January - June 2009 Past Events
Tuesday 6 January
University Museums, 10am–4.30pm
University Information Day
The Macleay Museum, University Art Gallery and the Nicholson Museum will be open to the public during the University of Sydney’s annual Information Day.
Free entry
Wednesday 7 January, 12 noon
University Art Gallery
Free lunchtime tour of the Art Gallery
Join us for a monthly guided tour of the University Art Gallery and its current exhibition. Lunch for the mind and the soul.
Free entry
Monday 12 – Friday 16 January and Monday 19 – Friday 23 January
Sydney University Museums, daily
Kid’s Museums: School Holiday Activities
Activities for children aged 5-12 at Sydney University Museums this summer holidays are:
Handling the Past: Join an archaeologist in the Nicholson Education Room to handle artefacts from Egypt, Greece and Rome.
10am daily, $10 entry per child, parents free
Framing the Landscape: Join us in the University Art Gallery to learn about landscapes and to create your own
11am daily, free entry
The Microscopic World: Join us in the Macleay Museum to take a up-close look at the small world around us.
1pm daily, free entry
Mummies Alive: The Nicholson Museum has been taken over by mummies. Come and find out how Ancient Egyptians wrapped dead bodies.
2pm daily, $5 per child, parents free
Bookings essential as places are limited. Each session runs for an hour. It is possible to book for a single session, or for multiple sessions in a single day. Bookings: (02) 9351 2812.
Sunday 1 February
Macleay Museum 12noon - 4pm
Kids Museums: The Year of the Ox
Celebrate the Chinese New Year and help welcome in the Year of the Ox with a series of activities for children looking at Chinese culture and natural history. Hear talks in Mandarin and English, take part in arts and crafts sessions and help us decorate our new year ox.
Free entry, bookings not necessary.
Details: (02) 9036 5253
Event held in conjunction with the City of Sydney Chinese New Year Festival 2009.
Join us at 2pm on February 1 in the quadrangle for a free carillon performance for the Chinese New Year titled The Ox.
Wednesday 4 February
Nicholson Museum, 6.30pm
Public Lecture by Dr Peter Jia (University of Sydney): Are they Chinese? Are they from China? East meets West in Chinese Archaeology
Chinese culture has a variety of historical symbols - such as Chinese New Year, Dragon boat racing and the Peking Opera - which have continuously developed in an isolated environment without contact with the rest of the world.
However, current archaeological study has discovered that contact between China and the West started at a very early date and continued throughout Chinese history. These early contacts were made through two major routes: the land-based and maritime silk roads. Chinese culture would not be as diverse and well-developed without the influence of the rest of the world.
Bookings: (02) 9351 2812
Cost: $25, $20 for Friends of the Nicholson Museum
Event held in conjunction with the City of Sydney Chinese New Year Festival 2009
Click for invitation
Wednesday 11 February
University Art Gallery, 12 noon - 1pm
Free lunchtime tour of the Art Gallery
Join us for a monthly guided tour of the University Art Gallery and its current exhibition. Lunch for the mind and the soul.
Free entry, bookings not necessary
Information: (02) 9351 6883
Thurdsay 12 February
Macleay Museum
Charles Darwin's Birthday
The Macleay Museum exhibitions Accidental Encounters, WS Macleay and the Natural History Circle and Futurescape open to the public today to celebrate the bicentennial for the birth of Charles Darwin.
Click here for invitation
Click here for the University's Darwin Anniversaries website
Sunday 15 February
University Art Gallery, 12noon - 4pm
Kids Museums: Melting in the Sun
A fun-filled day with art. Creative activities to help children explore the world of the visual arts, based around the exhibition Melt.
Free entry, bookings not necessary.
Information: (02) 9351 6883
Kirsten Haydon
ice funnel, ice melts 2007
copper, steel, enamel, reflector beads
Photograph: Jeremy Dillon
Courtesy of the artist
Monday 16 February
Macleay Museum, 6pm
Opening of Accidental Encounters
Join us for a musical soiree for the Macleay Museum's exhibition Accidental Encounters. Featuring Victorian period music. Bookings required as there are only 100 places available for this event.
