William Blandowski self-portrait, 1860
Source: National Gallery of Victoria
Melbourne Museum's newest temporary exhibition opened on Tuesday 18 December.
Blandowski's Expedition to the Murray, 1857 recently completed a run at the Mildura Arts Centre from September-November this year, where it proved a great success with local and regional audiences.
A collaboration between Museum Victoria and the Mildura Arts Centre, it was co-curated by John Kean and Tim Stranks, and coincided with an international symposium about William Blandowski, his life and work, which was held at La Trobe University's Mildura campus in late September.
The exhibition marks the 150th anniversary of Blandowski's expedition to the Murray River. Blandowski was employed as our museum's first curator, and the 12-month long expedition to the Murray was the institution's first major piece of fieldwork.
The show focuses on the relationship Blandowski and his second-in-charge, Gerard Krefft, built up with local Aboriginal communities near the junction of the Murray and Darling, and the scientists' efforts to record the natural history of the area with expert assistance from the local Aboriginal people.
The exhibition includes a unique collection of watercolours, engravings, archival documents and natural science specimens, mostly from Museum Victoria and Mitchell Library (State Library of NSW) collections.
Showing as part of the exhibition is a 13-minute audiovisual presentation of 'Blandowski's Specimens' produced by social documentary maker Malcolm McKinnon, and commissioned by the Mildura Arts Centre with support from Museum Victoria.
The exhibition also includes a reproduction of what may be the first image of Australian footy, dating from 1857 and produced by artist Gustav Mutzel and photographer Blandowski. This image attracted widespread media attention in Australia and overseas at the time the show opened in Mildura in September.
Blandowski's Expedition to the Murray, 1857 runs in Little Jumbunna until 10 March 2008, and should provide an extra attraction at Melbourne Museum over the upcoming school holidays.