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Australian Museum Natural Science Collection, Development Strategy, 2007-2012 Natural Science Collections – Zoology, Palaeontology, Mineralogy and Petrology

October 2008

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Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION 3

2 BACKGROUND 3

3 COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT 1997-2007 3

3.1 Collections from Australian Museum research projects 3

3.2 Donations from external sources 4

3.3 Collection development by Collection Managers 4

4 GUIDELINES FOR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT 2007-2012 5

4.1 Geographic representation 5

4.2 Temporal representation 5

4.3 Taxonomic representation 5

4.4 Specimen representation 5

4.5 Collection development through Australian Museum research projects 6

4.6 Acquisitions from donations 6

5 COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT 2007 – 2012 6

5.1 Arachnology 6

5.2 Entomology 8

5.3 Herpetology 10

5.4 Ichthyology 13

5.5 Malacology 15

5.6 Mammology 17

5.7 Marine Invertebrates 20

5.8 Mineralogy and Petrology 24

5.9 Ornithology 26

5.10 Palaeontology 29

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1 Introduction

The Australian Museum's purpose is to inspire the exploration of nature and cultures, in part through

undertaking an active program of research into the environments and indigenous cultures of the

Australasian region. Under the Australian Museum Trust Act, 1975 the Museum has specific objectives

to propagate knowledge about the natural environment of Australia and to increase that knowledge,

particularly in the natural sciences of biology, anthropology and geology. The Museum's Corporate

Strategic Plan 2005-2008 includes the specific goals to:

Find new connections across nature, culture and our lives

Build a time series of objects defining our natural and cultural world

Unlock and share the knowledge in our natural and cultural collections

The purpose of this Natural Science Collection Development Strategy, 2007 - 2012 is to set out the priorities

for collection development, in terms of acquisitions, for the next five years in the natural science

collections. The Research and Collections Review, 2005 identified 'the need to identify, prioritise and address

strategic gaps in zoological collections.’ The Museum has agreed on science research priorities for the period

2007-2012 and it is therefore appropriate to align collection development with priorities in research.

2 Background

The Australian Museum began acquiring specimens in 1829. Under The Australian Museum Trust

Act, 1975 the Museum may acquire and hold specimens and scientific data relating to the natural

sciences and anthropology. The Anthropology collection currently comprises over 110,000

ethnographic pieces.

The Australian Museum Collection Management Policy, 2008 defines the purpose of the collections,

and broad principles and criteria for acquisition. The aim of the Natural Science Collection

Development Strategy 2007–2012 is to define collection acquisition plans for each collection for the

next five years.

3 Collection Development 1997-2007

In the previous ten years collection development can be summarised in the following way:

collections derived from Australian Museum research projects;

donations; and

collections developed by Collection Managers including field collections, purchases and exchanges.

3.1 Collections from Australian Museum research projects Research conducted by staff of the Australian Museum (AM) has made a huge contribution to the

development of the collections, particularly in the last thirty years. Collections made by AM taxonomists

tend to focus on particular study taxa and may represent a wide range of collecting sites. Specimens from

these collections are often designated as primary and secondary types as a result of taxonomic research and

revisions carried out by AM scientists.

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Collections derived from AM ecological projects offer an understanding of the temporal and spatial

distribution of species that is not afforded by traditional taxonomic methods. They provide broader

scope for the Museum to provide analysis of and input to issues such as conservation planning. Such

collections often use techniques which are not suitable for providing good quality specimens and may

provide large numbers of unsorted samples which are not readily accessible.

3.2 Donations from external sources

Primary and secondary type specimens are deposited in the collections by scientists from other institutions.

Deposition of types is encouraged, particularly from type localities in NSW, Australia and for taxonomic

groups that are well represented at the Australian Museum.

Collections donated by private collectors tend towards popular groups such as butterflies, large beetles,

large and attractive gastropods but because they often contain specimens collected over many years, and

from areas which are no longer natural environments, they may provide useful historical records and may

contain specimens which are now rare. Such collections may contain specimens that do not meet criteria

for acquisition but it is often necessary to accept a complete collection and subsequently deaccession some

specimens.

Donations from university students and other government agencies are often poorly curated (e.g. in plastic

vials of alcohol with substandard labels) and may be rejected due to poor data and condition of specimens.

A balanced approach needs to be taken to avoid deterring donation of significant specimens, and to avoid

wasting museum resources on collections of dubious value.

3.3 Collection development by Collection Managers In recent years Collection Managers have conducted collecting trips with the aim of developing the

collections to complement acquisitions received from donations and research. These collections have

targeted geographic areas or habitats that have been poorly collected, common species that are poorly

represented in the collections and taxa that are required for current research projects by taxonomic experts

at the Australian Museum (AM) and other institutions. Exchanges with other institutions are also an

important means of developing collections, particularly for vertebrate and geological collections.

The development of computer databases for collection records has placed new demands on collection data

as collections can now be searched and large data sets provided electronically. Collection data can now be

made available to a wide range of users and is being applied to a suite of environmental problems and

issues. Collection data is being used to map species distributions, develop models to test changing

distributions in response to environmental change, assist with planning decisions for protected areas and

reserves, trace the impact of introduced species etc. There is a new imperative for collections to represent

animal distributions in space and time.

In the last few years there have been opportunities to participate in collaborative collecting expeditions

which have benefited the AM in building collections that would not be possible for the AM alone. This is

particularly the case for sampling in the deep sea where the cost of mounting an expedition is prohibitive.

Australian Museum staff have participated in collaborative biodiversity surveys such as the NORFANZ

expedition, and the 'Voyage of Discovery' which have yielded important collections.

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4 Guidelines for Collection Development 2007-2012

Collection development will be driven by one or more of the following:

4.1 Geographic representation One aim of collection development is to increase the geographic representation of collections. Geographic

representation takes into account landscape and environmental values, as well as spatial representation.

Vegetation types, habitats and ecosystems that are threatened by anthropogenic change, e.g. ecosystems in

areas targeted for urban or agricultural development may be targeted for collecting. An ideal collection

would have representative collections from most major vegetation or habitat types in NSW, as well as from

habitats which are marginal and under threat from climate change and anthropogenic activities (e.g.

lowland rainforest, alpine regions, native grasslands, estuarine habitats). This increases the archival value of

the collection, as well as targeting regionalised endemics.

4.2 Temporal representation A collection with good temporal representation allows users to map the spatial movements and presence of

animals over time. Temporal data is important for tracing the introduction of invasive species, the decline

of threatened and endangered species and monitoring environmental change. This requires a time series of

identifiable specimens in the collection. The temporal representation of many taxa in the collection tends

to map the presence/absence of specialist collectors rather than real biological patterns. However, particular

taxa that are taxonomically well known and are the subject of comparatively widespread and continuous

collecting effort could be targeted to develop temporal data sets. Another aspect of temporal representation

is to develop collections with representation from different seasons. Many animals have seasonal patterns of

recruitment, emergence and abundance, and seasonal collecting is necessary to build representative

collections.

4.3 Taxonomic representation Research workers and environmental agencies that use the collections and data require good taxonomic

representation for those groups that are targeted as priorities. Priority groups may be at the level of order,

family or genus but within that group as many species as possible should be held in the collections.

4.4 Specimen representation There is a demand by users of the collection to have specimens in different forms such as skins, skeletons,

display mounts and specimens for histological, morphological and genetic studies. Collections will be

developed to include frozen tissue samples for DNA sequencing while maintaining traditional fixation and

preservation techniques. Other novel methods of preservation and fixation are encouraged to maximise the

future use of the collections (e.g. freeze drying for monitoring trace elements or solutions such as

RNALATER for RNA analysis).Voucher specimens should be deposited with tissue samples as these are

essential for the verification of the taxonomic identity of specimens sequenced. Specimens in the collection

are not always suited to public display and targeted collecting may be necessary to meet the needs of public

programs.

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4.5 Collection development through Australian Museum research projects Research projects aligned with the Australian Museum Science Research Strategy, 2007 - 2012 will add to

the collections. Collection Managers should be consulted about all collecting activities so that provision can

be made for storage, documentation, curation and registration of specimens to maximise the benefits for

collections and research projects.

It is expected that collections will be acquired from the following research programs:

Program 1 - Addressing knowledge gaps and problems in understanding the biota in Australasian marine

environments.

Program 2 - Addressing knowledge gaps and problems in understanding the biota in Australian terrestrial

and freshwater environments.

Program 3 - Increasing our understanding of the genetic variation in key taxa (species) of the Australasian

and Indo-Pacific biota.

Program 4 - Origin, evolution and biogeography of the biota on the Indo-Pacific and Australasian region.

Program 5 - Understanding human impacts on the Australian biota.

