Santos Museum of Economic Botany

Santos Museum of Economic Botany
The Museum of Economic Botany
Santos Museum of Economic Botany is located in South Australia
Santos Museum of Economic Botany
Location within South Australia
Established1881
LocationNorth Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia
Coordinates34°55′05″S 138°36′41″E / 34.91806°S 138.61131°E / -34.91806; 138.61131[1]
Typeeconomic botany
Websitehttps://www.botanicgardens.sa.gov.au/visit/adelaide-botanic-garden/santos-museum-economic-botany

The Santos Museum of Economic Botany, located in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens,[2] displays a permanent collection exhibiting the practical, medicinal and economic use of plant materials.[3]

It was inspired by the museum in London's Kew Gardens, which opened in 1847, the Adelaide Museum opened in 1881 and is the sole remaining museum of its kind in Australia.[2] Upon opening, the Museum of Economic Botany displayed 3500 objects specifically designed to show the link between the raw material and the final consumer product. It currently displays over 3000 specimens, representing 99% of collected material, and regularly hosts contemporary art exhibitions, such as Tamar Dean's photographic exhibition as part of the 2018 Adelaide Festival Biennial.[4][5]

Seeds on display in the museum

Instigated and developed by its first Director Richard Schomburgk, who drew on his international network of like-minded botanists to gather a wealth of content, the plant materials on display range from essential oils, gums and resins, fibre plants, dyes, food and beverage plants, fibres etc.[6]

With its Greek-revival style facade,[2] the Museum was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate on 21 October 1980 and on the South Australian Heritage Register on 23 September 1982.[7][8]

Criticism

The climate activist group Extinction Rebellion has criticised an agreement struck between the Adelaide Botanic Garden and the fossil fuel company Santos in 2009,[9] which saw part of a $2 million investment in the garden gifted to the museum and naming rights go to Santos until 2029.[10] Extinction Rebellion have held numerous protests at the Museum[11] to highlight the incongruity of a fossil fuel company sponsoring an institution dedicated to conservation and biodiversity,[12] and to call on the Adelaide Botanic Garden to drop Santos as a sponsor and fully divest from the fossil fuel industry.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Search results for 'Museum of Economic Botany' with the following datasets selected – 'Suburbs and Localities and 'Gazetteer'". Location SA Map Viewer. South Australian Government. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Alexander Parsons, History Trust of South Australia, ‘Museum of Economic Botany’, SA History Hub, History Trust of South Australia, [https://sahistoryhub.history.sa.gov.au:443/places/museum-of-economic-botany?hh=1& ], accessed 18 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Santos Museum of Economic Botany". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  4. ^ McDonald, John (6 March 2018). "2018 Adelaide Biennial: Difference as the natural order of things". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  5. ^ "Adelaidenow.com.au | Subscribe to The Advertiser for exclusive stories". www.adelaidenow.com.au. Retrieved 18 May 2019.[dead link‍]
  6. ^ Speirs, Geoff; Unit, History Trust of South Australia Community History (1991). Museums in South Australia directory. Adelaide, S.A. : Community History Unit, History Trust of South Australia. ISBN 9780958866590.
  7. ^ "Museum of Economic Botany, North Tce, Adelaide, SA, Australia - listing on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate (Place ID 6431)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. 21 October 1980. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  8. ^ Wotton, D.C. (23 September 1982). "SOUTH AUSTRALIAN HERITAGE ACT, 1978-1980" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. p. 861. Retrieved 8 August 2019. Museum of Economic Botany - Botanic Gardens, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000. Botanic Gardens Reserve, Government Gazette 28.10.65, portion of section 573, hundred of Adelaide, county of Adelaide.
  9. ^ "Santos announces $6 million community benefits package for SA". Santos. 28 May 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  10. ^ "Will Adelaide Botanic Gardens dump Santos sponsorship?". Radio Adelaide. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Extinction Rebellion protesters rally against Santos sponsorship". 7NEWS Adelaide. 5 September 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Botanic gardens backed by Santos". Radio Adelaide. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  13. ^ Haskey, Emelia (31 May 2022). "Extinction Rebellion protests Adelaide Botanic Garden's Santos partnership". CityMag. Retrieved 1 June 2022.