Search
Close this search box.
NMA unveils $266M Master Plan to 2030

National Museum of Australia – Master Plan Overview, December 2018

A premier global destination, bringing the world’s cultures to Australia and presenting Australia’s history, its culture and its place in the global community to the world.

The future of the National Museum of Australia is enshrined in this Master Plan, which builds upon the institution’s successes and achievements to date. This vision will see the Museum grow and develop its offerings, connecting onsite and online experiences as never before.

At its heart, this is a transformative plan to double the size of the Museum and to greatly extend the range of its public experiences by 2030, while taking its exhibitions and programs across the nation and around the world. These will meld real and virtual experiences, so that both realms are seamlessly integrated, giving the public the opportunity to participate in or create their Museum experiences.

We will begin by re-imagining our current spaces through major developments of the Museum’s entry Atrium, its Forecourt and its Galleries. With its generous ideas for integrated parklands and open gardens inspired by the Australian bush, and for interactive exhibitions, theatres and play areas all aligned to virtual content, the Master Plan reshapes the boundaries of the Museum, both physically and digitally — encouraging visitors from around Australia and across the globe to explore, linger, share and learn.

Four key themes underpin and connect the developments outlined in this Master Plan. We begin with the experience of Welcome woven through our planned expansive gardens, leafy Forecourt and Atrium, inviting visitors to share in the Museum’s journey through time and place. We then move on to the concept of Storytelling, in our permanent galleries and award-winning exhibitions and events, where the story of Australia — its ancient living cultures, its British foundations and law and its diverse multicultural peoples — is revealed. The sense of Discovery then unfolds in our interactive educational areas and digital content that will encourage visitors to take the knowledge they have uncovered in the galleries and draw inspiring connections with their own lives. Finally, our commitment to Preservation encapsulates our responsibilities as custodians of the National Historical Collection — the nation’s material record of its history and experiences. These spaces will give people opportunities to learn how we safeguard the nation’s heritage through cherishing and caring for our collection.

These new public spaces will be delivered as a series of projects through to 2030. They will establish the Museum precinct at Acton as a premier learning and experiential destination, and allow the Museum to connect with people across the nation and around the world using state-of-the-art digital technologies. All developments will incorporate public participation and active involvement, creating inclusive intergenerational and inter-cultural experiences. By 2030 the National Museum of Australia will be a global institution where people can meet, exchange ideas and celebrate their lives together.

The National Museum of Australia: where knowledge unlocks the future.

View the full plan here

See also: http://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/598903/NMA-master-plan_FA-181226-optimised.pdf