National Museum of Australia – Audio on demand program

The impact of adaptation and evolution on the development of modern agricultural crops and the use of genetically modified technologies is outlined by evolutionary biologist Jeremy Burdon.

Historian Iain McCalman explores the dominant scientific attitudes to ideas of evolution in Britain in the years before Darwin's Origin is published. He explains why evolution was widely regarded as a lunatic theory and was resisted so fiercely.

Historian Paul Turnbull summarises Charles Darwin's arguments in Origin, its diverse reception in British and European circles from 1860 to 1900, and how the natural history of humanity came to be envisaged in Darwinian terms.

Frank Nicholas from the School of Veterinary Science outlines Charles Darwin's visit to Australia on the HMS Beagle in 1836. What Darwin saw contributed to the wealth of evidence he assembled from around the world showing that species have evolved.

Historian Michael Cathcart critiques the new Australian Journeys gallery, which traces Australia’s interconnections with the world. Exhibition curator Martha Sear responds, in a discussion chaired by museum general manager Louise Douglas.

Peter Stanley welcomes guests to the 2009 National Museum Collections Symposium and key speaker Howard Morphy delivers ‘Perspectives on exhibiting collections,’ looking at the significance of artefacts and the stories they can tell.

The presence of objects from Tahiti in museums across the world is examined by historian Jenny Newell. She discusses the representations of Tahiti over the years and suggests how museums might renew Tahitian exhibitions and collections.

Curator Charlotte Smith outlines the development of an exhibition at Museum Victoria based on urban archaeology. She discusses the challenges in interpreting the ‘rubbish’ and creating a snapshot of life in nineteenth-century Melbourne.

Conservator Nicola Smith examines the management of exhibition light levels at the National Museum of Australia. She addresses display periods, object replacement and new non-destructive methods of assessing object degradation from light.

National Museum curators and researchers discuss the development of the Museum’s introductory Circa rotating theatre. They examine its function and the use of new narratives to explore the National Historical Collection.

Libby Robin looks at the use of dead animal collections in museums. She examines the scientific precedents behind these collections and how they are evolving from representations of science to components of social history and art studies.

Museum consultant Brian Crozier considers how material culture might be interpreted by museums for popular rather than academic audiences. He examines the cultural contributions that museums may make in the study of history.

Alison Wishart examines the challenges of displaying rare cookery books in museums. She focuses on Flora Pell’s Our Cookery Book, published in 1916, and suggests display methods to allow better visitor interaction.

Elspeth Wishart outlines the challenges facing the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in exhibiting important two-dimensional artefacts. She relates how the museum must balance the needs of visitors with the care of these artefacts, a letter and a flag.

Mary-Elizabeth Andrews examines an online exhibition about war brides at the Australian National Maritime Museum. She considers the use of objects, access, technical and moral concerns and how museums can reconnect with communities.