OUTER SPACE: STROMLO TO THE STARS

National Exhibition Register

  • Canberra Museum + Gallery
    Outer Space: Stromlo to the Stars Canberra Museum + Gallery
    Image Credit
    Image: Brenton McGeachie

About the exhibition

OUTER SPACE: STROMLO TO THE STARS brings to life the groundbreaking discoveries and hidden history of Australia’s Mount Stromlo Observatory. Multi-media presentations, unique objects, and oral histories take visitors on a journey from the observatory’s modest beginnings to international prominence.

Discover the role Mount Stromlo Observatory played during World War II; challenge yourself on ‘Guide Star’ – a laser junk game developed especially for the exhibition; listen to the oral histories of residents of the Mountain and be inspired by the Observatory’s latest collaborative astrophysical projects including what will be the world’s largest telescope. What wonders will you discover in Outer Space: Stromlo to the Stars?

VISITOR COMMENTS:

"Stromlo to the Stars was out of this world! Very interesting and educational."

"Loved Outer Space, a thoughtful and informative story of Canberra’s place among the stars and the people that make it happen."

"Outer Space: Stromlo to the Stars is beautifully and clearly explained, both history and science."

Artists and Curator

Curator
Dr Hannah Paddon
Artists

KEY THEMES AND OBJECTS: 

  • ESTABLISHEMENT 1900s -1938
  • Facsimiles of W.G Duffield’s memoirs and personal items
  • Memorandum upon the Proposed Solar Observatory in Australia, 1909
  • Letter from Alfred Deakin, Prime Minister, 1909
  • Blueprints and historical photos WAR TIME 1939-1945
  • Optical Munitions Factory Prisms, c. 1940s
  • Gunsight Mark III and wooden case, 1944
  • FROM THE SUN TO THE STARS 1946-1960s
  • Nancy Miller, Mt Stromlo, 1968,
  • Embroidery, using appliqué and blackwork techniques.
  • An Atlas of H-Alpha Emissions in the Southern Milky Way, 1960
  • BIG SCIENCE 1970s-2003
  • Model of 2.3m telescope, Siding Spring, c.1980s
  • Spectrograph, c.1980s
  • EVER-EXPANDING 2003-present
  • Gemini South telescope, 2022
  • FARNHAM TELESCOPE Only telescope to survive the 2003 bushfire – please discuss on application FIRST NATIONS PERSPECTIVES AV with a First Nations Astrophysicist

Available Dates and
Exhibition Details

Available dates
01/02/2026 - 01/02/2028
Exhibition size
Between 75-100 sq or running metres
Originating state
ACT
Organised by
Canberra Museum and Gallery
Price
$5,000 (exc. freight)
Web Site
https://www.cmag.com.au/
Accompanying materials available
Artist Talk, Education Kit, Exhibition Tour Manual, Installation Support Available, Interpretative/Didactic Panels, Labels, Media Release, Public Program Opportunities, Signage, Signage Templates
Other materials
• Clean up space junk on the video game ‘Guide Star’ • Interactive labels to test your knowledge • Lightbox slide viewer • Oral History Memory Station: Clabon Allen; Dawn Richardson and Peter Buscombe; Claire Wehner; Hermann Wehner Bok; Norman Banham; Toss Gascoigne; Robert Hogg and Professor Ken Freeman. • Astronomical fun! learning program for years 5-6 • Dedicated Website
Primary contact
Rebecca Richards
Position
Assistant Director, Exhibitons & Collections
Organisation
Canberra Museum and Gallery
Phone
02 6207 2182
E-mail
Rebeccae.richards@act.gov.au
Secondary contact
cmag@act.gov.au
Phone
02 6207 3968
Acknowledgement
A CMAG touring exhibition in partnership with the Australian National University and the Academy of Science.