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Elizabeth Bay House
Elizabeth Farm
Hyde Park Barracks
Justice & Police Museum
Meroogal
Museum of Sydney
Rose Seidler House
Rouse Hill Estate
Susannah Place
The Mint
Vaucluse House
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Caroline Simpson Library
State Archives Reading Room
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Become a member
For exclusive Member events and experiences plus a range of year round benefits
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Exhibitions
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Seeing Sydney, Knowing Country
This exhibition depicts the development of the NSW colony through a selection of historical maps, plans, sketches, artworks and objects
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Seeing Sydney, Knowing Country
This exhibition depicts the development of the NSW colony through a selection of historical maps, plans, sketches, artworks and objects
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Collections
Dive deep or just browse among our diverse and inspiring collections
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State Archives Collection
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State Archives catalogue
Caroline Simpson Collection
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Caroline Simpson catalogues
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Collections on Tour
We're on the road again, sharing our stories with the people of regional NSW
Read on
Collections on Tour
We're on the road again, sharing our stories with the people of regional NSW
Read on
Learning
Explore the past and imagine the future through immersive and interactive programs and resources, onsite and online
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Onsite programs
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Learning
Discover past lives, events and stories in the places where they actually unfolded
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Learning
Discover past lives, events and stories in the places where they actually unfolded
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First Nations Hub
A dedicated space for First Nations community, cultures and history
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Read and reflect
First Nations Hub
First Nations Speaker Series
First Nations Community Access to Archives
First Nations stories
Alexander Riley, legendary Aboriginal police tracker
The remarkable talents of Aboriginal trackers who worked for NSW Police in the 20th century are featured in a display at the Justice & Police Museum
Read on
Alexander Riley, legendary Aboriginal police tracker
The remarkable talents of Aboriginal trackers who worked for NSW Police in the 20th century are featured in a display at the Justice & Police Museum
Read on
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Stitching for our house museums
For almost 15 years, a dedicated group of volunteers has gathered to sew, crochet, knit, embroider and stuff historically authentic soft furnishings for our houses
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Stitching for our house museums
For almost 15 years, a dedicated group of volunteers has gathered to sew, crochet, knit, embroider and stuff historically authentic soft furnishings for our houses
Read more
Stories
There’s no limit to the stories our houses, museums and collections can tell
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Popular topics
Archaeology
Architecture & design
Collections
Conservation
Convict Sydney
First Fleet
First Nations
Music
Photography
Regional NSW
Sydney Opera House
Underworld of the Roaring 20s
Women's stories
Hyde Park Barracks – the convict years
In 1788, the penal colony of New South Wales was established on the Country of the Gadigal people
Read more
Hyde Park Barracks – the convict years
In 1788, the penal colony of New South Wales was established on the Country of the Gadigal people
Read more
Venue hire
From magnificent colonial style buildings to iconic modern designed spaces, we have a venue ready for you
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Our venues
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Be inspired
Unique and spectacular spaces for your next event or occasion
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Be inspired
Unique and spectacular spaces for your next event or occasion
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Government services
Information and resources for managing, storing and transferring government records 
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Government Records Repository
Manage your records with GRR
GRRWeb
Agency Services
State Archives Agency services
Public access to records
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Visit the State Records NSW website

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Go direct to State Archives online indexes Go direct to State Archives catalogue

Caroline Simpson Library

Reading Room

Caroline Simpson Library

A specialised resource centre on home and garden design, history and life

Caroline Simpson Library

Caroline Simpson Library

Featured display

Rustic Adornment

Design imitating nature

Monday 3 November

Framed paper cut silhouette picture of a horse and a dog, by Achille Corbari (1842? - 1918), ca1875.

Collections Series

Talk

‘Faces in Shadow’: Silhouettes from Our Collections

There are many silhouettes in our collections. Join curator Dr Scott Hill as we explore albums, framed works and catalogues of these shadowy figures

Monday 1 December 6pm–7.30pm

Thornton's Temple of flora : with plates faithfully reproduced from the original engravings and the work described by Geoffrey Grigson with bibliographical notes by Handasyde Buchanan.

‘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

Richard Clough Collection

Professor Richard Clough AM (1921–2014) was a significant Australian architect, landscape architect and educator. Throughout his professional life, he amassed a remarkable collection of books relating to garden history, landscape design, botany and Australian flora

The practical decorator and ornamentist for the use of architects, practical painters, decorators, and designers : containing one hundred plates in colours and gold, with descriptive notices, and an introductory essay on artistic and practical decoration / by George Ashdown Audsley and Maurice Ashdown Audsley

Search our website and collections

Popular searches

Caroline Simpson Library

Caroline Simpson Library

Caroline Simpson Library

Rustic Adornment

‘Faces in Shadow’: Silhouettes from Our Collections

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

Richard Clough Collection

Ornament source books

Alexander Mackintosh Archive

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

Murphy Wallpaper Collection