Armidale Folk Museum

Tracing its origins back to 1933 the Armidale Folk Museum is housed in the magnificent 1863 Armidale Literary Institute and explores the history of the region.

A wide range of exhibits show everyday life and work in the past and the citizens’ solemn sacrifice in times of war.

Permanent displays provide a glimpse into how the region was settled in the 1840s and its development into a thriving agricultural area and provider of education. A changing program of diverse exhibitions and events tell the stories significant to the local community.

The Armidale Folk Museum began in 1933 and was established to house the valuable collection of gems and minerals donated by Mr Alfred Pike. The museum, with its displays of technological and natural history, was seen as an important addition to the city’s facilities for learning. The Second World War saw the museum closed and its building used for more pressing purposes.

In October 1958 the museum was officially reopened, largely through the personal enthusiasm of the late Eric Dunlop (1910-1974), Senior Lecturer in History and Social Science at the Armidale Teachers’ College. Since then the collection has grown to over 4000 objects, mainly due to the generosity of New England residents, and includes a fine carriage used by the White family in the 1800s and a unique collection of WW1 fundraising badges.