Program 8 - Investigating the geology of the Australian landscape to better understand its biogeography and

environment.

4.6 Acquisitions from donations Criteria for accepting donations are specified in the Australian Museum Collection Management Policy,

2008.

5 Collection Development 2007 – 2012 Collection development through acquisitions in the next ten years will be summarised for each collection

under the following activities:

collections derived from Australian Museum research projects,

donations,

collections developed by Collection Managers including field collections, purchases and exchanges,

and

collections acquired for public programs.

5.1 Arachnology

5.1.1 Description of the collection The Australian Museum Arachnology Collection is comprised of the following classes of animals:

Arachnida, Diplopoda, Chilopoda, Onychophora, Pauropoda, Symphyla, and Tardigrada. The Arachnida

represent about 95% of the collection. The collection numbers over 97,000 registered lots (more than

300,000 specimens) and around 1,000 acquisition lots. This includes some 3,000 type lots of which about

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1,000 are primary types. The majority of the collection is stored in 75% ethanol, although there are also

SEM stubs, microscope slides and a small dry collection.

The earliest specimen collected dates from 1850 though the major portion of the collection has been built

up over the last 30 years through the activities of Australian Museum staff.

5.1.2 Strengths and highlights of the collection The major portion of the Arachnology collection consists of the arachnid orders Araneae (spiders), followed

by Opiliones (harvestmen). The emphasis is on the NSW fauna, although there are significant holdings

from other states (e.g. Tasmania) and regions

Highlights include the largest collection of funnelweb spiders in Australia and the largest collection of

harvestmen (Opilionida) in Australia. Of historical interest are the collections of W.J. Rainbow and V.V.

Hickman, well known Australian arachnologists of previous eras.

5.1.3 Recent collection development Over the past ten years most of the growth in the Arachnology Collection (~70%) has come from

Australian Museum projects conducted by the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Research (CBCR).

The advantage of this has been that large scale collecting programs have sampled from many areas of NSW.

Many CBCR projects, however, sampled for short time windows with a small suite of collecting

techniques, potentially missing a significant segment of the fauna.

5.1.4 Collection development 2007 - 2012 Research In 2007-10, a post doctoral researcher, Dr Helen Smith, will be working on several projects which will

result in new material of sub family Hadtrotarsinae (Theridiidae) and the genus Toxopsoides (Desidae)

from NSW and other parts of Australia. Ongoing research by Graham Milledge will add to the collections

of spiders from wet temperate forests.

Donations Donations to the Arachnology Collection mainly come from other public institutions such as universities

and government departments, with a smaller amount from public donations. Generally, donations are

accepted if they are in good condition and have adequate data. Larger donations may also be assessed as to

their value to the collection versus the resources available to process them. Such donations are usually

unpredictable in their timing.

Collection Management The Arachnology Collection is dominated by NSW material with a smaller amount from other parts of

Australia and relatively little from outside Australia. The collection gaps within NSW are more taxonomic

and temporal than regional. The major strength is in spiders, because this has been the research priority for

the past 35 years and spiders are a species rich group.

Whilst productive collecting programs could be undertaken within almost any part of NSW or the rest of

Australia, it is recognized that the resources available for these programs will be limited. It is also recognized

that there should be alignment with the Australian Museums Science Research Strategy, 2007-2012. For

these reasons it is believed that targeting areas of high biodiversity and/or under imminent threat of habitat

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loss should be a priority. An example of this within NSW would be high altitude areas potentially under

threat from climate change.

It is envisaged that, over the next five years, the major growth in the Arachnology Collection will come

from targeted Australian Museum collecting programs within NSW. Initially the collections focus will be

on vulnerable high altitude regions. The Barrington Tops region, which has significant stands of cool

temperate rainforest, has been chosen for targeting during 2007-08. Beyond 2008, targets include

Liverpool Range (2008-09), Mt Kaputar (2009-10), Carrai Plateau (2010-11) and Snowy Mountains

region (2011-12). The possibility of linking up with Entomology collecting programs will also be explored

Public Programs Arachnology has committed to collect a small number of specimens for the Surviving Australia gallery

which is due to be completed in 2008. Approximately 7 species and 30 specimens are to be acquired from

field collecting. These specimens will be freeze dried used only for public programs.

5.2 Entomology

5.2.1 Description of the collection

The Entomology Collection has over 145,000 registered preserved specimens (dry/pinned or in

alcohol), microscope slides and SEM stubs; this includes over 10,000 type specimens. The collection

dates from 1850, and is still growing through research, donations, targeted sampling and regional

biodiversity assessment projects. In addition to registered specimens, there are also a vast number of

unregistered identified specimens, as well as unsorted and unidentified samples. These are organised

mainly within taxonomic units.

The specimens are predominantly from NSW (including Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands), but also

include collections made in other areas of Australia, and in the Indo-Pacific.

5.2.2 Strengths and highlights of the collection

The taxonomic strengths of the collection reflect the taxonomic specialities of past and current Research

Staff. The Museum has the best collection of southern hemisphere Psocoptera and an extensive collection

of Diptera, including world-class collections of platystomatid, neurochaetid, drosophilid and other

acalyptrate flies, as well as comprehensive collections of dolichopodid and empidid flies. Other strengths

include extensive collections of Australian lygaeoid Heteroptera and chrysomelid Coleoptera. Recent survey

projects have resulted in the growth of a highly significant collection of ground-dwelling Coleoptera,

Formicidae, Heteroptera. A long association with Lord Howe Island has generated a significant collection

of insects from this locality over the last two centuries, with many rarities represented. Recent staff changes

have resulted in additional emphasis on moths and aculeate Hymenoptera.

A rich history of donations from private collectors has resulted in Australia’s finest collection of Australian

and exotic butterflies, as well as significant collections of exotic beetles with a strong emphasis on specimens

from SE Asia and Papua New Guinea.

5.2.3 Recent Collection Development

Recent collection development has occurred via large donations, and from survey work by Museum

researchers. Donations came from scientific organisations (wet collections of freshwater aquatic insects

collected by NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) for the AusRIVAS project) and private

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collectors (dry pinned collections butterflies, flies and beetles from a number of collectors). Extensive survey

work by Museum researchers in NSW resulted in very large collections of ground-dwelling insects from

forested areas along the Dividing Range, and from the western slopes and plains region, as well as

collections from Lord Howe Island. Additional development from research work includes large collections

from the Pilbara, WA. In 2003, a major world-wide research project on Miridae commenced. This

resulted in acquisition of large dry-mounted collections of this family and other plant-dwelling insects.

5.2.4 Collection Development 2007-2012

Research Collection development from Research Scientists will directly tie in with the Australian Museum Science

Research Strategy 2007-2012. Research Scientists will target their specialist taxa, as well as contributing

valuable specimens of other insect taxa as part of routine sampling methodology.

Dr. Chris Reid collects chrysomelid and other beetles for his systematic research. His collection methods

typically involve sampling insect fauna from a diverse range of plant material, and from pitfall traps. The

majority of specimens collected by Dr. Reid are deposited in the Australian Museum (AM) collections,

with additional specimens used either for exchange or as gifts to researchers in other institutions.

Dr. Dan Bickel works on empidoid flies, and most of his collection methods are designed to catch small

flying insects. He uses yellow pan traps, Malaise and sticky traps, all of which are excellent methods for

collecting small flies, wasps and some beetles. His Australian collections are deposited in the AM.

Other active AM research projects which contribute specimens to the AM entomology collection include

work on lithosiine arctiids (Dr. David Britton), drosophilid flies (Dr. Shane McEvey), mantids (Mr.

Graham Milledge), acalyptrate flies (Dr. David McAlpine), and aculeate Hymenoptera (Dr. Michael

Batley, Mr. Michael Elliott).

Donations Donations to the Entomology collection are often very large (>5,000 specimens per donation), and require

considerable resources both in storage and staff time for successful incorporation. This investment by the

Australian Museum (AM) is balanced by the quality and the value of the donated collection. Donations

will be rejected if they are poorly curated, or lack relevance to the AM collection. Examples might include a

wet collection submitted without adequate data labels, or a collection of well-known European insects.

Some insect taxa require more intensive attention before they can be adequately preserved in collections,

such as those which require slide mounting, or relaxing and setting.

Future donations will be assessed for geographical and temporal / historical representation as well as the

criteria in the Australian Museum Collection Development Management Policy, 2008 for accepting

donations.

Several large donations are scheduled for acquisition in the next two years, including ~8,000 tenebrionid

beetle specimens from the Hanlon collection, and a similar number of exotic cetoniine (flower chafer)

beetles from the Hangay collection.