Cost: $20 per person
Bookings: (02) 9036 5253
Tuesday 24 February
University Art Gallery, 6.30pm
Public Lecture by Dr Estelle Lazer (University of Sydney) Bruce Hull (Australian Antarctic Division)
An Archaeologist in the Ice: Working in the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic
Join us for a fascinating talk as Dr Estelle Lazer and Bruce Hull (Senior Environment Officer (Heritage) for the Australian Antarctic Division) takes us through the life of an archaeologists working in one of the most severe climates in the world. Both have worked on archaeological and heritage projects for the Australian Antarctic Division including at Mawson’s Huts and at sealing sites at Heard Island. In this talk she discusses how she works in this difficult environment, the history of human activities in the Antarctic, and the steps being taken to preserve the archaeological traces of those people.
Hear about the history of Australian involvement in Antarctica and the work being done to preserve that heritage and take a different look at the landscape which has inspired the artists exhibiting in the University Art Gallery exhibition Melt.
Cost: $10 per person
Book in early as places are very limited. Bookings essential.
Phone: 9351 6883
Saturday 7 March
Nicholson Museum, 10am - 4pm
Nicholson Museum study day
The Parthenon: Art, Archaeology, Architecture and Ownership
This study day is devoted to the Parthenon - the Classical temple of Athens dedicated to the goddess Athena. The day will explore the architectural achievments and beautyof the sculptural adornments, as well at the building's less well-known later history. We also look at the Parthenon in its historical context and provide an overview of the controversy surrounding the Elgin marbles held in the British Museum, including an examination of the question of cultural repatriation.
Featuring Michael Turner, Dr Elizabeth Bollen, Dr Craig Barker, Theodora Minas and others.
$100 per person (including lunch and refreshments)
Bookings are essential: (02) 9351 2812
Click here for programme brochure
Sunday 8 March
Nicholson Museum, 12 noon - 4pm
Kids Museums: Parthenon and Ancient Greece Family Day
Explore ancient Greek cultures at the Nicholson with a family day featuring talks on Greek archaeology and the Acropolis, a chance to handle archaeological material and take part in our mock archaeological excavations. See what life was like in ancient Athens.
Free entry, bookings not necessary
Information: (02) 9351 2812
Wednesday 11 March
University Art Gallery, 12 noon - 1pm
Free lunchtime tour of the Art Gallery
Join us for a monthly guided tour of the University Art Gallery and its current exhibition. Lunch for the mind and the soul.
Wednesday 11 March
Nicholson Museum, 6.30pm
Public lecture: Dr Stavros Paspalas (Deputy Director of the Australian Archaeological Insititute at Athens)
Classical Macedonia: New Finds, Ancient Reputations
The history of ancient Macedonia is often over-shadowed by the career of its most famous son, Alexander the Great. Excavations in recent decades have revealed an amazing wealth of finds that has considerably increased our knowledge of the ancient Macedonians.
By examining the particular case of Alexander the Great's formidable grandmother, Eurydice, we gain an entree into the politics and the arts of the ruling Argead dynasty as well as fascinating insights into image-making and reputation building in 4th century BC Macedonia.
Cost: $30, $20 for Friends of the Nicholson Musuem
Bookings essential: (02) 9351 2812 or
Click here for invitation
Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 March
Quadrangle, 12 noon - 1pm
Free tours of the Quadrangle and Sydney University Museums for NSW Seniors Week
Discover the history of the University of Sydney with a free walking tour - explore the heritage of the Quadrangle and learn more about the rich history of scholars and students, stonemasons and gargoyles!
Tours depart from the Clocktower of the Quadrangle at 12 noon precisely.
