Commenting on the story: Tim Flannery warns SA Museum restructure could ‘destroy’ the institution

Mr Gaimster is quoted as saying that the SA Museum has hardly changed in the last 30 years. The historical record proves him completely wrong.

The  Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, the Mawson Gallery, the Mineral Gallery were all opened in 2000. The opalised fossil display around 2005, the Biodiversity Gallery dates from 2010. Pacific Cultures and Foreign Mammals were also updated around 2001.

The only part of the Museum that hasn’t been changed is the Egyptian Room, which is a museum specimen in itself, its value lying in its antiquity. – Allan Pring

We are witnessing the relentless dumbing down of all public educational facilities.

But at the same time we have had dire warnings from the good Dr Flannery before. – Michael Adams

What a joke. It’s all about publicity and bodies through the door.

Why not do both – world-class research and making that research known to the public? Why not a permanent exhibition space for all the new stuff being published? – John Clayton

Commenting on the opinion piece: Art continues to provoke and befuddle. And that’s a good thing

I love a good bit of public art and I’m all for public funding of art, even that of challenging aesthetic value.

But here’s a question for David Washington: if you turned up at a place you’d been parking your car for years, to find a giant swirl of red metal across a bunch of car parking spots, rendering them useless, would you enjoy the artistic provocation?

As someone who cycles to the Festival Centre multiple times a year and appreciated the perfectly functional rack that was there previously, this bike rack/artwork is frustrating as heck. Or should I be looking deeper, and imagining that the artwork is actually speaking out about a city that is not very cycle-friendly?

Too bad if I want to ride my bike to see some performing art, though. – Jane Goldney

Brilliant. Thanks. – Pamela Jones