W.D. Trotter Anatomy Museum

Museum Visits

Students and staff of the Department of Anatomy may bring friends and family members into the museum. Students must ask the Museum Curator for permission before they do this. We recommend to all students that they take the opportunity to make each visit educational. Please note that the museum is not open to public visitors when classes are scheduled during the day (the time table is beside the north door of the museum).

The public may visit the museum as part of tour groups. These tours usually consist of school groups or groups from institutions outside the university. Tours are usually run over university holidays (June and November to February) in order to avoid clashing with classes. Please contact the Museum Curator if you wish to arrange a tour of the museum.

When you are visiting the museum please do not eat or drink. The use of cameras or other image-recording devices is strictly prohibited without the prior consent of either the Museum Curator or the Head of Department. These "rules" exist to provide a healthy working environment for staff and students, and to show respect for the deceased.

Museum Curator

Mr Chris Smith

Curator's Office:

Museum Email:

Museum History

The Anatomy Museum at the University of Otago was established in 1874, three years after the University itself was founded and only 26 years after the first official settlers arrived in Dunedin.

The first Professor of Anatomy & Physiology was Millen Coughtrey and at this time the Department was housed in a building on Princes Street, in the financial district area of Dunedin. John Halliday Scott became the second Professor of Anatomy & Physiology in 1877 and he held that position until 1914. He was a noted artist and produced anatomical work for the Anatomy Museum, much of which is still in use today.

In 1879 the Department was moved to the blue-stone buildings by the Leith stream (buildings that are now used by the Geology Department). Around this time the Anatomy Museum acquired its beautiful porcelain models by Steger and wax models of developing organs by Zeigler. Professor Scott's assistant, Alfred Jefferson also prepared many specimens for the museum.

William Percy Gowland became Professor of Anatomy in 1914 after Professor Scott's death. Professor Gowland inspired and promoted research in the Department and there are many museum models relating to research projects by his students.

In 1927 the Department of Anatomy moved to the newly completed Lindo Ferguson building. The purpose-built Anatomy Museum was impressive but very typical of it's time, with specimens locked away in large glass cabinets, inaccessible to students. Soon after it's relocation to the Lindo Ferguson building, the Department employed Thomas Kelsey as a model maker and artist. He produced several wax models for the Anatomy Museum, many of which are still used.

William Edgar Adams took over as Head of Department after Professor Gowland's resignation in 1943 and remained Head until 1969. Few major changes occurred during his time, although student numbers in the Department were boosted with the addition of Dental and Physical Education students.

William Trotter became the Department's fifth Professor in 1969. He was responsible for remodelling the Anatomy Museum in the early 1970s with removal of most of the large class cabinets, in an attempt to make the museum specimens accessible for students. During his time as Head of Department, the museum benefitted from the work of several staff, most notably Charles Unwin (who made beautiful wooden bases and tables for museum specimens) and Margaret Ogilvie (who produced many of the lovely illustrations used in the museum today).

Professor D.Gareth Jones, took over the Headship in 1983. He continued and extended earlier moves to promote the museum as a lively resource centre. Between 1979 and 2008 Russell Barnett was the Museum Preparator. He  produced a variety of fibreglass models and was a pioneer in the field of plastinating tissue specimens. It is thanks to Russell that the museum now has such a comprehensive collection of models and specimens.

This information has been abridged from Fieke Neuman's 1993 article in the NZ Museum Journal "Pots and Pieces: The Anatomy Museum of the Otago Medical School and How it Came to Be".

The Museum Collection

The Anatomy Museum holds a large collection of anatomical specimens and models. Many of the models date back to the late 1800s (eg. porcelain models by Steger and wax models by Ziegler) and are still used for teaching purposes. Although the Department has a "hands-on" policy regarding museum specimens and models, some of the more historic and fragile items are housed in large glass cabinets for their protection.

The museum collection is laid out in sections: Head & Neck; Thorax; Visceral Anatomy; Limbs; Sectional Anatomy; Nervous System (Central); Nervous System (Peripheral); Osteology, and Embryology/ Developmental Anatomy. 

The Bone Room connected to the museum contains many osteological specimens (normal and abnormal). This material was acquired mainly through purchases early last century. Postgraduate students and staff from any department in the university may apply for research-based access through the Museum Curator or a senior member of the academic staff (of this Department). The Bone Room also holds an extensive radiograph collection (normal and abnormal radiographs). The access to this collection is under the same conditions as the Bone Room osteology collection. A large radiograph viewer is housed on the lower floor of the museum for staff and student convenience.

In recent years the Department has purchased numerous plastic models and plastic bones produced by SOMSO in Germany. The bones we purchase from SOMSO are used in 1st year classes where student numbers are high (up to 120 students per laboratory for BIOL115) - their durability and relative inexpense makes them invaluable for health science teaching.

Some of the models in the museum are available for use by other departments in their teaching. Please contact the Anatomy Museum Curator if you have any queries regarding the loan of models.