An exhibition based on the ABC’s television series Tony Armstrong’s Extra-Ordinary Things  has opened at the National Museum of Australia.

The museum will display a selection of objects discovered by Armstrong as seen in his five-part series in a collaboration between the National Museum and Fremantle Australia.

A vintage ute, a novelty cheque, an elite boxing trophy and an unforgettable letter from then Prime Minister Bob Hawke are among the seemingly ordinary objects showcased, while the museum has included an object from its own collection in the exhibition which relates to the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

National Museum director Katherine McMahon explained: “A profound pairing is a pin presented in 1932 to rigger George Killen who leapt from a gantry hanging below the Sydney Harbour Bridge to save his co-worker Vincent Kelly who fell into the water during construction in 1930… The pin, loaned by his great-granddaughter Liz Killen, sits alongside the medal presented to Vincent Kelly, which is in the National Museum’s collection.”

McMahon said that three of the museum’s curators, Sophie Jensen, Martha Sear and Craig Middleton, showed Armstrong the ropes, as he embarked on his first exhibition.

Jensen said: “As seen on the ABC TV and iView, Tony Armstrong’s Extra-Ordinary Things brings together 25 personal experiences and reveals how seemingly ordinary things can have extraordinary stories.”

Tony Armstrong’s Extra-Ordinary Things, National Museum of Australia, until October 13. Admission  free.