Collection Management In recent years there has been no collecting by Entomology Collection Management. Since 2005/06, funds

were allocated for field work by Collection Management for the purpose of collection enhancement, and

field trips have been undertaken in April 2006, November 2007, December 2007 and March 2008. This

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area of collection development is the most flexible and responsive in building on existing taxa or habitat-

specific collections within Entomology.

Collection Management will use details from the assessment of the existing collection to determine priority

areas for field work to collect insects. Some preliminary decisions have been made in line with the Science

Research Strategy. Using internal funding with current staffing arrangements means that a maximum of

one month per year field work is possible (assuming two staff members per field trip). Collection space and

specimen processing requirements would also be a major constraint to further collection development in

this area. Additional funding may become available from external grants and business account funds which

will enable more field work and curation, as well as collaboration between other Australian Museum

collections and external organisations. Additional collection development may also occur through student

supervision by collections staff.

Proposed field work from 2007-2012

Field areas within NSW:

Southern Alpine regions (late 2007 – early 2008) (Completed)

Montane and coastal Heathland regions (Blue Mountains, Jervis Bay, Barren Grounds) (2008 –

2009)

Dry Rainforest/Western Vine Thicket (NW Gunnedah, western McPherson & Richmond Ranges)

(2009 – 2010)

Inland Arid Woodlands on Western Slopes & Plains (2011 – 2012)

Mallee Woodlands (2012)

Field areas outside of NSW:

Great Western Woodlands/Goldfields areas, Western Australia (one trip completed 2007, further

trips planned in 2008/09)

Public Programs Entomology has committed to collect specimens for the Surviving Australia gallery which is due to be

completed in 2008. Approximately 100 species and 500 specimens have been acquired from the existing

collection, through targeted collecting, from collection development fieldwork, and by exchange with other

institutions. A detailed list has been submitted by exhibition staff.

5.3 Herpetology 5.3.1 Description of the collection

The Herpetology collection comprises more than 168,000 registered specimens with collections dating

from the 1880's. The majority (80%) of specimens have been acquired and registered since 1970.

Amphibians comprise 30% of the total number of specimens in the collection and reptiles 70%.

Approximately 90% of Australian species are represented in the collection. Primary types number

approximately 350. The largest single group is lizards in the family Scincidae with 61,600 registered

specimens (38% of the total collection) and is considered a collection and research strength for the

collection. The Herpetology collection maintains an extensive tissue collection of more than 11,000

samples.

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Collection strengths regionally are in eastern Australia, primarily in NSW (72,000 specimens) and

Queensland (26,000). There is also strong representation throughout the east Pacific, particularly in New

Guinea (15,000 specimens) and New Caledonia (5,300 specimens).

Major strengths include:

broad taxonomic coverage Australia wide of specimens for comparative morphological studies,

good taxonomic coverage of specimens for comparative morphological studies of east Australian

and north Australian groups of reptiles,

good taxonomic coverage of specimens for comparative morphological studies of New Guinea

region reptiles and amphibians and excellent coverage of New Caledonian reptiles,

extensive coverage of taxa at the state level with nearly 65,000 specimens from NSW,

an extensive and well represented collection of scincid lizards (the singularly most diverse group of

reptiles in Australasia) with moderate comparative collections from outside the region,

large reasonably well represented collections of sea snakes and freshwater turtles,

extensive taxonomic coverage of tissue samples for genetic studies at the state level for species

found in the central and northern coast and ranges, and central and northern inland regions of the

state,

good taxonomic coverage of tissue samples for genetic studies for some reptile groups (mainly

lizards) from the Kimberley region of northern Australia, and

extensive taxonomic coverage of tissue samples for genetic studies of lizards from New Caledonia.


Herpetology collection staff have been involved in a program of surveys in the far northwest of the state an

area which is poorly represented in the collections in both specimens and taxa. Over the past ten years (in

collaboration with the Australian Herpetological Society) collections of reptiles and amphibians have been

acquired from four National Parks between Tibooburra in the west to Bourke in the east.

An exchange program of New Guinea amphibians has been initiated with the Bernice P. Bishop Museum,

Honolulu.


Research Research programs are both field and laboratory based and aim to investigate the systematics and

distribution of reptiles and amphibians over three broad geographic areas: NSW; eastern Australia; and the

east Pacific Islands.

The Collection Manager has research interests in two areas: the systematics and distribution of lizards in

closed forest habitats in NSW and Queensland; and the lizard fauna of New Caledonia. As part of this

research, collections will be made of target taxa in areas of rainforest from the mid north coast of NSW to

northeast Queensland and generally from New Caledonia.

Research Associate Dr Glenn Shea (University of Sydney) has major research interests in the lizards of New

Guinea, and some modest collection acquisitions may result from his research in that region.

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Donations Donations do not form a large part of recent acquisitions and this is not expected to change in the next five

years. Donations from individuals form a very small part of ongoing acquisitions - usually as identifications.

Donations from universities are highly unpredictable but future acquisitions from this source are unlikely as

very few institutions voucher specimens as part of their research procedure. Specimens acquired from state

environmental authorities (DECC), while not numerically high, often provide samples of difficult to obtain

species and make a significant contribution to the collection. It is planned to expand the network of

agencies that are willing to assist in acquiring specimens throughout the state.

Priority will be given to species that are:

listed as threatened,

unlikely to be acquired by other collecting methods,

form a “timeline” as they have been regularly collected over the last 100 years or more,

poorly represented in the collection or the subject of a known research project, and

can contribute to the knowledge of the biology of a species through age, diet or reproductive

studies on preserved specimens.

Using these selection criteria as a guide, the Herpetology collection will continue to accept donations of

native species from DECC offices in the central and north coast regions of NSW. Over the next 1-2 years

terrestrial vertebrate staff will also visit DECC offices in other parts of the state such as the south coast and

western NSW to set up a similar system of donations from these areas.

Collection Management Taking into account the size, strengths, and weaknesses of the herpetology collection, the main criteria for

undertaking future specific collection acquisition activities will be:

improving taxonomic coverage of specimens and tissue samples at a national level by targeting regions

poorly represented in the collection that offer the best coverage of species unrepresented or under-

represented in the collection.

improving taxonomic coverage of tissue samples at the national level to complement existing

strengths in the specimen collection from northern Australia and tropical eastern Australia. Tissue

samples from taxa from these areas are also known to be poorly represented in other state

collections,

increasing taxonomic coverage of specimens and tissue samples at the international level where

collections from outside Australia will complement and enhance potential areas of research,

improving regional representation of specimens and tissue samples at a state level concentrating on

the northern coastal and inland regions of the state,

building on the existing strengths of particular groups not particularly covered by any of the above

strategies that are seen to be active areas for future research, and

adequate representation of species in the collection will depend on the type of systematic research

they are to be used for, but is essentially ‘layered’ in its’ objective to achieve a sampling of taxa for

both inter and intraspecific research projects. In some instances samples necessary to provide base-

line data on the extent of infrapopulation variation are required for identifying species boundaries

and to determine the nature of the interactions between sibling species.

In line with the criteria identified above the following field collection program is proposed over the next 3

years, but may vary as other opportunities arise.

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2008 – collaborative field work in New Caledonia with the NMHN (Paris) and Provincial

environmental authorities to improve taxonomic coverage of specimens and tissue samples in an

region actively researched,

2009 – collaborative field work with Bernice P Bishop Museum in Cape York to improve

taxonomic coverage of tissue samples at the national level to complement existing strengths in the

specimen collection from this region,

2009 - collaborative field work in New Caledonia with the NMHN (Paris) and Provincial

environmental authorities to improve taxonomic coverage of specimens and tissue samples in an

region actively researched, and

2010 – field work in the Pilbara region of Western Australia or Carpentaria region of Queensland

to improve taxonomic coverage of specimens and tissue samples at a national level by sampling

areas poorly represented in the collection.

Over this three year period collections within the coastal and inland regions in the north of NSW

will be undertaken where time permits, but generally would not exceed two periods of collecting,

each of short duration, each year, and would target areas where specimens and tissue samples at the

state level are poorly represented in the collection at a regional or taxonomic level.

It is not realistic to detail a specific schedule for collecting activities beyond 2010, rather progress with the

proposed initiatives will be reviewed at the end of in 2010 and revised schedule formulated.

Public Programs A small number of specimens will be acquired as part of the current gallery program over the next three

years, and occasional specimens will be obtained for use in education programs.

5.4 Ichthyology 5.4.1 Description of the collection The Ichthyology Collection contains more than 1.6 million registered specimens comprising over 635,000

adult fishes and approximately 1,000,000 larvae from Australia, the Pacific and beyond. It is one of the

most important fish collections in the southern hemisphere and has type holdings rated as within the top

ten in the world (more than 2,200 type species, 11,300+ specimens in 4,700+ lots).

