Sydney’s Hidden Gem: Powerhouse Museum’s Treasures Revealed (2024)

Who has not been intrigued and fascinated by mummies? We all want to visit Egypt someday to see and learn about this attractive ancient custom. I was fortunate that I was able to see these mummies in Sydney at the Powerhouse Museum. In this post, you will find the visual journey of the mummies I saw during my visit to the museum.

I have always been fascinated by the stories of mummies. A long time ago, I saw some of the documentaries on how mummies are created and the entire funeral process in Egypt. Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum was hosting an exhibition of mummies. When I stumbled upon the event on Facebook, I immediately RSVPed. One of my friends was also interested, so we booked two tickets online and were all set to visit the exhibition.

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Where is the Powerhouse Museum?

The Powerhouse Museum is one of Sydney’s museums in the Ultimo suburb of Sydney. Opened in 1988, the museum is the main branch of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS). Powerhouse is given because the museum is housed in a converted power station building.

• Visiting the Powerhouse Museum is one of the free activities you can do in Sydney.
• The museum is open every day between 10 AM and 5 PM.

The museum is located in the Central Business District (CBD); you can either combine visiting the museum with a visit to one of these landmarks in Sydney CBD or do a self-guided tour around Sydney CBD.

The museum has a collection of many artefacts about science, technology, art, fashion, design, and social history. Some of the artefacts you must observe and notice are the Locomotive Number 1 and the Apollo 11 Space Capsule.

If you love museums, another notable museum to visit in Sydney is the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA).

The museum frequently hosts exhibitions and events, including the display of Mummies brought from Egypt. It is a place that is very popular for school field trips and outings. For public events, check on Facebook regularly as they post or create events for special exhibitions.

How to get to Powerhouse Museum?

• By Public transportation – The best way to get to the Powerhouse Museum is by public transport. The nearest train station is Central train station. Light rails also go to the Powerhouse Museum from Central train station.
  • You can take a light rail (Paddy’s market stop) or walk (1 kilometre) from Central to the museum.
  • Up-to-date information can be found on the Transport for New South Wales (NSW) website.
  • The public transport fare is paid using the Opal transportation card or credit/debit card.

The museum is also very close to Darling Harbour, which has plenty of restaurants and bars where you can spend an afternoon having delicious food by the waterfront.

• By Road – Located in the Ultimo suburb of Sydney, the Powerhouse Museum is part of the CBD. It is around 2 kilometres from Sydney General Post Office (GPO) and by road, the journey takes about 10 minutes.
  • The museum has limited paid parking on-site.
  • There are a few parking places around the museum that you can look for.

Booking and Entrance Fee

The general ticket is free and gives you entry into the Powerhouse Museum to explore the general exhibits. But if you have to attend special events and exhibitions, you must pay for the ticket. My friend and I had to pay AUD 27 per adult to see the mummies. You can purchase the ticket online or at the museum entrance.

My Experience of seeing the mummies at the Powerhouse Museum

We arrived at the Powerhouse Museum at around 7 PM and collected our pre-paid tickets from the counter. We were given a map and brochures containing information about the mummies.

A mummy is the body of a living being preserved after death. This practice of preserving bodies was followed in Egypt.

Six mummies were on display. The exhibition was about these mummies’ lifestyle and how they looked and lived/died. The scientists at the British Museum recreated all these findings based on advanced non-invasive techniques.

The first mummy on display was ‘Nestawedjat’ – a married woman from Thebes. There is very little information known to the scientists. Her three coffins arrived at the British Museum in the year 1880. ‘Nestawedjat’ means ‘the one who belongs to the wedjot eye’; wedjot symbolises protection and healing.

The second mummy on display was ‘Tamut’ – the chantress of Amun. Inscriptions on her case identify her as the daughter of a priest of God, Amun. Amun is the King of Gods.

The third mummy on display was ‘Irthorru’ – a priest from Akhmim. Irthorru was a priest who served several Gods and probably divided his time between temples. He lived in Akhmim, about 200 kilometres north of Thebes.

The fourth mummy on display was of a female Temple singer from Thebes. Her name is not known or identified. Inscriptions on her coffins show that she was a priestess and, more precisely, a singer of the Interior of Amun. She lived in Thebes around 800 BC.

The fifth mummy on display was of a young 2-year-old child. His cartonnage shows that he came from an elite family.

The sixth mummy on display was of a young man from Roman Egypt. An overweight person aged between 17 and 20 years with dark curly hair has been revealed.

Closing Notes

The whole exhibit and the insight into Egyptian culture were intriguing and exciting. This was one of the best exhibitions I have ever seen and the best evening at the museum.