The Furneaux Museum is located at Emita on Flinders Island, Tasmania, one of the Furneaux Islands in eastern Bass Strait.
The Museum opened in 1965, and volunteers have been collecting artefacts and information about the region ever since. There are now over 8,000 objects, photographs and documents in the collection, all relating to the cultural and natural history of the Furneaux Islands.
Events which influenced the course of Australia's early colonial history occurred here. In 1797 a shipwreck brought Matthew Flinders to these then-unknown waters, leading to the discovery of Bass Strait. His reports of the abundance of seals led to the start of Australia's first export industry - seal skins. This resulted in the survival of Tasmania's indigenous population - the descendants of the sealers' Aboriginal wives.
Visit us to discover the people, places and events that have shaped the islands. Learn about the shipping and aviation history, pioneering life, the ill-fated 1833-47 Aboriginal settlement at Wybalenna, mutton-birding, soldier settlement, island families. See how isolation brought about a resourcefulness and strong community spirit which still exist today.
Here's what our visitors say:
- A great surprise!
- Brilliant! I didn't expect to spend an hour and a half here - and it wasn't long enough!
- Top little museum - well laid out and very informative.
- A fantastic museum. Allow plenty of time as there is so much to see.
- A wonderful insight into the life and history of Flinders Island.
