Madang Museum
Local museum in Madang, Papua New Guinea
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Madang Museum is a museum in Madang, Papua New Guinea, which displays objects from its locality and the East Sepik province.
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| Established | 6 June 1981 |
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| Location | Madang, Papua New Guinea |
| Coordinates | 5.2261938°S 145.800925°E |
| Type | Local |
Background
In 1975 the suggestion arose that a local museum should be created in Madang, an idea that was supported by the government of the province, expatriates, and local tourist businesses.[citation needed] The museum opened on 6 June 1981. It was opened by Kaki Angi, then Minister for Tourism for the province.[1] The museum shares a building with the Madang Visitors and Cultural Bureau.[2] In 2015 the museum underwent a restoration programme, led by ethnographer and volunteer Mary Mennis. Madang Provincial Government covers wages and utility costs for the museum, but other funding comes from private donations.[3]
Collections and research
The museum collection contains both ethnographic and natural science objects.[1] One notable object is a head-dress from Bosmum village which was worn as part of a male initiation ritual.[2] As of 2008 approximately half of the objects on display were from Madang and the rest from East Sepik Province.[1] The museum was a partner in a research project which explored diet in the region over the last millennium through zooarchaeological analysis, as well as lipid analysis.[4]