The Gale History Museum at Macquarie University

ancient glass bottles
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Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this museum's content contains names, images, and voices of persons who have passed. Some historical materials include outdated terms and views that may be offensive. These sources reflect past attitudes and do not represent current views. We present this content respectfully as part of our shared history, acknowledging its potential to cause distress.

Explore the past to understand the present

The Gale History Museum at Macquarie University is part of the Faculty of Arts and is home to 18,000 historic artefacts ranging from the prehistoric to the 21st century. Opened in 2021 as the Macquarie University History Museum, in May 2025 it was renamed in honour of Dr Janet Gale and her late husband Dr William Gale.

View of the museum gallery

The Museum incorporates the collections of the former Museum of Ancient Cultures and Australian History Museum and features coins from its partner collection the Australian Centre for Numismatic Studies. The Museum is open to the general public on weekdays, and all are welcome to visit. Its collections also serve to enhance the learning experiences of Macquarie University students.

The Gale History Museum at Macquarie University
25C Wally’s Walk
Macquarie University NSW 2109 Our museum is open to the general public. Your support makes our work possible.
Dr Tom Derrick, Gale Research Fellow in Ancient Glass and Material Culture here at Macquarie University was recently featured on ABC Kids' Imagine This podcast to talk about how ancient glass was made...