In Terre Napoléon the visitor is immersed in the intricate illustrations from Nicolas Baudin’s early 19C scientific voyage along Australia’s coasts.  Images of landscapes, animals, sea-creatures, plants and Aboriginal peoples by François Péron, Charles-Alexandre Lesueur and Nicolas Martin-Petit are arranged thematically.  Wall quotes and a series of projected images complement the display, with the deep wall colours drawn from original colourings, and reminiscent of the Napoléonic era.

Reinforcing this exhibition, First Voyages incorporates an array of pre-19C and 19C artefacts, projections, short films and soundscapes to interrogate the broader stories of exploration of Southern Australia, one of the last coasts to be mapped.  The cleverly arranged joinery arrays the space into defined areas, skillfully presenting a number of iconic artefacts including a Macassan swivel gun, a chiton mollusc inscribed by Péron himself, an anchor jettisoned by Matthew Flinders, and the remnants of the hand wrought inscribed plaque in memory of Flinders’ men who perished at sea near Memory Cove. Interactives exploring 19C navigation, by collaborators Institute of Backyard Studies, form part of the exhibition.

Aimed at both locals and visitors to the region, the display points to what can be seen in the Barossa today, illustrates the importance of the wine industry, and provides the historical context underpinning each of these.

The installation retains views of the existing German-style architecture and creates an unusual, internalising object to draw visitors into and around the space. Materiality is derived from both stainless wine-making equipment and viticulture textures. Showcasing the decorative crown worn by former Queens of the Barossa Vintage Festival, restored to public view since it was retired in 1999, the exhibition also incorporates touch-screens, providing detailed information on towns and wine dynasties. An interactive map illustrates the geographic overlay of landscape, people and wine.