Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

MAGNT is the Northern Territory’s central public museum and gallery, with collections that span Indigenous Australian art, visual art, maritime history and natural sciences. The institution’s headquarters are in the inner Darwin suburb of The Gardens, while its major Darwin galleries sit on the harbour-front site developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The museum’s origins date from legislation in the 1960s and early directors appointed in the 1970s; the Old Town Hall was the museum’s first site until Cyclone Tracy in 1974 damaged buildings and collections. A purpose-built museum at Bullocky Point (Fannie Bay) opened in 1981, was extended in the early 1990s to include maritime displays, and adopted the current name in 1993.

MAGNT presents its own exhibitions and touring shows from around Australia and administers important programs and sites across the Territory, including the annual Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award. The organisation also manages other heritage attractions such as Fannie Bay Gaol and the Defence of Darwin interpretive experience, plus regional centres including the Museum of Central Australia and the Strehlow Research Centre.

• Indigenous and contemporary art galleries: Extensive displays of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art sit alongside contemporary Australian art, with regularly rotating exhibitions.
• Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award displays: Each year MAGNT presents works associated with Australia’s long-running national award for Indigenous artists.
• Sweetheart the crocodile: The museum houses the famous ‘Sweetheart’ crocodile specimen, an unusual and much-photographed exhibit in the natural history collection.
• Maritime gallery: Maritime and coastal history displays cover shipwrecks, coastal communities and the Territory’s seafaring past.
• Fannie Bay Gaol and Defence of Darwin Experience: MAGNT manages nearby heritage sites - the historic Fannie Bay Gaol and the Defence of Darwin WWII interpretation - which are best visited as a combined outing.

The museum is in Darwin; the nearest airport is Darwin International Airport, a short drive from the city centre. Long-distance rail visitors arrive on The Ghan at Darwin railway station when the service is running to the city.

From central Darwin the museum site is reached by taxi, rideshare, hire car or local bus services; if you plan to visit managed sites such as East Point or Fannie Bay Gaol, allow time for short drives or local transport and check public-transport timetables locally.

• Check opening days and current exhibitions with the museum before you go, as galleries and touring shows rotate regularly.
• If you want to see the Telstra Art Award displays or specific Indigenous exhibitions, allow extra time because featured shows can be large and popular.
• Combine a visit with nearby waterfront parks and heritage sites, such as Bicentennial Park and East Point for WWII sites managed by MAGNT.
• During the wet season some outdoor heritage sites or drives can be affected by heavy rain; the main galleries remain indoors but check access for external sites.
• Respect any photography or handling restrictions in exhibition spaces, especially for sensitive Indigenous material.