WHAT‘S ON

Our island museum is a treasure chest of natural history, fantastic collections, excellent learning resources, changing displays, inspiring information, great gifts and lots of interactive ways to enjoy learning more about this truly unique place on our planet.

Take a look through our website as an introduction to our wonderful museum. Visit our resources section for a visual review of fantastic marine life, land plants, birds, geology, climate, historical artifacts, shipwrecks, corals, historical photographs, and more.

And why not browse through our special gifts section for a great book about your special interest or purchase a unique craft collectable.

You can ask a question of our knowledgeable volunteers and museum Curator, make a comment about your visit to the island, or organise a special conference of colleagues or students in our workshop centre by contacting us via our interactive contacts page. 

Keep discovering more everyday at the Lord Howe Island Museum.

FEATURED DISPLAYS

WOODHEN RESCUE

In 1980 the Woodhen was saved by one of the most outstanding bird recovery programs in the world. 

Over three years, 92 Woodhen chicks were hatched and reared at the island’s captive breeding centre, and successfully released into the wild.

This achievement was honoured with a new display in 2005.

BALLS PYRAMID

This display comprises a detailed replica of Balls Pyramid with photo panels and story-boards that document the history of access and rock climbing on the Pyramid.

The display was sponsored by Dick Smith, who attended the launch with his climbing mates from the first ascent to the top of the Pyramid, in 1964.

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY DISPLAY

A new display at the museum is a monitor that displays the real-time output from the Island’s Solar array. 

The recently installed array has 3,240 solar panels with 1.328MW of solar energy generation capacity, and batteries with storage capacity of 3.712 MW.

This will move the island to a more sustainable future and reduce the island’s reliance on imported fossil fuels.

Our display shows the output from the solar array, the current energy demand and the battery storage level.

You can also view this information online here: LHI Board’s live-linked dashboard

RECENT ARTICLES

THE LORD HOWE ISLAND PHASMID

Dryococelus australis, commonly known as the Lord Howe Island stick insect or tree lobster, is a species of stick insect that lives on the Lord Howe Island Group. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Dryococelus and was thought to be extinct by 1920, only to be rediscovered in 2001. 

We now have a permanent display case housing several Lord Howe Island phasmids. 

Come to the Museum and see these amazing stick insects, and learn about their return from the edge of extinction.

Phasmid nymph

CLIMATE CHANGE

Like the rest of the world. Lord Howe Island is already experiencing the effects of Climate Change.

The island is seeing a decline in annual rainfall, from the records that began in 1882.  The summer temperatures are getting higher, with daytime maximums over 28°C not uncommon now.

These changes are impacting ecosystems on the island.

Orographic cloud over Mt Gower

THE RAT ERADICATION PROGRAMME

The worst feral mammal to arrive on Lord Howe Island was the Black rat, Rattus rattus. They first arrived on the island in 1918 from the cargo ship Makambo and quickly multiplied, wreaking havoc with the wildlife. Within ten years of arriving the rats had eaten five landbirds into extinction. More recently, two plant species and a number of invertebrates have disappeared.

Birds of Lord Howe Island

This lecture is held every Thursday evening, unless cancelled.
Birds are the major animal life on the island. 17 species of landbirds and 14 species of seabirds breed on the island. A total of 230 species have been recorded.

Read More »

EVENTS and ACTIVITIES

MUSEUM CALENDAR

March 2024

MO
TU
WE
TH
FR
SA
SU
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Lord Howe Island World Heritage
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
This lecture is held every Monday evening, unless cancelled. A comprehensive look at the geologic origins, fossils, flora and fauna, evolution stories and landscapes of the island. Then a brief history of the island, from discovery, through settlement, the kentia palm industry and tourism. This then leads into conserva , ...
5
6
7
Birds of Lord Howe Island
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
This lecture is held every Thursday evening, unless cancelled. Birds are the major animal life on the island. 17 species of landbirds and 14 species of seabirds breed on the island. A total of 230 species have been recorded. We look at the landbirds breeding today, the extinct birds and what happened to them, the Wood , ...
8
9
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Lord Howe Island World Heritage
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
This lecture is held every Monday evening, unless cancelled. A comprehensive look at the geologic origins, fossils, flora and fauna, evolution stories and landscapes of the island. Then a brief history of the island, from discovery, through settlement, the kentia palm industry and tourism. This then leads into conserva , ...
12
13
14
Birds of Lord Howe Island
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
This lecture is held every Thursday evening, unless cancelled. Birds are the major animal life on the island. 17 species of landbirds and 14 species of seabirds breed on the island. A total of 230 species have been recorded. We look at the landbirds breeding today, the extinct birds and what happened to them, the Wood , ...
15
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18
Lord Howe Island World Heritage
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
This lecture is held every Monday evening, unless cancelled. A comprehensive look at the geologic origins, fossils, flora and fauna, evolution stories and landscapes of the island. Then a brief history of the island, from discovery, through settlement, the kentia palm industry and tourism. This then leads into conserva , ...
19
20
21
Birds of Lord Howe Island
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
This lecture is held every Thursday evening, unless cancelled. Birds are the major animal life on the island. 17 species of landbirds and 14 species of seabirds breed on the island. A total of 230 species have been recorded. We look at the landbirds breeding today, the extinct birds and what happened to them, the Wood , ...
22
23
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25
Lord Howe Island World Heritage
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
This lecture is held every Monday evening, unless cancelled. A comprehensive look at the geologic origins, fossils, flora and fauna, evolution stories and landscapes of the island. Then a brief history of the island, from discovery, through settlement, the kentia palm industry and tourism. This then leads into conserva , ...
26
27
28
Birds of Lord Howe Island
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
This lecture is held every Thursday evening, unless cancelled. Birds are the major animal life on the island. 17 species of landbirds and 14 species of seabirds breed on the island. A total of 230 species have been recorded. We look at the landbirds breeding today, the extinct birds and what happened to them, the Wood , ...
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