3D scanning the archaeological dog skeleton

A key component of Museum of Sydney’s interpretation is the archaeological remains of First Government House.

Visitors can view the foundations and brick barrelled drain from the bakery through a series of glass windows set into the floor of the foyer. Beside these are a series of in floor showcases displaying some of the archaeology found during various digs in the 1980s. Imported ceramic plates, charcoal from ovens, bones from cooking and window glass feature in the cases. With so many people walking through the foyer, the glass needs replacing from time to time.

This week we have been changing the glass over, giving us the opportunity to undertake 3D scanning of some of the key items from this display, including scanning the skeleton of a much-loved dog c1820 found buried on site.

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Tim Girling-Butcher

Tim Girling-Butcher

Head of Digital & Design

Tim leads a creative team of design, digital and multimedia specialists supporting the delivery of MHNSW activities across our physical sites and online platforms. He has over 25 years of experience working in the cultural sector in Australia and New Zealand. He has led multiple creative projects across a variety of platforms including exhibitions, programs and digital interpretation. Tim’s journalistic training, fixation with technology and passion for audience engagement drive him to find new and exciting ways to tell stories in his current role as Head of Digital & Design for MHNSW. Tim is a published author and exhibition curator.

A closer look at bricks

A high-tech research collaboration is giving us new insights into some very familiar objects from our vast archaeological collection

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A short history of the Hyde Park Barracks

In the early 19th century, the Hyde Park Barracks was the central convict institution and crossroads for tens of thousands of convicts shuffled back and forth throughout the colony. It's now on the World Heritage list, recognised among the world’s most important cultural heritage places linked to forced migration, colony building and convict culture.

Watercolour illustration of an urban setting

After the first Government House

Remarkably, the site of the first Government House remained largely undeveloped for more than 140 years before the Museum of Sydney was built, despite numerous schemes for this valuable piece of CBD land

Stacks of convict-made sandstock bricks, recovered during underground excavations, Hyde Park Barracks, 1981.

Archaeology in action: Hyde Park Barracks

Occupied continuously by government institutions throughout its history and with over 100,000 individuals passing through, Hyde Park Barracks has a rich archaeological record