Medical History Museum

The Medical History Museum was established in 1967 with a grant from the Wellcome Trust and is the oldest and finest collection associated with a medical school in Australia.

The collection of around 5000 items includes diagnostic and surgical instruments, archival photographs and documents through which the history of western medicine can be told. Highlights include the authentic, fully-equipped 19th century pharmacy and the magnificent display cases from the 1881 Exhibition which house the historic microscope collection, amputation sets and bleeding and cupping equipment.

Although predominantly a teaching and research collection, the museum also runs a temporary exhibition program which addresses public health and other topical health and medical issues.

The museum is open weekdays from 9am to 6pm and on Saturday by prior arrangement with the curator.

Admission is free and the museum is open to the public.

Curator: Ann Brothers
Level 2
Brownless Biomedical Library (next to the Medical Building)
Grattan Street
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010 Australia
tel: +61 3 8344 5719
fax: +61 3 9347 7762
email: brothers@unimelb.edu.au
web: http://www.chs.unimelb.edu.au/programs/jnmhu/museum.html
online catalogue: http://www.chs.unimelb.edu.au/programs/jnmhu/mhm/mhm.html