Pacific cultures gallery

The Pacific cultures gallery is the largest display of Pacific material in Australia, with around 3,000 bows, arrows, spears, shields, utensils, ornaments, masks and ritual objects exhibited.

It showcases artefacts from the Pacific cultures region – Papua New Guinea, the Solomon and Santa Cruz Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji and New Zealand.

This remarkable display of material cultures from the Pacific had its origin when the north wing of the Museum opened in 1895. The display cases along the walls and their contents are heritage listed and were returned to their former glory in 2006, which included major renovations to reveal the Victorian lantern ceiling. This gallery is being preserved as an example of 19th century museum displays and forms a striking contrast to other galleries in the Museum.

This truly astonishing gallery is a must-see, for its cultural significance and old-world charm.

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South Australian biodiversity gallery