Hobbies are mainland birds that prefer to spend their time in forests and woodlands. They are widespread in Australia's colder eastern states, particularly Adelaide, Victoria, and Southern NSW. With a diet of bats, insects, and small birds, they use their refined wing structure, which is long and narrow in shape, more suited to speed than precision, and sharp reflexes to catch prey in mid-flight. Because they are members of the Falconidae and Falconiformes raptor families and have similar characteristics, they are frequently confused with their relative, the Peregrine Falcon. Close inspection reveals that they are half the size and have a more pronounced dark masking around the eyes. This specimen is part of a collection of almost 200 animal specimens that were originally acquired as skins from various institutions across Australia, including the Australian Museum in Sydney and the National Museum of Victoria (known as Museums Victoria since 1983), as well as individuals such as amateur anthropologist Reynell Eveleigh Johns between 1860-1880. These skins were then mounted by members of the Burke Museum Committee and put-on display in the formal space of the Museum’s original exhibition hall where they continue to be on display. This display of taxidermy mounts initially served to instruct visitors to the Burke Museum of the natural world around them, today it serves as an insight into the collecting habits of the 19th century.This specimen is part of a significant and rare taxidermy mount collection in the Burke Museum. This collection is scientifically and culturally important for reminding us of how science continues to shape our understanding of the modern world. They demonstrate a capacity to hold evidence of how Australia’s fauna history existed in the past and are potentially important for future environmental research. This collection continues to be on display in the Museum and has become a key part to interpreting the collecting habits of the 19th century.The Australian Hobby is a medium-sized bird with a falcon-like appearance, long wings, and a commanding posture and presence. This bird has a distinctive brown/black helmet on its head, as well as a mask-like face that is highlighted by the prominent white half collar. Over the top of reddish brown underpart feathers, streaks of black lined patterns decorate the protruding chest. With its squared off tail feathers, the bird's back is dark brown and appears elongated and domineering. It is perched on a wooden stand and is secured with wire that does not obscure the talons.No swing tagtaxidermy mount, taxidermy, animalia, burke museum, beechworth, australian museum, skin, reynell eveleigh johns, bird, australian birds, falcon, falconidae, falconiformes, peregrine falcon

This was the first press photograph transmitted by radio from England to Australia. On 16 October 1934, South Australian aviator, C J Melrose, was pictured beside his plane at the Mildenhall aerodrome, England, preparing for the start of the Centenary Air Race. Within hours of capture, the image was transmitted from London to Melbourne and then sent via picturegram to Sydney’s press, the greatest distance a photograph had been transmitted over radio. Wirephotos, as they are commonly called, are produced through electrical pulses which travel along telephone or telegraph wires, or radio waves. Like the transmission of Morse dots and dashes, the technology communicates the light and dark portions of an image, to be recorded on a negative or photographic paper at the receiver’s end. Previously, photographs of an event appeared several days after the fact; wirephoto technology enabled visual communication with relative speed. Our consumption and expectation of the immediacy of news and communication continued to grow, an expectation that forms the basis of time-based social media activities such as Snapchat or Facebook and Instagram stories.london to melbourne air race, wirephoto, picturegram, uiver, james melrose