Our journey starts here at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, overlooking the Port of Hobart.

Islands to Ice: The Great Southern Ocean and Antarctica is a new permanent exhibition that brings together material from many Australian collections and is the most interactive in-house exhibition ever staged at the Museum. The exhibition contains five main themes.



Earliest perceptions: This multimedia space discusses some of the earliest human perceptions of this region.

The Southern Ocean: A huge diorama reveals the diversity of animal species in this region, from a bait-ball of fish to sleeper sharks, albatrosses and shearwaters. Stunning images of the Southern Ocean are also featured.

The subantarctic islands: The two main subantarctic island groups under Australian jurisdiction, Macquarie Island and the Heard and McDonald Islands are highlighted; with descriptions of the 24 other subantarctic island groups.

Antarctica: the continent of ice: The different forms of ice are discussed here, along with descriptions of Antarctic flora and fauna. This section also examines some of the scientific material used in Antarctica, and includes an ice-core sample and a touch drawer of animal specimens.

Humans in the Antarctic region: Why do people go to the Antarctic region and how do they live once they are there? Artefacts abound in the exhibition, from a sled believed to be from Borchgrevink's pioneering 1898 expedition to the first Australian flag flown at the South Pole.

For more information about Islands to Ice: The Great Southern Ocean and Antarctica and other exhibitions at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, click on tmag.tas.gov.au The Museum is located at 40 Macquarie Street in Hobart, Tasmania. Entry is free and the Museum is open every day except Christmas Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day.