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Melbourne Museum

The Forest Gallery

Entering the museum past the reception desks visitors find themselves in a soaring space, with a huge whale skeleton on one side, escalators at either end and in front the sliding glass doors. Depending on the time of day there may be a mist obscuring the waterfall that is the first feature one sees.

Rain forest Atrium, Melbourne Museum, Carlton Gardens, Victoria, Australia

FOREST FACTS: The Forest Gallery is 27 metres wide, 55 metres long and covers 1485 square metres. It rises from 15 metres at the souther end to over 35 metres at the northern end where the tall trees and sculpture poles challenge the louvred roof overhead.

There are five distinct sections each showing the affect of water, earth processes, climate, fire and humans.

The Gallery contains 113 different species of higher plants plus lichens and mosses. The first mature trees were transplanted into the Gallery in August 1999. They were salvaged from logging coupes and road reserves.

The Forest Gallery offers a trail under and through the area, enabling visitors to glimpse the underwater world of the many living species. As you move up from the entrance the species change, reflecting the evolution of plant life and the impact of continental drift from the original super continent Gondwana(hence the angled rock faces), and of European colonisation.

Rainforest Atrium, Melbourne Museum, Victoria, Australia

More Facts:

There are about 20 different vertebrate species living in the Forest Gallery including fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Invertebrate species in the Gallery include stick insects, Gippsland Crayfish, Satin Bowerbird, Superb Fairy Wren, Banjo frogs, Growling Grass Frogs, Spotted Mountain Trout, butterflies, and a Highland Copperhead Snake in high-tech metal mesh enclosure.

Rainforest Atrium, Melbourne Museum,Victoria, Australia

The total budget for the Gallery was $3 million , including design, construction and fit-out. Design by Taylor & Cullity P/L Landscape Architects, Paul Thompson Plant Design, Convergence P/L Exhibition Designers and Royal Melbourne Zoo.

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