Supplementary collections include otoliths, cleared & stained specimens, skeletal material, skins and stuffed

specimens. The collections also include 5000 lots of frozen and alcohol-fixed tissues that are used for

genetic research.

The first fish registered in the collection (IB.

6315) was a dry orangeband surgeonfish,

Acanthurus olivaceus, which was collected in

1858 by J. MacGillivray in Aneityum, Vanuatu


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Collection strengths regionally are in eastern Australia, primarily in NSW (52388 records) and Queensland

(48020). The collection also has strong representation of fishes from temperate rocky reefs, mesopelagic

waters and from the upper slope waters down to 1000 m depth.

Considerable collecting effort has been directed towards several of the Western Pacific islands, including

Papua New Guinea (3774 records), Vanuatu (3711 records), the Solomon Islands (4596 records) and the

Philippines (3442 records).

Additional collection strengths reflect the research interests of Principal Research Scientist Jeff Leis (larvae)

and Senior Fellows Doug Hoese (gobiods) and John Paxton (Myctophidae and other deepsea taxa).

Both the adult and larval collections are arguably the most important in the southern hemisphere. They

are used extensively for research by visitors and via loans.


Over the last decade, collecting has been carried out both domestically and internationally, with trips to a

number of locations in NSW, Lizard Island and Pacific Islands, including the Solomon Islands and the

Philippines. Usually, an annual NSW collecting trip has been undertaken by Fish Section staff. These trips

have targeted areas of the NSW coast for which the fish fauna is not well represented in the collection.

We continue to accept donations of specimens from DPI Fisheries, Universities and public donations.

Considerable effort continues to be directed towards improving the tissue collection. Frozen and alcohol-

fixed tissues are now routinely been taken from fresh specimens.


Research Research programs are field and laboratory based with the aims of increasing knowledge of the systematics

and behaviour of fishes.

Dr Jeff Leis will continue his larval fish research based at Lizard Island. He is also working on the

systematics of perciform fishes using ontogenetic characters derived from study of larval development.

Some larval fish collections will result from his research.

Dr Doug Hoese and Dr John Paxton will continue their research on gobies and deepsea fishes respectively.

New specimens for the collection will come from donations from other institutions and possibly some

fieldwork. It is expected that a relatively small number of specimens will be deposited in the Fish collection

as a result of John Paxton's involvement in the Deep Ocean Australia project 2008-2010.

A new ichthyologist may join the staff in 2008. If this happens, it is likely that the research focus of the

new person will be Indo-Pacific marine fishes and some research-focused collecting would occur.

Donations The ichthyology collection has benefited greatly from the donation of specimens from students,

professional biologists and the general public. Unusual specimens and specimens from difficult to access

locations are routinely donated. Unfortunately, specimen donations are unpredictable.

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Students of Dr Iain Suthers (UNSW) continue to study larval fish. The specimens from these projects are

usually lodged with the Australian Museum.

Ken Graham, Ian Merrington and other NSW DPI Fisheries staff will continue to bring in unusual

specimens collected by trawlers from off the NSW coast. Other DPI Fisheries Officers donate unusual

specimens of both marine and freshwater fishes for the collection.

In addition to the above, donations of specimens brought to the museum for identification are likely to

continue.

The following points will be assessed when deciding whether to accept a donation. Specimens will be

accepted if they are:

listed as threatened, endangered or vulnerable,

poorly represented in the collection or the subject of a known research project, and

likely to contribute to the knowledge of the biology of a species through age, diet or reproductive

studies on preserved specimens.

Collection Management Using Google Earth it is relatively easy to map the Australian Museum collection holdings from a region.

Using Google Earth maps it is a simple matter to see which areas are poorly collected in general, or poorly

collected by specific collecting techniques or at certain depths, seasons etc. The target areas for collecting

trips on the NSW coastline are partially based on an assessment of these maps. In 2007 and 2008 trips

were conducted together with the Marine Invertebrates Section to Umina and Tathra respectively.

In late 2008 a trip to Lizard Island with an international team may occur. This trip will focus on collecting

specimens in order to obtain tissue samples that will be barcoded for the FISHBOL project. Voucher

specimens will be lodged at several museums in Australia.

Collecting trips will result in:

improved specimen and tissue holdings for the region. Specimens are often photographed shortly

after collection and these images provide a valuable resource that is added to the database,

improved taxonomic coverage for the region, and

increased knowledge of the genetics of Australian fishes, via the FISHBOL project.

Public Programs Specimens will be required for the ‘Deep Sea’ exhibition which is planned for 2010. These may be acquired

from collecting on deep sea expeditions or as donations from other museums or fisheries agencies.

5.5 Malacology 5.5.1 Description of the collection The Malacology collection comprises Recent and Tertiary Mollusca and Brachiopoda. The collection

comprises more than 4 million specimens in 750,000 lots. Most are dry shell, with about 10% preserved in

formalin or ethanol, particularly groups without shells such as cephalopods and nudibranchs.

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Virtually all mollusc groups are represented in the collection, with particular emphasis on micro-molluscs

and preserved animals. Geographic coverage is strongest in NSW and Queensland, extensive in the rest of

Australia and the south-west Pacific, and variable further afield. All major habitats are represented.

The collections date from the 1860s, with a few reliably dated prior to this. Since then, an almost unbroken

succession of mollusc workers has created more than 10,000 type lots, including 4772 primary types.

As well as the specimen collections, there are large collections of images, especially of shell-less and living

molluscs and SEM images of micro-molluscs and their parts.


worldwide geographic coverage, particular Australian and SW Pacific, especially NSW and

Queensland,

extensive preserved collection in formalin and alcohol, including a growing collection which is

suitable for DNA analysis,

large component of micro-molluscs (<5mm), marine, terrestrial & freshwater,

extensive historical collections, especially from 1870s onwards, including 4772 primary types, over

5600 secondary type lots and tens of thousands of cited and figured lots, and

large image library (50,000+) including slides, SEM prints & digital images.


fieldwork primarily NSW terrestrial, including DEH funded karst sampling 2004,2005, 2006.

Also incorporated Greater Hunter Survey snails in 2005, 2006 and Lord Howe Island survey

snails (2000-2003), Norfolk Island survey (2002), Upper Manning River (2007-2008),

marine fieldwork in Great Sandy Straits (2002), Shoalwater Bay (2002), Keswick Island (2005),

Magnetic Island, Qld (2005, 2006), Lord Howe Island (2003, 2005, 2007,2008),

freshwater collections from W. Qld (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007), E. Qld (2003), W.A.

(2000, 2003, 2004), N.T. (2003, 2005), TAS (2004, 2005), Vic (2001), New Zealand (2004),

marine molluscan donations from SW Indian Ocean (2000-2008),

bequest of NSW and Qld land snail collection (2006), and

external contract identification of our NSW land snails (2004, 2005, 2006-2008) and cephalopod

families Sepiidae, Sepiolidae & Idiosepiidae (2006-2007).


Research Research programs conducted by Dr Ponder will continue to add to the collections in the following areas:

continuation of Australian freshwater molluscan research ( Northern Territory, 2007),

continuation of Assimineidae research, estuarine, marine & freshwater (Northern Territory, 2007),

Kimberley Islands Survey (Frank Koehler for WA DEC) representative sub-sets (2007-2009), and

potential new projects if new molluscan researchers appointed.

Donations Amateur malacologists often donate or bequest collections to the Malacology collections. These collections

are a source of historical material and represent localities and taxa not represented in the collection.

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Donated collections are accepted if material is well localised and dated, and fits into priority areas

geographically or taxonomically.

Potential donations/bequests include T. Whitehead collection (marine, Queensland, NSW & worldwide)

and D.Beechey collection (marine, NSW & Queensland), Lord Howe shelf sediments (2008 cruise).

Collection Management The priority for collection development is to continue to develop the NSW collections from the following

locations:

Blue Mountains (2007-2012),

other parts of NSW, funding dependant (2010-2012), and

Lord Howe Island shelf molluscs (2003-2010).

Public Programs It may be necessary to acquire specimens for the ‘Deep Sea’ exhibition in 2010 if the collection does not

contain suitable material.

