THE ST. AUGUSTINE CAMPUS MUSEUMS AND COLLECTIONS

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Campus in 2010 has encouraged us all to think about our rich heritage as well as our exciting future.

In this context, the Campus wants to create a permanent Museum to highlight our history and our achievements as well as the varied museum-like collections which already exist at St. Augustine: The National Herbarium (plants); the Zoology Museum (animals, but also the Banwari Burial, the oldest human remains yet found in Trinidad); the Archaeology Centre (mainly pre-Columbian and Amerindian artefacts); the Eric Williams Memorial Collection in the Alma Jordan Library which includes the former Prime Minister’s recreated study and many objects and memorabilia associated with him; the collection of art works held in the Department of Creative & Festival Arts, in the Principal’s Office and other places; the Anatomy and Pathology Museums at Mount Hope and many other fascinating objects and documents found in several of the departments and offices on Campus.

Our dream is a permanent Campus Museum, in its own building, such as all the great Universities the world over boast of. It would display the heritage of our Campus and University in all its richness; it would include permanent and temporary exhibitions of different kinds; it would be a means of public education open to everyone as well as to the Campus community.

We have the vision.  Let us work towards making it a reality.

OUR MISSION

To acquire, preserve, document and display the objects and memorabilia relating to the rich heritage of the St. Augustine campus and the University; to highlight the existing museum-like collections at St. Augustine; and to collaborate with other museums at The University of the West Indies.

OUR VISION

To create for The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, a vibrant museum space including, ultimately, a permanent Campus Museum which would highlight the history, creativity and achievements of the Campus and University, for the University community and the wider public.