State Archives Collection

Colonial Secretary

Convicts

Divorce

Immigration & shipping

Inquests

Land

Probate & wills

Schools

About the State Archives Collection

The NSW State Archives Collection documents the daily work of the NSW Government and its agencies from 1788 to today

How to use the State Archives Collection

The largest collection of records relating to the history of NSW and the lives of its people

Ask an Archivist

We’re here to help you access and use our collection

Plan your visit

State Archives Reading Room, Kingswood

Assisted Immigrants index 1839-1896

Passengers arriving in Sydney & Newcastle 1844-59, Moreton Bay 1848-59 & Port Phillip 1839-51

Convicts index 1791-1873

140,000+ entries including certificates of freedom, bank accounts, & tickets of leave

1841 Census index

Records the population by police districts, counties & towns. The head of the household is recorded in the returns

Gaol inmates & prisoners photos index

Browse 50,000+ entries & download digitised photos from 1870 to 1930

Discovering the State Archives Collection

Explore the State Archives Collection on the MHNSW website

Researching your house and property

Learn how to find house and property records in the NSW State Archives Collection

Probate packets

This webinar focuses on the sources for probate in the State Archives Collection and how to find them

Unassisted passenger lists online

Unassisted passengers are those who paid their own way. This webinar explains how to search lists of unassisted passenger arrivals to NSW

Eveleigh Workshops during the 1917 railway strike

On 2 August 1917 the General Strike began. It started in the Randwick Rail Workshops & Eveleigh Carriage Workshops & quickly spread to other industries until about 100,000 workers were on strike

Rescue Breathing, 1962

An instructional film demonstrating CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation techniques

Sydney Opera House construction

We hold records relating to the construction of Sydney Opera House including the stages of construction, who was who, correspondence, plans, contracts, accounting records and more

Cummeragunja Walk Off

This page marks the 80th anniversary of the Cummeragunja Walk Off which began in February 1939 and ended nine months later in October/November.

Chaperone's diary of the 1857 Fitzjames voyage to Sydney

Matron Susan Austen, chaperone to 98 single females aboard the Fitzjames, kept a diary of the voyage, She recorded the dramas that unfolded: fights, theft, sea-sickness, tantrums & her own despair at their behaviour

Tilly Devine & the Razor Gang Wars, 1927–1931

Learn about the Razor gangs and their leaders Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh

History of Taronga Zoo

Can you imagine Sydney Harbour without Taronga Zoo perched on Bradley’s Head at Mosman? For one hundred years families have been making the trip by ferry, tram and car to see the exotic and native animals at Taronga and get a picturesque view of the harbour

Mary Reibey - convict and businesswoman

Mary Reibey is one of the most famous early convict women in the colony of New South Wales