How Does the Presentation The Melbourne Story in the Museum of Victoria Illustrates Australian History - Essay Example

Field Report on the Melbourne Story Research Topic: How does the presentation The Melbourne Story in the Museum of Victoria illustrates Australian history? Site visited: Museum of Victoria Introduction and brief History The Museum of Victoria is the largest public museum in Australia and is home to many tourists and students who are envious to learn about the Australian history. It was started in 1854 and has continued to expand with time (Melbourne Museum, 2015, retrieved from http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/about-us/). It amalgamated with the technological museum of Victoria in 1870 and thus changed its name from the national museum of Victoria to museum of Victoria. There are many collections and expert staff in the fields of science and humanities who are resources in the natural history of Victoria and even beyond its boundaries (Melbourne Museum, 2015, retrieved from http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/about-us/). The museum is divided into three venues: immigration museum, science works and the Melbourne Museum. The Melbourne Story exhibition is found in the Melbourne Museum. It shows the history of the Melbourne starting from when the white settlers and the local indigenous people got into contact. The history is connected in the form of stories, soundscapes, images, artifacts and interactive components. This ensures that the visitors have an insight into the Melbourne story. This story shows the Australian history which covers the rich, poor, settlers, indigenous people, immigrants, and how they survived as Australia developed. Report The Melbourne Story is a comprehensive exhibition that has abundant information about the city of Melbourne. The collections are presented in such a way that they reveal the extraordinary riches of the city. There is an amazing hand colored lithograph that shows the olden city of Melbourne in 1858 (Museum Victoria, 2001, p. 21). The picture, which was developed by George Rowe, shows the ancient city. The buildings and the mode of dressing simplify a time when Australia was under-developed. Each object in the museum displays a certain historical time, and they are all organized in a chronological manner. All the pictures are taken and printed using the available technology of that particular time. Through this presentation, the museum manages to show the lifestyle and technology of the Australian people at different historical times. There are various jar bells and stuffed animals that create and antique display of the people living in Melbourne during the Victorian period. There is a video footage that covers a football match which is believed to have been taken between 1900 and 1920 (Museum Victoria, 2001, p. 43). The video is of low quality but in relation to the historical period, it shows a major historical achievement. The use of video cameras in 1900 reveals the how well people were interested in technology in the early years. Recording of the game shows the love of games among the Australian people back in the olden days. Another interesting object is the Bottle Sterilizing Rack. It was first used in 1929. It represents the period when the children’s court was formed whose main aim was to cater for babies from inner slums. The bottles were used to feed the neglected babies especially during the world war. It also signifies the opening of the Methodist babies’ home. This feature shows the humanness of the original inhabitants of the city. The Atherton Gardens Model is an eye attracting feature in the museum. The picture shows the proposed Atherton garden which replaced the slums that were in Fitzroy. The building of the Atherton Gardens shows the early urge for development and good housing among the Australians. A picture of the original slums shows the high poverty levels that existed before construction of the Atherton Gardens in 1960. The original picture shows struggling families who are mainly European immigrants and Aboriginal people. The museum staff claims that although not all people were poverty stricken, a high percentage of the Victoria inhabitants were poor. The building of the Atherton Gardens indicates the start of construction of modern buildings in Australia. Construction of modern building by the government at that time did not eradicate social suffering such as unemployment and poverty, but it helped the locals appreciate the need for modern buildings. The cable tram model in the museum shows the introduction of trams in Melbourne. This technology initially invented in 1880 but started operation in 1888. It shows the need for faster transport methods among the original inhabitants. The model also represents the Collingwood & Clifton Hill line tram that operated in the city. The need for faster transport methods indicates the urge for development among the original inhabitants. In the ancient period, land was treasured, and the aboriginal people of Victoria had a lot of fights with the white setters on issues concerning their land. The museum shows the Coranderrk petition of 1870’s which was prepared by the Aboriginal people. The original inhabitants aimed at protecting their rights that under high threat by the white settlers. The Coranderrk petition indicates the well-established legal systems in the early days and also the diplomacy of the locals. The Yarra canoe was used by the aboriginals in the Melbourne region. It is claimed that the aboriginals used it for fishing and catching bird eggs in the Yarra River in the Melbourne region. This feature describes the diet of the ancient people which was mainly fish, eels and eggs from