Free entry
Bookings essential: (01) 9351 2812 or email: c.barker@usyd.edu.au
Wednesday 18 March
Nicholson Museum, 6.30pm
Public lecture: Dr Elizabeth Bollen (Nicholson Museum)
Through the Looking Glass
From the Death Mask of Tutankhamen to the Portland Vase, glass has been used to produce many beautiful and costly items. Follow the story of glass from its magical Mesopotamian beginnings through Roman rumours of unbreakable glass to its daily utilisation in Mediterranean meals. Drawing on archaeological and literary evidence, Elizabeth Bollen, curator of Shattered Glass: illuminating the past will share her favourite discoveries.
Cost: $25, $20 for Friends of the Nicholson Musuem
Bookings essential: (02) 9351 2812 or
Click here for invitation
Saturday 21 March
Nicholson Museum, 10am - 4pm
Classical Greece: HSC Ancient History Course in a Day 2009
This event has been CANCELLED
Sunday 22 March
Quadrangle, 2pm
Carillon performances: Classical Fantasies
In conjunction with the Nicholson Museum exhibition Classical Fantasies, join us for a carillon program of themed-music.
Monday 23 March, 6pm
Macleay Museum
Public Lecture: Dr Jim Endersby (University of Sussex)
The disorder of things: Darwin and the controversies over classification
Friday 27 March
1–5pm, Holme & Sutherland Rooms, Holme Building, University of Sydney
The Impact of the Antipodes on Anthropological Thought: Histories of Human Order
Convenor: Dr Jude Philp (Macleay, Sydney)
Presenters: Dr Elena Govor (ANU), Dr Shino Konishi (NMA), Mr Ron Day (MICC), Dr Helen Gardner (Deakin), Dr Jude Philp (Sydney)
Discussant: Warwick Anderson (Sydney) TBC
This session investigates the impact of the antipodes on anthropological thought through centring discussion on the disparate and extraordinarily diverse peoples of the Pacific region. The workshop is organised into two sections. One focussing on the impact and use of this information in European centres and one focussing on the gift of cultural knowledge to the travellers by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Ocean's landmasses.
Afternoon Tea will be served.
Following the Seminar there will be a reception in the Macleay Museum to launch the Mellon Sawyer Seminar series.
Free event
Bookings essential: or 9036 5347
Click here for full details and invitation
click here to find out more about the Mellon Sawyer series
Saturday 4 April
Nicholson Museum, 10am - 4pm
University of Sydney Department of Classics study day
Crossing the Rubicon: civil war among the Romans
What led the Romans of the last century of the Republic to "an orgy of self-destruction" that violently changed the course of Rome's history?
In this study day we interrogate the great figures of the era who fought - and wrote - including Caesar, Cicero and Pompey. We shall follow their fortunes and trace with Lucan the lasting impact of this conflict into the Empire.
Featuring Dr Kathryn Welch, Associate Professor WJ Tatum, Dr Paul Roche and others.
$100 per person (including lunch and refreshments)
Bookings are essential: (02) 9351 2812
Sunday 5 April
Nicholson Museum, 2pm
Who Built the Pyramids?
Dr Sophie Winlaw, Macquarie University
Since the days of Herodotus, society has entertained the idea that slaves toiled for 30 years under the whip of the pharaoh Khufu to build his great pyramid at Giza. But can recent archaeological excavations at Giza dispel this theory? Were the pyramids really built by slaves? This presentation will discuss the findings of these excavations and what they reveal about the actual pyramid builders.
Free event
Click here for full details and invitation
Bookings essential on 9351 2812 or
Wednesday 8 April
University Art Gallery, 12 noon - 1pm
Free lunchtime tour of the Art Gallery
Join us for a monthly guided tour of the University Art Gallery and its current exhibition. Lunch for the mind and the soul.
Free entry
Sunday 19 April
Quadrangle, 2pm
Carillon performances: Greek day
Celebrate Orthodox Easter Sunday with a program of Greek music performed on the University of Sydney's historic carillon.
Free event.
Wednesday 22 April
Old Geology Lecture Theatre, 6pm
International Year of Astronomy event
Public lecture: Fred Watson (Anglo - Australian Observatory)
Navigation and the interplanetary superhighway
Once, navigators used the stars to cross the great oceans. Today, our exploration of our environment has extended beyond the Earth's surface. In this entertaining and fully illustrated talk, Fred Watson brings the interplanetary superhighway to life, and illustrates how it is being used to navigate spacecraft around every corner of the Solar System, from mercury to Pluto and beyond.
