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Forest Secrets

Now Showing

Step into the Forest Gallery
Source: Museum Victoria

Discover the hidden stories of Victoria's mountain forests.

Step through the glass doors into a living verdant fern gully complete with waterfall and cool temperate rainforest plants.

Follow the pathway that leads under the creek and discover how water shapes the landscape and creates the conditions for forest life - take a close up view of small fish, frogs and skinks.

Emerge from the dark rainforest into the sunlight and smell the eucalypt trees while learning how plant species have evolved. In the creek you may see native fish and spiny crayfish that inhabit the water, and the elusive water dragon may be basking nearby.

Forest Secrets is alive with seasonal change - birds nest, flowers bloom and berries ripen. The local Kulin Aboriginal people have seven seasons marked by the life cycles of plants and animals. Have a privileged view of some forest animals inside a log, in the foliage or basking on the ground. Somewhere up in the trees is the Tawny Frogmouth, while tiny wrens and finches flit across the path and among the bushes. Listen carefully for the call of the male Satin Bowerbird trying to tempt the female into his blue decorated bower.

In a clearing huge timber poles come into view representing the impact of fire. Fire is a destructive force yet it is essential to regenerate the forest. A lone chimney reconstructed here following Black Saturday stands as a symbol of the devastation bushfire can cause, and a video display set within one of the blackened poles illustrates both the destructive and regenerative effects of bushfire. Seating platforms double as displays exploring human attitudes and impacts on the forest. Understanding how people think of and use the bush is central to managing it wisely.

Enjoy this refreshingly different exhibition and gain a new appreciation of our mountain forests.

Please note that during winter the Forest Gallery closes at 4.30pm.

EVENT DETAILS

Event Type: Permanent Exhibition

Daily, Now Showing
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Forest Gallery

Included with museum entry.
MV Members receive FREE museum entry.

Comments (15)

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That forest does sound great and iteresting.

Hi, how do I preserve plants and bugs in a book or on a board, as I would like to make a field guide of surrounding plants?

Hi Kate - It is difficult to cover all options available given what you would like to do. The simplest methods for plants is pressing in between sheets of paper like herbarium specimens until they are dry; and for the bugs pinning and air drying is simplest option for most of them. You might be better served by doing a web search for more detailed advice on both of these.

Could you tell me how many species of birds there are in this exhibit? Your 'related resources' lists species found in real forests but not in your wonderful exhibit.

Hi Debbie,

There are four species of birds in the Forest Gallery: Tawny Frogmouths (Podargus strigoides), Blue Wrens (Malurus cyaneus), Satin Bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) and Red Browed Finches (Neochmia temporalis) - and thanks for appreciating the Forest Gallery and its inhabitants.

hi i was at the exhibit with my class and i saw this black lizard with yellow spots. what type of lizard is that?

Hi Nathan, the lizard you saw is probably a Cunninghams Skink (Egernia cunninghami). These skinks live free range in the Forest Gallery at Melbourne Museum and are often seen sunning themselves during the warmer months of the year.

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We love receiving comments, but can’t always respond.

The birds that live in the Forest Gallery, are they free to fly away and return, or is there a net which encloses them?

Hi Lina,
Thanks for your question. The entire Forest Gallery is housed in an open-air, mesh-enclosed area. We also have Customer Service Officers who regularly monitor the space, and a Live Exhibits team who ensure that optimum living conditions are maintained for the animals living in the display area.

My name is Ava i am 7.i enjoyed your museum.

Hi Thea, entry to Melbourne Museum is free for children, students, seniors, concession card holders and teachers who are subscribed to our free MVteachers program. If you don't fall into one of these categories, tickets are $10. This includes Melbourne Museum tours and entry into all permanent exhibitions (which include all the ones you wish to see). We hope you enjoy your visit.

Can you please tell me hat colour are adult female bowerbirds?

Hi Yousif, the bowerbirds in the Forest Gallery are Satin Bowerbirds. The female has a green/brown upper body, lighter under body with a distinct scalloped pattern, brown wings and tail, and very striking lilac eyes. A real beauty!

May I know how big the forest is? And are all the animals inside from Victoria? If not, are they from all over the world?

Hello Matthew, we forwarded this to the Live Exhibits team here at the Museum, and thay have prepared the following response to your query:

The Forest Gallery covers 1,485 square metres and is 27m wide and 55m long. The roof is 15m high at the lowest point and 35m high at the highest.

The plants and animals are all Victorian and are from a reference area around Toolangi north of Melbourne. Both the plants and animals replicate very accurately the habitat and ecology from that region.

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