The Museum celebrates Australian social history in a unique way by revealing the stories of ordinary and extraordinary Australians, promoting the exploration of knowledge and ideas and providing a dynamic forum for discussion and reflection.

With a history of challenging convention and encouraging debate about who we are as Australians and what shapes our national culture and psyche, the Museum is sometimes controversial and never dull. For every Australian visitor, there is something to remember, share, enjoy or learn. For overseas visitors, there is the chance to experience, through sight, sound and touch, what Australia used to be, what it is now and what it could be, motivating them to travel further in Australia, having had a taste of a living, dynamic and futuristic museum.