Caroline Simpson Library Collection
Houses | Interiors | Gardens
Collections Series
Museums of History NSW holds one of Australia’s most significant cultural collections incorporating the State archives, 13 historically significant buildings and sites – including a diverse range of objects, artefacts and materials related to these places – and the Caroline Simpson Library Collection. The MHNSW Collection Series explores a multitude of stories, perspectives and experiences associated with this unique collection.
Join our expert curators, archivists, researchers and conservators for talks, tours, viewings and discussions as they highlight some of our most fascinating collection material – from buildings to wallpaper, house furnishings, art, furniture, rare books and archival material.
What's on
Online talk
‘Most came because their fare was paid for them’: NSW assisted immigration
Join us for this webinar led by Dr Richard Reid, to get a glimpse of the treasures in the NSW State Archives Collection that illuminate the assisted emigrant journey
Friday 28 August 10.30am–11.30am
![Portrait of an unidentified family [no date]](https://api.mhnsw.au/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mhnsw.au%2Ffotoweb%2Fembed%2F2026%2F07%2F36d49ad7aad44d688fc4cfc6a6f55090.jpg&w=1920&h=400&fit=inside&format=webp)
Talk
The Stories of Us: Researching Family History in the NSW State Archives Collection
Join us at the Western Sydney Records Centre to hear from our archivists about finding your own family stories within the NSW State Archives
161 O'Connell Street, Kingswood NSW 2747
Wednesday 9 September 10am–12pm
Online talk
NSW Surveyor Field Books: What Every Researcher Needs to Know
Join us for this webinar to learn how to access these fabulous records detailing the landscapes of NSW and explore the information they contain.
Friday 25 September 10.30am–11.30am
Online talk
Five Things to Discover in the Photographic Archive of the Government Printing Office
Join this webinar to explore the 20th-century photography of the NSW Government Printing Office. Learn the stories behind these images and how you can access them
Friday 30 October 10.30am–11.30am
Online talk
The Ned Kelly Papers
Join us for this webinar exploring the life and crimes of Australia’s most notorious bushranger, featuring recently digitised records from the NSW State Archives Collection.
Friday 27 November 10.30am–11.30am
Featured display
![Burdekin House, Elizabeth Bay House, Sydney Mint, Old Sydney 1933-35 / [Thomas J Lawlor, photographer] [photograph album]](https://api.mhnsw.au/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mhnsw.au%2Ffotoweb%2Fembed%2F2026%2F06%2F209e4a0ba5c7492a8076056e64557c47.jpg&w=1920&h=400&fit=inside&format=webp)
Featured display
Leaving Only Memories: The loss of Burdekin House
Our current display showcases objects and artworks related to Burdekin House, a grand colonial mansion that once stood on Macquarie Street but was demolished in 1933, a victim of Sydney’s urban development
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tuesday 7 July
Past events
Past event
Searching Early Colonial Records 1788–1856
Join us for a full-day seminar on Searching Early Colonial Records 1788-1856 featuring talks by renowned expert historians Adjunct Associate Professor Carol Liston AO, Gary Sturgess AM, Dr Terry Kass, Bonnie Wildie, and Michael Flynn
161 O'Connell Street, Kingswood NSW 2747
Friday 29 May 9am–4pm
Past event
‘Faces in Shadow’: Silhouettes from Our Collections
There are many silhouettes in our collections. Join curator Dr Scott Hill as we explore albums, framed works and catalogues of these shadowy figures
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Monday 1 December 6pm–7.30pm
Past event
Great Migration: Irish immigration records and government schemes to NSW
Join us for a half-day-seminar on Irish immigration records featuring a series of talks by renowned expert historians and genealogists
161 O'Connell Street, Kingswood NSW 2747
Friday 17 October 9.30am–4pm
Past event
‘Confused heaps’ and ‘systematic order’: Keeping records in 19th-century NSW
Join us for a fascinating talk that uncovers how official records were created, kept and carefully (and sometimes not so carefully) stored in 19th–century NSW
Tuesday 9 June 10.30am–11.30am
Past event
Collections in Focus: Rose Seidler House
Enjoy a curator-led tour with a special focus on the unique collection at Rose Seidler House
71 Clissold Road, Wahroonga NSW 2076
Saturday 22 November 10am–11.15am
Past event
Dark Waters: Crime, Smuggling and Shipwrecks in NSW
Join us for a gripping talk about the darker side of NSW’s rivers and harbours to celebrate NSW History Week 2025
161 O'Connell Street, Kingswood NSW 2747
Friday 12 September 10am–12pm
![The home beautiful / by Mark Foys Ltd. [trade catalogue]](https://api.mhnsw.au/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mhnsw.au%2Ffotoweb%2Fembed%2F2025%2F06%2F0827ff70a8964cb29ec6082ca208d66e.jpg&w=1920&h=400&fit=inside&format=webp)
Past event
From Mail Order to Online Shopping
Join curator Michael Lech for an insightful look into the world of department store and mail order catalogues
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tuesday 12 August 6pm–7.30pm
Past event
In conversation: Community Policing, Policing a Community
On the anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (24 June 1978), join us for this special Collections Series event
Corner Albert and Phillip streets, Sydney NSW 2000
Tuesday 24 June 6pm–7.30pm
![Alexander Mackintosh Archive :
architectural plans and specifications, 1901-1924: Alfred H. Hale and Norman D. Hale, architects : architectural plans and specifications, 1905-1921 / Alfred H. Hale & Norman D. Hale [architectural drawings]](https://api.mhnsw.au/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mhnsw.au%2Ffotoweb%2Fembed%2F2025%2F04%2F2161bf7ca0dd41239726913d7e21b49e.jpg&w=1920&h=400&fit=inside&format=webp)
Past event
The Alexander Mackintosh Archive
Join Mel Flyte, Collections Discovery Assistant at Museums of History NSW, for a special viewing of the Alexander Mackintosh Archive
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tuesday 13 May 12pm–1pm
Past event
Up Close and Personal
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Susannah Place Collection
Saturday 5 April 1pm–3pm
Past event
An Appetite for History
Cookbooks and manuscript recipes from the 1830s to the 1970s
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Wednesday 12 March 6pm–7.30pm
Past event
A Lesson in Bold Design
Exploring the John and Phyllis Murphy Collection of historic wallpapers
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Wednesday 5 February 6pm–7.30pm
Past event
Elizabeth Farm: a museum at 40
Join MHNSW curator Dr Scott Hill for a tour of Australia’s oldest surviving house and its recreated garden
70 Alice Street, Rosehill NSW 2142
Saturday 30 November 11am–12pm
Past event
Mrs Simpson's legacy - in conversation with Edward Simpson
Join us to explore some of the highlights of Mrs Caroline Simpson's unique cultural gift and discover the story of the woman behind the collection
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tuesday 29 October 6pm–7.30pm
Past event
A designer’s inspiration: 19th century ornament source books
Lavishly illustrated Ornament Source Books provided creative inspiration to 19th century designers. A wide variety will be on view for this Rare Book Week event
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Wednesday 23 October 2.30pm–3.30pm
Past event
Lord Carrington’s illuminated addresses
Join us for a special Rare Book Week event showcasing the Carrington Albums, a jewel in the State Archives Collection
161 O'Connell Street, Kingswood NSW 2747
Thursday 24 October 10.30am–12pm
Explore our Collections
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Making history every day
Museum Collections
Place-based collections at our historic houses and museums
Collections stories
Growing the living collection – camellias at Vaucluse House
At Vaucluse House, Museums of History NSW cares for a highly significant collection of historical camellias, including several rare cultivars dating back to the mid-19th century
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.
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
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