birds. The canoe is made of heated timber that is believed to have been got from the ash mountain. The shape and the design of the canoe describe the innovativeness of the natives. The symphonion is an amazing wonder found in the museum. It was developed by Edward William who is believed to have been very idealistic. The local, settlers and the aboriginals would pay a few coins to enjoy live bands from the symphonion. The symphonion indicates the expansion of the music industry in the ancient times and also shows the start of commercialization of music. This was a major development in music, and the large customers of Edward showed the love of music by the inhabitants of the region. The McKay wages book explains the reason as to why Australia has been leading in standards of living globally. The McKay wages book was developed by McKay’s Sunshine Harvester Works, and it showed national wages standards (Melbourne Museum, 2014, retrieved from http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/whatson/current-exhibitions/melbournestory/favourite-objects/ ). The wages book explained the reason as to why the wages paid by the company were sufficient for the workers of this company. After this wages book, other companies adopted the policy and, as a result, wages of employees increased and for the first-time overtime allowances were introduced. The McKay Wages Book indicates that rights of employees in the ancient Australia were acknowledged and it is the basis of the high living standards in modern day Australia (Peterson, Hamby& Museum Victoria, 2008, p. 256). The LBJ Shirt stored in the museum shows the love of peace by the natives of ancient Australia. The shirt belongs to United States President Lyndon Baines Johnson (Melbourne Museum, 2014). It was stained by angry Melbourne residents when Harold Holt declared that they would support LBJ in Vietnam War (Tout-Smith & Museum Victoria, 2009, p.89). The staining of his shirt shows that Melbourne residents were peace lovers and did not want to engage themselves in wars both internally and externally. The urinal, which is made of cast iron, was first used by Phoenix clothing factory in Melbourne. The urinal cistern works in the same manner as the modern cisterns. Its use in the Phoenix clothing factory marked the start of modern plumbing, and it coincided with the installation of the modern sewage systems in Melbourne. Introduction of modern sanitary systems shows the hygiene of the locals and their innovative nature particularly in these early years. The Federation Dress is stored in the museum to commemorate the opening of the federal parliament (Melbourne Museum, 2014). The full length, silk satin dress was worn by Sabina Peipers during this significant occasion. The fashionable dress indicates the importance of this historic event. The federal parliamentarians were sworn in for the first time. Memories of this day are marked by this elegant evening dress worn by Sabina whose father was the imperial German Consul. The Cobb & Co Coaches were used as a method of transport to link Melbourne and the goldfields. The Cobb & Co Coach is adapted to rough terrains and was pulled by horses. These horses interchanged at intervals so that the coaches were able to meet the strict travel timetables. The coach was developed in 1880 and was the fastest means of locomotion at that time (Tout-Smith & Museum Victoria, 2009, p.67). The coaches had a capacity of 17 passengers, their luggage’s and any mails that were to be delivered. This method of transport was reliable in the early days, and it expanded into other countries in Europe. The gold mining model purported to be at Daisy Hill indicates the method used to mine gold in Victoria. It shows the equipment and gold mining methods used in the ancient Melbourne. This was one of the primary economic activities the Melbourne. Although the method used was risky due to the narrow shafts, it is a remarkable technology in the olden days. The dear daddy postcard is an emotional artifact stored in the Museum of Victoria. It was composed by a young child named Kemp and addressed to his father who a fighter in World War 1 (Melbourne Museum, 2014). The young child’s father died in the war and among his belongings was this dear daddy postcard. The letter is stored in memories of all those who died in World War 1.storage of this postcard shows the respect that Austrians have for their forefathers who lost their lives in war. In conclusion, the Melbourne story features many collections that are all housed in the museum victoria. There are over 1200 collections that all describe Melbourne in diverse ways and for different reasons. The field visit was very productive since it introduced me to history that I didn’t know about. The chronological arrangement of the various objects shows the development of the Melbourne over time. Each object or video in display shows a different aspect of residents of Melbourne, and together they develop a rich history of Melbourne and its residents. Bibliography Melbourne Museum. (2014, July). Favourite Objects: Melbourne Museum. Retrieved from http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/whatson/current-exhibitions/melbournestory/favourite-objects/ Melbourne Museum. (2015, January 11). Melbourne Museum. Retrieved from http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/about-us/ Museum Victoria. 2001. Melbourne Museum.: Melbourne University Press. Melbourne, Vic. Peterson, N., Allen, L., Hamby, L., & Museum Victoria. 2008. The makers and making of indigenous Australian museum collections. Melbourne University Press. Carlton, Vic Tout-Smith, D., & Museum Victoria. 2009. Melbourne: a city of stories. Museum Victoria. Carlton, Vic Read More