The History of the Museum

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Berndt Museum of Anthropology was formally established in 1976 by the University of Western Australia. It holds one of Australia's finest collections of Australian Aboriginal of contemporary and historical art and cultural materials, as well as Asian and Melanesian collections.

Its Mission is:

• ‘to house, document, research, publish, exhibit its collections, and provide access to them in response to the needs of its user groups.’

Its Vision is:

• ‘ to be a centre for the exchange of information, education, cultural research and cultural maintenance in Australia;
  
• provide a national resource of highly significant cultural information of value to Australian and Aboriginal researchers, as well as to national and international communities;
  
• maintain and extend a vital two-way linkage between the Museum and communities from which the bulk of its collections originate.’

Initially known as the Anthropology Research Museum, it was renamed the Berndt Museum of Anthropology in 1992. The change of name was to honour the Museum's founders and principal benefactors, Ronald M. and Catherine H. Berndt. The Museum administers the Professor Ronald M. and Dr Catherine H. Berndt Research Foundation that promotes research in the field of Aboriginal Australia.

The core collections were obtained by Ronald M. and Catherine H. Berndt during almost fifty years of fieldwork in many areas of Australia, as well as New Guinea.

These have been augmented by materials assembled by staff, graduate students and other associates of the Discipline of of Anthropology and Sociology, as well as through purchases and donations under the federal Cultural Gifts Program.

The Museum’s present building was officially opened in 1979 by the then Director of the Aboriginal Arts Board of the Australia Council (Mr R Edwards) with the then Chairman of that Board (Wandjuk Marika), supported by Mr David Mowaljarli (Mowanjum Community, Derby WA; Mr Ken Colbung and Mr Jack Davis (both of the Perth Nyungar community).

Plans are now underway to raise funds through the Berndt Museum Campaign to develop a new purpose-built complex that will house the Berndt Museum.