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.

Take a peek behind the scenes of 'Treading Feintly' 👀✨Join us in conversation with the creative minds behind Nicol & For...
17/06/2026

Take a peek behind the scenes of 'Treading Feintly' 👀✨

Join us in conversation with the creative minds behind Nicol & Ford and fashion historian Professor Peter McNeil as we explore the inspiration and research behind their latest collection fresh from the runway at Australian Fashion Week.

On display until 13 July, the exhibition is inspired by the life and work of the q***r artist Adrian Feint (1894–1971) who lived for many years across the road from Elizabeth Bay House.

'Adrian Feint Revisited'
📍 Elizabeth Bay House
📅 Thursday 25 June, 6pm–7pm
🎟️ Book now: mhnsw.au/whats-on/events/adrian-feint-revisited/

📷© Joshua Morris for Museums of History NSW

📚✨ It’s – a time to celebrate the people who care for and preserve the archives that connect us with our past.This wee...
12/06/2026

📚✨ It’s – a time to celebrate the people who care for and preserve the archives that connect us with our past.

This week, we asked some of our archives staff what they enjoy most about their work. Meet the team and find out what they had to say.

11/06/2026

📣 There’s just one month left to apply for the 2026 Dr Zeny Edwards OAM Student Research Fellowship! 📣

Here are last year’s fellows, Fatima, Jhidyn and Rhys, sharing what they gained from the program and why they’d encourage other students to apply.

The fellowship is open to third-year undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled at NSW universities.

⏰ Applications close Friday 12 July 2026 at 5pm AEST.

Learn more and apply now: mhnsw.au/get-involved/student-research-fellowship/

Some moments from Dream Feast, part of Vivid Food 2026 ✨ Last week, we partnered with ARLO Communal to transform The Min...
11/06/2026

Some moments from Dream Feast, part of Vivid Food 2026 ✨

Last week, we partnered with ARLO Communal to transform The Mint into a nostalgic dining dreamscape inspired by the Caroline Simpson Library Collection.

Archival recipes and menus from the collection were reimagined as contemporary dishes celebrating NSW ingredients – from a curried slipper lobster vol‑au‑vent to a theatrical torched bombe Alaska.

Guests gathered at communal tables, sharing conversation as immersive projections filled the space, while DJ Munasib live-mixed compositions by Fatshaudi, JWPATON, Jacob Turl and Hinano Fujisaki.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for this special event. What a feast! 👏

09/06/2026

Cultural Sensitivity Warning: This video references historic events involving violence against First Nations people.

188 years ago, on 10 June 1838, at least 28 Wirrayaraay people were massacred by 12 European men at Myall Creek Station, in northern New South Wales. The perpetrators included 11 convicts and ex-convicts and one freeman.

The Myall Creek Massacre is one of the most well-documented instances of frontier violence in Australia because it was investigated and prosecuted through two Supreme Court trials. Yet it was just one of many atrocities that occurred across the colonial frontier.

Aunty Sue Blacklock AM, a descendant of a survivor of the massacre, reflects on her family’s connection to Myall Creek and her experience of visiting the site of the attack.

You can learn more about the Myall Creek Massacre by visiting Hyde Park Barracks or by clicking the links below:

mhnsw.au/stories/convict-sydney/myall-creek-massacre/
mhnsw.au/stories/first-nations/frontier-violence/

09/06/2026

It’s – a day to recognise the incredible work of archivists and the vital role that archives play in preserving our history!

Today we spotlight the team behind the First Nations Community Access to Archives project, delivered in partnership with Aboriginal Languages Trust.

The project is helping to improve access for First Nations Communities to important archival material about Culture, Kinship, Stories and Languages within the State Archives Collection.

05/06/2026

Some scenes from Dream Feast ✨
 
This week, The Mint came alive for a communal dining experience inspired by the Caroline Simpson Library Collection. Guests gathered around shared tables for a nostalgic five-course feast, sparking conversations about food, memory and how we’ve dined through time.
 
Presented in partnership with as part of Food 2026 
🎶 DJ
🎶 Soundtrack

05/06/2026

It’s 🌿

Today, we spotlight a recent conservation project at Vaucluse House that's helping to enhance local plant biodiversity and creating beautiful outdoor spaces for everyone to enjoy.

This project was made possible by the generous support of the F&K De Angeli Foundation.

Looking for some winter fashion inspo?❄️These photographs were snapped on the streets of Martin Place in Sydney during 1...
04/06/2026

Looking for some winter fashion inspo?❄️

These photographs were snapped on the streets of Martin Place in Sydney during 1950.

They’re from an archive of more than 5000 black-and-white 35mm negatives captured by Ikon Studio, a Sydney photography studio that operated during the late 1940s and 1950s.

Read more about this incredible archive of street photographs in the Caroline Simpson Library Collection: mhnsw.au/stories/general/ikon-studio-archive/

02/06/2026

Sometimes, rubbish is an archaeologist’s treasure! 
 
Like this small discarded seal from a wine bottle, unearthed during excavations at the site of Australia’s first Government House. It reveals everything from the tastes of those who lived there to the vast imperial trade networks that connected Sydney to the wider world. 
 
‘Unearthed’ is a fascinating archaeology exhibition on now at the Museum of Sydney. Come and see for yourself how even the most ordinary objects have extraordinary stories to tell.

Free entry. Plan your visit 🔗

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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