National Museum of Victoria

P006086 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Corporate Body created 2018-07-03 human Elizabeth Daniels and Helen Cohn updated 2026-05-14 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P006086b.htm corporateBody National Museum of Victoria AACR2 1858 1983 Start Place Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Museum Collection Management History of Australian Science The National Museum of Victoria traces its origins to 1854 when the Government's natural collections were brought together as the Museum of Natural History. These collections were transferred to the University of Melbourne in 1856 by the Professor of Natural Sciences, Frederick McCoy. The official starting date of the National Museum of Victoria was 1858, when McCoy was appointed Director. In 1899 the Museum moved to premises in Russell St, Melbourne, where it remained for the next 100 years. Material held by the Museum included the Government's collections of fauna, geology and anthropology. These collections were assembled through the work of Museum staff and the many "amateur" naturalists whose specimens were added to the Museum's holdings by donation or purchase. In 1983 the Museum amalgamated with the Science Museum of Victoria to become the Museum of Victoria. The Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria were published between 1906 and 1983.

Directors of the Museum were:
Frederick McCoy (1858 - 1899)
W. Baldwin Spencer (1899 - 1928)
James Kershaw (1928 - 1931)
Daniel Mahony (1931 - 1944)
Richard Pescott (1944 - 1957)
Charles Brazenor (1957 - 1962)
John McNally (1962 - 1978)
Thomas Darragh (Acting Director 1978 - 1979)
Barry Wilson (1979 - 1983)

Museum of Natural History, Colony of Victoria (1854 - 1858) Hills, Edwin Sherbon (1906 - 1986)

Chairman, Board of Trustees 1962 - 1968

Pescott, Richard Thomas Martin (Dick) (1905 - 1986)

Director 1944 - 1957

Gatliff, John Henry (1848 - 1935)

Honorary Conchologist 1933 - 1935; his collection of Mollusca was purchased by the Museum 1935

McEvey, Allan Reginald (1919 - 1996)

Curator of Ornithology 1955 - 1984

Walcott, Richard Henry (Henry) (1870 - 1936)

Curator of geological, mineral and ethnographic collections 1900 - 1914

Clark, John (1885 - 1956)

Entomologist 1926 - 1944: the Museum purchased >8,000 ant collections from Clark in 1933

Burns, Gordon George (1920 - 1990)

Volunteer curator of entomological collections

Blandowski, Johann Wilhelm Theodor Ludwig von (William) (1822 - 1878)

Zoologist 1858 - 1859

Baker, George (1908 - 1975)

Baker bequeathed his collection of over 2,500 tektites to the Museum

Jackson, Sidney William (1873 - 1946)

The Museum acquired Jackson's shell collection: his egg collection was acquired by the Museum as part of the H. C. White ornithological collection

Rayment, Percy Tarlton (1882 - 1964)

Honorary Entomologist 1952 - ?

Burns, Alexander Noble (1899 - 1994)

Entomologist 1944 - 1959; Assistant Director 1959 - 1964; Burns's collections were deposited in the Museum

Vickers-Rich, Patricia (1944 - )

Research Associate in Ornithology 1977 - 1983

Mitchell, Stanley Robert (1881 - 1963)

Honorary Mineralogist 1931 - 1963; Honorary Ethnologist 1949 - 1963; Trustee and Treasurer (1945 - 1954); his mineralogical collection of c.2,000 specimens was acquired by the Museum after his death

Massola, Aldo Giuseppe (1910 - 1975)

Curator of Anthropology 1956 - 1965

Black, Jessica Hope (Hope) (1919 - 2018)

Curator of Molluscs 1946 - 1965

Kyancutta Museum (1929 - 1971)

The Museum's meteorite, mineral and fossil specimens were purchased by the National Museum of Victoria 1972

Neboiss, Arturs (1924 - 2010)

Curator of Entomology 1964 - 1983

Brittlebank, Thomas (1865? - 1948)

Brittlebank's collection of birds eggs was donated to the Museum

Laporte, François Louis (1810 - 1880)

Housed many of his collected specimens

Brittlebank, Charles Clifton (1862 - 1945)

Brittlebank's collections and drawings were deposited in the Museum

Dennant, John (1839 - 1907)

Dennant's large collection of Victorian fossils, containing almost all known tertiary fossils species at the time, was bought by the Museum in December 1907.

