SYDNEY.- Australia has a rich and unique history of exploration and adventure, one which has helped define the nation. Now, for the first time, Australia’s 50 greatest explorers, both historic and modern, come together for a major new exhibition at the Australian Museum in Sydney.

Presented in partnership with Adventure World, and supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, Trailblazers: Australia’s 50 greatest explorers profiles some of the most heroic and daring explorers of our time.

“Bringing together these incredible names from Australia’s honour roll of adventurers is a major coup for the state, and the first time an exhibition of its kind has been developed in Australia. Trailblazers: Australia’s 50 greatest explorers will inspire people of all ages to indulge their own sense of adventure, with the stories of some of our greatest pioneers,” Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts Troy Grant said at today’s announcement.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres, said the exhibition will attract visitors with an interest in history and adventure. “New South Wales is a state filled with adventure, making it the perfect home for this exclusive exhibition, which we anticipate will bring more than 10,000 visitors to Sydney.”

From Australia’s pioneering First Peoples, through to our modern day adventurers, Trailblazers: Australia’s 50 greatest explorers showcases Australian triumphs on sea, in the air, and in the wild, and features more than 360 objects from the explorers’ exploits.

Australian Museum Executive Director and CEO Kim McKay AO, who conceived the exhibition along with curator Howard Whelan, said that the spirit of adventure was embedded in the AM’s DNA.

“The Australian Museum has a rich history of exploration and discovery through its own expeditions and research. We owe a great debt to these explorers for contributing to our understanding of natural history, the geography of Australia and our region, as well as providing inspiration to all who tread in their footsteps.

“A team from the Australian Museum debated at great length as to who would make the final list of 50. Today, we announce the first 20, half of whom are historic figures, including James Cook, Douglas Mawson, William Bligh and Lady Jane Franklin. Joining them are modern explorers like Jessica Watson and Tim Jarvis,” McKay said.

Trailblazers: Australia’s 50 greatest explorers features interactive exhibits, films, journals and objects, including Captain Cook’s cape gifted to him in Hawaii, the gondola from Dick Smith’s hot air balloon flight and the kayak used by James Castrission and Justin Jones on their trek across the Tasman to New Zealand.

Modern day explorer and the Australian Museum’s Trailblazer-in-Residence, Tim Jarvis, believes exploration has poetic significance. “It’s about celebrating the things in life which are bigger and more meaningful than the minutiae and tapping into an inner part of ourselves that seeks to explore."

From a cave 2000m under the earth, wooden huts in the Antarctic, to the heat of the Australian sun, Trailblazers: Australia’s 50 greatest explorers will take visitors across Australia, around the globe, into outer space and back.