Museums of History NSW

Museums of History NSW Welcome to Museums of History NSW (MHNSW)
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Welcome to Museums of History NSW (MHNSW), formed by the coming together of Sydney Living Museums and the State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales. Built on a foundation of First Nations first, we are dedicated to engaging people in our past to encourage a more informed perspective tomorrow. From historic gardens, early gastronomy and rural lives to immigration, crime, architecture

and home interiors, we have the best places, exhibitions and events to experience another way of life. Come visit our historic houses, museums and gardens, enjoy our events and exhibitions and take a look at our collections. Our places include: Elizabeth Bay House, Elizabeth Farm, Hyde Park Barracks, Justice & Police Museum, Meroogal Museum of Sydney - on the site of first Government House, Rose Seidler House, Rouse Hill Estate, Susannah Place, The Mint, Caroline Simpson Library, Vaucluse House and the Western Sydney Records Centre.

27/08/2026

👀 Did you catch the news?

This Saturday, Parramatta’s most incredible buildings, spaces and places will open their doors for you to explore. From heritage landmarks to bold contemporary architecture, there’ll be something new to discover around every corner.

A Parramatta Open ticket is your key to the city, unlocking access to more than 15 spaces, plus exclusive tours, talks, performances and more!

There are limited tickets remaining. Secure yours now: parramattaopen.com.au

27/08/2026

Who is ‘André’? 👀🔎

Today our Assistant Curator, Anna, unpacks another mystery from the Caroline Simpson Library Collection: who designed this remarkable archive of furniture sketches and interiors from the 1950s and 60s? ✏️🪑

If you think you can help us solve this design mystery, we’d love to hear from you!

🐶 Happy International Dog Day! 🐶 Today we share a picture-pawfect moment featuring two NSW Police dogs in the back of a ...
25/08/2026

🐶 Happy International Dog Day! 🐶

Today we share a picture-pawfect moment featuring two NSW Police dogs in the back of a police car, captured during the 1970s or 80s.

The NSW Police Dog Unit was established in 1932 and has been serving communities across NSW for nearly a century. Today, we celebrate all the dogs that have left their mark on history and our hearts 🐾

📷 Justice & Police Museum Collection, Museums of History NSW

Have these family portraits got you interested in your own family tree? 🌳🔎 The NSW State Archives Collection is home to ...
23/08/2026

Have these family portraits got you interested in your own family tree? 🌳🔎

The NSW State Archives Collection is home to millions of records to help you discover your family history.

This , start your search with our Family History Guide and see what you can uncover: mhnsw.au/guides/family-history-guide/

📷 A selection of family portraits from the last 100 years. NSW State Archives Collection, Museums of History NSW:
1. Family Group in front of Moto Rail, c1970s. NRS-21573-3-[6/12058]-PR15976
2. Portrait of an unidentified family and their dog, date unknown. NRS-4481-4-28-[AF00184063]
3. Baby at window, c1900. NRS-21689-1-72-GPO2_52270
4 Unidentified family. NRS-4481-4-377-[AF00218252]
5.Unidentified family. NRS-4481-4-273-[AF00209747]

To celebrate , we recently hosted a full-day research seminar at Western Sydney Records Centre.Guests heard from a rang...
20/08/2026

To celebrate , we recently hosted a full-day research seminar at Western Sydney Records Centre.

Guests heard from a range of experts about the vital records that underpin family and historical research, including birth, death and marriage registration in NSW, church records, divorce records and other sources that can help fill gaps in the historical record.

The day finished with behind-the-scenes tours of the archives, offering a rare look at how the State Archives Collection is preserved and cared for.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. It was wonderful to connect with so many passionate family historians! 📜🔎

Interested in researching your family history? Join us on 9 September for a free talk by our expert archivists about finding your family stories within the NSW State Archives Collection.

Learn more and book here: mhnsw.au/whats-on/events/researching-family-history-in-the-nsw-state-archives-collection/

📷 by Thomas von Schomburg © Museums of History NSW. 1. A/Executive Director, Martyn Killion; Laura Daaboul, MHNSW, Angela Phippen, Heather Garnsey OAM and Louise Briffa NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. 2. The crowd on the day

18/08/2026

Jazz after hours at the Justice & Police Museum ✨

Next Friday, award-winning guitarist and composer Hilary Geddes brings her acclaimed quartet to one of Sydney’s most atmospheric heritage spaces.

Expect exceptional musicianship, intimate performances and a chance to experience the museum in a completely different light.

House/Music: Hilary Geddes Quartet
📍 Justice & Police Museum
📅 Friday 28 August, multiple sessions
🎟️ Book via the link in bio

Calling all primary teachers – register for our FREE live virtual event as part of !Discover how places, people, archiv...
17/08/2026

Calling all primary teachers – register for our FREE live virtual event as part of !

Discover how places, people, archives and objects from our collection have stories to tell and how unlocking those stories brings history to life.

This event is suitable for students in Stages 1–3.

Register now: https://mhnsw.au/learning/where-stories-live-history-comes-alive-event/

16/08/2026

Greek mythology is having a moment ⚡🏛️
 
If The Odyssey has you looking twice at a Medusa head or a classical frieze, the Caroline Simpson Library Collection is home to 19th-century examples of ancient Greece reimagined in wallpaper, tiles, ironwork, and interiors.
 
From gods and gorgons to ornamental borders, discover how Greek myth found its way into everyday design.
 
🎥Featured:
1. Wallpaper frieze, John and Phyllis Murphy Collection, 1860s;
2. Julius Hoffmann, Dekorative vorbilder, Stuttgart, c1905;
3. Minton Hollins & Co. Patent Tile Works catalogue, London, c1875;
4. Falkirk Iron Company’s book of patterns, Falkirk Iron Company, Falkirk, 1890s;
5. John Leighton, Suggestions in Design, Blackie & Son, London, 1880;
6. Cast iron door porter in the form of Medusa’s head, manufactured by Falkirk Iron Co., Falkirk, Scotland, 1877;
7. Owen Jones, The grammar of ornament, Bernard Quaritch, London, 1868.

12/08/2026

📚✨ Today is , a day to celebrate the energy, ideas and potential of young people!

Every year, hundreds of thousands of school students learn with us through excursions, virtual programs and classroom resources.

Whether they’re exploring our museums and historic houses, imagining life in another time or examining historical objects up close, we love seeing the boundless curiosity, thoughtful questions and fresh perspectives they bring.

Thank you to all our young visitors for inspiring us every day 💫

🎥 Primary school students taking part in ‘The Way We Were: Communication Past and Present’, an excursion to Susannah Place

08/08/2026

Today is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples – a global day that celebrates and recognises the Cultures, Knowledges, contributions and rights of First Nations peoples.

Our Research Manager and curator of ‘Unearthed’, Dr Aaron de Souza, shares the complex story of this fragment of glass from a w**e bottle, which reveals how First Nations people responded with ingenuity and resilience to the materials and conditions imposed by colonisation.

Today, and every day, we encourage you to deepen your understanding of the history of this continent before and after 1788 by listening to and learning from First Nations voices and perspectives.

You can see this glass fragment on display in our ‘Unearthed’ exhibition at the Museum of Sydney, which explores Australia’s early colonial history through objects uncovered during archaeological excavations at this site.

Address

The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street
Sydney, NSW
2000

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm

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