Mahony, Daniel James (1878 - 1944)

Director 1931 - 1944

Gillen, Francis James (1855 - 1912)

The Museum purchased Gillen's ethnographic collections in 1899

Kershaw, James Andrew (1866 - 1946)

Director 1928 - 1931

White, Henry Luke (1860 - 1927)

White's collection of bird skins and eggs was donated to the Museum 1917 and after his death

Dixon, Joan Maureen (1937 - 2019)

Curator of Vertebrates,1966 -1978; Curator of Mammals 1978 - 1983

Gabriel, Charles John (1879 - 1963)

Appointed Honorary Conchologist 1933; his library and shell collection were bequeathed to the Museum

McNally, John (1918 - 1990)

Director 1962 - 1978

Carter, Herbert James (1858 - 1940)

A large collection of his specimens was purchased by the Museum 1923/5

Verdon, George Frederic (1834 - 1896)

George Verdon raised funds for the National Museum of Victoria.

Klaatsch, Hermann (1863 - 1916)

Visited 1906

Howitt, Godfrey (1800 - 1873)

The Museum holds Howitt's insect collections, on permanent loan from the Univertsity of Melbourne

Whitehead, Sylvia Gladys (1921 - 2012)

Curator of Minerals 1946? - 1950

Tanner, Charles (1911 - 1996)

Honorary Associate 1953 - 1983

Blackwood, Robert Rutherford (1906 - 1982)

Trustee 1964-78

Worner, Howard Knox (1913 - 2006)

Member of Council 1974 - 1977

Zeal, William Austin (1830 - 1912)

Trustee c1897 - 1911

Chapman, Frederick (1864 - 1943)

Palaeontologist 1902 - 1927; Honorary Palaeontologist 1936 - ?

Dunn, Edward John (1844 - 1937)

The Museum acquired Dunn's collections of minerals, diamonds and gold 1948

Wettenhall, Henry Norman Burgess (Norman) (1915 - 2000)

Honorary Ornithologist 1963 - 1978; Member of Council 1978 - 1983

Nye, Percival Bartlett (1893 - 1985)

Petrologist 1919 - 1920

Sayce, Octavius Albert (1862 - 1911)

The Museum purchased Sayce's collection of Crustaceae in 1911

Spry, Frank Palmer (1858 - 1922)

Entomologist 1920 - 1922

Sweet, George (1844 - 1920)

Sweet's collection of fossils was donated to the Museum 1902

French, Charles (1842 - 1933)

French's collection of over 3,000 insect specimens was purchased in 1908

Darragh, Thomas Alwynne (Tom) (1940 - )

Curator of Fossils 1965 - 1973; Deputy Director 1973 - 1983; Acting Director 1978 - 1979

Campbell, Archibald James (1853 - 1929)

Campbell donated his collection of birds eggs to the Museum 1915

Favaloro, Norman Joseph (1905 - 1989)

Honorary Ornithologist 1955 - 1983

Leadbeater, John (1831 - 1888)

Taxidermist 1858 - 1888

Gill, Edmund Dwen (1908 - 1986)

Edmund Gill was Deputy Director of the National Museum of Victoria, 1969-1973, Assistant Director 1964-1969 and Curator of Fossils 1948-1964.

