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Every lost thing has a story

Forgotten places, eccentric inventors, extinct machines and unsolved mysteries — obscure history, rescued from the archive and put on display.


✦ Exhibit of the Week
The History of the Elevator
The History of the Elevator Everyday Items · 10 min read

🆕 Fresh Finds

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Melbourne's Significant Trees
The Melbourne Files

Melbourne's Significant Trees

From First Nations roots to colonial settlement — the story of the city, told through its oldest trees.

Cat. No. 11821 Jun 2026
The Origins of ASAP
Words and Language

The Origins of ASAP

A reform-minded dental hygienist, a military conflict, and the forgotten birth of an everyday acronym.

Cat. No. 1177 Jun 2026
Richard Estes: Creative Reality
All of the Arts

Richard Estes: Creative Reality

The pioneer of photorealism — paintings built to fool you into thinking they're photographs.

Cat. No. 11631 May 2026

⭐ Visitor Favourites

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Cole's Book Arcade
Forgotten Places

Cole's Book Arcade

Once the largest bookshop on Earth — and one of Melbourne's strangest, most beloved lost buildings.

★ Most lovedReader favourite
Who Was Saint Kilda?
Unsolved Mysteries

Who Was Saint Kilda?

One of Melbourne's best known suburbs is named after an obscure Saint; or, is it?

★ Most lovedReader favourite
The Virgin Mary at Coogee Beach
Unsolved Mysteries

The Virgin Mary at Coogee Beach

A strange apparition, a media frenzy, and a mystery that still divides opinion decades on.

★ Most lovedReader favourite

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