Museums of History New South Wales

Visit us

There’s plenty happening every day at our museums, historic houses and gardens, with entry free for all!

Learning

Explore our curriculum-linked programs, excursions and resources for stages 1 to 6. Inquire or book now

Come and Discover

Find out how you can access diverse experiences through a unique calendar of donor events

Strategy 2025-2030

Our first MHNSW five-year Strategy marks a new chapter of immense possibility

‘All In’ at the On Country experience

Learning team member Lucy Melville reflects on the lasting impact of an experience on Country in the lead-up to Reconciliation Week 2026.

Donors attend a special studio experience with Signature Handprints

In late May, a group of Museums of History NSW donors attended a special behind-the-scenes experience at Signature Handprints, a boutique design and print business in St Peters in Sydney’s inner west.

Uncovering the past at Rouse Hill Estate

In the lead-up to conservation work on the overseer’s cottage at Rouse Hill Estate, an unexpected discovery prompted the need for an archaeological excavation

A spotlight on mould

Mould is one of the last things you want to find on records, but it can occur in any collection. Poor ventilation, high humidity or weather events can all contribute. Learn how you can identify mould and manage small outbreaks

Diana Luxton Messara: public interior designer

The Diana Luxton Messara archive, generously donated by the designer herself, contains drawings, plans, textile designs, photographs, correspondence, publications, sample boards and personal papers spanning more than five decades.

On a tour with palms: a botanical foray into the Caroline Simpson Library

A search for palms in the museum collections took this researcher on a journey back to a time when these plants were considered an essential addition to the tasteful home

Fatshaudi commissioned works

We commissioned a range of musicians to create new compositions for Dream Feast in response to sheet music held in the Caroline Simpson Library Collection. One of the musicians, Fatshaudi (Brisbane-based producer Rachael Ryan), shares her experience

Leslie Walford Archive

For nearly 50 years Leslie Walford AM (1927–2012) was one of Sydney’s most successful interior designers, the decorator of choice for the city’s social elite and a leading figure in the Society of Interior Designers of Australia (SIDA).