Spirited: Australia’s Horse Story

By Sas Lyon

The National Museum of Australia’s new equine exhibition, Spirited: Australia’s Horse Story, will trace how people and horses have together helped to build the Australian nation.

Spirited: Australia’s Horse Story is due to open at the National Museum in Canberra in September 2014, with a smaller version to tour around Australia from July 2015. The exhibition is part of the Museum’s Horses in Australia project, which commenced in early 2013. It will present stories of the powerful bonds and enduring relationships that have formed between Australians and their horses.

The experience

The exhibition will trace how horses have enriched our lives, built our society and shaped our environments, offering visitors the opportunity to discover the powerful bonds that link us with these beautiful animals.

It will draw together objects from the National Museum’s National Historical Collection, including icons of Australian thoroughbred racing, historic horse drawn vehicles, tools from a 1920s saddlery shop, a World War One Australian Light Horse uniform, equine anatomical specimens and trophies and equipment from the nation’s leading international equestrians.

Film, sound and sculptural elements bring the majesty and character of the horse into the space, with specially produced audiovisual elements profiling contemporary equestrians talking about their lives with their horses.

The exhibition will offer a range of experiences for visitors, including:

• A children’s trail and a specially designed family activity area
• An extended equine encounter beyond the exhibition, into the Museum’s galleries to discover treasures like Phar Lap’s heart and the Sunshine stripper-harvester
• A comprehensive website with extra information about Australia’s horse history, behind-the-scenes stories, videos and visitors’ horse tales.

Source: National Museum Australia