Our exhibitions aim to tell Queanbeyan’s Story.

As well as permanent displays we have a regular changing exhibition program.

Our latest Exhibition is a changing display of our most recent acquisitions and a few treasures from our vault. There is also a new display for ANZAC Day 2018. These will be open to the public on Saturday 21 April for our Heritage Festival 2018 Open Day.

This replaces: Harry Hesse – A Good Neighbour  Harry was a community activist of the best sort: a good neighbour, a teacher at Karabar High School, a Trade Unionist, a Peace Activist, an active member of Technical Aid for the Disabled, a Queanbeyan City Councillor, a prolific writer of letters about Indigenous rights, public transport.

Photograph by Kerrie Ruth. Queanbeyan & District People for Peace at Palm Sunday Peace March, Canberra, 1980s.  From the Harry and Shirley Hesse Collection, QDHMS.

Other exhibitions:

Made by Hand – a display of hand made items from the collection

Stories From a Country Town – Queanbeyan 1914-1918 – Commemorating the ANZAC Centenary

Queanbeyan’s Living History – Oral History Project

150 years of Queanbeyan Public School

Post Haste – the story of communication in Queanbeyan

Queanbeyan’s Story Begins
Explores the Ngambri people, early exploration and settlement of our region.

Bushrangers, Villains and Larrikins
This exhibition looks at two phases of the history of bushranging in the Queanbeyan area, beginning with the convict era and going on to the gold rush era.

Queanbeyan Has Iron Lung
This exhibition explores the history of the development of the design of the Museum’s Both ‘iron lung’ and polio in Australia.

Phonographs and Photographs
A look at the life of businessman and entrepreneur Theo Cooper.

Queanbeyan Medical Practices
A glimpse of the history of health care in the Queanbeyan region.

The Old Blacksmith’s Shop
A look inside the local blacksmith’s shop as it would have been in the early 1900s.Museum

Treasures
Treasure from our collection include: Wright’s 1860s Store Journal.

Threads
Displays some beautiful clothing and sewing machines from the Museum Collection.

The Wash House
Washing ourselves and our clothes in the early 20th century.

From Flyscreens to Electricity – Hession and Ice
Explores the evolution of food technology and how we kept food cool in early Queanbeyan.