Scienceworks (Melbourne)
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| Established | 28 March 1992 |
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| Location | 2 Booker St, Spotswood, Melbourne, Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°49′54″S 144°53′38″E / 37.831582°S 144.89394°E |
| Type | Science Centre |
| Accreditation | Asia Pacific Network of Science & Technology Centres (ASPAC) |
| President | Leon Kempler |
| CEO | Lynley Crosswell |
| Owner | Museums Victoria |
| Website | Scienceworks |
Scienceworks is a science museum in Spotswood, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. It is one of three museums operated by Museums Victoria.[1] Displays and activities offered by the museum include hands-on experiments, demonstrations, and tours.
Scienceworks is housed in a purpose-built building "styled along industrial lines" near the historic Spotswood Pumping Station,[2] constructed in 1897, whose steam engines form an associated exhibit.[3] The pumping station forms part of the museum complex.[4]
History
[edit]Scienceworks opened on 27 March 1992, and was opened by then-Premier Joan Kirner.[5][6] Its first permanent exhibitions were Inventions, Energy, Travel and Materials.[5][3] The Melbourne Planetarium at Scienceworks opened in 1999.[5] The planetarium was the first in the Southern Hemisphere to have a digital star projector, as well as digital projection capabilities.[7]
From 1997–2013, the 1883 clock tower from Flinders Street station was also located at the museum.[8] The clock had been moved to Princes Bridge station in 1905 and Spencer Street station in 1911, where it remained until sold into private ownership after the station redevelopment of 1967.[9] The clock restored with an electric movement is now located at the Southern Cross station.[8]
In 2018, the CSIRAC (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Automatic Computer) was transferred from the Melbourne Museum to the Think Ahead exhibit.[10]
Museum
[edit]Facilities
[edit]The "lightning room" is a 120-seat auditorium that presents demonstrations about electricity, featuring a giant Tesla Coil, capable of generating two million volts of electricity, producing three metre lightning bolts.[11] The Melbourne Planetarium is housed on site.[12] On Friday nights, movies are shown in the planetarium.[13][14]
Exhibits
[edit]There are two types of exhibits at Scienceworks. Temporary exhibits run for a specific period of time, such as the Rescue exhibition, which ran from 26 March to 5 October, 2014.[15][16]
Permanent exhibits at Scienceworks include Think Ahead (opened 5 December 2013),[17] which is about advances in science and the speculative future,[18] and Sportsworks (opened <2000),[5] which is about the science of sports and the movement of the body.[19] Beyond Perception: Seeing the Unseen (opened 2018)[20] is about invisible forces.[21] Ground Up: Building Big Ideas, Together (opened 4 December 2017)[22] is a sensory exhibit for babies to 5-year-olds.[23]
Gallery
[edit]-
Steam-driven pump engine -
CSIRAC computer display -
Spotswood Pumping Station
References
[edit]- ^ "Museums Victoria". Council of Australasian Museum Directors. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "Pumping Station: Scienceworks". Museums Victoria. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ a b Sherratt, Tim (December 1993). "Review of Scienceworks". Historical Records of Australian Science. 9 (4): 387–388 – via discontents.com.au.
- ^ "Historic sewer transformed into community parkland". Architecture Australia. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d French, Robert (27 March 2022). "Scienceworks is 30!". Museums Victoria. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ "Thanks to a favourite daughter". Maribyrnong & Hobsons Bay Star Weekly. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "H V McKay Planetarium". Only Melbourne. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Time to return – Water Tower Clock installed at Southern Cross Station". Public Transport Victoria. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 30 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ Jenny Davies (2008). Beyond the Façade: Flinders Street, More than just a Railway Station. Publishing Solutions. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-921488-03-0.
- ^ "Australia's first computer finds new home at Scienceworks". PACE Today. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ Cincotta, Katie (30 November 2011). "Top 11 things to do". The Age. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ "Melbourne Planetarium". Museums Victoria. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Planetarium Nights". Museums Victoria. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ Dowse, Nicola. "Visit Scienceworks in Melbourne for fascinating exhibitions". Time Out Melbourne. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ O'Doherty, Fiona (26 March 2014). "New Rescue exhibition at Scienceworks". Herald Sun. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Rescue: Scienceworks". Museums Victoria. Archived from the original on 8 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ Cooke, Dewi (29 November 2013). "Scienceworks exhibition Think Ahead launches December 5 in Melbourne". The Age. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ "Think Ahead". Museums Victoria. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Sportsworks". Museums Victoria. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ Mannix, Liam (24 October 2017). "Teens to bend spacetime fabric in new Scienceworks exhibition". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Beyond Perception: Seeing the Unseen". Museums Victoria. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Ground Up: Building Big Ideas, Together - Scienceworks - Info - Melbourne". Busy City Kids. 21 November 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Ground Up: Building Big Ideas, Together". Museums Victoria. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
