About us
Art, science, history and ancient cultures
Located on Gadigal land, in the heart of the University of Sydney, the Chau Chak Wing Museum is a hub for sharing the University’s extensive collections with the wider community.
The Museum’s origins can be traced back to the Nicholson Collection of Antiquities, established in 1860. Over time, the Museum's collection expanded to encompass the Macleay Collections, comprising natural history specimens, cultural and scientific objects, historic photography, and the University Art Collection.
Officially opened in 2020, the Museum was thoughtfully designed by Johnson Pilton Walker. Its primary purpose is to unify these diverse collections within one multidisciplinary institution. The Museum's collections traverse various cultures and periods, ranging from ancient civilisations such as Rome, Greece, and Egypt, to the cultures of First Nations peoples worldwide, with natural history collections and works by prominent contemporary artists.
Embodying cultural and artistic creativity at its core, the Chau Chak Wing Museum welcomes all communities to engage with the collections.
443,900+ collection items in total
28,000+ antiquities - the largest collection in Australia
315,400+ insects in the entomology collection
8,000+ paintings, sculptures and contemporary artworks
50,000+ historic photographs
The long-held dream of bringing the University’s three major collections together, pieced together over more than 150 years, was realised thanks to the foresight and generosity of Dr Chau Chak Wing, the Chinese-Australian businessman and philanthropist, and our other donors: The Ian Potter Foundation, Nelson Meers Foundation and Penelope Seidler AM. Read more about our benefactors.
Phone: +61 2 93512812
Email: [email protected]
Chau Chak Wing Museum
University Place
Camperdown NSW 2050