Spencer, Walter Baldwin (1860 - 1929)

Honorary Director 1899 - 1928

Hill, Gerald Freer (1880 - 1954)

Entomologist 1922 - 1926

Birch, William David (Bill) (1949 - )

Curator of Minerals 1973 - 1974; Senior Curator, Geosciences (Mineralogy and Petrology) 1974 - 1983

Colliver, Frederick Stanley (Stan) (1908 - 1991)

Approximately 200,000 Tertiary fossils were donated to the Museum

Yen, Alan Louey (1950 - 2017)

Curator, Invertebrate Survey Department 1981 - 1983

Somerset, Henry Beaufort (1906 - 1995)

Trustee 1968 - 1977

Bryant, Charles Ernest William (1902 - 1960)

Honorary Associate in Ornithology 1948 - 1960

Hitchcock, Warren Billingsley (1919 - 1984)

Ornithologist 1949 - 1954

Le Souef, William Henry Dudley (1856 - 1923)

Le Souef's egg collection was donated to the Museum as part of H. L. White collection

Mack, George (1899 - 1963)

Ornithologist 1935 - 1945

Lyell, George (1866 - 1951)

Lyell donated his collection of approximately 45,000 Lepidoptera specimens to the Museum

McCoy, Frederick (1817 - 1899)

Director 1858 - 1896

Wilson, Francis Erasmus (1888 - 1960)

Wilson's entomological collection was deposited in the Museum

Museum of Victoria (1983 - 1998)

In 1983 the National Museum of Victoria merged was amalgamated with the Science Museum of Victoria and became Museum Victoria.

