About Us

The Mathema Gallery mission is to promote the importance of mathematics within the community by helping prospective students and educators harness the skills that will enable them to thrive in an increasingly mathematical world. The Gallery is a space where everyone, no matter their mathematical abilities and interests, has a space to learn and explore mathematics.

The Mathema Gallery opened in 2023 and is the only Mathematics Gallery in the Southern Hemisphere. It features a wide range of hands-on, interactive displays exploring topics such as the history of mathematics, algebra, binary systems, encryption, the evolution of counting machines, and more.

A strong focus is placed on the historical development of mathematics and the sophisticated ways it was used by ancient civilisations, including Ancient Egypt, the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, the Incas, early Chinese, and the Aztecs. New displays are added regularly, with recent additions exploring Greece, the chronology of algebra, and encryption. The Gallery’s library houses over 6,000 mathematical books, some dating back centuries. Around half of the collection is available for visitors to pick up and read.

The Mathema Gallery welcomes community groups and schools, and provides ample space and a range of activities to explore essential and novel ideas that will inform and generate excitement across mathematical topics. Please visit the contact page to book a tour or make an enquiry.

The Mathema Gallery was foundered by Dr. Calvin & Rosemary Irons. They built the Gallery to share their love of mathematics and the thousands of books, artefacts, and ideas they have collected and created over their collective 120 years of work in the disciplines of mathematics and mathematics education.

Calvin and Rosemary strive to remove much of the mystery associated with mathematics and the misperception that mathematics is only symbolic and difficult. People of all backgrounds and levels of education can be encouraged to see mathematics as an enabling rather than inhibiting force in their lives.

The Mathema Foundation was established to support the Mathema Gallery and mathematics education in the community including but not limited to the sponsoring of scholarships. The Mathema Foundation Mathematics Scholarship supports students commencing a Bachelor of Education program with a Major, Minor or Extended Minor in Mathematical Sciences or Mathematical Studies.

To read more about our very first Mathema Foundation Mathematics Scholarship recipient click here. To apply for the Mathema Foundation Mathematics Scholarship, please visit The University of the Sunshine Coast Scholarships page.