Collections

On the Bench: Records of the Lower Courts of NSW

This webinar explores the bench books held in the NSW State Archives Collection. These wonderful volumes record the minutes of proceedings of various Benches of Magistrates as well as later Courts of Petty Sessions.

The Reinterment of Devonshire Street Cemetery

This webinar explores the records from the NSW State Archives Collection that reveal the history of one of Sydney’s oldest burial grounds and the mammoth job of reinterring those buried there to allow for the construction of Central Railway Station

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

The ‘Old Register’: Illuminating Early Colonial NSW

This webinar led by Dr Carol Liston AO, Adjunct Associate Professor in History at Western Sydney University explores the ‘Old Register’ and what it can tell us about early colonial NSW.

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

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

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).

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.’

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