Trove

'National Museum of Victoria', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology National Museum of Victoria Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: How Can a Museum Collect Dead Things and Remain Alive? Reflections on the History of Museum Victoria Rasmussen, Carolyn How Can a Museum Collect Dead Things and Remain Alive? Reflections on the History of Museum Victoria 2012 Circa: the Journal of Professional Historians 2102 3 63-73 Book Section: Curiosities or Science in the National Museum of Victoria: Procurement Networks and the Purpose of a Museum Knapman, Gareth Curiosities or Science in the National Museum of Victoria: Procurement Networks and the Purpose of a Museum Manchester Manchester University Press 2012 Curating Empire: Museums and the British Imperial Experience Longair, Sarah and McAleer, John 83-103 Journal Article: The Battle for the Museum: Frederick McCoy and the Establishment of the National Museum of Victoria at the University of Melbourne Wilkinson, Ian R The Battle for the Museum: Frederick McCoy and the Establishment of the National Museum of Victoria at the University of Melbourne 1996 Historical Records of Australian Science 11 1 1-11 Book Section: "Annexing All I Can Lay Hands On": Baldwin Spencer as Ethnographic Collector Mulvaney, John "Annexing All I Can Lay Hands On": Baldwin Spencer as Ethnographic Collector Carlton Melbourne University Press 2008 The Makers and Making of Indigenous Australian Museum Collections Peterson, Nicolas, Allen, Lindy and Hamby, Louise 141-59 Book Section: Growth and Life Stages of Ornithology in Museum Victoria Longmore, N.W. Growth and Life Stages of Ornithology in Museum Victoria Cambridge, Massachusetts Nuttall Ornithological Club 2012 Contributions to the History of Australasian Ornithology, volume 2 Davis, William E., Recher, Harry F. and Boles, Walter E. 89-139 Book: A People Learning: Colonial Victorians and their Public Museums Fennessy, Kathleen M. A People Learning: Colonial Victorians and their Public Museums Melbourne Australian Scholarly Publishing 2007 Book Section: Tons and Tons of Valuable Material: the Donald Thomson Collection Allen, Lindy Tons and Tons of Valuable Material: the Donald Thomson Collection Carlton Melbourne University Press 2008 The Makers and Making of Indigenous Australian Museum Collections Peterson, Nicolas, Allen, Lindy and Hamby, Louise 387-412 Book: An Australian bird book: a complete guide to the identification of the Australian species Leach, J. A. An Australian bird book: a complete guide to the identification of the Australian species Melbourne Whitcomb and Tombs 1911 Report: The work of the Division of Economic Entomology for the year 1928-29 Tillyard, R.J. The work of the Division of Economic Entomology for the year 1928-29 Melbourne Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (Australia) 1929 Journal Article: The Kershaw Dynasty Black, J. Hope The Kershaw Dynasty 2005 The Victorian naturalist 122 351-7 Journal Article: Professor Frederick McCoy and the National Museum of Victoria, 1856-1899 Rasmussen, Carolyn Professor Frederick McCoy and the National Museum of Victoria, 1856-1899 2001 The Victorian naturalist 117 5 230-239 Book: Stone implements of the Australian Aborigines: guide to the classified collection in the Australian Room, National Museum, Public Library Buildings, Melbourne, arranged for the Australian meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science Kenyon, A. S. and Mahony, D. J. Stone implements of the Australian Aborigines: guide to the classified collection in the Australian Room, National Museum, Public Library Buildings, Melbourne, arranged for the Australian meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science Melbourne Arnall & Jackson 1914 Journal Article: Fear of circuses: founding the National Museum of Victoria Goodman, David Fear of circuses: founding the National Museum of Victoria 1990 Continuum: journal of media and cultural studies 3 1 18-34 Journal Article: Australian museums, Aboriginal skeletal remains, and the imagining of human evolutionary history Turnbull, Paul Australian museums, Aboriginal skeletal remains, and the imagining of human evolutionary history 2015 Museum & society 13 1 72-87 Journal Article: Seeking a lost collection at Museums Victoria: George Thomas Rice's "Museum of Island Curios" Cockburn, Sylvia Seeking a lost collection at Museums Victoria: George Thomas Rice's "Museum of Island Curios" 2023 Journal of Pacific History 58 1 1-20 Book: Guide to the Australian ethnological collection exhibited in the National Museum of Victoria Spencer, W. B. Guide to the Australian ethnological collection exhibited in the National Museum of Victoria Melbourne Government Printer 1901 Book: The memoirs of a "naturalist": a story of the goings and comings of one Richard Thomas Martin Pescott in Australia and elsewhere, by himself [unpublished.] Pescott, R. T. M. The memoirs of a "naturalist": a story of the goings and comings of one Richard Thomas Martin Pescott in Australia and elsewhere, by himself [unpublished.] [Melbourne] 1984 Journal Article: The Ellerslie meteorite: decription and correction to its historical find site Birch, William D. The Ellerslie meteorite: decription and correction to its historical find site 2021 Journal and proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 154 1 12-23 Book: Collections