The WA Museum Lectures returns this April.
Long before the WA Museum opened its doors in 1895, there was an ambition to create an institution that could educate, connect and reflect the life of Western Australia. Building that vision required more than local collecting - it meant looking outward.
By the late 19th century, the Museum had begun exchanging objects and specimens with institutions around the world. What followed was the formation of a global network - one that shaped the State’s collection, expanded its reach, and introduced audiences in Perth to stories far beyond their immediate landscape.
In this lecture, Ross Chadwick, Head of Archaeology and Anthropology, examines the legacy of these early exchanges - how they contributed to the Museum’s collection, what was sent away, and how these histories inform contemporary conversations around repatriation and cultural responsibility.
Ross leads the Museum’s Indigenous Repatriation Program, working to return Aboriginal ancestral remains and significant cultural materials to their rightful communities. This talk offers a rare insight into the evolving relationship between collection, custody and care.
Doors open: 5PM
Talk starts: 6PM
Event concludes: 7PM
Free for LF Members, public $15.
Join us in Luis’ for a drink beforehand, and stay for dinner afterwards—book a table HERE.