Collections

Vernon and Sobraon: Nautical Training Ships for Boys

This webinar explores the stories of the inmates of the nautical training ships the Vernon and the Sobraon

Faculty files

This webinar explores 19th-century teacher records held in the NSW State Archives Collection, making it possible to trace teachers’ careers from young trainees through to the established teachers they became

More Than a Name: NSW Naturalisation Records

This webinar showcases the various naturalisation records held, including original applications for naturalisation, and advises what you may be able to discover about your immigrant ancestors in the collection

Crown Plans revisited

Learn how you can start searching for, accessing, and understanding Crown plans and related records in the State Archives Collection

Murphy Wallpaper Collection

The recent donation to the Caroline Simpson Library of thousands of wallpapers in the John and Phyllis Murphy Collection means that Museums of History NSW now has the largest holding of historical wallpapers in Australia

Creating Imagined Interiors

Join industry experts at the Caroline Simpson Library as they discuss different approaches to creating interiors for house museums and film and television productions

Unlocking Past Lives

Join Matthew Stephens, research librarian at the Caroline Simpson Library, as he uses the library’s specialist collection to explore the contexts of a selection of historic family photographs

Phyllis Shillito and her colour curriculum 1945–1979

This event focused on the colour curriculum of pioneering Sydney-based colour designer and educator Phyllis Shillito (1895–1980) of the 1940s to the 1970s

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

Iconic treasure published online

We are thrilled to announce the online publication of the ‘Old Register’ from the State Archives Collection

Not so black and white

Digitising photos from Rouse Hill Estate

Making Home: Collections on Tour

MHNSW was proud to present Making Home: A Short History of Houses, Interiors and Gardens in NSW in 2025

The mysterious O.S.B.

One item in the Caroline Simpson Library Collection has been capturing our attention recently: a beautifully illustrated catalogue of electric light fittings, identified only by a mysterious insignia on the cover – the initials ‘O.S.B.’

Rustic adornment: design imitating nature

Rustic design style evokes nature by imitating organic forms such as tree branches, flowers and animals, and incorporates natural textures like wood and stone

Creatives selected for inaugural Caroline Simpson Library Creative Residency

Two creatives selected for the inaugural Caroline Simpson Library Creative Residency program

‘A creature of incredible taste’: Winnafreda, Countess of Portarlington

Australian by birth, Winnafreda Portarlington was one of the most glamorous and well-connected women in British society in the first half of the 20th century. Find out more about this fascinating woman, her social connections, and her collections

State Dockyard, Newcastle

This series documents the activities of the State Dockyard Newcastle between 1953 and 1983 through photographs, negatives, slides and microfilm. There are 8,500+ photos in this series

Shipshape: conserving a model of the Princess of Tasmania

Learn how our conservators addressed metal corrosion on a striking 1950s ship model in the State Archives Collection

Groundbreaking crimes from the archives

Within the sandstone walls of the Justice & Police Museum are countless stories of crime, courage and justice – some famous, many forgotten

Flat out access: unfolding the parchment pardon of Samuel Henry Horne

The conservators at the Western Sydney Records Centre treat items from across Museums of History NSW collections. A recent example is the 1832 absolute pardon of convict Samuel Henry Horne