BRISBANE.- Museum of Brisbane will cap off an exceptional year of world-first exhibitions, exciting commissions and national awards with the milestone of half a million visitors since reopening 18 months ago.

The city museum’s innovative program of rotating exhibitions and extensive public events has proved extremely popular with Brisbane residents and interstate and international visitors.

The Museum’s appeal to tourists in particular was recently celebrated at the Queensland Tourism Awards, with the organisation claiming Bronze in the Heritage and Cultural Tourism category. It also garnered critical praise for The River: a history of Brisbane, winning a national award at the Museum Australia conference.

Museum of Brisbane presented five new exhibitions in 2014 including The many lives of Moreton Bay, which celebrated the spectacular region. An exhibition highlight was the discovery of the only known painting of St Helena Island when it was an operating maximum security prison. The beautiful 1878 watercolor, painted by a prisoner on the island, is now a permanent part of the Museum collection.

In May, the Museum collaborated with David Malouf and five contemporary artists in honour of the acclaimed and much-loved Australian author’s 80th birthday. David Malouf and friends saw the commissioning of new art works inspired by Malouf’s writing and paid homage to his enduring influence and artistic legacy.

In a stunning finale to the year, Costumes from the Golden Age of Hollywood, which opened last month, is one of the most ambitious undertakings in the Museum’s 10-year history. After remaining hidden for decades in suburban Brisbane, the exhibition showcases an extraordinary private collection of costumes, props and ephemera from the most iconic age in cinema history.

Museum of Brisbane Director Peter Denham said 2014 was a landmark year for the organisation.

“We have well and truly settled in to our new home on the roof of City Hall and half a million visitors in just 18 months is a testament to the overwhelmingly positive public response,” Mr Denham said.

“It has been an honour to work with so many nationally acclaimed artists, photographers, writers, historians and curators this year and we are excited to share more fascinating stories about our city with audiences next year.

“We are very grateful to our audiences and the generous support of the Museum’s Board and Brisbane City Council.”

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the milestone was testament to the success of the City Hall renovations and the pride of place that the Museum of Brisbane had in the city’s premier heritage building.

“In just 18 months the Museum of Brisbane has seen 500,000 people visit to witness some of the extraordinary exhibitions on offer, demonstrating its appeal as a tourism icon in the heart of the city,” Cr Quirk said

“With such a popular reception from tourists and residents alike, it is hardly surprising that the Museum has been recognised with a host of tourism industry awards.”

Museum of Brisbane is open daily from 10am to 5pm on Level Three of Brisbane City Hall. Entry is free.

As the only cultural organisation dedicated to exploring and celebrating the people, places and stories of the city, the Museum’s award winning exhibition program is developed by and for the people of Brisbane.