National Museum of Australia

Established as a statutory authority by the National Museum of Australia Act 1980, following the 1975 Committee of Inquiry on Museums and National Collections (Pigott report); it later took over Commonwealth collections, notably those of the Australian Institute of Anatomy when that institute closed in 1984.

Legislation: National Museum of Australia Act 1980

1. 24 July 1987Moved with the arts functions to the Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories.
2. 27 December 1991The Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories became the Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories when tourism moved to a separate department.
3. 24 March 1993Moved with the arts functions to the Department of the Arts and Administrative Services.
4. 30 January 1994Moved with the arts functions to the Department of Communications and the Arts.
5. 21 October 1998Arts portfolio became the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.
6. 11 March 2001Opened its permanent building on Acton Peninsula, Canberra, as part of the Centenary of Federation.
7. 3 December 2007Moved with the arts functions to the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
8. 14 September 2010Moved with the Office for the Arts to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
9. 14 December 2011Moved with the Office for the Arts to the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport.
10. 18 September 2013Moved with the arts functions (Ministry for the Arts) to the Attorney-General's Department when the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport was abolished.
11. 21 September 2015Moved with the arts functions to the Department of Communications and the Arts.
12. 1 February 2020Moved with the arts functions to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.

• development and care of the National Historical Collection
• permanent and travelling exhibitions
• research and publication in Australian history
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collections and repatriation programs
• public and education programs

In the portfolio of Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.

Type of body

Corporate Commonwealth entity

Portfolio

Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Accountable authority

Council of the National Museum of Australia – National Museum of Australia Act 1980 sections 4 and 10, with reference to sections 17 and 27 notes (membership section 13)

ABN

70 592 297 967

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