Esperance Museum
Esperance Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
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4.5
194 reviews
Excellent
107
Very good
62
Average
18
Poor
4
Terrible
3
Jenna Claire
Cornwall, UK155 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Was looking forward to learning a bit of Esperance history which I did and the staff were great, however the layout is very confusing.. It felt like everything was just in storage rather than on display and in the machinery part I felt like I was in my uncles farm shed.. There are a lot of great pieces and I think the museum would benefit more from a rethink of the displays and maybe lay them out differently..
Written 15 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma_J2222
Sydney, Australia26 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
There is an eclectic collection of things here which we're interested and have an insight to times gone by. However, there was only one short line about an Aboriginal man helping early settlers track. Otherwise, you would think no one was there when the Europeans arrived as no other comment about their relationship with the local Indigenous clans. I felt like it was history from 40 years ago - a complete white wash!
Written 29 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andy H
Perth, Australia3 contributions
Apr 2022
Congratulations to the locally run Museum. There was a huge assortment of memorabilia and historic items which have been donated by locals. My father in law fort in the war and drove a Bren Gun Carrier so we were thrilled to find one in this museum as we had never seen one before. The staff were lovely and we would recommend the museum for interesting visit to the past.
Written 21 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KatSimpson78
Inverness, UK122 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
What a wee treasure. Looks tiny from the outside but it's actually really big inside. Crammed full of really interesting items and we loved how they were all presented. We were pushed for time which was disappointing as you really need a decent amount of time to explore everything and read all the information. The staff are fabulous, friendly and so helpful. The place is clean and the toilets are immaculate. A must see when in this beautiful town.
Written 26 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elyssa H
Serpentine, Australia79 contributions
June 2021 • Couples
What a gem of a museum! Lots of history and well run! Opening hours a bit hit and miss as they only open for 3 hours in the afternoon. Would be good to be open mornings. Lovely ladies at the front and cheap entry fee. Loads of cool things to see, lots of anzac history and the space history was awesome! Some cool marine stuff too. You only need 1-2 hours to dordle around. Loved it!
Written 17 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
womblewa
Mandurah, Australia1,365 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
A fantastic experience!! Real things used by real people. Not you push a button and a computer generates a story. This is not the one or two small rooms we were expecting, this is a large barn+ full of stuff. A bit dusty (authentic!) So if you are asthmatic take Ventolin. Roughly categorised but also a tad disorganised, but in a good way, real life is disorganised. Marine, phones, war, old technology, old railway carriages, old machinery, horse drawn wagons , groceries...on and on. Glorious and for what is on show a ridiculously cheap price ($6.50 for pensioners). Brilliant, thank you.
Written 18 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gfsc5
Perth, Australia1,814 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
The Esperance Museum is a tricky place to review. It's a very large venue with the building actually having a history of its own although it wasn't easy to find said history. It's not a purpose built building which means conditions are far from ideal from a preservation perspective. There's lots and lots and lots of exhibits but it's generally not shown at its best which is why I've only rated the museum a three.
There's some very interesting items on view with lots of pieces to generate discussion especially for we older folk. How it all relates to Esperance isn't always clear. I suspect the museum’s collection policy - if they have one - is rather vague. My feeling is that they would take anything that has a vague connection with anybody from or in Esperance.
The collection is sort of grouped by theme but it's not always clear. There's so much in there it actually looks, in places, like the storage area rather than the display area for the public. Sometimes less is more. It gets to the stage where people visiting just wander aimlessly because they're overwhelmed by exhibits. A very good example is the machinery section which has all manner of farming and other machines crammed in like you might find in a farmer's shed. Although most of these machines had a label.
There's lots that could be done and attempts of sorts have been made. Two examples are the pioneer's room and the old shop but they're still a bit of a mish mash. Something that's missing at the museum is the lack of storytelling. I could envisage - with the two spaces just mentioned - some great display boards telling the story of a specific pioneer or storekeeper (or multiple pioneers and storekeepers) with smaller notices talking about individual pieces of furniture or store items. The number of items would have to be reduced to help stop that feeling of being overwhelmed.
One area where the museum does have display boards that tell a story is in relation to new land opening up for agriculture on places like Condingup. All very well done although perhaps there could be some links to specific museum items.
The biggest opportunity for the museum is with Skylab where they have possibly the best collection of items in the world. They do have quite a bit on display but the only bit of storytelling is from some old newspaper articles of the time. Interesting but they could do much, much better. As it is the existing display is stuck in the middle of the main display area - down towards the back in fact - when, to my mind, it should have pride of place.
The collection needs a good clear out and a rearrangement so it doesn't look like a storage space. Special rooms or spaces should be developed to help with storytelling The main requirement would be a purpose built building and employment of staff who could actually curate the collection. There is evidence of some, not a lot, preservation work although placing a lavender bag in a display cabinet doesn't really count.
