Quinkan Country and NGURBAY / To Go Home, opens at Queensland Museum, Kurilpa, 15 September 2026
Queensland Museum Kurilpa will open two new exhibitions, Quinkan Country and NGURBAY / To Go Home, on Friday 18 September, inviting visitors to connect with the enduring knowledge, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal Peoples from Far North Queensland.
Developed in partnership with communities and drawing on Queensland Museum’s extensive collection, the exhibition brings together contemporary cultural works, significant collection items, large-scale projection, immersive digital storytelling and interactive experiences to share some of Queensland’s most significant cultural stories.
At the heart of the exhibition are two powerful immersive experiences within the gallery space; Quinkan Country and NGURBAY / To Go Home, which explore the continuing relationships between people, place and story.
Quinkan Country engages visitors in the stories, knowledge and cultural heritage of the Laura community in eastern Cape York. Guided by Traditional Owners, and developed through a partnership between Griffith University, The University of Queensland and the Queensland Museum team, the project uses advanced 3D photogrammetry scanning to document the internationally significant Laura rock art landscape.
The resulting life-size immersive experience brings visitors close to a culturally important place that is otherwise inaccessible to the public, combining large-scale projection, drone footage, culturally significant objects and sensory storytelling to explore the enduring connection between people, place, story and spirit.
NGURBAY / To Go Home tells the story of a culturally significant canoe reunited with the Bagirbarra people after 150 years. Removed from Country in 1873 and held in the Queensland Museum collection, the canoe’s reunification with community represents a powerful reconnection of culture, waterways and story.
The project also reflects Queensland Museum’s work with community to remap collections through cultural knowledge, place and memory, using digital storytelling to share community voices and strengthen contemporary connections between objects, people and Country.
In December, a third exhibition, within the gallery, will open showcasing dynamic, contemporary material culture and artworks drawn directly from Queensland Museum’s collection. (Re)Gathering will highlight ongoing cultural practice, self-determination and reframing museum collecting as an active partnership in documenting and celebrating contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life.
Together, the experiences highlight the significance of ancient rock art while celebrating the living cultures, traditions, and artistic innovations that continue to thrive across generations.
Queensland Museum CEO Renai Grace said the exhibition reflected Queensland Museum’s commitment to co-designing with Aboriginal communities.
“Through partnerships with communities, we have an opportunity to share stories that celebrate the strength, diversity and continuity of culture, while creating space for visitors to learn, listen and connect,” Ms Grace said.
“As free exhibitions, Quinkan Country and NGURBAY / To Go Home, makes these stories accessible and reflects our role as a place where culture, knowledge and community can be shared and experienced.”
Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said these stories will share Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and cultures with Queenslanders and visitors to the state as demand for these unique stories and experiences continues to grow.
“The exhibition celebrates the significance and value of Indigenous knowledge and creativity in Queensland, giving visitors of all ages the opportunity to appreciate and learn more about the world’s oldest living cultures,” Minister Langbroek said.
“Queensland Museum is supporting delivery of the Queensland’s Time to Shine strategy including its priorities of uniquely Queensland arts experiences and maximising opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives.”
Queensland Museum, Principal Curator, First Nations, Dr Zoe Rimmer, said the exhibition was grounded in community-led storytelling.
“This experience is shaped by the voices, knowledge and cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” Dr Rimmer said.
“It invites audiences to listen, learn and connect with the histories, cultures and relationships to Country that continue to thrive today, while recognising the importance of community-led storytelling in how these stories are shared.”
Visitors can experience the exhibition at their own pace in a respectful space designed for reflection, learning and connection.
Quinkan Country and NGURBAY / To Go Home opens at Queensland Museum Kurilpa on Friday 18 September 2026. The gallery is located on Level 2 and entry is free.