Discover Burnie

Exhibitions

Federation Street
Burnie circa 1900

Wander the charming Federation Street and see how ordinary people lived 100 years ago. Discover the lifestyles and aspirations of our forebears through rooms that are alive with personal treasures, memorabilia and tools of the trade. It is easy to get lost in the charm and detail of the general store or be relieved that, as far as kitchen and laundry appliances go, things have moved on!

Each store features a trade or profession important to a pioneering community. There is a saddler and boot maker’s shop, a blacksmith’s forge, printer, photographer and even a dentist! Each is based on an actual business that once existed in Burnie.

War Zone I & II

This exhibition explores the role of Australia’s Armed Forces in World War I & II. See objects from one the largest private collections of World War I material in Australia, including a German Prisoner of War uniform, a ‘P Helmet’ gas mask, and a journal kept by Burnie resident Ernest Chalk while in a POW camp. The material was collected by the late Mr David Chalk, a Burnie local. He spent almost two decades interviewing 40 WWI diggers about their experiences in Prisoner of War camps. His research has been used by historian David Coombes as the basis for the book titled Crossing the Wire. Crossing the Wire is available for purchase in the museum gift shop.

1971
Opening Saturday 12th November

To celebrate the 40th birthday of the museum, we decided to take a look at what life was like in the year the museum opened....1971. Return to the era of bell-bottoms, platforms, and the Eagle Rock! Come and reminisce, or if you’re too young to remember it, discover what happened in the year 1971.