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Stories of Country
Recommended for all ages
Welcome to Stories of Country
Across Queensland, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have cared for land, sea, and sky Country for thousands of generations. The wisdom, songlines, and artistic expressions forged in deep time continue to shape the present and guide our future.
This gallery brings together stories of enduring connection, community strength, and cultural vitality.
It invites you to witness how ancient traditions evolve, how knowledge is held, renewed and passed on, and how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to assert their sovereignty.
Step gently into these stories. Experience the depth of Country, the power of community, and the ongoing journey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Queensland.
Quinkan Country
Immerse yourself in the stories, knowledge and cultural heritage of the Laura community, set amongst the remarkable landscape of Quinkan Country.
Etched into spectacular sandstone escarpments, these stories span millennia, offering a powerful insight into one of the world's oldest living cultures across a dynamic cultural landscape in eastern Cape York.
Guided by Traditional Owners, the exhibition celebrates the enduring connection between people, place and spirit. It shares a rare glimpse into the extremely remote and globally significant collections of rock art, that continues to be cared for by the Laura community for future generations.
The exhibition combines a large-scale projection and drone footage of Quinkan rock art and cultural landscape with culturally significant objects from the Laura community. Immersive storytelling and sensory experiences will deepen visitors' connection to Quinkan Country and its people.
NGURBAY/To Go Home
A canoe returned to story. A story returned to people.
A journey 150 years in the making, a culturally significant canoe has been reunited with Bagirbarra people. Removed from Country in 1873 and held in the Queensland Museum collection, the canoe is reunited with Community, waterways and stories to which it belongs. More than the reconnection of a cultural belonging with its people, this significant moment brings together culture, knowledge, people and Country.
Discover the history, resilience and relationships behind the canoe's reunification with Bagirbarra community and learn about the Ancestral family connections that continue to shape and sustain Bagibarra identity, culture and connection to Country.
Visitors are warmly invited to explore the exhibition at their own pace, creating a respectful space to listen, reflect and engage with the stories, knowledge and perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples across Queensland.
Additional information
Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Australian South Sea Islander visitors are advised that this exhibition contains images and names of people who have passed away.
This exhibition features:
Usually quiet
Very low light
Seating area
Interactive and
touch objects
Light projections
For accessibility assistance and resources for this exhibition, please visit our accessibility page or contact the museum on (07) 3153 3000.
Queensland Museum acknowledges the First Peoples – the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters and sky where we live and work. We honour their unbroken connection to Country, culture, and community. We pay respect to Elders past, present and future. We recognise our shared history and commit to embedding First Nations voices in Queensland's continuing story.
Quinkan Country
Laura Elders and community members, Laura Rangers, Laura Cultural Heritage Body Inc., The Agayrr Bamangay Milbi Project (Australian Research Council Linkage Project grant number LP190100194), Andrea Hay, Michael Roach and Jon Osborn (University of Tasmania), Griffith University, Flinders University, Adelaide University, University of Southern Queensland, XR Screen Futures Hub (Queensland University of Technology), David Pyle and John Wang (Queensland University of Technology).
NGURBAY/To Go Home
The Edwards Family, Goondoi Rangers, Radiant Life College, First Nations Knowledge Partner – The University of Queensland.
Plan
your visit
Plan your visit to Queensland Museum Kurilpa, centrally located at the Queensland Cultural Centre, South Bank.
How
to get here & parking
Queensland Museum Kurilpa is easily accessible by foot, on public transport or by car.
Accessibility
Accessibility and sensory information to help you plan your visit to Queensland Museum Kurilpa.
What's
on
View our calendar of exhibitions, events, activities and school programs.
Hearth
An evocative combination of contemporary medium film, traditional storytelling and poetry from award-winning First Nations writer, Cheryl Leavy.
Fragile and
Forever: Ceramics from the Queensland Museum Collection
Explore ceramics, from the artistic to the more practical, many on display for the very first time.