5.6 Mammology 5.6.1 Description of the collection

The Australian Museum Mammal collection was established in the mid 1800s and has grown to become

one of the most comprehensive collections of Australasian mammals in the world. It currently contains

more than 42,000 specimens of 1,300 species from over 100 different countries. The majority of

specimens, some 24,000, are from Australia, with a further 9,000 from Papua New Guinea, 2, 500 from

Indonesia and 2, 500 from the Solomon Islands. The two largest groups are bats (15,000) and rodents

(9,000). Many of the specimens have great historical value having been collected from areas where that

species may no longer occur. The collection consists of study skins, mounted skins, articulated and non-

articulated skeletons, skulls, teeth, spirit preserved whole specimens and organs and frozen tissues. There

are over 500 type specimens and 140 specimens of extinct species. The Pacific region frozen tissue

collection is amongst the most comprehensive in the world.


wide geographic coverage including extensive collections from Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia

and the Solomon Islands as well as smaller collections from others areas such as Antarctica,

Vanuatu and Fiji,

extensive collections from NSW (approx 14,000 specimens) with smaller collections from other

states (predominantly Queensland, Western Australia and Northern Territory),

broad taxonomic coverage with good representation of most native Australian and Pacific

terrestrial species,

historical depth with specimens dating back to the late 1800s and intermittently over the last 120

years, allowing for studies examining population changes over time,

sizeable collections of Australian and New Guinean types (over 500 specimens) and extinct species

as well as specimens collected during early expeditions to Antarctica, New Guinea, Solomon

Islands, Central Australia and from the Sydney region,

an extensive collection of frozen tissues of mammal species from eastern NSW and the Pacific

region for use in molecular systematic studie,

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a large pouch young collection for use in developmental studies of marsupial,

a skeletal collection of approximately 1300 specimen,

a marine mammal collection which includes 400 specimens of seals. This is an important

collection with specimens acquired during expeditions to Antarctica and sub-Antarctic islands as

well as those from islands off southern Australia, and

a cetacean collection currently consisting of approximately 580 specimens from 41 species of

whale, dolphin and porpoise.

5.6.3 Recent Collection Development The majority of specimens registered into the mammal collection over the past ten years have been acquired

by donation. A small number have been acquired through targeted collecting by staff and through

exchanges with other museums.

Specimen donations have mainly been received from:

institutions within NSW such as the Department of Environment and Conservation (now

Department of Environment and Climate Change) and Taronga Zoo,

university based researchers (students, retirees),

museum research associates, and

general public or wildlife carer groups.


Research It is expected that the marsupial frozen tissue collection will grow substantially over the next few years with

the registration of Dr Mark Eldridge’s tissue collection comprising samples from over 1,000 individuals.

Donations The main source of specimens over the next five to ten years will continue to be from donations. The

general criteria for accepting specimen donations are listed in the Australian Museum Collection

Management Policy, 2008. In addition, priority will be given to species that are:

listed as threatened,

unlikely to be acquired by other collecting methods,

form a “timeline” as they have been regularly collected over the last 100 years or more, and

poorly represented in the collection or the subject of a known research project.

Tissue samples will be collected from most specimens (even if the body is not retained) as these are

economical in terms of preparation time and storage costs.

Using these selection criteria as a guide, the mammal section will continue to accept donations of native

species from DECC offices in the central and north coast regions of NSW. Over the next one to two years

terrestrial vertebrate staff will also visit DECC offices in other parts of the state such as the south coast and

western NSW to set up a system of donations from these areas.

It is proposed that collections of introduced mammal species such as feral cat, fox and rabbit that have a

major impact on the native fauna, be expanded. Twenty two species of mammals have been introduced to

Australia since European settlement (two carnivores, five rodents, thirteen ungulates and two lagomorphs)

with disastrous consequences for the native fauna. Some of these species (House Mouse and Black Rat) are

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well represented by specimens, although this is not matched by tissue samples for use in fine scale molecular

studies. Other exotic species are not well represented by either specimens or tissue samples.

The Collection Manager in mammals will contact feral animal control officers employed by DECC and

request that moderate numbers of cat, fox and rabbit specimens killed during control operations be sent to

regional offices for collection by museum staff. Collection management staff will also collect feral species

during fieldwork.

In order to increase the acquisition rate of seal specimens in the collection (usually limited to only a few

specimens per year) the Collection Manager will request that DECC offices in areas with seal colonies (e.g.

Montague Island, Jervis Bay) collect “pick up” skulls from these colonies and notify the museum of any seal

deaths.

It is expected that collections from the Pacific region (particularly New Guinea) will continue to grow as a

result of fieldwork conducted by Dr Kristofer Helgen (Macquarie University).

Collection Management Filling gaps in state-wide coverage:

Despite ongoing acquisition of specimens from NSW there are still areas of the state that are poorly

represented in the collection. Of particular interest is the area between 142oE and 147oE where few

specimens have been collected. It is proposed that one field trip per year (possibly in collaboration with

other terrestrial sections) be undertaken to collect specimens from sites within this region.

Development of Arid Zone collections The museum’s mammal collection is noted for its historic collections made during exploration of the

deserts of central Australia. These collections lack tissue samples and are often limited in taxonomic

representation. Another area for collection development would be to complement these collections by

sampling in areas such as the Pilbara, Great Sandy, Simpson and Tanami Deserts. One interstate trip will

be scheduled during the next three years in order to address this issue.

Expansion of the marine mammal collection (links to programs 1, 3, 4 and 5) Most cetacean species from the Pacific region are represented in the collection although some by only one

or a few specimens. This is largely because cetaceans are generally difficult and expensive to acquire and

prepare.

A reporting system is currently in place whereby officers from the Department of Environment and

Climate Change (DECC) report cetacean strandings to the mammal section. Specimens are collected by

collection staff or transferred to a freezer for later pickup. Alternatively, arrangements are made for the

specimen to be buried for later retrieval as a skeleton. Frozen tissues samples from stranded animals are

collected by DECC and deposited in the Tissue Collection at the AM.

This system will continue in future, however over the next five years a program of digging up buried

cetaceans will be accelerated. As in the past, collection management staff will carry out exhumations with

assistance from DECC and ORRCA. Final cleaning of exhumed cetaceans will take place at the University

of Sydney Veterinary School facilities.

Expansion outside the Pacific region into SE Asia, Africa and S. America An exchange program with other museums will be initiated in order to complement the extensive

collections of Australian and Pacific mammals. This program would target specimens from closely related

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taxa that occur in SE Asia, Indian Ocean islands, Africa and South America. This applies particularly to

marine mammals (all areas), bats (Africa and SE Asia), rodents (SE Asia) and marsupials (S. America). This

aim is most likely to be achieved through exchange with other institutions.

Future projects (5-10 years) Expansion of collections from Northern Australia to complement Pacific collections:

One of the greatest strengths of the museum’s mammal collection is its extensive collections of specimens

and frozen tissue samples from island chains to the north and east of Australia such as those in New

Guinea, Indonesia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. The mammal collection also contains small but

valuable historic collections from the northern parts of Australia however, tissue samples from these areas

are scant and the taxonomic coverage of specimens is also very limited.

The geographic and taxonomic coverage of the collection would be enhanced by collecting additional

specimens from Northern Australia, in particular the Kimberley, Top End and islands of Northern

Territory and Cape York. Taxa in these areas (particularly bats and rodents) often have close systematic

relationships with those from other parts of the Pacific (particularly New Guinea) and are therefore useful

for a range of taxonomic, systematic, ecological and developmental studies.

Public Programs A small number of mammal specimens are expected to be sourced specifically for the “Surviving Australia”

gallery. Most of these will be mounted skins for public display with the skulls and skeletons prepared and

retained for the collection but not displayed.

5.7 Marine Invertebrates 5.7.1 Description of the collection

Thirty two phyla are curated in the Marine Invertebrates Collection making it the most diverse of the

zoological collections held by the museum. The collection contains approximately 170,000 registered

specimen lots that are estimated to represent over 3 million individual specimens. These include wet and

dry specimens, microscope slides and SEM stubs.

Taxa in the collection occur naturally across the full spectrum of marine, terrestrial and freshwater

environments, however, marine taxa dominate the collection (hence the name given to this collection).

Crustacea (crabs, prawns etc.), Polychaeta (segmented marine worms), Echinodermata (starfish, sea

urchins, sea cucmbers etc.) and Porifera (sponges) are particularly well represented. Geographic coverage of

the collection is focused on the Indo Pacific region and Australia in particular.

The collection dates from 1880 and is still growing through research and targeted sampling. The specimens

are predominantly from NSW, other areas of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. In addition to the registered

specimens, there also unsorted and unidentified samples organised within various geographic or taxonomic

units.

The type specimens comprise in excess of 9000 lots, including more than 2000 primary types.

The current emphasis in building the collection is focused on peracarid crustaceans and polychaete worms,

as this reflects the expertise of Research Scientists presently at the museum. There are also extensive

decapod crustacean, echinoderm, ascidian (sea squirt), pycnogonid (sea spider) and sponge collections

which have been worked on and added to in recent times.

