MAGNT Darwin
Set in a scenic location overlooking Fannie Bay in Darwin, MAGNT is home to internationally renowned artistic, cultural and scientific collections and research programs.
Each year MAGNT presents a dynamic program of internally-developed exhibitions, carefully curated from the collection, and the best travelling exhibitions from around Australia. It is also the home of the annual Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA)- the most significant celebration of its kind in Australia.
COVID-19
As per the Northern Territory Government guidelines, you can help to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the Northern Territory:
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Please stay at home if you are feeling sick.
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Sanitise your hands using our hand sanitisers at the front desk upon arrival.
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Please sign in on your Territory Check-In App when you arrive at MAGNT's Darwin and Alice Springs venues.
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Please avoid handshaking and physical contact with others.
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Please practice hand hygiene and wash your hands regularly.
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Face masks must be worn in public when you cannot maintain a physical distance of 1.5m.
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Try and travel at quiet times to try to avoid crowds.
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Please try to use contactless rather than handling money.
For the latest COVID-19 updates please go to the Northern Territory Government Coronavirus website.
MAGNT Darwin
19 Conacher Street
The Gardens, Darwin NT
Open daily: 10am–4pm
FREE ENTRY
P +61 8 8999 8264
E info@magnt.net.au
Closed 1 January, Good Friday and 25–26 December
Getting Here
By public transport
Public buses in Darwin cost $3 for 3 hours or $7 for a day trip. Using Google Maps is the simplest way to find the next bus from where you are.
Number 4 Bus
The #4 runs from Darwin Interchange and from Casuarina Interchange.
It will drop you off on Gilruth Ave, a 10 minute walk from the museum.
Number 6 Bus
The #6 bus departs from the city regularly and will take you directly to the MAGNT entrance.
By bicycle or foot
MAGNT is about a four kilometre ride or walk from the Darwin city centre.
It is best to avoid walking during the heat of the day. Ensure you carry water, wear a hat and use sunscreen.
PODCAST | LISTEN FREE
Listen now
The Collection Podcast
A podcast from MAGNT that reveals a world of fascinating objects and the stories behind them.
EXHIBITION
7 August 2021 - 6 February 2022
Telstra NATSIAA
Australia's longest running and most prestigious indigenous art award.
EXHIBITION
Recently revitalised
Colin Jack-Hinton Maritime Gallery
A stunning display of traditional boats and canoes, each imparting a fascinating seafaring story intertwined with human culture from the surrounding seas.
EXHIBITION | FREE ENTRY
12 March – 26 June 2022
Exit Art Contemporary art from 2021 NT Year 12 Students
A celebration of the talents and creativity of the next generation of NT artists and designers.
EXHIBITION | FREE ENTRY
Ongoing
Cyclone Tracy
Learn about the day that changed the urban landscape and the lives of Darwin’s residents forever.
EXHIBITION | FREE ENTRY
Ongoing
Unruly Days: Territory life 1911 – 1921
An exhibition that richly illustrates the challenges of life in the Territory in the early 1900's.
VIRTUAL EXHIBITION | FREE
Ongoing
2021 Telstra NATSIAA Virtual Exhibition
Showcasing the very best Australian Indigenous art from around the country.
EXHIBITION | FREE ENTRY
Croc in residence
Sweetheart the crocodile
Visit MAGNT's most famous resident, Sweetheart the saltwater crocodile!
MAGNT History
MAGNT was founded in 1966, with the introduction of a Bill into the Legislative Council of the Northern Territory. Dr Colin Jack-Hinton was appointed the MAGNT's first director, taking up the position in 1970.
It was first housed in the renovated old Town Hall (originally known as the Palmerston Town Hall) in Darwin’s central business district
But on that fateful evening, Christmas Eve 1974, Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin, destroying the old Town Hall and damaging much of the MAGNT collection.
For the next few years both the staff and collection were housed in multiple buildings around Darwin, coming together for lunchtime lectures in the ruins of the Old Town Hall.
After deliberation, approval was finally granted for the construction of a new purpose-built museum and art gallery at Bullocky Point, on the site of the old Vestey's Meatworks. It was opened on the 10 September 1981.
Over the last few decades, MAGNT has grown to include six sites across Darwin and Alice Springs. MAGNT became an independent statutory body on 1 July 2014.