of a century: the history of the first hundred years of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne Pescott, R. T. M. Collections of a century: the history of the first hundred years of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne Melbourne National Museum of Victoria 1954 Journal Article: Growth of the mineral, rock, meteorite and tektite collection Beasley, W. Growth of the mineral, rock, meteorite and tektite collection 1971 Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 31 1-16 Book: A Museum for the people: a History of Museum Victoria and its predecessor institutions, 1854-2000 Rasmussen, Carolyn et al. A Museum for the people: a History of Museum Victoria and its predecessor institutions, 1854-2000 Carlton North, Victoria Scribe Publications 2001 Journal Article: The battle for Spencer barks from Australia to the U.S.A., 1963-68 James, Rodney The battle for Spencer barks from Australia to the U.S.A., 1963-68 2014 La Trobe journal 93/4 181-95 Journal Article: The geology collections of Museum Victoria, Melbourne Birch, W. D.; and Henry, D. A. The geology collections of Museum Victoria, Melbourne 2000 Australian Journal of Mineralogy 6 2 83-91 Journal Article: Value, knowledge and reputation: zoological exchange by Australian museums, 1870 - 1900 Reese, Henry, Finney, Vanessa and Ville, Simon Value, knowledge and reputation: zoological exchange by Australian museums, 1870 - 1900 2024 British Journal for the History of Science 58 1 91-100 Journal Article: The role of the National Museum in conservation McNally, J. The role of the National Museum in conservation 1966 Victoria’s resources 8 2 Book: On the formation of museums in Victoria McCoy, Frederick On the formation of museums in Victoria Melbourne Goodhugh & Hough 1857 Thesis: Some Foundations of Science in Victoria in the Decade After Separation Cohn, Helen M. Some Foundations of Science in Victoria in the Decade After Separation Melbourne University of Melbourne 1990 Thesis: Moving into the 20th century: from the National Museum of Victoria to the Melbourne Museum: a study of cultural revolution Kesik, Catherine Louise Moving into the 20th century: from the National Museum of Victoria to the Melbourne Museum: a study of cultural revolution Monash University 1998 Journal Article: Hope Black, née Macpherson (1919- ): First Female Curator at the Museum of Victoria Carey, Jane Hope Black, née Macpherson (1919- ): First Female Curator at the Museum of Victoria 2000 Australasian Science 21 5 46 Journal Article: Brief history of the palaeontological collection in the Museum of Victoria Darragh, Thomas A. Brief history of the palaeontological collection in the Museum of Victoria 1993 The Fossil Collector Bulletin 40 7-12 Thesis: The Mining Collection of the National Museum of Victoria, 1856-1871 Aitken, Richard The Mining Collection of the National Museum of Victoria, 1856-1871 Melbourne University of Melbourne 1990 Book Section: Stolen stones and bare-faced brick Goad, Philip Stolen stones and bare-faced brick Carlton, Vic. Melbourne University Press 2024 Dhoombak goobgoowana: a history of Indigenous Australia and the University of Melbourne - Volume 1: The Truth Ross L. Jones, James Waghorne and Marcia Langton 50-66 Journal Article: Australian Museums of Natural History: Public Priorities and Scientific Initiatives in the 19th Century Kohlstedt, Sally Gregory Australian Museums of Natural History: Public Priorities and Scientific Initiatives in the 19th Century 1983 Historical Records of Australian Science 5 4 1-30 Book Section: The Donald Thomson Collection Allen, Lindy The Donald Thomson Collection Carlton North, Vic. Scribe Publications 2001 A Museum for the people: a History of Museum Victoria and its predecessor institutions, 1854-2000 Rasmussen, Carolyn 282-4 Book Section: E.. J. Dunn and his rock and mineral collection Birch, Bill E.. J. Dunn and his rock and mineral collection Carlton North, Vic. Scribe Publications 2001 A Museum for the people: a History of Museum Victoria and its predecessor institutions, 1854-2000 Rasmussen. Carolyn 138-40 Book: A very secret trade: the dark story of gentlemen collectors in Tasmania Pybus, Cassandra A very secret trade: the dark story of gentlemen collectors in Tasmania Sydney Allen & Unwin 2024 Book Section: The elusive Leadbeater Clode, Danielle The elusive Leadbeater Carlton North, Vic. Scribe Publications 2001 A Museum for the people: a history of Museum Victoria and its predecessors 1854 - 2000 Rasmussen, Carolyn 253-5 Journal Article: Majumbu ('Old Harry') and the Spencer-Cahill bark painting collection Taçon, Paul S. C., Taylor, Luke, May, Sally K., Goldhahn, Joakim, Jalandoni, Andrea, Ressel, Alex and Mangiru, Kenneth Majumbu ('Old Harry') and the Spencer-Cahill bark painting collection 2023 Australian archaeology 89 1 14-31 Book: The Art of Collecting National Heritage: the Letters of Henry Luke White 1910-1913 White, Judy The Art of Collecting National Heritage: the Letters of Henry Luke White 1910-1913 Scone, N.S.W. Seven Press 2007 Book: Australia's national collections Lloyd, Clem and Sekuless, Peter Australia's national collections North Ryde, N.S.W. Cassell Australia 1980 Book: The Art of Science: Remarkable Natural History Illustrations from Museum Victoria Kean, John The Art of Science: Remarkable Natural History Illustrations from Museum Victoria Melbourne Museum Victoria 2013