RD Milns Antiquities Museum

The RD Milns Antiquities Museum at The University of Queensland offers a focused look at the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, with archaeological material spanning almost 3,500 years. Its collection includes objects made from stone, pottery, metalware and glass, bringing together evidence of the technological and artistic achievements of ancient civilisations around the Mediterranean. The museum describes the collection as the only comprehensive survey of ancient Mediterranean antiquities on public view in Queensland.

This is a teaching museum as well as a public cultural space. Its displays are intended to encourage interaction with, and understanding of, the ancient world and its continuing influence on literature, art, politics and society. Visitors can explore the collection through exhibitions and online presentations, with listed exhibitions including ΝΟΣΤΟΙ | Homecomings, Intaglios: Imprints of Identity, and Greece, Rome, Byzantium: Empires of the Sea. Online exhibitions have also examined epigraphy, the god Dionysos, and citizenship in Athens and Rome.

The museum’s history began in 1963, when UQ purchased a fifth-century BC red-figure Attic amphora at a London auction. That acquisition established a collection intended to support teaching in Classics and Ancient History. From that starting point, the museum has grown into a catalogue of several thousand artefacts and is now described by UQ as Queensland’s foremost collection of classical Mediterranean antiquities. It was renamed in 2007 to honour Emeritus Professor Bob Milns AM, a former UQ professor of Classics and Ancient History and a long-standing supporter of the museum.

In Milton, Brisbane, the museum suits visitors who enjoy history, archaeology, art and close study of objects, whether visiting independently or as part of a university or educational experience. It is also relevant for students and researchers, with programs covering collections work, research and museum practice. The museum is located on Level 2 of the Michie Building at The University of Queensland and is part of the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry. Its approach to collecting is also part of the story: it no longer buys artefacts from the antiquities market, recognising the difficulty of establishing secure origins and ownership histories for many objects.