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historical depth of the collection which dates principally from 1880 but has some material

collected prior to this,

large number of type lots (9,000), of which over 2,000 are primary types, providing the foundation

for taxonomic study and the basis for other disciplines such as ecological, population and

environmental research,

large number of specimens cited in publications,

broad taxonomic and geographic coverage for comparative studies,

extensive coverage of taxa at the state level with 72,000 lots from NSW, and

an extensive and well represented collection of Australian Crustacea (particularly decapods,

amphipods and isopods), Polychaeta, Echinodermata and Porifera with diverse but smaller

comparative collections from outside the region.


Collection development in recent years has largely been connected to the activities of museum researchers,

Visiting Fellows and students. The focus has particularly been on aquatic and terrestrial isopods (slaters),

marine amphipods (scuds, beach hoppers) and marine polychaetes. Regular fieldwork by the Collections

staff has concentrated on the NSW coast with an annual field trip to sample inshore waters. This has been

supplemented by collaboration with other institutions to achieve a broader geographic coverage and wider

diversity of taxa in the collection from both inshore and offshore areas. A willingness to use staff expertise

for quality assurance and control in projects undertaken by commercial consultants, and to act as a

repository for reference specimens, usually connected with environmental studies, has also led to some

significant acquisitions to the collection. Further significant collections have been received as donations by

retiring or deceased scientists.

Collaboration and acceptance of reference collections have been particularly effective in taking advantage of

sampling programs that would have been difficult for the museum to undertake alone. In particular this has

also allowed the museum to obtain collections that will be referred to in the future for use in management

activities and will, therefore, have a corresponding high demand for data supply. Examples of this include:

involvement in deep sea biodiversity surveys by CSIRO (including NORFANZ, Voyage of

Discovery and recent sampling of Tasmanian seamounts). These surveys will be used in planning

for Marine Protected Areas and management of The Integrated Marine and Coastal

Regionalisation of Australia being conducted by the Commonwealth Department of the

Environment and Water Resources,

integration of NSW and Queensland Port Survey collections into the museum collection

supported by the federal Department of the Environment and Heritage,

integration of the AusRivers study of major freshwater catchments into the museum collection for

the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (now DECC), and

quality control/assurance and integration of material collected as part of the Deep Ocean Outfall

Monitoring program conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency.


Research Development of the collection during 2007-2012 will continue to be closely connected to the activities of

museum researchers, and associated visiting fellows and students, and the taxa that they study (currently

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aquatic and terrestrial isopods, marine amphipods and marine polychaetes). It is expected that these

activities will become increasingly focused on the programs and key research goals of the museum Science

Research Strategy. In particular the Marine Invertebrates collection is likely to be aligned with Programs 1,

2, 4 and 5. Involvement in deep sea biodiversity surveys by CSIRO also match the goals of Program 1 in

particular and the continued collaboration with this organisation is desired to help build the collection

strategically.

A currently funded research program that will add significant material to the collection is the Circum-

Australia Amphipod Project being conducted by Dr Jim Lowry. This project will sample amphipod

crustaceans from targeted sites around Australia during 2006 and 2008, and these will be identified and

registered into the museum collection during the course of the study.

Possible new collaborations which may result in significant collections and that have been identified in the

museum’s Science Research Strategy are through an affiliation with the Sydney Harbour Institute of

Marine Sciences, which supports marine research in Sydney Harbour.

Donations Development of the collection will also continue to be supplemented and sought through negotiating

donations of reference material from workers outside of the museum. Acceptance of donated material into

the collection will be in line with those of the Collection Management Policy. In particular, identified

material will be sought which fills gaps in existing collections (as defined by relative numbers of lots held

and using criteria based on geographic, temporal, taxonomic and preservation method information) and/or

is relevant to research programs or has strategic value.

Currently three significant donations are expected in the next two years:

donation of Dr John Bradbury’s Australian freshwater amphipod collection from the University of

Adelaide,

Donation of benthic material from the Kimberley region, Western Australia, collected by Dr Jane

Jelbart, Newcastle University, and

Donation of material from the Lennox Head moat from Dr Ruth Owler, Southern Cross

University.

Collection Management Two emerging trends apparent in the last three years have been increasing requests for material for

molecular analysis and for data supply to assist in developing management strategies for specific marine

areas. Management of the collection and fieldwork undertaken will cater for these growing areas and look

to position the section to take advantage of any favourable events that may arise in connection to these

developing areas.

In particular there is an increasing awareness of the need to voucher specimens where DNA has been

extracted. Holdings of tissue and desirably preserved material (i.e. ethanol fixed) from which tissue can be

taken or DNA readily extracted are relatively limited for the Marine Invertebrates collection at present. To

a large extent the growth of the collection in this area will be determined by research on invertebrate groups

within and outside the museum. However, the emphasis for collection building in this area will be

primarily on those groups where active research is being undertaken at the museum using molecular

techniques, currently polychaetes and isopod crustaceans. This may result in some necessary duplication of

sampling of taxa and geographic areas so that specimens can be used in both molecular and morphological

studies which require different methods of preservation.

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Regular fieldwork by the Collections staff will continue to concentrate on the NSW coast with annual field

trips planned depending on available resources. In particular gaps in collection effort have been identified

through mapping the collection and where possible these will be filled both geographically and temporally.

An assessment of collection methods has also been made and, where possible, additional collection

methods, such as nightlighting or light and emergence traps, will be used to increase the diversity of taxa

sampled in the field. However, the emphasis is likely to remain on habitat sampling techniques utilising

scuba. This provides a cross section of taxa, particularly those which are currently studied at the museum

(peracarid crustaceans and polychaete worms).

Because of the range of taxa held in this collection and the difficulty in obtaining the often small specimens

from remote environments (e.g. subtidal aquatic areas) it is likely that the approach of identifying

geographic areas where intensive collections have not occurred, and collection methods that have not been

widely utilised, will also provide a greater representation of taxa than currently held in the collection. A

difficulty which will be encountered in building the collection in this way is the impediment of identifying

the array of material collected, this will be overcome by using volunteers, encouraging external researchers

to utilise the collection and by staff undertaking specific identification projects.

Annual field work will be supplemented by a field day each quarter to maintain field skills. A targeted

sampling program which has additional objectives of enhancing the museum’s collection of asteroid

echinoderms from the Sydney region has been established to make use of this time. This program will

eventually produce a guide to the local asteroid fauna. Asteroids have been chosen as the target group

because they are one of the least labour intensive invertebrates to collect, curate and identify, and this will

minimise the impact of the program on section resources.

Ad hoc involvement with significant sampling programs, such as the deep sea collections conducted by

CSIRO, will be taken advantage of where the opportunities arise although attempts will be made to ensure

that the museum involvement is planned at early stages of any proposed work so as not to disrupt the

activities of the section unduly.

Current field plans for 2007 to 2012 are as follows:

2007-2012 -one day of sampling quarterly in the Sydney region (Gosford to Bundeena) to enhance

current collections of local fauna for targeted taxa, possibly in collaboration with research being

conducted at the Sydney Harbour Institute of Marine Science,

2007 - Annual field trip of approximately ten days in Broken Bay area (central NSW) to fill

collection gap identified by mapping registered collection sites,

2007- Deep sea collections from Tasmanian seamounts in conjunction with CSIRO,

2007 -Deep sea collections from northwestern Australia (Dampier to Darwin) in conjunction with

CSIRO and MV,

2008 -Annual field trip of approximately 10 days in the Narooma (southern NSW) area to fill

collection gaps by targeting an area not well represented in the collection (using some of the

criteria noted in section 1.4.2) but indicated as an area of high diversity because of a transition

between warm temperate and cool temperate environments,

2009 -Annual field trip of approximately 10 days in Coffs Harbour area (mid north NSW coast) to

fill collection gaps by targeting an area not well represented in the collection (using some of the

criteria noted in section 1.4.2) but indicated as an area of high diversity because of a transition

between tropical and warm temperate environments. This may be in collaboration with the Centre

for Marine Science (Southern Cross/University of New England) and/or the Solitary Islands

Marine Park Authority which are located in this area, and

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2010-2012 examine the possibility of sampling previously well collected areas with known

sampling sites (e.g. Hawkesbury River, Botany Bay, Careel Bay and sites in Sydney Harbour such

as Bottle and Glass Rocks) with the aim of examining any temporal changes of the fauna at these

sites and investigating the reasons for change; continue to attempt to fill geographic and taxon gaps

in the collection; build on any collaborations established during 2007-2009, particularly those with

the Sydney Harbour Institute of Marine Science and the Centre for Marine Science and/or the

Solitary Islands Marine Park Authority.

Public Programs It is likely that specimens will be acquired for the ‘Deep Oceans’ exhibition which is planned for 2010.

Acquisitions could come from other museums, donations from deep sea expeditions or Australian Museum

staff participating in deep sea expeditions.

