About us

To reveal and share new perspectives on our past, creating understanding and space for dialogue about the present and our future.

To be trusted custodians who preserve and share the stories of the state through our places and collections.

Through our work we provide a platform for people from all backgrounds to experience, celebrate, debate and critically reflect on our state’s history, and to contribute their own perspectives to its forever-growing tapestry.

Our work is guided by our founding legislation, the Museums of History NSW Act 2022, which defines our underlying purpose as:

• to collect, manage and preserve –
  • the State Archives Collection
  • significant buildings and sites
  • objects and materials related to significant buildings and sites
• to increase –
  • public knowledge and enjoyment of the collection
  • access to the collection
• to promote –
  • knowledge and appreciation of history
  • the stories that shape the social, historical, political and cultural identity of NSW
• to carry out these responsibilities across the state, including in regional and rural NSW.

We also have a series of obligations under the State Records Act 1998, outlined in:

• part 4 – relating to the control of state records which are no longer in use
• part 5 – relating to recovering state records
• part 6 – relating to public access to state records.

In managing our responsibilities under the State Records Act 1998, we work closely with the State Records Authority NSW (State Records NSW).

We also operate a range of commercial services that contribute significantly to the sustainability of the organisation. These include retail, food and beverage, venue hire and the Government Records Repository, which provides commercial storage, records management, and digitisation and consultancy services.

Creativity: we strive to see things anew, with imagination.

Curiosity: we are inquisitive, explore ideas and learn. We look with clarity at our past, ask challenging questions of ourselves and act with confidence and courage.

Integrity: we consider people equally without prejudice or favour; act professionally with honesty, consistency and impartiality; take responsibility for situations, showing leadership and courage; and place the public interest over personal interest.

Trust: we appreciate difference and welcome learning from others; build relationships based on mutual respect; uphold the law, institutions of government and democratic principles; communicate intentions clearly and invite teamwork and collaboration; and provide apolitical and nonpartisan advice.

Accountability: we recruit and promote staff on merit; take responsibility for decisions and actions; provide transparency to enable public scrutiny; observe standards for safety; and are fiscally responsible and focus on efficient, effective and prudent use of resources.

Service: we provide services fairly, with a focus on customer needs; are flexible, innovative and reliable in service delivery; engage with the not-for-profit and business sectors to develop and implement service solutions; and focus on quality while maximising service delivery.

Museums of History NSW is managed by the Executive team under the leadership of the chief executive officer, who reports to the Minister for the Arts.

View our organisation chart

While we are a new organisation, our history stretches back many decades. As Museums of History NSW, we were established in 2022 by bringing together the historic houses, museums and collections previously in the care of Sydney Living Museums with the vast archives and records in the NSW State Archives Collection.

The NSW State Archives Collection was established in 1961 under the Archives Act 1960 which created the Archives Authority of NSW. From 1999, under the State Records Act 1998, the collection was under the control of the State Archives and Records Authority of NSW (SARA), one of Australia’s pre-eminent archives and records authorities, holding a vast collection of historical records and archives dating back to the European settlement of Australia in 1788. Its core role was to preserve, store, arrange, catalogue and create access to the State Archives Collection. Over the years, the State Archives Collection has grown to include more than 14 million items.

The Historic Houses Trust of NSW, operating as Sydney Living Museums (SLM) since 2014, was established in 1980 to manage, maintain and interpret buildings and places of historic importance for the education and enjoyment of the public. In the early years, the Historic Houses Trust was responsible for just two properties: Vaucluse House, home of explorer and statesman William Charles Wentworth and his family, and Elizabeth Bay House, built in 1835 for botanist and colonial secretary Alexander Macleay. The number of sites in the Trust’s care subsequently grew to more than 12, including the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Hyde Park Barracks, while the diversity and reach of its activities and programs continued to expand.

In 2019 SARA and SLM entered into a partnership to leverage the synergies and opportunities of their collections and resources, and in 2022 they entered a new chapter together to become Museums of History NSW.