The French Voyage to Australia, 1800-1804

By Upasana DullurImagine being out at sea, before motorised engines and satellite navigation and all the other comforts we are accustomed to in this…


Life on and after Neptune: The story of a disastrous Second Fleet ship

By Georgia MurphyAn exploration of the Silentworld Foundation’s collection conveys the complex stories of early and ongoing European colonisation of…


Canoe House Post Figure. Silentworld Foundation Collection. Image: Todd Barlin/Oceanic Art Australia

Artefacts from an Aofa

Artefacts from the Solomon Islands This important Sacred Canoe House Post Figure was originally from the interior of a sacred Canoe House (an aofa)…


Ask a Museum...or a Curator...or a Conservator...or an Archaeologist....

Your questions answered!Museums are curious places, they inspire wonder, encourage questions and always remind you please, do not touch the…


Heather Berry (left) shows conservators a timer sample at the Barangaroo Boat Conservation Forum. Image: © Cath Snelgrove/Sydney Metro

Barangaroo Boat Conservation Forum

Sharing our knowledgeOn Monday 15 August Sydney Metro and Silentworld Foundation welcomed archaeological conservators to their Yennora facility for…


Kieran Hosty with an insitu anchor during the 2018 Boot Reef expedition. © Julia Sumerling/Silentworld Foundation.

Capturing the world under the waves

Diving into photography: A chat with Julia SumerlingTo celebrate World Photography Day, I sat down (over zoom) with Julia Sumerling – the talented…


How to voyage to the Pitcairn Islands to visit HMS Bounty

The Silent World: A Story of Passion and DiscoveryAs Captain of M/Y Silentworld and other vessels, I have seen the wonders of Oceania first-hand, and…


Caring for your at-home treasures part 1. Image: margarita_kochneva/Pixabay.

What to do with your at home treasures

What objects are worth conserving?Sick of making sourdough? Has tidying and reorganising your home turned up a trove of treasures? This series of…


Portrait of William Cox. Silentworld Foundation Collection SF001178.

On the road with William Cox

Becoming an Aussie builderWilliam Cox was a military officer, road builder, best remembered for his work on the construction of the first road over…


Portrait of Elizabeth Ann Wilson Potter (Mrs Francis Barnes). Silentworld Foundation Collection SF001457 src=

A portrait in pastel

Portrait of Elizabeth Ann Wilson Potter, Mrs Francis BarnesThis portrait was painted by the famous artist Augustus Earle in Hobart in 1825. Earle is…