This free exhibition offers a closer look at how Ancient Egyptian objects came into the Museum’s care, and how researchers are using scientific techniques to uncover new details about their origins—including just how old some of them really are. It also explores how the afterlife shaped the way people lived, died, and honoured the dead.
Visitors can examine selected objects more closely using a digital kiosk and explore how concepts of authenticity, belief and museum practice come together to shape our understanding of the past.
The exhibition will run throughout the April school holidays, alongside a creative program of family-friendly activities. Children can build pyramids, decode hieroglyphs, design jewellery or even make their own mummified cat.
Families looking for something hands-on can also book in for the Cane Toad Mummification workshop during the April school holidays. Guided by staff, participants will follow traditional mummification steps using cane toads and take their specimen home at the end.
Those interested in learning more can hear directly from the experts through free public talks in April and May. These events explore themes from the exhibition, including burial practices, authenticity in collections, and the significance of Abydos—one of Egypt’s most sacred burial sites.
Museum of Geraldton Regional Manager Leigh O’Brien said the exhibition invites visitors to think differently about the past, and how museums study it.
“Ancient Egypt continues to spark the imagination, but it’s the way we study these objects today that really opens up new stories. In this exhibition, we are bringing together the fascinating intersection of history, authenticity and technology, and we are excited to share it with Geraldton audiences of all ages.”
Ancient Egypt: Secrets of the Museum Collection is open from 4 April to 9 June 2025 and will run alongside school holiday activities exploring themes of life, death and the ancient world.
For more information, visit https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/geraldton/ancient-egypt-secrets-museum-collection
