Melbourne's Living Museum Of The West, Maribyrnong, VIC

Australia's first ecomuseum, Melboune's Living Museum of the West is a community museum, operating in the western region of Melbourne in the state of Victoria, Australia. (An ecomuseum is a museum focused on the identity of a place, largely based on local participation and aiming to enhance the welfare and development of local communities. There are presently about 300 operating ecomuseums in the world; about 200 are in Europe - source: wikipedia) The Living Museum, as it is more commonly known, was set up in 1984 to address what was then seen as a disadvantaged region, geographically flat and rocky, heavily industrialised with a high migrant population. The ecomuseum concept regards the area researched by a museum as part of the museum itself. Geologically it sits on an extensive basalt plain with low rainfall. Its population is approximately 500, 000 people from approximately 70 different countries. More than 30 % of the population were born in another country. It has in fact given rise to a cultural dynamic that challenges more conventional forms of interpretation. The Living Museum is best known for its outreach programs and close involvement with the community it serves.

• Art
• melbourne
• Education
• Culture
• Museum
• Heritage
• Migrant
• Local History
• Publications
• Rivers
• Excursions
• Multicultural
• Bluestone
• Walking Trails
• Industrial History
• Ecomuseum
• Pipemaker's Park
• Social History
• Visitor Center
• Oral History
• Aboriginal History
• Community Organisation