University of Sydney,
Chau Chak Wing Museum
$15 million towards the establishment of the Chau Chak Wing Museum
Dr. Chau Chak Wing has donated $15 million to establish a
landmark new museum at the University of Sydney. Combining two of the University's historic buildings with a new joining extension, the Chau Chak Wing Museum will allow precious, never-before-seen objects from the University’s collections to be displayed. It will house pieces from the University’s Macleay.
Museums are an important part of city cultural life.
It is a common aspiration of people all over the world to promote cultural heritage, and it’s our responsibility to ensure it is
passed on to future generations.
Dr. Chau Chak Wing
“In the more than 160 years that the University has been established, it has continuously strived for excellence in teaching and research, educating many of the world’s most outstanding individuals...I hope that this collaboration will further promote education and enlighten people, building a platform for greater international cultural exchange,”
Dr. Chau said.
The new museum will enable the University to display around 700,000 objects estimated to be in the three collections, 99 percent of which are currently not displayed due to limited exhibition space.
What the Chau Chaw Wing Museum will be?
The donation will fund the building of a 6000 square meter museum, where the University’s historic Macleay and adjacent Edgeworth David Building will be redeveloped and connected via a new modern extension.
A 240-seat lecture theatre will be linked to 1,800 square meters of exhibition space, conservation laboratories, and a suite of exhibition galleries. Admission to the museum will be free.
“The University of Sydney is dedicated to a multidisciplinary vision of teaching and research, to breaking down barriers to sharing knowledge…When antiquities meet visual arts and natural history, and collections are viewed as a whole, marvelous conversations can occur,” said David Ellis, Director of Museums at the University of Sydney.
This generous donation from Dr Chau Chak Wing is an enormous contribution, which will allow us to finally do justice to these magnificent collections by displaying them together in one building. It makes possible the showcasing of some of Australia’s most significant artistic, scientific and archaeological artefacts. The museum will enrich the cultural life of the Australian community and our international visitors and will profoundly benefit the University’s teaching and research. It will give academics, students and the community a new appreciation of the relevance and value of the collections.
Dr Michael Spence
Vice-Chancellor, University of Sydney
