Eternity gallery | National Museum of Australia

Eternity: Stories from the Emotional Heart of Australia examined the lives of Australians – famous and not famous, living and dead – through 10 emotional themes. The gallery took its name from the story of Arthur Stace, who wrote the word 'Eternity' in chalk on the streets of Sydney.

Eternity was one of 5 original permanent galleries that opened at the National Museum of Australia on 11 March 2001. It closed on 1 June 2017.

Exhibition highlights

Smiling elderly lady wearing a lilac jacket and pearls - click to view larger image — Nancy Bird-Walton

Man wearing a gas mask and clothing displaying words of protest - click to view larger image — Benny Zable

Montage of neon signs with text in various colours and fonts reading: 'chance, thrill, mystery, devotion, fear, separation, joy, loneliness, hope, passion'. - click to view larger image — Emotional themes

A woman talking to another woman in a wheel chair, in front of a large display cabinet with various objects. - click to view larger image — Heather Rose

Man in sequined top adjusting colourful adornments on a costume that is worn by a mannequin - click to view larger image — Ron Muncaster

Man standing with his hand resting on a mannequin displaying a white t-shirt with an image and text on the back - click to view larger image — Simon Quayle

Young man in a patterned shirt, standing in front of a large glass exhibition display case - click to view larger image — Tim Sharp

Large group of men wearing leather jackets, inspecting an exhibition display - click to view larger image — Vietnam Veterans

In the 16 years that Eternity was open it featured the stories of more than 130 people, grouped within the exhibition’s 10 distinctive emotional themes.

This was a dramatic departure from themes used in more traditional museums and opened up exciting ways to examine the lives of Australian people and connect those lives in a new way, to the lives of our visitors.

Eternity aimed to be distinctive, unpredictable and unique – showing a new way in Australian museology and history.

Eternity series

Last updated: 3 April 2009
3 programs

Hear about the joy that gardening brings to Peter Cundall, fashion designer Jenny Kee's chance survival in the Granville Train Crash and Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton on the disappearance of her daughter Azaria.

'Eternity' sign by Arthur StaceArthur Stace was a reformed alcoholic who for 35 years was inspired to write 'Eternity' in perfect copperplate in chalk on the streets of Sydney. Many people who lived in or visited, Sydney between 1932 and 1967, would have seen the word written on footpaths. He is said to have written 'Eternity' over half a million times.