Feared and revered women of the world, Australian first exhibition opens at the national museum in Canberra

An international exhibition highlighting feminine power and identity through the ages has been given its own Australian flair, including one of Kylie Minogue's most iconic costumes and a depiction of Aboriginal female water spirits.

Feared and Revered: Feminine Power through the Ages, part of the British Museum's collection, is the latest exhibition to go on show at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra — the only Australian venue of the exhibition's international tour.

But two uniquely Australian pieces of feminine history have now been added to the exhibition for its Australian leg.