South Australian Museum Podcast

We're shining a light on the amazing contributions that women are making to science right now in this special interview with Dr Elizabeth Reed. Dr Reed is a lecturer and researcher in Palaeontology at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Adelaide and a research scientist in Palaeontology at the South Australian Museum. She specialises in Quaternary cave deposits, notably in the south east region of South Australia. Dr Reed is also a featured scientist in the South Australian Museum's ‘Her Story’ series, which celebrates amazing South Australian women who are blazing their own trails and inspiring, encouraging and motivating the next generation of young women to follow their dreams and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). Her Story: Women in STEM series is made possible with support from the Hon. Dr Diana Laidlaw AM.

In this week's episode, we'll hear from Dr Philip Jones, Senior Researcher at the South Australian Museum and curator of the exhibition, Illustrating the Antipodes: George French Angas in Australia and New Zealand, 1844-1845. In 2009, Dr Jones undertook a fellowship at the National Library of Australia, where he researched works by 19th Century artist, George French Angas. The exhibition and accompanying book are the culmination of his decades-long research into the life and work of the celebrated artist. As a young man in the 1840s, George French Angas journeyed to Australia and New Zealand, where he excelled at capturing the minute detail of plants and people, objects and landscapes. The bush was his studio and Angas personified the archetypal travelling artist of the era. Illustrating the Antipodes is supported by the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians. We thank the Angas family for their generosity in making works available for research and display.

Aboriginal Education Coordinator Eva Wilson talks to artists Clem Newchurch and Peter Turner about their new exhibition, KAURNA: Still Here. First Nations artists Peter Turner and Clem Newchurch have worked with the South Australian Museum’s collections to inspire their exhibition KAURNA: Still Here. Drawing on their Ancestors’ practices prior to European colonisation, Peter and Clem have created carvings, painted and woven works in this celebration of continuing culture. Clem can be found on Instagram @clemnewchurchart. The Collections Project is presented as a partnership between Guildhouse and the South Australian Museum as part of the project, STEAM Incubator Series: A creative exploration of sustainability at the fusion of the Arts, Culture and Science, supported by Arts South Australia.

Artists from Warlayirti Art Centre in Balgo, Western Australia, discuss their painting and culture in the new exhibition at the South Australian Museum, Balgo Beginnings. Audio production for this episode was by Jake Holmes, theme song by Peter Saunders and Kaurna Welcome by Uncle Michael O’Brien. Thanks to all the Balgo artists for their time. Balgo Beginnings is on display at the South Australian Museum until the 6th of February 2022. The exhibition is accompanied by the launch of a ground-breaking new publication in Aboriginal art, 'Balgo: Creating Country' by Professor John Carty. The book is available for purchase online through UWA Publishing and at the South Australian Museum shop. This exhibition is presented in partnership with Warlayirti Arts. Supporting partners are the Art Gallery of South Australia, Tarnanthi, BHP and the government of South Australia. The acquisition of these important Balgo works was made possible by the generous philanthropy of Dianne and Terry Finnegan.

Happy Feast Festival! Join us for an audio version of It's In Our Nature: A Queer Trail of the Museum. Prominent South Australians share their stories and perspectives on Museum objects, all of which you can visit in our permanent galleries. There is a wide variety of objects to find, from the Rosetta Stone to elephant social circles and fabulous crabs. This episode was produced by Meg Lloyd. Kaurna welcome was by Uncle Michael O’Brien, additional interview help by trainees Emily and Sameka, with music by Peter Saunders and additional sound effects by Zapsplat.com.