Museum people

Discover the amazing people who’ve worked at the Australian Museum from 1827 until present day.

Australian Museum Directors

Curators and Directors of the Australian Museum

Discover the 17 Curators and Directors that have overseen the Australian Museum evolution from a one-person operation to an internationally recognised scientific institution.

Timeline of Directors

Kim McKay AO

As Director and CEO of the Australian Museum (AM), Kim is responsible for strategic planning and management of the nation’s first museum, including a collection of over 21.9 million natural science and cultural objects and specimens.

Frank Howarth, Director, 2004 - 2014.

Frank Howarth, Director, 2004 - 2014.

In his 10 years as Director, Frank oversaw many initiatives and positive changes to the operations of Australia’s oldest museum, including the opening of the custom designed Collections & Research (AMRI) building in 2008.

Dr Desmond John Gerald Griffin, Director, 1976-1998

Dr Desmond John Gerald Griffin, Director 1976-1998

Director of the Australian Museum for 22 years, Des Griffin believed firmly in the educational role of museums.

Dr Frank Hamilton Talbot, Director, 1966-1975

Dr Frank Hamilton Talbot, Director 1966-1975

Dr. Frank Talbot increased the quality of the Museum's research and participated in a NASA program.

Dr John William Evans, Director, 1954-1966

Dr John William Evans, Director 1954-1966

Dr John Evans helped transform the Australian Museum into an innovative and contemporary scientific institution.

Dr Arthur Bache Walkom, Director, 1941-1954

Dr Arthur Bache Walkom, Director, 1941-1954

Dr Arthur Bache Walkom, Director, 1941-1954

Charles Anderson, Director, 1921-1940

Charles Anderson, Director, 1921-1940

Charles Anderson, Director, 1921-1940

Robert Etheridge Jnr

Robert Etheridge Jr, Curator, 1895-1919

Robert Etheridge Jr, Curator, 1895-1919

Edward Pierson Ramsay, Curator, 1874-1894

Edward Pierson Ramsay, Curator, 1874-1894

Edward Pierson Ramsay, Curator, 1874-1894

Gerard Krefft, Curator and Secretary, 1861-1874

Johann Ludwig Gerard (Louis) Krefft, 1830–1881 was one of the few Australian scientists to accept and propagate Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Simon Rood Pittard, Curator and Secretary, 1860-1861

Simon Rood Pittard, Curator and Secretary, 1860-1861

Simon Rood Pittard, Curator and Secretary, 1860-1861

William Galvin, Custodian, 1831-1835

William Galvin, Custodian, 1831-1835

William Galvin, Custodian, 1831-1835

1830 Bent St Post Office

William Holmes, Zoologist, 1829-1831

William Holmes, Zoologist, 1829-1831

Museum staff tell their stories

In 2021, the Australian Museum Archives department recorded a series of audio interviews with former staff reflecting on their time at the Museum. Nearly 50 hours of oral history and anecdote was captured, contributing to the collective memory of the institution as it reflects on a 200 year legacy in 2027.

Three key staff, still very much involved with the Museum, extended their audio interviews to video recordings in the Australian Museum media studio. Watch below as Phil Gordon, Dr Pat Hutchings, and Mark McGrouther reflect on the highlights of their time working at the Australian Museum.

Mark McGrouther

Reflections from Mark McGrouther

Working at the Australian Museum as the Collection Manager of the Fish section over the span of nearly forty years, Mark McGrouther discusses his career highlights, the importance of museum collections and impact of climate change on ecology.

Oral history
Video

Pat Hutchings 2

Reflections from Dr Pat Hutchings

Dr Pat Hutchings was the Australian Museum's first Senior Principal Research Scientist and has dedicated her life to the study of polychaeta sea worms. In this video series, she discusses her early career, establishing a world class collection and the importance of the Australian Museum.

Oral history
Video

Reflections from Phil Gordon

Former Manager of the Aboriginal Heritage Unit and Collections Manager, Phil Gordon, discusses the early days of his employment at the Museum, the creation of the Aboriginal Heritage Unit and Australian and international repatriation.

Oral history
Video

Staff from the past

Executive staff 1892

Museum staff 1829–1977

From 'Rare and Curious Specimens', Appendices.

Australian Museum Staff who Served in Wartime

Museum staff known to have been on active service. We welcome any additions or corrections as this list may not be complete.

women at the museum

Women at the Museum in the 1950s

The Australian Museum first employed a female scientist in 1920 and has continued to employ women in a wide variety of roles ever since. Here you can catch a glimpse of the women working at the Museum in the 1950s.

Sir David Attenborough with Susan Bridie, the executive officer of TAMS

History of the Australian Museum Society (TAMS)

The Australian Museum society (TAMs) has promoted the role and activities of the Museum for 40 years.

Courtenay Smithers

Courtenay Smithers, 1925-2011

Entomologist Courtenay Smithers, who died in 2011, leaves a legacy of international recognition for Australian entomology.

Dr Robert (Bob) McDowall

Robert (Bob) McDowall 1939 – 2011

Well-known New Zealand fisheries scientist, Bob McDowall died after a short illness. Bob was regarded as the father of freshwater fish and fisheries in New Zealand, but also had a huge influence on unravelling the taxonomy and distribution of Australia's temperate freshwater fish.

Rex Bretnall

Another casualty of the Great War.

R.77736 - Nannoscincus rankini

Peter Rankin - a biographical sketch

Peter Rankin, a young Australian herpetologist of great promise, was killed in New Caledonia on 2 January 1979 while collecting reptiles.

Gilbert Percy Whitley

Gilbert Percy Whitley

A life time's work: 500 papers, 5 books, 37,000 fish specimens collected and 320 new species identified.

Charles Hedley, Conchologist

Charles Hedley was a learned man who was very popular, but not always with the right people

Joyce Allan, Conchologist

Joyce Allan was one of Australia's early female scientists whose monumental book Australian Shells filled a long felt need.

Raymond Arthur Dart (1893–1988) with Joseph Lexden Shellshear (1885-1958).

Professor J. L. Shellshear (1885-1958)

Anthropologist, physician and soldier.

Oliver Chalmers

Oliver Chalmers – Curator of Minerals

The promising lad who became a highly regarded geologist.

Research information

Handwritten rare notebook

Museum Archives

The Museum Archives cares for the Museum’s institutional memory.

Collected papers
Photographic archives
History

Explore the Archives

Ichtyologie, ou, Histoire naturelle, gnrale et particulire de

Research Library

Discover our historic natural history book and journal collections.

Rare books
Scientific publications
Journals

The Australian Museum

Our Organisation

More than a leading Sydney attraction, the Australian Museum is a hub of information, resources and research. Learn more about Australia’s first museum.

Mission statement
Leadership team
Polices and reports

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