The Thousands

Unless you’re a total nerd (Oh hi! Nice to meet you!), when was the last time you went to something like the Museum of Economic Botany? I know what you’re thinking. Museum? Boring. Science? Too many definitive answers, not enough beauty, not enough room for ‘feelings’. Give me art any day.

Well there’s art here too. Our MEB – one of the last in the world – opened in 1881 at the height of British colonialism, and little seems to have changed. The grand, dimly lit space is transportive with its long lines of glass cabinets. But don’t think that this museum is tired and dusty – if you’ve ever had even a fleeting interest in food, spices, tea, coffee, oils, medicines, stimulants, timbers, dyes, tans, fibres or cereals, it’s hard not to be fascinated by the range of specimens. For example, who knew that you could craft lace from pineapple fibre? That holly is not just for Christmas, but can be used as inlays in musical instruments? That lavender is part of the mint family, and vanilla part of the orchid family? FASCINATING!

Plant samples, papier mache fruit models and examples of Indigenous crafts aside, the one thing you simply cannot miss is Fiona Hall‘s specially-commissioned Cabinet of Curiosities. All I can say is look inside the peep holes and just try not to be completely, utterly filled with wonder. Just you try.