The Powerhouse acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the ancestral homelands upon which our museums are situated. We respect their Elders, past, present and future and recognise their continuous connection to Country.

MAAS and the Moon

View Objects
The Moon is our closest other world, a constant companion in the solar system. Inspiring poems, storytelling, innovation and technology over hundreds of years, it wasn't until 1969 that the dream of spaceflight to the Moon was achieved.

See these objects from the collection in Riverside Theatres during the Sydney Festival in January 2019.

Visit the Powerhouse Museum from June for more exciting stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Tilly Boleyn
Curator, …

H10273-8 Lantern slide (1 of 8), astronomical model, phases of moon and tides, wood / glass / metal, made by Dollond, London, England, 1750-1850, used at Sydney Observatory, New South Wales, Australia, 1858-1900
Magic lantern slide showing phases of the Moon and tides
1750-1850
85/59-3/20 Photograph, lantern slide, part of a collection, 'Eclipse of sun as it would appear from Moon', glass / paper, original by James Nasmyth, London, United Kingdom, c. 1870, maker unknown, used by the Sydney Observatory, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, c. 1900-1950
'Eclipse of sun as it would appear from Moon' lantern slide
c.1900-1950
B1729 Lunar module model, NASA's Apollo 9 spacecraft, metal / plastic / textile, made by Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, Long Island, New York, United States of America, 1968
Lunar module model of NASA's Apollo 9 spacecraft
1968
85/59-41/7 Glass plate slide, moons disc at 9 3/4 days
Glass plate slide showing moon at 9 3/4 days
H10273-2 Lantern slide (1 of 8), astronomical model, phases of moon and tides, wood / glass / metal, made by Dollond, London, England, 1750-1850, used at Sydney Observatory, New South Wales, Australia, 1858-1900
Magic lantern slide showing phases of the Moon and tides
1750-1850
93/338/43 Bunnykins figure, 'Astro Bunnykins Rocket Man', DB20, earthenware, Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd, England, 1982
Astro Bunnykins Rocket Man
1982
A8213-13/74/8 Embroidered applique patch, 'Apollo 14', cloth, [United States of America, 1965-1980]
'Apollo 14' embroidered patch
85/59-41/20 Photograph, lantern slide, part of a collection, 'Ideal lunar landscape', glass / paper, original by James Nasmyth, London, United Kingdom, c. 1870, maker unknown, used by the Sydney Observatory, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, c. 1900-1950
'Ideal lunar landscape' lantern slide
c.1900-1950
85/2573-6 Toy space rocket, 'Moon Rocket', tinplate, metal, Masudaya (MT), Japan, c. 1960
'Moon Rocket' toy space rocket by Masudaya (MT)
c. 1960
A8213-13/74/4 Embroidered applique patch, 'Apollo 11', cloth, United States of America, 1965-1980
'Apollo 11' embroidered patch
1965-1980
85/59-41/12 Glass plate slide, moons disc at 3.85 days
Glass plate slide showing moon at 3.85 days
H1700-2 Orrery (1 of 2), planetary, wood / brass / ivory, W.Harris & Co, London, England, 1789-c.1805
Planetary orrery by W Harris & Co
1789-c. 1805
A8213-13/74/26 Embroidered applique patch, 'Apollo 8', cloth, [United States of America, 1965-1980]
'Apollo 8' embroidered patch
85/59-41/6 Glass plate slide, moons disc at 11 1/2 days
Glass plate slide showing moon at 11.5 days
H7728 Diptych Luopan, Chinese mariner's box compass, wood / metal / glass, maker unknown, retailed by Fang Xiushui's shop, Wan'an, Anhui Province, China, 1850-1930
Chinese mariner's box compass and Luopan (Feng Shui compass)
1850-1930
86/1693-9 Embroidered applique patch, 'Young Astronaut Program', cloth, [United States of America, 1965-1980]
'Young Astronaut Program' embroidered patch
85/59-3/12 Photograph, lantern slide, part of a collection, 'Moon, three partial phases of eclipse of May 2, 1920', glass / paper, photographer unknown, used by the Sydney Observatory, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, c. 1900-1950
'Moon, three partial phases of eclipse of May 2, 1920' lantern slide
c.1900-1950
A2778-445 Dessert plate, crescent moon and blossoms, porcelain, painted by Harry Taylor, made by Doulton & Co, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, 1885-1891
Royal Doulton dessert plate, painted by Harry Taylor
1885-1891
85/1566-11/8 Embroidered applique patch, 'Apollo NASA', cloth, [United States of America, 1965-1980]
'Apollo NASA' embroidered patch