Collections

Mental health patient records

This webinar explores the surviving patient records created by government mental health facilities that are held within the State Archives Collection

Small Debts Registers

This webinar explores the newly indexed and digitised Small Debt Registers held in the NSW State Archives Collection, and how they can highlight the history of NSW local communities

Soldier Settlement in NSW

This webinar explores records in the NSW State Archives Collection that tell the stories of soldier settlers. Learn more about the individuals who participated in the scheme, and how you can research these men and women in our collection

Settlers’ Muster Book, 1800

This webinar led by Dr Carol Liston AO, Adjunct Associate Professor in History at Western Sydney University, explores the contents of the Settlers’ Muster Book 1800

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

Love in the Library – Members Hour at the Caroline Simpson Library

In February, to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Collections Discovery Assistant Mel Flyte shared with our members expressions of love discovered in the Caroline Simpson Library

Exploring the archaeology of the first Government House

Donors joined Dr Aaron De Souza, Research Manager at Museums of History NSW, for a fascinating bespoke talk and behind-the-scenes viewing of a selection of the more than 140,000 archaeological finds from the site of Australia’s first Government House

New insights from an old photograph

A recent acquisition for the Caroline Simpson Library captures a rare view of the long-demolished southern range of the Hyde Park Barracks

Envisioning the ‘Sydney National Opera House’: A different ‘Red Book’

A variant version of the ‘Red Book’ – with additional plans dated May 1958 – has recently been generously donated to Museums of History NSW by Mr Mark Matheson

‘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

Wallpaper printing rollers: from machine printing to 3D capture

In December 2022, Phyllis Murphy AM generously donated to the Caroline Simpson Library more than 3,000 wallpaper samples. While the bulk of the donation consists of wallpaper rolls, lengths and sample books, it also includes two printing rollers

House photo albums

These specially produced photograph albums (some in published form and others consisting of photographs pasted into an album) comprise images of one or more domestic dwellings and depict exteriors, interiors and gardens in NSW mostly from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries

Richard Stringer’s architectural photographs, 1968–2003

This portfolio contains 55 photo prints taken by architectural photographer Richard Stringer, dating from 1968 to 2003, documenting significant Australian domestic buildings

The Spa subsidised school

A curious index card unlocks information about a unique subsidised school, whose history has been preserved within the State Archives Collection

Grief in the archives: a Blak reflection on Sorry Day

In this article, Dylan Hoskins, Project Assistant on the First Nations Community Access to Archives project, reflects on the significance of National Sorry Day through his lived experience as an Aboriginal person

An immersive solution to preserving the past

An important part of Collections Care work at the Western Sydney Records Centre is to conserve records that have been requested by readers and assessed as requiring repair

Advocacy, allyship and the rise and fall of the Aborigines Protection Board

In the lead-up to 26 January, the State Archives Collection provides opportunities to explore and reflect on past examples of advocacy and allyship in the fight for First Nations rights