5.8 Mineralogy and Petrology 5.8.1 Description of the collection The Mineralogy and Petrology collections commenced in the early 1830s and comprise more than 70,000

mineral, rock, gemstone, meteorite and tektite specimens from Australia (mainly NSW) and overseas. The

collection includes about 1500 mineral species and eight Type mineral specimens. About 35% of the

collection is from NSW, 25% from other Australian states and Antarctica, and 40% from overseas.


many irreplaceable rock, mineral and meteorite specimens of world quality and great historical value,

especially in the Albert Chapman and Warren Somerville mineral collections,

Australian (especially NSW e.g. Broken Hill, New England, Cobar) display and research mineral

suites from all phases of Australia’s mining history,

the meteorite collection comprising over 750 specimens, is the oldest and most diverse in the country

and has many rare meteorites of world importance, including Lunar and Martian finds,

the gemstone collection comprising more than 600 cut gems & carvings, with a high Australian

content, is the finest of its type,

the tektite collection (2500 specimens) is the most diverse in Australia,

the rock collection includes a comprehensive Australian Cainozoic basaltic rock suite and the

scientifically important & historic Mawson Antarctic collection,

extensive cave mineral suites (calcite, aragonite, various phosphates and sulphates etc.) from Jenolan,

Cliefden and other Australian limestone cave systems are an important study collection, and

Zeolite (hydrous alumino-slicate) minerals from basalt areas of eastern Australia plus overseas, include

nearly all species in the Zeolite Group.

5.8.3 Recent Collection Development Volcanic Rocks: Specimens of basalt and related volcanic rocks from mainly eastern Australia were collected

by Senior Fellow, Lin Sutherland and Research Associate, Ian Graham.

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Cave Minerals: Cave mineral suites (calcite, aragonite, gypsum, various phosphates and sulphates.) from

(mainly) Jenolan Caves, have been collected over the last 12 years as part of an on-going joint Australian

Museum- University of Sydney project on distribution and formation of these minerals.

Zeolites: Suites of zeolite minerals have been collected from basalt areas of eastern Australia (especially New

England), from Kulnura Quarry north of Sydney, and Oberon in southern NSW.

Collection donations: individual specimens and collections of various sizes have been donated from private

individuals, and also from Cluff Resources (diamonds), CSIRO, UTS, and Geological Survey of NSW.

Two important Cultural Gifts program donations were an Ethiopian opal and a 31Kg Henbury, N.T. iron

meteorite.

Collection purchases: Specimens (including 200 additional species we did not have) have been purchased

from the collection of the late Prof. L.J. Lawrence and from private individuals and mineral dealers. An

outstanding purchase was a Kalgoorlie W.A. crystalline gold specimen.


Research Eastern Australian Volcanics: Specimens of basalt and related volcanic rocks from mainly eastern Australia

will be collected, researched and added to the collection by Senior Fellow Lin Sutherland.

Zeolites: specimens of zeolites from Kulnura Quarry and other basaltic volcanic sites in NSW will be

collected with input from Collection Management staff and Research Associates, and results published in

scientific journals. Zeolites are often called ‘environmental minerals’ due to their many uses in agriculture,

water filtration and pollution cleanup, but as many zeolites are difficult to identify, it is important to have

the correct species for the specific environmental task. Such taxonomic work was carried out by R. Pogson

using a new laser Raman microprobe method as part of his MSc work, during which many species

identifications in the collection were re-defined. There is still enormous scope for collecting of eastern

Australian zeolite suites, as volcanic (mainly basaltic) rocks are widespread in this region and are exposed in

new quarries.

Cave Minerals: Continued joint research with University of Sydney, and recently with CSIRO on minerals

from Jenolan Caves will add to specimens collected during previous stages of this project. In some cases

these are contemporary minerals whose formation is still in progress and can be observed. This work fed

into cave conservation and management plans, and also into proposals for cave world heritage listing. It is

proposed this field collecting and research work continues at Jenolan Caves over the next five years, with

further collection, taxonomic description and identification of mineral suites, with associated publications.

Donations Donations will be encouraged in order to acquire high quality display and comparative study specimens

from Australia and overseas from collectors, dealers and companies through solicited and unsolicited

donation and Cultural Gifts Program donations, according to priorities and criteria in the Collection

Management Policy. One aim is to keep irreplaceable specimens in Australia and prevent their dispersal

overseas. Priority is given to those specimens having a direct bearing on current collection management and

research programs.

High quality mineral collections are held by several private individuals of advanced age, or those now

deciding on ultimate fate of their collections, so there are possibilities of a donation of several hundred

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specimens in one lot, although these occasions cannot be predicted. Publicising the collections through

talks, publications and at conferences keeps the Australian Museum in the minds of potential donors.

The Australian Museum will encourage the deposition of Australian Type specimens in our collection by

researchers by publicising the collection through publications, talks and conferences, and by encouraging

individual researchers.

Collection Management The overall strategy for collection development is to maintain and build on current collection strengths in

categories either not covered or inadequately covered by other institutions, and to improve representation.

Collection staff will undertake field collecting at endangered mineral and rock sites to preserve interesting

or unique minerals exposed to destruction through quarrying or mining operations. Such instances cannot

be predicted, and may include new occurrences of crystallised minerals revealed by temporary excavation

for new road works or building foundations, or revealed by recent rock blasts in a quarry. These collecting

events have high priority because the specimens are in danger and are at risk from heavy machinery and

natural deterioration.

Criteria for acquisition are:

improve our coverage of mineral species, (currently 1500) by acquisition through purchase and

exchange with museums, collectors and mineral dealers. The highest priority is for Australian

species currently not held,

improve general coverage of the currently under-represented sedimentary rock class (all rock types)

for mainly NSW, especially Sydney Basin, and within about 500 km radius from Sydney, through

field collecting by staff, Associates, volunteers, and through donation,

maintain a mineral display and reference collection representative of past and current Australian

mining operations, especially from NSW, through field collecting, purchase, and exchange, and

solicitation of examples from recent mines before such specimens become unobtainable,

maintain the high public profile of the gemstone collection by acquiring important gem material

(especially Australian) as well as unusual gems cut from minerals not normally seen in gem form,

by donation, purchase or exchange with collectors and mineral dealers as these uncommon

opportunities arise, and

continue acquisition of important, rare and especially Australian, meteorite specimens through

purchase, exchange or donation from other Museums, collectors or dealers to maintain our

meteorite collection as one of the most important in the southern hemisphere.

Public Programs It is not anticipated that significant targeted collection acquisition will be necessary to support public

programs in the near future.

5.9 Ornithology 5.9.1 Description of the collection

The Ornithology Collection is extensive with more than 70,000 registered specimens. The majority of

these are Australian species, with the major emphasis on NSW. The collections also have a good

representation of specimens from New Guinea, New Zealand and the southwest Pacific, and about 3,500

non-Australian species, representing 95% of bird families of the world.

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The collection is accessed by internal and external researchers in systematic, morphological, ecological and

life history studies. There is also a demand for access by artists, birdwatchers, educators and other ‘non-

science’ users. To meet these needs, collection development aims to provide a suitably comprehensive

range of species and specimen forms that are relevant to this broad audience.

Major strengths include:

study skins, which make up the major portion of the collection, including an important historical

component, with extensive Australian holdings dating from the 1860s and a number of rare

(including the Night Parrot) and extinct species from Australia and elsewhere in the world; these

are supplemented by associated detached, spread wings for many specimens, the largest collection

of these in an Australian institution,

significant holdings of skeletons, which make up one of the most rapidly growing sections of the

collection,

spirit specimens, which includes a considerable number of recently specimens from throughout the

southwest Pacific; this is the largest avian spirit collection in Australia, with an Australasian

component that one of the most significant in the world,

zoological (egg) collections, which provide an important coverage of the Australian avifauna, with

more than 20,000 registered clutches dating from the 1870s, and

a growing collection of tissue samples with a broad taxonomic coverage; these are most extensive

for eastern NSW with more scattered representation from elsewhere in Australia; there are also

important tissue samples from New Guinea and the southwest Pacific species, mainly passerines.


Owing to reduced amount of fieldwork (and, thus active collecting) in the past few years, most specimens

incorporated into the collection have been through donations and the processing of the existing backlog.

In addition to the ongoing acquisition of NSW bodies through national parks, other organisations and

private individuals, other major donations comprised birds from Christmas Island and Antarctica; other

museums also provided material from their own freezers.

A major push to process a backlog of bodies identified for skeletonisation saw a substantial increase in the

number of osteological specimens registered. This was due mainly to the re-establishment of a dermestid

colony that could deal with the accumulated carcasses. (This backlog has not yet been exhausted and

should persist for several years, depending on staff time for final cleaning.)

