What a change has been wrought in the Discovery Centre this week! A change to the structure of the Discovery Centre service has really been reflected in the physical space.
The new look Discovery Centre.
Image: Siobhan Motherway
Source: Museum Victoria
We will no longer be offering a free internet and printing service, so the number of computers in the public space has been reduced down to one table – leaving two new tables full of interesting specimens to touch and explore. It has been lovely this morning to see family groups coming through and engaging with these collection objects that are at kid height!
A display of shells at one of the new Discovery Centre desks.
Image: Siobhan Motherway
Source: Museum Victoria
An area with comfortable couches and seats allows for reading or informal chats with museum staff, and desk space with power points gives those with their own devices a place to plug in, charge up, and connect to the free museum wifi (just look for "museumpublic").
We have a beautiful new "...ology" display being installed up the back of the centre – when that is finished, we'll have a row of cases each devoted to a different discipline from the natural and earth sciences.
A King Crab on display in the Discovery Centre's new "...ology" display.
Image: Siobhan Motherway
Source: Museum Victoria
Not everything is new, of course; we still have cases with skulls, spiders, worked stone tools – these collections have proven very useful over the years, allowing enquirers to do some of their own identification and investigation. And we - the intrepid Discovery Centre staff – are still here, ready to take your questions big or small! The Discovery Centre's new operating hours are 10am-4.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday. However, we're still available to take your questions online 24/7, at our Ask the Experts page.