia’s far north-east. One specimen in was found dead by the side of the road near Boulia in Queensland in
1990 by a team on a field trip, including Australian Museum ornithologist, Dr. Walter Boles. Like many discoveries in
science, the find was a combination of serendipity and knowing what to look for.
MEDIA CONTACT
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Rohan Astley, Australian Museum
D 02 9320 6086 M 61 407 215 392
rohan.astley@austmus.gov.au
australianmuseum.net.au
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carey.withey@westpac.com.au
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“A population of this intriguing species has been recently re-discovered, but the exact location is a well guarded
conservation secret,” Dr Johnson said. “The Night Parrot and its re-discovery by scientists in the 1970’s and then in the
2000’s is a great example of the importance of museum science in combination with conservation measures to protect
Australia’s biodiversity from undue impacts such as habitat loss, introduced predators and urbanisation.”
KALANI’OPU’U’S FEATHER CAPE
This remarkable cape of netted fibre and feathers, made and revered by the Hawaiian people, was given to Captain
James Cook by King Kalani’opu’u in 1778 and acquired by the AM in 1895. It is one of the few left in the world and among
the finest examples, featuring feathers from an extinct bird.
Six or seven cloaks were presented to Cook but this one is unique: the beautiful feathers of the I’wi honeyeater, recently
described as a distinct species, are overlaid by the long red tail feathers of tropic birds and black cock feathers.
“Cook received the cape on his third and fateful exploratory Pacific voyage, where he was stabbed to death by Hawaiians.
The striking colours reflect the status of the person wearing it. In Cook’s case, he was treated as a god,” Steven
Alderton, Director for Exhibitions, Programs and Cultural Collections at the Australian Museum, said.
MENDASKA MASK
The bold Mendaska Mask with a striking facial expression is an extraordinary cultural artefact from Papua New Guinea,
made by the Uramot people of the Baining area in northern New Britain.
It features barkcloth, red sap and black resin, and is part of a collection dating between 1955 and 1986. The Mendaska
Mask is still worn today during menda or “daytime” performance ceremonies and rituals, as well as festivals.
“The mask has a special significance because it connects various elements of spirituality sacred to the Uramot people to
the human form,” Alderton said. “This one is one of the finest examples of a Mendaska Mask in the world.”
MORNING STAR POLE FROM ELCHO ISLAND
This decorated Aboriginal pole used for the important Morning Star ceremony has added contemporary significance for
being on the $10 note to commemorate the Bicentenary in 1988 – and some notoriety because of alleged copyright
infringement.
The morning star is Venus, called Banumbirr by the Yolngu people. She came across the sea from the east, creating and
naming animals, landing as she crossed the shoreline, trailing a faint rope behind for messages. The deceased person for
whom the ceremony is performed returns to the morning star.
The Morning Star pole, made of wood, ochre, string and feathers, was purchased from the prominent artist Terry
Dhurritjini Yumbulul, of the Warramiri people on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory, in 1983.
“The importance of this treasure is in the symbolism of contemporary indigenous culture linked to popular mainstream
culture, in terms of its use in currency,” Alderton said.
“By being reproduced on the $10 note it brings an extremely rare object of Aboriginal culture into everyday life, and
becomes something that all Australians can relate to. It is one of the most important items of Aboriginal culture ever
reproduced.”
MEDIA CONTACT
JOIN US ONLINE
Rohan Astley, Australian Museum
D 02 9320 6086 M 61 407 215 392
rohan.astley@austmus.gov.au
australianmuseum.net.au
westpac.com.au
Carey Withey, Westpac
D 02 8253 3036 M 61 466 485 136
carey.withey@westpac.com.au
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SIR HERCULES
The Horse and Rider Skeleton, an all-time museum favourite, has a special place in our sporting history. It’s the skeleton
of Sir Hercules, one of the great foundation stallions in the thoroughbred industry.
Sir Hercules was bred in 1843 at Clifton Stud on the Hawkesbury River in NSW. Although he never raced, he sired 18
big-race winners including The Barb, winner of the Melbourne Cup in 1866, and Yattendon, winner of the first Sydney
Cup. His descendants include the top racehorses and stallions Chester, Grand Flaneur and Abercorn.
After dying in 1865 at a stud near Bathurst his remains were later exhumed, and the skeleton of the famous sire was
presented to the AM in 1870. On display by 1873, he reared proudly in the AM’s Skeletons collection for more than 100
years, and now belongs in the Long Gallery.
“Sir Hercules is incredibly significant because he was one of the most influential of all colonial-bred stallions. Australia’s
th
billion-dollar horseracing industry started with horses like him in the 18 Century,” Alderton said.
THYLACINE PUP
The thylacine pup preserved since 1866 is perhaps among the Australian Museum’s greatest and most significant
scientific treasures. This specimen, a young female retrieved from the mother’s pouch, is incredibly popular and
poignant.
As well as being a rare and enduring reminder of the ‘Tasmanian tiger’, which became extinct during the 20th Century,
the thylacine pup reminds us of the work in conservation and biodiversity still to be done with other species, to spare them
the same fate.
The pup has also been at the centre of a controversial bid to create a living thylacine clone. In 1999, DNA was
successfully extracted from this specimen, along with three others in Tasmania. Individual thylacine genes have been
isolated from other specimens but not yet from the pup’s DNA. Although DNA from this specimen has not been used in
recent research, it continues to raise the question of how scientists can make wise use of such a scientifically precious
specimen even in light of the current advances in genomics.
“I have learned that almost anything is possible with skill and innovation in the field of scientific discovery, but the cloning
project requires a great deal of further research,” Dr Johnson said. “For now, this amazing specimen represents the
importance of understanding our unique animals so we can conserve them – and for what it can tell us about the
thylacine’s place in the evolutionary tree as one of Australia’s iconic marsupials.”
Additional Information
australianmuseum.net.au/media
MEDIA CONTACT
JOIN US ONLINE
Rohan Astley, Australian Museum
D 02 9320 6086 M 61 407 215 392
rohan.astley@austmus.gov.au
australianmuseum.net.au
westpac.com.au
Carey Withey, Westpac
D 02 8253 3036 M 61 466 485 136
carey.withey@westpac.com.au
#AMtreasures
#200years
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