NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA

Katherine McMahon was appointed Director of the National Museum of Australia in February 2024. Ms McMahon joined the Museum in 2017 and has served in roles including Assistant Director, Discovery and Collections and Deputy Director.

Ms McMahon led the delivery of the Museum’s major gallery renewal program, including the Great Southern Land environmental history gallery and the Discovery Centre for young visitors.

Ms McMahon has been instrumental in the Museum’s major exhibition program, bringing significant international exhibitions to Australia. She also oversaw the acquisition of the Trevor Kennedy Collection, one of the largest and most significant privately owned holdings of Australian decorative arts and historical objects.

Ms McMahon has more than 20 years in senior leadership roles in the arts and cultural sector. Prior to joining the National Museum, she led a decade long program of major gallery renewal at the Australian War Memorial which included the delivery of the acclaimed First World War galleries.

About NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA

The National Museum of Australia brings to life the rich and diverse stories of Australia through compelling objects, ideas and events, empowering people to find their voice and place in the world.

The Museum was established to develop and maintain the National Historical Collection for the benefit of the nation, and to bring to life the rich and diverse stories of Australia. Central to the Museum’s role as a national institution is its focus on meaningful engagement with all Australians in the telling of their stories, and its commitment to the history and cultures of the First Australians. The Museum achieves this by caring for and strengthening the collection, and by sharing the stories of Australia’s people and places, and its social and natural environment, with national and international audiences.

The Museum itself is based in Canberra on the lands of the Ngunnawal, Ngunawal and Ngambri peoples and first opened to the public on 11 March 2001. The Museum’s exhibitions, collections, programs and research focus on 3 interrelated subject areas:
• First Nations peoples’ history and culture
• Australian history and society since European settlement
• Australian environmental history, including the history of human interaction with the land.

All photos courtesy of the NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA