Latest news with #WesternAustralianMuseum
The Independent
30-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Researchers discover two new species after genetic testing
Australia is home to more than 60 species of carnivorous marsupials in the family Dasyuridae. Almost a quarter of those have only been scientifically recognised in the past 25 years. Other than the iconic Tasmanian devil, chances are most of these small, fascinating species have slipped under your radar. One of the rarest and most elusive is the kultarr (Antechinomys laniger), a feisty insect-eater found in very low numbers across much of the outback. To the untrained eye, the kultarr looks very much like a hopping mouse, with long legs, a long tail and a tendency to rest on its hind legs. However, it runs much like a greyhound – but its tiny size and high speed make it look like it's hopping. Kultarr or kultarrs? Until now, the kultarr was thought to be a single widespread species, ranging from central New South Wales to the Carnarvon Basin on Australia's west coast. However, a genetic study in 2023 suggested there could be more than one species. With backing from the Australian Biological Resources Study, our team of researchers from the University of Western Australia, Western Australian Museum, and Queensland University of Technology set out to investigate. We travelled to museums in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth to look at every kultarr that had been collected by scientists over the past century. By combining detailed genetic data with body and skull measurements, we discovered the kultarr isn't one widespread species, but three distinct species. Three species of kultarrs The eastern kultarr (A. laniger) is the smallest of the three, with an average body length of about 7.5cm. It's darker in colour than its relatives, and while its ears are still big, they are nowhere near as big as those of the other two species. The eastern kultarr is now found on hard clay soils around Cobar in central NSW and north to around Charleville in southern Queensland. The gibber kultarr (A. spenceri) is the largest and stockiest, with an average body length of around 9cm. They are noticeably chunkier than the other two, more dainty species, with big heads, thick legs and much longer hindfeet. As its name suggests, the gibber kultarr is restricted to the extensive stony deserts or 'gibber plains' in southwest Queensland and northeast South Australia. The long-eared kultarr (A. auritus) is the middle child in terms of body size, but its ears set it apart. They're nearly as long as its head. It's found in patchy populations in the central and western sandy deserts, living on isolated stony plains. Are they threatened? All three species of kultarr are hard to find, making it difficult to confidently estimate population sizes and evaluate extinction risk. The long-eared and gibber kultarrs don't appear to be in immediate danger, but land clearing and invasive predators such as cats and foxes have likely affected their numbers. The eastern kultarr, however, is more of a concern. By looking at museum specimens going back all the way to the 1890s, we found it was once much more widespread. Historic records suggest the eastern kultarr used to occur across the entirety of arid NSW and even spread north through central Queensland and into the Northern Territory. We now think this species may be extinct in the NT and parts of northwest Queensland. What's next? To protect kultarrs into the future, we need targeted surveys to confirm where each species still survives, especially the eastern kultarr, whose current range may be just a shadow of its former extent. With better knowledge, we can prioritise conservation actions where they're most needed, and ensure these remarkable, long-legged hunters don't disappear before we truly get to know them. Australia still has many small mammal species that haven't been formally described. Unless we identify and name them, they remain invisible in conservation policy. Taxonomic research like this is essential – we can't protect what we don't yet know exists. And without action, some species may disappear before they're ever officially recognised. Cameron Dodd is a PhD Student in Evolutionary Biology and Taxonomy at the University of Western Australia. Andrew M. Baker is an Associate Professor in Ecology and Environmental Science at the Queensland University of Technology. Kenny Travouillon is a Curator of Mammals at the Western Australian Museum. Linette Umbrello is a Research Associate at the Western Australian Museum. Renee Catullo is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Western Australia.
The Age
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
The ‘good omen' that heralded an afterlife army's arrival in Australia
The Shaanxi terracotta warriors guard the tomb of the Qin dynasty emperor who united China 2000 years ago, with 'one law, one coin, one script and one measure'. Described as 'the afterlife army' of Emperor Qin Shihuang, the 8000 clay warriors stand forever to attention in a celestial military camp unearthed accidentally in 1974 by a farmer tilling his fields. Ten of the clay army figures – eight warriors, a seated attendant and a saddled horse – now feature in Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor, a major exhibition of 225 objects loaned from Emperor Qin Shihuang Mausoleum Site Museum and from 17 other museums across China to the Western Australian Museum. 'We're told it's the largest exhibition of its kind outside China,' says museum director Alec Coles, whose team began discussions seven years ago with the Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage, the Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and other sites to collate Terracotta Warriors. While Victoria has previously hosted a terracotta warrior show, Coles says the current objects – spanning a 1000-year period – have never previously been assembled in one place. 'Nearly three quarters of the objects have never been seen in Australia and we're told almost half have never before left China.' All are genuine artefacts, from the terracotta warriors to bronze bells, jade dragon pendants and even pottery bath scrubbers. Only two life-size horse-drawn chariots are replicas because the real ones – painstakingly reassembled from fragments – are too fragile to tour. A few items will have their first ever public showing, like an emperor dowager's gold ornaments that Perth visitors will see ahead of even the Chinese public. Some borrowed items are unlikely to travel again, like a dainty life-like swan loaned to Perth because it mirrors Western Australia's state emblem, the black swan. 'We've had a lot of license to ask for material ... I think the enduring relationship between WA and China has played a part, particularly because of the resources industry.' WA Museum director Alec Coles 'We were desperate to get it because when the Chinese delegation came over, they were intrigued by our black swans,' says Coles. 'We took them to Perth Zoo to get an idea of Australian wildlife, and it was funny to see a black swan following us around the whole time. I think it was a good omen.' The swan is among priceless bronze-cast waterfowl – 20 swans, 20 geese and six cranes – that were unearthed in the early 2000s with their terracotta animal handlers, whose 'serene faces and delicate hands' identify them as bird keepers. Exhibition curator Tonia Eckfeld, a Chinese art history professor from Melbourne University, has witnessed the 'birth' of Shaanxi province's extraordinary archaeological finds. 'I've seen the objects coming out of the earth, including objects that are in this exhibition. I was doing my doctoral work in China in the 1990s when they were excavating pits of stone armour and lifting them out, 80 suits of them,' Eckfeld says. 'They had all been on wooden racks which decayed. You can imagine dealing with 600 stone pieces per suit of armour, once linked by silk thread or metal wire. So the archaeologists put stickers on each piece, with numbers, one, two, three, took them out and reassembled them.' She says the best clues to reassembling the armour – one of which is displayed in Perth – came directly from the warrior figures. 'They bore many different configurations of armour, and so the experts were able to put the 80 suits back together.' A single magnificent suit of armour was for a horse; 'we presume it was for the horse of the emperor himself.' The Terracotta Warriors are only one aspect of the exhibition narrative, often captured in immersive audio-visual screens – how X-rays of the bronze waterfowl revealed that China had learned from Western casting techniques. Clues to ancient global animal trade, a warmer climate and denuded bamboo forests lie in relics of live animals that were buried in grand tombs – like ill-fated Asian tapirs, African ground hornbills and once abundant, over-grazing giant pandas. 'These objects all live in the present day,' says Eckfeld. 'They're not just old things from the past. They're very culturally alive, but they also do have a place in the present. They're part of all of our lives.' The inner core of Emperor Qin Shihuang's tomb has never been excavated. Does Eckfeld look forward to learning its secrets? 'I'm sure that it will be excavated one day. But at the moment, I guess the fact is there's just so much else to do. Inside the core there's likely to be the most precious material – that could mean very delicate silk textiles, brocades and things like that. So you need to be ready to deal with it when it comes out. 'Preservation comes before everything, because a top priority in China is to look after the material heritage. I've watched their conservation and material science develop in the decades that I've been working there – it's cutting edge now.' Coles says Terracotta Warriors will have an unusually long run in Perth, until Chinese New Year in February 2026. 'We've sold more advanced tickets probably by a factor of five or six than any other exhibition we've ever done. We know people are buying tickets from the east coast and from overseas to come here,' he says. 'We've had a lot of license to ask for material, to select material, and the authorities have been very accommodating. I think the enduring relationship between WA and China has played a part, particularly because of the resources industry. We know that China is by far our biggest trading partner, three times the US for instance. 'Soft diplomatic relations are really important in order to work together, and the number of items and long loan time are a reflection of the bond of trust we built up with our Chinese partners.'
Sydney Morning Herald
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The ‘good omen' that heralded an afterlife army's arrival in Australia
The Shaanxi terracotta warriors guard the tomb of the Qin dynasty emperor who united China 2000 years ago, with 'one law, one coin, one script and one measure'. Described as 'the afterlife army' of Emperor Qin Shihuang, the 8000 clay warriors stand forever to attention in a celestial military camp unearthed accidentally in 1974 by a farmer tilling his fields. Ten of the clay army figures – eight warriors, a seated attendant and a saddled horse – now feature in Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor, a major exhibition of 225 objects loaned from Emperor Qin Shihuang Mausoleum Site Museum and from 17 other museums across China to the Western Australian Museum. 'We're told it's the largest exhibition of its kind outside China,' says museum director Alec Coles, whose team began discussions seven years ago with the Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage, the Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and other sites to collate Terracotta Warriors. While Victoria has previously hosted a terracotta warrior show, Coles says the current objects – spanning a 1000-year period – have never previously been assembled in one place. 'Nearly three quarters of the objects have never been seen in Australia and we're told almost half have never before left China.' All are genuine artefacts, from the terracotta warriors to bronze bells, jade dragon pendants and even pottery bath scrubbers. Only two life-size horse-drawn chariots are replicas because the real ones – painstakingly reassembled from fragments – are too fragile to tour. A few items will have their first ever public showing, like an emperor dowager's gold ornaments that Perth visitors will see ahead of even the Chinese public. Some borrowed items are unlikely to travel again, like a dainty life-like swan loaned to Perth because it mirrors Western Australia's state emblem, the black swan. 'We've had a lot of license to ask for material ... I think the enduring relationship between WA and China has played a part, particularly because of the resources industry.' WA Museum director Alec Coles 'We were desperate to get it because when the Chinese delegation came over, they were intrigued by our black swans,' says Coles. 'We took them to Perth Zoo to get an idea of Australian wildlife, and it was funny to see a black swan following us around the whole time. I think it was a good omen.' The swan is among priceless bronze-cast waterfowl – 20 swans, 20 geese and six cranes – that were unearthed in the early 2000s with their terracotta animal handlers, whose 'serene faces and delicate hands' identify them as bird keepers. Exhibition curator Tonia Eckfeld, a Chinese art history professor from Melbourne University, has witnessed the 'birth' of Shaanxi province's extraordinary archaeological finds. 'I've seen the objects coming out of the earth, including objects that are in this exhibition. I was doing my doctoral work in China in the 1990s when they were excavating pits of stone armour and lifting them out, 80 suits of them,' Eckfeld says. 'They had all been on wooden racks which decayed. You can imagine dealing with 600 stone pieces per suit of armour, once linked by silk thread or metal wire. So the archaeologists put stickers on each piece, with numbers, one, two, three, took them out and reassembled them.' She says the best clues to reassembling the armour – one of which is displayed in Perth – came directly from the warrior figures. 'They bore many different configurations of armour, and so the experts were able to put the 80 suits back together.' A single magnificent suit of armour was for a horse; 'we presume it was for the horse of the emperor himself.' The Terracotta Warriors are only one aspect of the exhibition narrative, often captured in immersive audio-visual screens – how X-rays of the bronze waterfowl revealed that China had learned from Western casting techniques. Clues to ancient global animal trade, a warmer climate and denuded bamboo forests lie in relics of live animals that were buried in grand tombs – like ill-fated Asian tapirs, African ground hornbills and once abundant, over-grazing giant pandas. 'These objects all live in the present day,' says Eckfeld. 'They're not just old things from the past. They're very culturally alive, but they also do have a place in the present. They're part of all of our lives.' The inner core of Emperor Qin Shihuang's tomb has never been excavated. Does Eckfeld look forward to learning its secrets? 'I'm sure that it will be excavated one day. But at the moment, I guess the fact is there's just so much else to do. Inside the core there's likely to be the most precious material – that could mean very delicate silk textiles, brocades and things like that. So you need to be ready to deal with it when it comes out. 'Preservation comes before everything, because a top priority in China is to look after the material heritage. I've watched their conservation and material science develop in the decades that I've been working there – it's cutting edge now.' Coles says Terracotta Warriors will have an unusually long run in Perth, until Chinese New Year in February 2026. 'We've sold more advanced tickets probably by a factor of five or six than any other exhibition we've ever done. We know people are buying tickets from the east coast and from overseas to come here,' he says. 'We've had a lot of license to ask for material, to select material, and the authorities have been very accommodating. I think the enduring relationship between WA and China has played a part, particularly because of the resources industry. We know that China is by far our biggest trading partner, three times the US for instance. 'Soft diplomatic relations are really important in order to work together, and the number of items and long loan time are a reflection of the bond of trust we built up with our Chinese partners.'
Perth Now
04-06-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Relic from infamous WA shipwreck to get new home
It withstood war, treacherous seas, and decades of unfortunate events — now, a relic from one of WA's most infamous shipwrecks has dropped anchor in Wanneroo. The last surviving lifeboat from the SS Alkimos, which the nearby suburb takes its name from, has been acquired by the City of Wanneroo. The SS Alkimos, a merchant ship and former wartime transport vessel built in the US during World War II, met its fate along the WA coastline in 1964 after running aground while being towed. Your local paper, whenever you want it. Since then, the vessel has captured the imagination of both historians and locals, becoming a lasting symbol in WA's maritime history. The SS Alkimos in January 1964. Credit: Stan Perkins / Western Australian Museum Originating as the Viggo Hansteen under Norwegian ownership, the ship has long been associated with tragic events, including a fatal accident during construction that claimed several workers. A murder-suicide also occurred on board in 1944, further fuelling the local legends that surround the vessel and its legacy. The ship ran aground off New Zealand in 1952, was sold and renamed SS Alkimos in 1953, and after striking a reef near WA in 1963 it was towed for repairs but ultimately driven ashore again when its tug line snapped. In the 60 years since the ship ran aground, much of the SS Alkimos has been salvaged, while the unrelenting conditions of the Indian Ocean have worn down what's left, leaving little visible above the water. All that remains of the SS Alkimos wreck above water. Credit: Wanneroo Museum As time and these elements erode what remains of the ship — now resting about 410m offshore — efforts to preserve what was saved from the wreck have become increasingly significant. With the goal of preserving an important piece of WA and the city's maritime history, the City of Wanneroo acquired the lifeboat last week from a private owner who had cherished it for decades. City of Wanneroo Regional Museum curator Alana Part said the city hoped to create a special exhibition on the SS Alkimos, with the lifeboat as the centrepiece, after an assessment by a conservator to explore potential restoration work. 'We're very excited to have it in the collection and to be able to share it with the community,' Ms Part said. '(The lifeboat) helps us enrich the museum collection. It allows us to tell stories about the Alkimos with something really concrete that we didn't have before. 'In the future, there'll be people that ask questions when we can no longer see the Alkimos, and it's completely underwater. These will be the last remaining things we have from such an important shipwreck.' City of Wanneroo Regional Museum curator Alana Part with the lifeboat. Credit: City of Wanneroo Despite its age, Ms Part said the lifeboat was in a 'surprisingly good' condition. 'One of the things the owner said to us when we were acquiring it was that it's still seaworthy,' Ms Part said. 'We weren't expecting much because, obviously, knowing the state of the Alkimos and the fact that it's been exposed to elements, and it's been well used throughout the years, but it's actually been well looked after. 'It's about seven metres long and 2.5 metres wide, so it's pretty huge.' The lifeboat is said to be in surprisingly good condition and still seaworthy, despite its age. Credit: Supplied Given its history plagued by misfortune, the ship is considered by many to be cursed. In the years immediately after the SS Alkimos running aground, around 12 salvage attempts were made. All failed, with several fires breaking out during scrapping. Some divers reported hearing phantom footsteps onboard, and there were reports the skull of a missing swimmer was found lodged at the wreck site — despite the swimmer disappearing around 43km south of the ship. After the SS Alkimos ran aground, it was scrapped over the coming years. Credit: Wanneroo Community History Centre Ms Part said these legends were an important part of the ship's legacy and hopes they will be shared with future generations. 'Anyone who has had something to do with the SS Alkimos always has a story to tell, which we love about it. We document all of those, and I'm sure in a future exhibition we'll be able to explore some of them,' she said. 'The next step for us is we're going to be contacting the Australian National Maritime Museum to apply to have it registered on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels.' Wanneroo mayor Linda Aitken said it was essential to protect this artifact for future generations and was excited to see how the lifeboat could help the community interpret the past and learn through history. 'It's wonderful to have secured the last surviving lifeboat from the SS Alkimos — an important piece of WA's maritime history and a link to the city's own coastal heritage,' Ms Aitken said. 'The preservation and future exhibition of the lifeboat will offer our community an opportunity to connect with the stories of our coastline, including the story of the SS Alkimos shipwreck.'
The Age
28-04-2025
- General
- The Age
Museum's biggest exhibition yet will be a windfall for WA
Some of the world's greatest ancient archeological finds are embarking on a 7600-kilometre journey to be displayed in the biggest exhibition ever held by the Western Australian Museum. Farmers in 1974 first discovered China's terracotta warriors in the Shaanxi province. The figures represent the armies of Qin Shihuang, the country's first emperor, who reigned for a decade between 220 and 210 BCE. More than 8000 of the statues, which also guard Shihuang's tomb, attract more than two million visitors annually. Eight of them will soon be placed on a plane to Perth to crown a world-exclusive exhibition on the Qin dynasty that will attract interstate and international visitors, says WA Museum Boola Bardip chief executive Alec Coles. Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor will feature 230 artefacts including the warriors, some of which were only recently unearthed and have never been seen before, even in their home country. But the road to organising the exhibition has been long, blocked from being logistically possible for years due to the pandemic, and requiring a careful trust-building process with the artefacts' custodians. Coles said the idea first struck him after meeting with people working at the Emperor Qin Shihuang Mausoleum Museum, at a conference in China in 2018. After making good progress, the pandemic placed negotiations on hold in 2020. Three years later, Coles and a team from WA flew back to China to sign a deal that got the idea up and running again. Delegates from China then visited WA to check out the museum space. Finally, a team is giving the artefacts a final check over and packing them up to finally fly west. 'It has been an immense undertaking but obviously worthwhile,' Coles said. 'We had to build up trust before dealing with unique material like the warriors. About 40 per cent of the exhibited items have never been outside of China.' Coles said one of his favourite pieces to be included, outside the terracotta warriors, was a bronze swan, one of 57 bronze waterbirds discovered among the warriors. 'When delegates from China came to Perth they were really impressed by our black swans,' Coles said. 'We took them to the zoo for a day out, and we had one of WA's emblems following us around the whole time. 'It felt like a sign.' Coles said the exhibition would be the museum's most significant ever and would take a month for setup alone, not including building custom display cases, and designing graphics and a digital show to accompany the pieces. Coles said the digital aspect was part of what made the exhibition unique, including massive projections and augmented reality. Its design is already well under way, with Coles joking that the true test of its readiness being if he could use it without breaking it. Loading 'My favourite part is the section titled 'the enduring mystery of Shihuang's tomb,'' he said. 'His tomb has never been opened. There is concern about damaging it, but more significantly it is believed to be booby-trapped. 'This digital display explores what the inside of his tomb might look like and they ways it has been protected.' Coles said Perth was the right place in Australia to host the artefacts, highlighting China's ties with the state. 'It's very exciting, and I feel privileged and humbled by the trust shown,' he said.
