What is the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery?
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, or TMAG, is Tasmania's main state museum and gallery, located on Hobart's waterfront. It covers art, natural history and Tasmanian Aboriginal culture.
TMAG traces its origins to the Royal Society of Tasmania, founded in 1843, the first Royal Society outside the United Kingdom. The museum opened to the public in the mid-1800s.
Its collections include colonial art, Tasmanian Aboriginal cultural material, Antarctic history, natural science specimens and decorative arts.
Thylacine collection
TMAG holds one of the world's most important collections relating to the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, including specimens and rare film footage.
The museum incorporates the Commissariat Store, built in 1808, the oldest building in Hobart.
Entry to the permanent galleries is free, and the museum runs family programs, talks and changing exhibitions. A courtyard links its historic buildings with newer galleries, a cafe and a shop.
The museum also works with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community on displays and the return of ancestral remains and cultural objects, reflecting changing views about how museums should care for First Nations heritage.
Did You Know?
TMAG's Antarctic gallery reflects Hobart's role as a gateway to Antarctica.