Museums Bathurst
Museums Bathurst – a diverse group of local Museums operated by Bathurst Regional Council, each offering very different experiences that complement a broad range of other cultural attractions that Bathurst has to offer. Explore unique and extraordinary collections through tours, learning programs, and continually evolving exhibitions and events.
See natural history at its most stunning, and track the evolution of our planet at the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum. The Somerville Collection in the Mineral Gallery and the Chapman Collection in the temporary exhibition gallery, currently on loan from the Australian Museum, come from mine sites around the world making them historically significant and irreplaceable heritage items. They show a large diversity of minerals from world-wide deposits and are of exceptional crystal perfection.
Celebrate the speed, sound and excitement of Australian Motor Sport and get up close to an ever-changing line-up of more than 100 racing cars and motorbikes at the National Motor Racing Museum right alongside the iconic Mount Panorama race circuit.
Explore the stories of the railway and its impact on the local region at the Bathurst Rail Museum. Be amazed by a model railway the size of a tennis court. Learn about the opportunities the railway provided for trade, transport and employment, as well as the new social and cultural scene that flourished in Bathurst.
Step into the home of former Prime Minister Ben Chifley and his wife Elizabeth. The Chifley Home and Education Centre is a 1940’s time capsule that embodies the modest values of a Labor man, well-loved leader, and Bathurst local. While it reflects the frugal living necessary during the nation’s post-war recovery, the house remains full of Mr and Mrs Chifley’s charm, warmth and numerous stories.
The Central Tablelands Collections Facility is under construction. It will safeguard valuable and fragile collections, archives and other significant cultural items under the care of Bathurst Regional Council. It will offer collection management services and training in the storage, cataloguing, conservation and curatorship of artefacts.
