Major partnership between science centre Questacon and Shell to end after four decades

Questacon received an extra $10m funding in last week’s federal budget in part to cover the loss of its fossil fuel sponsorship income from Shell and Japanese oil and gas company Inpex.
Photograph: Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters

A 37-year partnership between fossil fuel giant Shell and Australia’s national science and technology centre Questacon – which branded and delivered science activities for children – is ending.

Canberra-based Questacon has also confirmed a four-year, $1m sponsorship deal with Japanese oil and gas company Inpex will not be renewed when it runs out at the end of the financial year.