Cave Works
Lake Cave Visitor Centre, Margaret River
Opened late 1995
This state-of-the-art facility was a first in Australia when it opened in 1996, giving visitors the opportunity to discover the history and secrets of the region's caves before they went on a self-guided tour down into Lake Cave.
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Leading a team at the WA museum, we undertook the research, concept and content development, design, documentation, and project delivery of the Cave Works display.
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The Cave Works exhibition told the story of Lake Cave, the social and cultural history of the region, the caves discovery in 1867 and its opening to the public in 1901. With the expertise of the WA Museums Earth and Planetary Science Department, and Palaeontologists who had excavated a number of fossils from the region's caves, we presented displays on the megafauna found in the local caves, including illustrations and a scale model of a Thylacoleo skeleton; and to foster a deeper awareness of the region's natural environment; displays on the current fragile living geology and ecology of the area.
Since access down the side of the sinkhole and into the cave was difficult, the team at the Centre wanted to provide a unique experience for visitors who would not be able to make the trek. We designed and built a replica cave, with a boardwalk and reflection pool; displaying examples of all the common cave formations and decorations seen in local caves and an explanation of how they were formed. Plus, a cave crawl for kids to experience what it's like for cave explorers.
Western Australian Museum
Opened 1999
In 1999, the WA Museum moved its public entry to face Perth city and the James Street Mall, with a glass insertion between the Jubilee Wing and Hackett Hall. Joining the two buildings to become the Western Australian Museum’s new foyer. A new Discovery Centre was developed in a non-heritage area in Hackett Hall, directly adjacent to and in time for the launch of the new entry.