View source for Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

{{Short description|Museum in the Northern Territory, Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox museum
|name = Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
|image = MAGNT Darwin, 2023 (01).jpg
|alt = External view of MAGNT Darwin in 2023
|caption = MAGNT Darwin in 2023
|established = 1981
|location = {{ubl|19 Conacher Street|[[The Gardens, Northern Territory|The Gardens]],|Darwin, NT, Australia}}
|founder = Colin Jack-Hinton
|director = Marcus Schutenko
|website = {{URL|www.magnt.net.au}}}}
The '''Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory''' ('''MAGNT''') is the main museum in the [[Northern Territory]]. The headquarters of the museum is located in the inner [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]] suburb of [[The Gardens, Northern Territory|The Gardens]]. The MAGNT is governed by the Board of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory and is supported by the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory Foundation. Each year the MAGNT presents both internally developed exhibitions and travelling exhibitions from around Australia. It is also the home of the annual Telstra [[National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award|National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award]], Australia's longest-running set of awards for [[Indigenous Australian]] artists.
==History==
In 1964 a bill was introduced into the [[Northern Territory Legislative Council]] to start a museum in [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]] by making the Museums and Art Galleries Board of the Northern Territory.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.artgallery.wa.gov.au/about_us/history.htm|title=Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory|accessdate=2008-02-23 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928131815/http://www.artgallery.wa.gov.au/about_us/history.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-09-28}}</ref> The first director, Colin Jack-Hinton, was appointed in 1970. The Old Town Hall in [[Smith Street, Darwin|Smith Street]] in Darwin's CBD was chosen as the Museum's first location. The museum contained [[Southeast Asian]] and Pacific culture, [[maritime history]], natural sciences, [[Indigenous Australian culture]] and contemporary art. Before [[Cyclone Tracy]] in 1974 the Old Town Hall was almost complete from renovations. The cyclone caused major structural damage to the building and a portion of the art collections were damaged. The salvaged collections were put in rented space scattered around Darwin.
On 1 July 2014, the MAGNT became an independent statutory body.<ref>{{cite web|title=NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA  MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY ACT 2013|url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nt/bill/maagotntb2013534/|website=Australasian Legal Information Institute|publisher=University of Technology Sydney and University of New South Wales Faculties of Law|accessdate=25 June 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Some of the exhibits in The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory at Darwin.jpg|thumb|Some of the exhibits in The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory at Darwin]]
==Facilities==
===Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Darwin===
It was not until three years after [[Cyclone Tracy]] that in 1977 the [[Australian Government|Commonwealth Government]] approved construction of a new museum at Bullocky Point in the suburb of [[Fannie Bay, Northern Territory|Fannie Bay]]. Construction commenced on the new museum in 1979 after the [[Northern Territory]] was granted self-government, and funding for the new building was confirmed.
The building was opened on 10 September 1981 by the [[Governor General of Australia]], [[Zelman Cowen|Sir Zelman Cowen]], and was known as the Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences. The museum featured the history, science and visual art of the region and its people. An extension was built and completed in 1992 to display the [[Northern Territory]]'s maritime history. In 1993 the name of the museum was changed to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
===Fannie Bay Gaol===
The MAGNT manages [[Fannie Bay Gaol]], a historic gaol in the coastal suburb of [[Fannie Bay]] in Darwin.
===Defence of Darwin Experience===
The Defence of Darwin Experience at East Point in Darwin is run by the [[Darwin Military Museum]] and managed by MAGNT. It tells the story of the Northern Territory's World War II history, in particular the [[Bombing of Darwin]] in 1942, through interactive multimedia displays. It opened ahead of the 60th commemoration of the bombing in February 2012 and cost $10 million.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rawlinson|first1=Clare|title=History no longer silenced as Defence of Darwin Experience opens|url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/02/18/3434036.htm|accessdate=26 June 2016|agency=105.7 ABC Darwin|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=18 February 2012}}</ref>
===Museum of Central Australia and Strehlow Research Centre===
The MAGNT manages the Museum of Central Australia and [[Strehlow Research Centre]] at the [[Araluen Centre for Arts and Entertainment|Araluen Arts Precinct]] in [[Alice Springs]].
===The Chan Building===
On 16 June 2015, the Northern Territory Government announced plans to refurbish the historic [[Chan Building]] in the centre of Darwin, as a world-class visual arts museum to be managed by the MAGNT.<ref>{{cite web|title=Repurposing the Chan|url=https://infrastructure.nt.gov.au/current-projects/buildings/repurposing-the-Chan|website=Northern Territory Government|publisher=Northern Territory Website|accessdate=25 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701110225/https://infrastructure.nt.gov.au/current-projects/buildings/repurposing-the-Chan|archive-date=1 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The refurbishment which is expected to cost $18.3 million. The redevelopment has been controversial due to increasing costs and government approval processes.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Zillman|first1=Stephanie|last2=Dias|first2=Avani|title=Chan building redevelopment: Architect raises concerns about cost, design|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-30/chan-building-redevelopment-architect-concerns/7283642|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia|accessdate=25 June 2016}}</ref>
==Collections==
The Territory's art collection consists of over 30,000 items of art and material culture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.magnt.net.au/#!collection-research/czb9|title=Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Collection|accessdate=2008-02-23}}</ref> Famous exhibits include the body of [[Sweetheart (crocodile)|Sweetheart]], a crocodile notorious for attacking boats.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
[[File:Sweetheart was the name given to a 5.1 m (17 ft) male saltwater crocodile and Northern Territory folk legend responsible for a series of attacks on boats in Australia in the seventies.jpg|thumb|Sweetheart was the name given to a 5.1 m (17 ft) male saltwater crocodile and Northern Territory folk legend responsible for a series of attacks on boats in Australia  in the seventies.]]
==Selected exhibitions==
Starting on 23 May 2020 (later than scheduled owing to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia]]) and due to run until 25 October 2020,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.magnt.net.au/nyapanyapa|website=Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory|title=the moment eternal: Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋu|access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref> a comprehensive solo exhibition of [[Nyapanyapa Yunupingu]]'s work, "''the moment eternal: Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋu''" was mounted. Featuring more than 60 of the artist's works, it is the first solo exhibition by an [[Aboriginal Australian]] artist to be held at MAGNT.<ref name=solo>{{cite web | title=Coronavirus restrictions are easing, and now this NT gallery is marking two milestones | website=ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) | date=29 May 2020 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-30/exhibition-celebrates-arnhem-land-artist/12018280 | access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[List of museums in the Northern Territory]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{official|https://www.magnt.net.au/}}
{{Darwin, Northern Territory landmarks}}
{{coord|12|26|15.12|S|130|49|59.22|E|display=title}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Museums in Darwin, Northern Territory]]
[[Category:Art museums and galleries in the Northern Territory]]
[[Category:Art museums and galleries established in 1981]]
[[Category:1981 establishments in Australia|Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory]]
[[Category:Natural history museums in Australia]]