Short trips by Australian Museum staff, sometimes in conjunction with personnel from other institutions,

contributed some freshly collected material.


Research Few specimens are generated directly by the current research program. Fossil material is borrowed from

other institutions in almost all cases. Comparative specimens may be sought but usually this is viewed as

part of the general collection development, more than acquisitions targeted solely for the research. The

variety of species and specimen types is diverse, as studies by staff cross a number of taxonomic boundaries

and address a range geographic questions.

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Donations A substantial number of specimens for skins, skeletons and tissues can be acquired through donations;

however, there are also a number of taxa for which such means are not feasible. Likewise, donations are

usually obtained from limited geographical areas, leaving many regions unrepresented through the process.

The egg collection will be developed through donations of suitably prepared and documented specimens,

but an active program of collecting will not be undertaken.

Improve representation of specimens at a state level through ongoing solicitation of donations (currently

best developed for northeastern NSW), especially by establishing arrangements with DECC and other

organizations throughout the state.

Other than for eggs, donations are rarely in the form of prepared specimens. Most are carcasses, usually

frozen. To promote such donations, we have encouraged donors to give us everything with the

understanding that we will dispose of what we cannot use. In some instances involving more common

species, we add the caveat that we will accept these if the donor can get the specimens to us but will not

undertake to pick them up ourselves.

Collection Management General principles for collection development (primarily through targeted field collection) will be to

develop three main sections of the collection: study skins, skeletons and tissues (collectively,

specimens). Tissues can be obtained from most specimens including those to be prepared as

skins or skeletons. In other instances, the primary target may be tissues, for which the

accompanying specimens will be retained as vouchers,

improve taxonomic coverage of study skins, skeletons and tissues across Australia, with a

concentration on NSW,

improve taxonomic coverage of study skins, skeletons and tissues from New Guinea, Sulawesi

and southwest Pacific islands,

build number of skins per bioregion per taxon to a minimum representation of ten well

documented specimens considering variation in age and sex,

build minimum representation of skeletons and tissues per taxon to level appropriate for variation

and for studies undertaken,

concentrate on geographic areas that are critical for resolving systematic or biogeographic issues

concentrate on taxa for which such issues are important but remain unresolved, and

build on the strengths of existing collections in areas anticipated to be productive fields of

systematic research into the future.

Over the next five years, collection acquisition in the Ornithology collection will aim to:

improve taxonomic and geographic coverage of specimens at a state level by targeting taxa and/or

regions of NSW inadequately represented in the museum collection, particularly those that are

critical for resolving identified systematic or biogeographic issues,

improve taxonomic and geographic coverage of specimens at a national level by targeting regions

poorly represented in the museum collection, particularly where these have been little exploited

by other institutions (e.g., western temperate woodlands), or are critical for studying the

interaction of faunas or for comparing taxa with congruent distributions,

increase taxonomic and geographic coverage of specimens at the international level where

collections from outside Australia will complement and enhance potential areas of research

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(especially New Guinea and southwest Pacific islands for future systematic research on passerines

and higher non-passerines),

build on the existing strengths of particular groups not particularly covered by any of the above

strategies that are seen to active areas for future research, and

take advantage of opportunities to join Australian Museum staff from other collection areas and

workers from other institutions in fieldwork in Australia and neighbouring islands as these arise.

The following field trips are anticipated:

in NSW, short trips (usually < 10 days) will be undertaken as time and conditions permit. Trips

will include highland regions near Wauchope (targeting Rufous Scrub-bird and Forest Raven),

northwest (targeting Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush), north central region (targeting Bassian-

Eyrean interface). Some these are directed to obtaining species for which there are few tissues and

are poorly represented by properly documented specimens, particularly skeletons or spirits.

Other trips will focus on species in adjacent bioregions,

a preliminary field trip to western temperate woodlands near Norseman, WA, was undertaken

November 2007. This is an area of biogeographic interest that has received little attention in the

past. Further work is planned because of the poor geographic representation from this area in

collection, with some species scarce from any location,

several institutions from within Australia and the US will be conducting field work in Australia in

the next few years. Invitations to accompany them may be accepted if timing allows and the

areas are of interest. It is likely that these field trips will focus on northeastern NSW and central

Queensland. These will concentrate on less well represented taxa and bioregional sampling, and

some discussion of work in the Pacific islands and Sulawesi has taken place about possible trips,

but no firm plans have yet been made. This will involve other Australian Museum sections, and

is likely to be carried out in conjunction with cooperative programs of local museum

development or biodiversity assessment. These bioregions are not well represented by recent,

well-documented specimens, particularly with tissues, skeletons or spirits.

Public Programs Some specimens were acquired for the ‘Surviving Australia’ exhibition. There are no plans for

significant acquisitions for public programs in the next few years.

5.10 Palaeontology 5.10.1 Description of the collection

The Palaeontology Collection of the Australian Museum is one of the oldest in the country with collecting

of fossils commenced during the museum’s very first year of existence in 1829. The collection currently

holds more than 130,000 registered fossil specimens and 14,000 registered thin sections with

representatives of most major fossil groups (invertebrates, vertebrates, plants, algae, and trace fossils) from

NSW and other states and territories of Australia, as well as from overseas. Since 1986, the Palaeontology

Collection has been divided into two parts the General Collection and the Type Collection. The latter with

a total of about 15% of registered specimens includes all the primary types, plus figured and cited

specimens in publications. The estimated total number of specimens and objects (including specimens, thin

sections, and microfossils) in the Type Collection is about 26,000.

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a large collection of Australian Pleistocene mega-fauna fossils,

extensive Palaeozoic-Mesozoic fish collections from NSW, Antarctica, and other parts of Australia,

a large opalised fossil collection mainly from Lightning Ridge and White Cliffs of NSW (including

“Eric”, the national treasure, an opalised pliosaur from Coober Pedy),

a large fossil arthropod collection including trilobites from Australia and overseas, and Permian

insects from NSW,

extensive Palaeozoic invertebrate fossil collections (mainly corals, brachiopods, molluscs, and

bryozoans) from NSW,

a large collection of Permian and Mesozoic floras mainly from NSW,

a large collection of microfossils (mainly conodonts) from Australia and overseas, and

several historically important collections gained in the early years of the museum history (such as

the Krantz Collection of some 8,000 European invertebrate fossils purchased in 1880).


Palaeontology collections have benefited from the deposition of significant fossil collections from several

tertiary institutions in NSW in the last twenty years. As a result the type collections have grown rapidly by

adding 6165 type specimens from the University of Wollongong, University of New England, University

of Newcastle and the University of Sydney from 1979 to 1994. In the last ten years, substantial numbers of

specimens have also been added to the Type Collections, mainly through the donations by researchers from

the Australian Museum (Greg Edgecombe, Zerina Johanson, Alex Ritchie, Yong Yi Zhen) and other

institutions in NSW.


Research During the next five years (2007-2012), the research project of Dr Yong Yi Zhen, (study of Ordovician

conodonts from NSW, Tasmania and South China) will add a substantial number of microfossil

(conodonts) specimens to the type collections (estimated as 2000 to 5000 specimens).

Donations Fossil specimens will be accepted for donation if they satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

1. Unique scientific items.

New taxa, types, figured and cited material in a publication, and potential type material.

Unusual mode of preservation (e.g. opalised fossils).

Unique examples from specific locality, age, or rock formation.

2. Rare examples of known taxa.

3. Taxa unrepresented in the Museum collection.

4. Source difficult (or impossible) to collect from due to physical or financial constraints

5. Spectacular specimens of a quality that would be suitable for display in the present or future.

6. Specimens that can be replicated for exchange and/or teaching that are of display quality

There are a large number of fossil specimens, including type specimens, currently in the care of individual

researchers in NSW which are expected to be deposited in the collections in the next few years. Dr. Barry

Webby, a world authority on Ordovician stromatoporoids and corals, (1965-1995, University of Sydney)

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will soon deposit extensive type collections. W. B. K. Holmes (Palaeobotanist), holds large type collections

that he plans to publish and deposit in the Australian Museum collections within the next five years.

Collection Management In the next five years, deposition of types by researchers and postgraduate students will continue to be the

major source of collection growth. If a new fossil site is discovered or a site is reopened in NSW, collections

staff would assess the value of the site and the potential to enhance the collections.

Public Programs During 2007 and 2008, substantial fossil dinosaur material including specimens and replicas were

purchased for the new Dinosaur Gallery which opened to the public in early 2008. These include 39

replicas and three real specimens with a total value of nearly $500,000. A few objects including replicas of a

giant Wombat and a giant Echidna are planned to be purchased for the new gallery – “Surviving Australia”.

It is planned to acquire some new display specimens from field collecting where it has been identified that

better specimens than those currently on display can easily be collected.

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