‘Tenement from Wessels gate 15’ also included a set of ‘immigrant’ rooms – a Pakistani Muslim family. I didn’t come across much discussion of migration in the museums I visited in Norway, although there was some sort of multicultural museum in Oslo I didn’t get to that looked like it explored this issue. The tone…

The outdoor museum at the Norwegian Folk Museum was sizable with lots of different styles of Norwegian building styles from different eras. What blew me away was the fact that this collection started in 1881 with Kong Oscar II’s collection which became the basis for this museum. The 13th century Stave Church, mostly replica, but…

The exhibition on the Sami peoples was interesting on a number of levels. Firstly, theirs is a very interesting story. A people spread across four different countries and national boundaries who have nevertheless negotiated rights of movement, hunting etc across those areas. Secondly, their rights movement, with earlier antecedents, also largely began in the 1970s.…

I quite liked this installation at the Norwegian Maritime Museum in Oslo. A timeline showing the type and amount of material that might be found in an archaeological dig over time. Ending of course with a lot of plastic. I didn’t venture into the weird immersive kids space where I was going to have to…

A very simple (and quick response) exhibition at the Norwegian Maritime Museum was one about the impact of the coronavirus on shipping and, more importantly, shipping workers. It was basically some posters with quotes and a few images and then a video with interviews with various kinds of workers via videoconference. It was such a…

As part of a bus tour I did of Oslo we visited the Vigeland Sculpture Park. I knew nothing about the artist and was a bit ho-hum about the visit but the works were really beautiful. They all revolved around the idea of the circle of life. Some figures were based on real people, including…

I had been told the Historick Museum in Oslo had done some repatriation of artefacts in their collection so was interested to see this label and display. Bit surprised to get to the end of it however. We’ll keep what we’ve got but won’t collect any more! It was pretty cool seeing their first collection…

This small Chinese church is tucked away in Queensberry Street, Carlton, between the campus’ of RMIT University and the University of Melbourne. It is surrounded by warehouses and student accommodation and at the end of the street is the grand Royal Exhibition Buildings. It is easy to miss. It has recently come to my attention…

Just popped briefly into this exhibition while at the State Library. There was a terrific interactive digital display of all the indigenous languages in Australia where you could zoom into particular areas, select the language and then see the other related areas. Fascinating how confined and wide spread different languages are. I was particularly taken…

This is an ENORMOUS cemetery. It really does go on and on forever. The memorial park actually incorporates three cemeteries: Botany Cemetery, Eastern Suburbs Crematorium and Pioneer Park. After wandering around the beautiful 1938 crematorium building we headed to the Pioneer Memorial Park. Oh boy what a travesty of heritage management. Then I read up…

I went to this exhibition to relive my love of browsing a book of Escher’s work as a child but came out wowed by Nendo and their collaboration on this exhibition. To be honest I was feeling pretty cynical about the collaboration – draw people in with Escher and then Nendo is the bit you…

Love the exhibitions at the City Gallery in the Melbourne Town Hall. ‘We Protest!’ is no exception. Inspiring to be reminded of Melbourne’s history of protest and the changes it has brought. Also something satisfying about the fact that simply staging an exhibition about protest validates protest as an important civic activity. Visited: 26 May…

As part of my local history Professional Historians Association reading group ‘readings’ I headed to St Francis’ Church on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Lonsdale Street. Originally built over five years between 1841-45 its the oldest Catholic church in Victoria. The Ladye Chapel is so very beautiful, breathtaking actually when you suddenly come upon…

This exhibition lovingly brings together some of the amazing cars that featured in the original ‘Bush Mechanics’ television show along with footage, photographs and commentary. It was great to see some of them part of MV’s collection, particularly given the fact that the computerisation of car mechanics is driving the bush mechanic out of business.…

I was really curious to see how NGV were going to carry off their parallel exhibitions – ‘Colony: Australia 1770-1861‘ and ‘Colony: Frontier Wars‘ – the aim of which was to explore Australia’s complex colonial past. It is such an interesting idea to take European artistic responses to colonisation and contrast them with indigenous artistic…

I love that Hong Kong airport has little bilingual exhibition displays between some of the gates that highlight history and culture of Hong Kong. This one was about the cheongsam, ‘Hong Kong Cheongsam Story‘, curated by the Hong Kong Museum of History and Hong Kong Arts Centre. Visited: 7 February 2018

Fascinating exhibition, ‘Forbidden Museum: X-ray Audio in the USSR, 1946-1964‘, about the use of x-ray film for Russian gramophone record bootlegging. The mock bootlegger’s office was one of the best ‘let’s recreate a lived space’ that I’ve seen. You really did feel that the bootlegger had just stepped out. It was unfortunate that they then…

The Eretz Israel Museum was badly in need of an update but there were some truly beautiful pieces in the glass gallery. Visited: 1 February 2018  

Some more lovely tiling. This time around the village of Lai Uk Tseun Lai Uk, Shek Kong in Hong Kong. Give it a few years and these tiled buildings will start appearing on heritage lists. Visited: 26 January 2018

Last museum for the day was the Hong Kong Maritime Museum to see ‘The Silver Age: Origins and Trade of China Export Silver’. Some truly gorgeous pieces. Although the exhibition told an interesting story about the silver trade I did feel that it failed to engage with the objects on display in a very meaningful…

Wan Chai station really has the most fabulous tiling – walls and floor!

Each Chinese Australian Hometown Heritage Tour Kate and I take the opportunity to add new sites and villages and also enhance the information we provide to guests. This year we offered a walking tour of the old town of Shekki. We spent some time doing the walk and thinking about how we might improve it.