Q+A with Front of House and Education Officer
AMANDA GEORGE
Meet Front of House and Education Officer Amanda, who has been working at the Otago Museum since early 2017. Working here allows her to combine her knowledge of archaeology with her passion for learning and sharing the Museum’s vast number of interesting stories.
What do you love about your job?
Being surrounded by so much natural and human history. Even after many years studying the archaeology and history of New Zealand and the Pacific, culminating in my PhD, I am still learning new and interesting things.
So... what’s the best part? Seeing the excitement of the youngest visitors when they encounter something new and interesting. Is the mummy real? Is the plesiosaur a dinosaur? Why is there a crocodile? The Museum is great for families and I love the idea of the Museum as a place to teach the next generation about our long and varied history, and our place in the world.
If you could make any collection item come to life, what would it be and why? The sad fate of our native huia has a lot to do with Victorian collecting habits. Hundreds of huia were killed and preserved for European museums and drawing rooms, and even for jewellery. We have both a male and female in the Nature gallery and I am sure they would be happy singing with the other beautiful birds at Orokonui Ecosanctuary if given life again.
What's your top tip for visiting Otago Museum? Take your time. Even if you have been here many times, there will always be something you haven’t noticed before if you take time to look carefully. There are some very interesting birds in Animal Attic…
Amanda George
Front of House and Education Officer |
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JAMES CAMERON – CHALLENGING THE DEEP
James Cameron – Challenging the Deep takes you to an underworld; an eerie, mysterious abyss where the only light comes from flashes of bioluminescent creatures. Join Cameron as he explores the most isolated places on earth.
“We travelled from Hamilton in the North Island to go and see a current exhibition called 'James Cameron - Challenging the Deep' ... Absolutely brilliant and worth the time and money ... Take a day, take the family and enjoy an excellent facility.” – Trip Advisor Review
Climb inside a pilot sphere and experience the isolation of Cameron’s record-making dive in his DEEPSEA CHALLENGER to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. See the deep-sea specimens he collected there under a microscope, watch rusticles grow, and be intrigued by the effect water pressure has on a polystyrene cup. James Cameron – Challenging the Deep
$9.50 Children | $14 Concession | $17.50 Adults | $45 Families | Combo tickets available
Open until 9 February 2020 |
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 MUSEUM OF BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE THIS FRIDAYHave you ever had your heart broken?
Do you own an object that won’t let you forget?
Give it to us, and join a global exhibition of loss and healing. Museum of Broken Relationships is open for submissions for its next community-sourced exhibition right here in Dunedin! Otago Museum is coordinating the collection of objects for this highly anticipated exhibition and would love your story.
Selected objects will be on display from 21 December 2019 to 15 March 2020. Museum of Broken Relationships
Submissions open until 1 November 2019
Exhibition open from 21 December 2019 – 15 March 2020
If you have any questions, please contact us at brokenrelationships@otagomuseum.nz |
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THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE: LIZARD-LIKE
About 100 lizard species, (and their relative, the tuatara), are unique to New Zealand. What threats do these species face now and in the imminent future? And could their low-energy lifestyles be a useful metaphor for humans seeking to reduce runaway consumption in a changing world?
Grab a beer and join Alison Cree (University of Otago, Department of Zoology) during her light-hearted discussion on the thermal biology and reproduction of New Zealand reptiles (kārara). 5.30pm, Tuesday 29 October
Ombrellos Kitchen & Bar
More information here |
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LEOPARD SEALS IN OUR WATERS
Previously, when leopard seals were seen in New Zealand waters, it was thought the animals were simply here on a rare visit. But following recurring sightings, the traditionally Antarctic dwelling animals have been reclassified as a resident species in Aotearoa. Dr Krista Hupman is a Marine Mammal Biologist/Ecologist at NIWA, and has been researching leopard seals in New Zealand waters for the past five years. Dr Hupman’s talk will document her personal research journey. She will also describe how a group of dedicated researchers, volunteers, and citizen scientists from around New Zealand collected scientific information which supported a change in the leopard seals’ threat status from vagrant to resident.
5.30pm, Tuesday 29 October
Barclay Theatre
More information here |
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THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMASJoin us on Halloween evening for one of the greatest Halloween films of all time! The Nightmare Before Christmas is loved by children and adults alike, and a wonderful taste of Christmas before the festive season begins.
6.30pm, Thursday 31 October
Perpetual Guardian Planetarium
Adult $15, Child $10
Book here |
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MALO NI
Join Dunedin's Tokelauan community as they share their culture with you through traditional song, dance, and language. Get an up-close look at rarely seen collection items from the beautiful atolls of Tokelau, take a gallery tour, and learn more about island life in the Pacific Ocean. 10am, Saturday 2 November
Hutton Theatre
More information here |
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MERCURY RISING SPEAKING TOUR: DUNEDIN
On 9 November 1769, Captain James Cook and astronomer Charles Green observed the transit of Mercury across the Sun from Te Whanganui o Hei (Mercury Bay). Cook’s landing in Aotearoa remains surrounded in controversy and sorrow for many iwi.
Join us for the Dunedin leg of our expert speaker talks, and hear from a variety of astronomers. Following the talks, learn how to use a solar telescope on the Museum Reserve with the Dunedin Astronomical Society and Otago Museum science communicators. 6.30pm–8pm (doors open 6pm), Tuesday 5 November
Hutton Theatre
More information here |
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SPACETRONAUTSHitch a ride with our planetarium pilots through the solar system. Take a close-up look at the Sun, fly through the rings of Saturn, and hold on to your helmets as we do some amazing science experiments to learn about the planets in our solar system.
WE ARE STARS 3DConnect life on Earth to the evolution of the Universe by following the formation of the earliest Hydrogen atoms into the molecules for life today. With expert input from leading cosmologists, astrophysicists, astrochemists, planetary scientists, and astrobiologists, We Are Stars present's humanity's current understanding of where everything, the Sun, stars, and even people, came from.
ZEALANDIA: LIFE ON THE HIDDEN CONTINENTIn 2017, a team of researchers announced the greatest geological discovery of our time: the existence of an eighth continent, almost completely submerged beneath the Pacific Ocean. They called their discovery Zealandia.
...and more!
Perpetual Guardian Planetarium
$7–$12 | Films run hourly from 12.30pm weekdays and 10.30am weekends
Book tickets here |
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