Tuesday 14 April - Friday 17 April and Monday 20 April - Friday 24 April
Kids Museums: School holiday activities for children aged 5 to 12
Handling the Past: Join an archaeologist in the Nicholson Education Room for a chance to handle specimens and artefacts from across Sydney University Museums collections.
10 am daily, $10 entry per child, parents free
Materials and Composition: Join us in the University Art Gallery to explore the world of visual arts.
11am daily, free entry
Her Majesty's Service: Join us in the Macleay Museum and enter the Victorian world of scientific discovery and culture by land and sea.
1pm daily, free entry
Ancient Greek Myths: Join us in the Nicholson Museum to discover the gods, goddesses and heroes of Mount Olympus.
2pm daily
$5 per child, parents free
Activities include dressing up, work sheets, creative arts and story-telling.
Bookings essential as places are limited. Each session runs for an hour. It is possible to book for a single session, or for multiple sessions in the same day.
Bookings: (02) 9351 2812
Thursday 23 April
Nicholson Museum, 6 for 6.30pm
Public lecture: Professor Samuel Lieu (Macquarie University)
The Original Gallipoli: Kallipolis (434? BC-AD 1453)
Few Australians are aware that the iconic name Gallipoli is derived from Kallipolis - an ancient Graeco-Roman city on the Dardanelles.
This lecture will look at the literary and archaeological evidence for a city that was to become a vital crossing-place between Asia and Europe in the Middle Ages, heavily contested bny Byzantines, Catalan adventurers, Venetians and the Ottoman Turks.
Click here for the invitation with further details.
Bookings essential on 9351 2812 or
Cost - $30 ($20 for members of Friends of the Nicholson Museum)
Sunday 3 May 2009
Nicholson Museum, 2 pm
Public lecture: Mary Demovic
Hieroglyphs: from Rosetta to Ramses
Egyptian hieroglyphs are a source of continual fascination. Their exquisite artistic beauty, the flexibility of their arrangement, and the religious and magical associations linked to these god’s words continue to enthral us. But how were hieroglyphs decoded?
This presentation will take us on a practical journey of discovery that will hone our understanding of our own language and leave us mesmerised by the astounding sophistication of this ancient script in relation to it.
Click here for the invitation and further details.
Bookings essential on 9351 2812 or
Friday 8 May 2009
Macleay Museum, 1-5pm
Please note that this is a change of location for this seminar
Public seminar: The Impact of the Antipodes on Ecological Thought: Landscape, Evolution, and Sustainability
Convenor: Prof. Iain McCalman
Presenters: Julia Horne (University of Sydney), Peter Denney (University of Sydney), Martin Thomas (University of Sydney), Richard Waterhouse (University of Sydney)
Part of the Mellon Sawyer Seminar Sessions 2009
Click here for further information.
Booking essential as places are limited.
RSVP to or 02 9036 5347
Sunday 10 May
Nicholson Museum, 12noon - 4pm
Mummies Day on Mother's Day!
Celebrate Mother's Day with a series of family events and kids activities looking at ancient Egyptian mummies. Wrap yourself up, help us excavate our archaeological site and handle artefacts found in Egyptian tombs.
At 2pm, join us for a free musical performance of scary mummy music played on the University of Sydney's historic carillon.
Free entry, bookings not necessary.
For information: (02) 9351 2812
Thursday 14 May 2009
Nicholson Museum, 6 for 6.30pm
Public lecture: Sabina Wolanski
Destined to Live: One Woman’s War, Life, Loves Remembered
On 10 May 2005, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe opened in Berlin. At the opening ceremony, Sabina Wolanski was chosen to speak as the voice of the six million dead. What was the journey that took a little girl from the Polish town of Boryslaw (now in the Ukraine) to Paris, Sydney and so to Berlin? She was the only one of her immediate family to survive the war.
