Federation Square sits right in the middle of Melbourne.
It’s a glorious spot, filled with funky buildings, restaurants, an enormous screen for public viewing, and open performance spaces. And glass, oodles and oodles of glass, creating the most enchanting and captivating reflections…
We caught the train from Prahran into the city to visit ACMI, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, to see their Hollywood Costume exhibition…
It wasn’t until after we’d paid for the tickets that I was told photos weren’t allowed…
It was a great exhibition nonetheless, albeit an incredibly crowded one, and they did allow us to take photos of the Gatsby costumes at the entrance…
On our way there, we inadvertently alighted at Southern Cross station instead of Flinders Street. A happy mistake, as Southern Cross is, in Pete’s words, “architecturally notable” for its remarkable wavy roofline…
. . . . .
After spending most of Sunday immersed in popular culture, we paid a short visit to the Melbourne Museum.
In the foyer was a blue whale skeleton – the largest animal to ever live – although after some discussion and pacing out the length, Big Boy and Small Man decided that this specimen was just a small one. They estimated it to be 18m in length (they were close, it’s actually 18.7m), only about half the size of the largest blue whale ever recorded (34m). How they know all this stuff off the top of their heads is beyond me…
There were the preserved remains of a giant squid, found in the stomach of a whale…
A room full of stuffed animals from all over the world…
Interestingly, Melbourne Museum offers a Forest Gallery, with over 8000 individual plants, including huge gum trees. The gallery is open air and includes a variety of live animals…
A giant slice of Kauri pine from Northern Queensland shows 600 years growth in its rings…
This art piece, titled Sky Raising Magpies, was created as part of the “Bute Ute” project for the 2002 Melbourne Festival. It tells the indigenous legend of how the magpies created the dawn…
Our primary reason for visiting was to see Phar Lap, one of Australia and New Zealand’s most famous racehorses. His mounted hide is displayed at the Melbourne Museum, his skeleton in the Museum of New Zealand, and his heart in the National Museum in Canberra.
One thing that struck me about Phar Lap was how thin he was. I wasn’t sure if that was how the horse actually was in real life, or simply a result of the taxidermy process…
The museum shop offers some seriously cool science toys, including this MOVA globe. Its movement is powered by the room lights via very specialised solar cells and maintained by the earth’s magnetic field..
Big Boy bought his girlfriend the ultimate geeky gift – a lab grown bismuth crystal. “It’s one of the rarest heavy elements produced in a star during a supernova”, he insisted…
A brief, but highly enjoyable visit. Small Man has already asked if we can go back the next time we’re in Melbourne!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Aren’t your boys knowledgeable Celia. I love that bismuth crystal. I never answered your question about the smallest boy in our family, he is doing OK, another round of chemo starts tomorrow, my girl found your post very helpful thank you.
I’m so glad to hear that, Madge. Please give them my best, it’s a brutal time and even though it was 16 years ago, I can still remember it so clearly. xx
We’ll be going to the Melbourne Museum next visit south! The Forest Gallery sounds great, not sure about the stuffed animals though… I’m not good with that kind of thing. I love the bismuth crystal, and it would make a lovely gift from me to me :) Have you been to the art gallery in Federation Square,? We really enjoy their collection. My Dad is going to visit my sister next month, accompanying my stepmother and sister on a wedding dress expedition… I suggested he asks them to drop him off at Federation Square.
You might want to give the stuffed animal gallery a miss, ED, if only to avoid the wall of beetles and butterflies stuck in frames with pins. The bismuth is only small – the base is about the size of a 20c piece – but it’s so pretty! And we missed the art gallery – we’ll have to make a point to look out for it next time we’re there!
Love your arts/culture posts, Celia! That Kauri pine and the blue whale skeleton are awesome examples of the wonders of nature…and the crystal is a lovely thoughtful gift from Big Boy to his girlfriend. We saw the Hollywood Costume exhibition (minus the GG costumes unfortunately) when it was showing at the V&A in London earlier this year…it was great, but very packed like your viewing.
Danielle, you’re so nice to say that, thank you. I always wonder if people will get bored with these posts, because they’re not food or garden related. But they really ARE what we’ve been up to! My son came out of the costume exhibition saying, “was Judy Garland *really* that small?” :)
You’re welcome, Celia! I was surprised too at how small some of the actors must have been to fit into the tiny costumes.
