Queensland Museum was given the royal treatment on Friday 30 November with a visit from His Royal Highness the Duke of York who took time out of his busy schedule to visit the museum and take a personal behind the scenes tour of the State Collection which comprises 1.2 million objects.
His Royal Highness is in the country to promote Pitch@Palace Australia, which was founded by HRH in 2014 as a platform to guide and connect entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses with potential supporters including CEOs, influencers, investors, mentors and business partners.
Minister for Science and the Arts Leeanne Enoch thanked the Duke of York for his strong support of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). “It was wonderful His Royal Highness was able to visit Queensland Museum, which is one of Australia’s most visited museums and hosts a spectacular range of unique items and objects,” Minister Enoch said.
His Royal Highness toured the new Anzac Legacy Gallery which tells the story of the First World War and the impact it had on Queensland and its people. Queensland Museum Network Acting CEO Dr Jim Thompson said it was a privilege to host a member of the Royal Family, especially someone dedicated to advancing science. “The Duke of York is known as a champion of STEM and we were extremely pleased to give him a tour of the museum and showcase our scientific achievements and successes,” Dr Thompson said. “Science is critical to our future and Queensland Museum is a proud champion of scientific discovery through the work of our curators and through our programs, galleries and events such as the World Science Festival Brisbane.”
HRH also toured the brand new SparkLab Sciencentre and viewed the Cultures and Histories Collection including artefacts from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures that demonstrate how the Queensland Museum collections are used to help preserve traditional knowledge, such as carving and weaving techniques.
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