Come and listen to Sabina’s story.
Click here for the invitation
$30 ($20 Friends of the Nicholson Museum)
Price includes champagne & canapés
Booking essential on 9351 2812 or
Sunday 17 May
Quadrangle, 2pm
Carillon performance: The Arches Swing
A performance on the University's carillon by guest carillonist Lyn Fuller.
Free event
Monday 18 May
Sydney University Museums
12 noon - 2pm
ICOM International Museums Day
Join us at Sydney University Museums to celebrate ICOM International Museums Day for 2009. With the theme of "Museums and Tourism", join us for one-hour guided tours of the collections of Sydney University Museums at 12 noon and 2pm.
Wednesday 20 May
University Art Gallery, 12 noon - 1pm
Free lunchtime tour of the Art Gallery
Join us for a monthly guided tour of the University Art Gallery and its current exhibition. Lunch for the mind and the soul.
Free entry.
Wednesday 20 May
Macleay Museum, 4pm
Sydney Writers' Festival event on science biography
How does a biographer wrestle with complex subject areas while informing readers about their subject's personality? In this Darwin-themed event find out how four of the University of Sydney's professors cope with the challenge in their most recent biographies at this Sydney Writers' Festival event.
Featuring Alison Bashford, Iain McCalman, Frank Nicholas and Tony Larkum.
This event is now full. If you would like your name on a waiting list please use the contact details below
Free entry
Click here for the invitation
Bookings essential: (02) 9036 5253 or
Sunday 24 May
Australian Museum, 10am - 3pm
Archaeology Day
A children's day examining the world of archaeology
To celebrate National Archaeology Week 2009, the Nicholson and the Macleay museums join forces with the Australian Museum for our annual Archaeology Day. Hear talks about archaeology in Australia and abroad, handle artefacts from various past cultures and take part in children's workshops. Discover what a dig is all about!
Cost: Free after general entry fee to the Australian Museum
Please note that this event will take place at the Australian Museum, 6 College St, Sydney.
In conjunction with National Archaeology Week 2009.
Wednesday 17 June
University Art Gallery, 6.30pm
Public Lecture: Professor Emerita Nerida Newbigin (University of Sydney)
Italian Concrete and Visual Poetry: Remembering Frederick May
Professor Emerita Nerida Newbigin will present a lecture about Frederick May, Foundation Professor of Italian at the University of Sydney, who became fascinated with the Italian neoavanguardia. The lecture will discuss May's interest in the historic, the new avant-garde, concrete and visual poetry, as well as the art works in the Poesia Visiva exhibition.
Free entry but bookings essential on 9351 6883 or
Click here for the invitation
Thursday 18 June
Nicholson Museum, 6.30pm
Public Lecture: Professor Robert Hannah (University of Otago)
Sun, Moon and Stars: The development of the Classical Athenian calendar
As the Winter Solstice approaches, Professor Hannah takes us back in time to explore the way the ancients saw the skies. In conjunction with the International Year of Astronomy.
Cost: $25 entry, $20 for Friends of the Nicholson Museum
Bookings essential: (02) 9351 2812
Click here for the invitation
Wednesday 24 June
Nicholson Museum, 6.30pm
Public Lecture: Ben Churcher
Traveller's Tales: In the footsteps of Herodotus: Travels in Modern Egypt
To travel to Egypt is a dream many people hold – to see the Pyramids, to look at exquisite tomb art or to perhaps do nothing more than lounge on a boat as the Nile slips by.
While visitors from around the world are welcome, their high numbers do create issues that are being grappled with by the Egyptian government. The most serious is to maintain social cohesion in the face of such outside pressure and the second, of importance to archaeologists, is the fate of many monuments that are being ‘loved to death’. This lecture will follow in Herodotus’ footsteps some 2500 years later as we revisit Egypt and explore some of the tourism-related issues facing the country in the 21st century.
Cost: $30, $20 for Friends of the Nicholson Museum and NEAF members.
Bookings essential: (02) 9351 2812 or
Click here for the invitation