Stunning building – great to see this through your eyes Celia
Thanks Sally! Fed Square was apparently quite controversial when it was being built, but to a tourist, it’s an amazing space!
I hope when our kids are older they will still come out with us as a family. And that they get along as well as your boys!
Jo, they do get along well, it’s a joy to watch! :)
Not as exciting for me as the market- but still quite enjoyable. I like your cultural visits as well, Celia. You go places that never show up on the perspectives we get on Australia on our learning/public nature channels.
Thanks!
That’s good to know, Heidi! Thanks! :)
Lovely to read about your visit to Melbourne – I am very fond of fed square and southern cross railway station. I confess I miss the old museum (I am an old school Melbournian in some ways). The taxidermy exhibition makes me sad because it seems lacking compared to the old one but I am glad phar lap is still there and there is some interesting history stuff too.
There are two museums, aren’t there? We didn’t have time in our whirlwind visit to see both of them. The taxidermy exhibit was actually a bit creepy, but interesting!
Natural history museums are my favorites! (So much to draw!) And hurray for your clever boys. Hugs, Maz.
Maz, it was the first time I’ve ever seen a forest gallery with live animals in a museum! xx
Isn’t that a zoo? :-)
:D That’s exactly what I thought when I was there..
I haven’t learned to love Federation Square. I hear over and over that I’ll grow to love it but it hasn’t happened yet. To me it looks like they built it, parts of it fell down and they left it that way. :)
I LOVE the Melbourne museum!
Ooh, each to their own of course, M, but I could have spent the entire day there, looking at the buildings and reflections. But the attention span of teenagers demanded we keep moving.. ;-)
Great tour my friend….I enjoyed it as much as you did…
Thanks Norma! :) x
Amazing! That whale skeleton is something else!! It seems like the head makes up a large part of the body. I had to check out Phar Lap. He sure was a great horse! It seems race horses are all thin. That way they don’t have to pack any extra fat/weight. Plus they are always training. You sure do get around! I would have enjoyed trailing along with you! Thanks for sharing!!
Manuela, we only had three days in Melbourne, but they were packed! Thanks for coming along for the ride! :)
I love your cultural adventures Celia. They make me think I need to do more outings like this in Brisbane! I always love it when I go but never think to actually go!
Claire, you’ve just come back from New York! You’ve done more outings than we can all dream of! :)
Wow you guys really fit a lot into a weekend! I’m exhausted just reading about it! :P
It was pretty full! :)
When you go see a town, you really make sure you see it. I would love to see all those costumes. What a shame you can’t take photos. I love that Gatsby dress. I would love to go through the museum; so many wonderful displays, including the wonderful Phar Lap xx
The costumes were gorgeous, but SO crowded! I think I’d like to lose a day in the museum next time we go – it’s more science based than the one in Sydney, and more interesting because of it, I think.
Wonderful, Celia! i really hope one day I can visit Melbourne…..
Sally, it’s an interesting place! Come to Sydney first though! :)
The Forrest Gallery sounds very interesting :)
Such an unusual exhibit in a traditional museum, Tandy!
WOW! You almost took me there too, Thank you dear Celia, love, nia
Thanks for coming along, Nia! :)
What a beautiful building and area, Celia. You do seem to find the best places to visit and they’re not just for adults or kids. Everyone in your family likes it and that is perhaps the most enjoyable part of all. That MOVA globe is so cool! Thanks for always thinking of us and letting us tag-along on you family outings. :)
Thanks John! We don’t get to travel very much, so it’s a huge adventure any time we go anywhere! Then again, life is a huge adventure, right? :)
I’m still trying to come to terms with the giant squid found in the belly of the whale……. :)
It’s astonishing, isn’t it? The boys found it and called me over to see it, they were very impressed.. :)
You certainly made the most of every moment Celia :) What a romantic gift, I’m sure she’ll love it! X
She did, Becca! The geekiness of it made her laugh though! :)
You really got to see a lot. I want that Great Gatsby dress! And the crystal really is beautiful (thoughtful boy). I remember the Phar Lap movie – I loved it but it made me cry as I recall.
Diane, we don’t get away often, so when we do, we try to make the most of it! :)