Museum of the Great Southern — Attraction in Albany

An unmissable part of a visit to Albany.

This is a beautifully curated and arranged museum, and I'm so glad I extended my stay past the weekend music festival and spent a couple of hours there today.

The main exhibition space is stunning. They've somehow distilled multiple strands of local history: First Nations, colonial, natural history, war time, and more recent themes into a spacious, flowing set of displays with multi-media.

There are other exhibition spaces, but the cherry on top for me is the replica Brig Amity vessel (on board for max $5 - all other areas are free access). The sailing vessel experience is astounding. Maybe I'm hypersensitive because I've just finished two books about maritime events in the region in the 1600s and 1800s, but to climb on board and go down below decks with an amazingly evocative sound commentary (via audio guide - included in price) was just brilliant.

A wonderful place. I'll be back to...

Do not underestimate this place like I did by thinking that you'd only spend a half hour here. This museum is impressive with its well presented exhibits, insightful displays well spaced out in different locations so you don't ever feel like you are having to fight with crowds, and a nice group of volunteers ans staff who help you find your way around it. Take your time to browse over the individual rooms as they display different things and places. My kids loved the classroom exhibit and finding out how everything was so tiny. They also learned how hard life had been before their time. Go slow and take your time here, there is plenty...

At the site of that first settlement by Princess Royal Harbour is a museum that looks at the region’s indigenous history, natural history and European settlement.

Here you’ll learn the stories of the Menang and Noongar people, finding out about traditional life and seeing where they fished and cooked.

This also happens to be the place that was first pronounced Western Australia in 1826. There are absorbing insights about seafaring over the last 200 years, as well as the incredible biodiversity of the southern seas.

The museum’s grounds are flush with nature too, harbouring a host of bird species, King’s skinks and various...