So - a new building, a curated collection, storytelling, and a big focus on the jewel in the crown - Skylab. Get all that done and the museum has the potential to be very, very good.
There's some very interesting items on view with lots of pieces to generate discussion especially for we older folk. How it all relates to Esperance isn't always clear. I suspect the museum’s collection policy - if they have one - is rather vague. My feeling is that they would take anything that has a vague connection with anybody from or in Esperance.
The collection is sort of grouped by theme but it's not always clear. There's so much in there it actually looks, in places, like the storage area rather than the display area for the public. Sometimes less is more. It gets to the stage where people visiting just wander aimlessly because they're overwhelmed by exhibits. A very good example is the machinery section which has all manner of farming and other machines crammed in like you might find in a farmer's shed. Although most of these machines had a label.
There's lots that could be done and attempts of sorts have been made. Two examples are the pioneer's room and the old shop but they're still a bit of a mish mash. Something that's missing at the museum is the lack of storytelling. I could envisage - with the two spaces just mentioned - some great display boards telling the story of a specific pioneer or storekeeper (or multiple pioneers and storekeepers) with smaller notices talking about individual pieces of furniture or store items. The number of items would have to be reduced to help stop that feeling of being overwhelmed.
One area where the museum does have display boards that tell a story is in relation to new land opening up for agriculture on places like Condingup. All very well done although perhaps there could be some links to specific museum items.
The biggest opportunity for the museum is with Skylab where they have possibly the best collection of items in the world. They do have quite a bit on display but the only bit of storytelling is from some old newspaper articles of the time. Interesting but they could do much, much better. As it is the existing display is stuck in the middle of the main display area - down towards the back in fact - when, to my mind, it should have pride of place.
The collection needs a good clear out and a rearrangement so it doesn't look like a storage space. Special rooms or spaces should be developed to help with storytelling The main requirement would be a purpose built building and employment of staff who could actually curate the collection. There is evidence of some, not a lot, preservation work although placing a lavender bag in a display cabinet doesn't really count.
So - a new building, a curated collection, storytelling, and a big focus on the jewel in the crown - Skylab. Get all that done and the museum has the potential to be very, very good.
Written 16 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cathycstorie
Keysbrook 6126117 contributions
Oct 2019 • Couples
This Museum is like none other I have visited. It is jam packed with the history of a community that is proud to show off its culture and history. The have done it in an uniquely Esperance way. Our welcome by two delightful ladies who I presume were volunteers and had first hand information of the Skylab landing started getting me excited. I "drove" a steam train complete with sound effects in the midst of clutter with kerosene fridges and church organs. The aboriginal contribution was not overlooked. There was just sooo much there. Congratulations to the community for allowing it to evolve. Get on to the council to provide a bigger building.
Written 13 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jim F
Oban, UK635 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
We stopped into Esperance off a cruise ship and opted not to take any of the tours on offer, but to walk around to discover the town. There's not mush to Esperance but the museum certainly would be entitled to jewel-in-the-crown status. Situated in old engine sheds which don't amount to a huge square footage, the collection appears to cover every single aspect of past life in this barely-inhabited corner of south-west Australia. Large pieces include the magnificent 4-8-2 bright green locomotive that once plied the line from Kalgoorlie to Esperance, plus a very old railway carriage. There's a former pilot boat, a couple of vintage cars/vans, plus tractors and a wide and impressive range of farm machinery. There's a sensitive display of local contribution to global conflict with much in the way of decoration, passbooks, letters, maps and so on and sections of every conceivable facet of life in the past which could take you a long time to digest thoroughly. It might be considered by some to be gimmicky but there's no doubting the fascination created by the mangled pieces of the Skylab which crashed in and around Esperance in 1979. There's a good complementary video explaining the origins and working of the satellite and a recreation adoring the front lawn outside the entrance to the museum. I see some define the collection as "slapdash" and that's all volunteers can hope to achieve without mainstream funding and the volunteers are to be congratulated for assembling and maintaining such a fine collection which will fascinate anyone sparing the time to visit and appreciate it.
Written 3 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
specializedautoe2016
Brisbane, Australia56 contributions
Sept 2016 • Couples
My wife and I are museum buffs. We really weren't expecting too much, but we were really taken back by the quantity and quality of the displays. Everything is so well preserved and clean. We were in there for 2 hours and I really didn't see it all. All the displays are from around the district. It clearly shows the influence of maritime, rail, motorised transport, forestry,and farming had on the development of this area. It shows the cultural changes of the pioneers as well as the mechanized developments that helped to turn the land into a prosperous area. I hope that tourism doesn't destroy the quaintness of this little gem in the SE corner of WA.. Well worth the effort to drive there. Plenty of things to see and do.
Written 20 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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