The National Research Collections Australia is home to 15 million natural history specimens that are used by researchers, government and industry to describe, manage and benefit from Australia's rich biodiversity. Our collections are located in Canberra, Hobart and Cairns.
Our collections precinct in Canberra includes our new national collections building. Named Diversity, the new building features robust, temperature-controlled vaults that are bushfire- and pest-resistant. It is designed to preserve specimens – from insects to wildlife – for future generations, while advancing scientific discovery.
A diverse collection
Our new collections precinct co-locates four collections:
- Australian National Herbarium
- Australian National Insect Collection
- Australian National Wildlife Collection
- Australian Tree Seed Centre.
The Australian National Herbarium and the Australian Tree Seed Centre were already located on the site. Their existing buildings have undergone minor upgrades.
Our new building, Diversity, accommodates the wildlife and insect collections.
Architecture firm Hassell designed the award-winning building in close consultation with collections researchers and engineers over 10 months to ensure the design would enhance scientific capability and capacity, and preserve the delicate specimens for decades to come. It includes:
- modern specimen storage vaults
- storage for ethanol-preserved specimens, including the herbarium’s spirit collection
- a molecular laboratory hub with dedicated trace DNA processing facilities to support Australian museomics research
- dedicated digitisation facilities to share our specimens and their data with the world.
The $90 million building was jointly funded by CSIRO and the Department of Education through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).
Construction began in autumn 2022 and was completed just over two years later. Relocating more than 13 million specimens to their new home took around a year.
Welcome!
Diversity was officially opened on 14 August 2025.
Unlike museums, Diversity is a research facility and is not open to the public.
We look forward to welcoming future scientific collaborators.
The National Research Collections Australia is home to 15 million natural history specimens that are used by researchers, government and industry to describe, manage and benefit from Australia's rich biodiversity. Our collections are located in Canberra, Hobart and Cairns.
Our collections precinct in Canberra includes our new national collections building. Named Diversity, the new building features robust, temperature-controlled vaults that are bushfire- and pest-resistant. It is designed to preserve specimens – from insects to wildlife – for future generations, while advancing scientific discovery.
A diverse collection
Our new collections precinct co-locates four collections:
- Australian National Herbarium
- Australian National Insect Collection
- Australian National Wildlife Collection
- Australian Tree Seed Centre.
The Australian National Herbarium and the Australian Tree Seed Centre were already located on the site. Their existing buildings have undergone minor upgrades.
Our new building, Diversity, accommodates the wildlife and insect collections.
Architecture firm Hassell designed the award-winning building in close consultation with collections researchers and engineers over 10 months to ensure the design would enhance scientific capability and capacity, and preserve the delicate specimens for decades to come. It includes:
- modern specimen storage vaults
- storage for ethanol-preserved specimens, including the herbarium’s spirit collection
- a molecular laboratory hub with dedicated trace DNA processing facilities to support Australian museomics research
- dedicated digitisation facilities to share our specimens and their data with the world.
The $90 million building was jointly funded by CSIRO and the Department of Education through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).
Construction began in autumn 2022 and was completed just over two years later. Relocating more than 13 million specimens to their new home took around a year.
Welcome!
Diversity was officially opened on 14 August 2025.
Unlike museums, Diversity is a research facility and is not open to the public.
We look forward to welcoming future scientific collaborators.