Visit us
At our houses, museums, gardens or reading rooms
Find out more
Museums
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
Reading rooms
Caroline Simpson Library
State Archives Reading Room
Become a member
For exclusive Member events and experiences plus a range of year round benefits
More
Become a member
For exclusive Member events and experiences plus a range of year round benefits
More
What's on
Exhibitions, events, activations, celebrations and more
All events
What's coming up?
This week
This month
Choose a category
Exhibitions
Displays
Special events
Talks
Tours
Webinars & online talks
Coomaditchie: The Art of Place
Experience community life by the ocean through the works of First Nations artists
More
Coomaditchie: The Art of Place
Experience community life by the ocean through the works of First Nations artists
More
Collections
Dive deep or just browse among our diverse and inspiring collections
View the collections
State Archives Collection
About
How to use
Subjects A-Z
Ask an Archivist
Visit the Reading Room
State Archives catalogue
Caroline Simpson Collection
About
How to use
Ask a Librarian
Visit the Library
Caroline Simpson catalogues
Talks & webinars
Museum Collections
About
How to use
Ask a Curator
Objects catalogue
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
Find out more
Learn with us
Onsite programs
Virtual excursions
Learning resources
Learning
Discover past lives, events and stories in the places where they actually unfolded
More
Learning
Discover past lives, events and stories in the places where they actually unfolded
More
First Nations Hub
A dedicated space for First Nations community, cultures and history
Find out more
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
Get involved
Our supporters are a central part of our story and our success
Find out more
Find out more
Donate
Internships
Members get more
Members login
Partner with us
Volunteer
Work experience
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
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
Browse our stories
Popular topics
Architecture & design
Collections
Conservation
Convict Sydney
First Fleet
First Nations
Music
Photography
Regional NSW
Underworld of the Roaring 20s
Sydney Opera House
Women's stories
A new way of living
Once word spread about the newly built Rose Seidler House in 1950, it was the ‘most talked about house in Sydney’
Read more
A new way of living
Once word spread about the newly built Rose Seidler House in 1950, it was the ‘most talked about house in Sydney’
Read more
Venue hire
From magnificent colonial style buildings to iconic modern designed spaces, we have a venue ready for you
More
Find your event space
Our venues
Weddings & celebrations
Film & photography
Corporate
Be inspired
Unique and spectacular spaces for your next event or occasion
More
Be inspired
Unique and spectacular spaces for your next event or occasion
More
Government services
Information and resources for managing, storing and transferring government records 
More
Government Records Repository
Manage your records with GRR
GRRWeb
Agency Services
State Archives Agency services
Public access to records
Service portal
Transfer plans
Visit the State Records NSW website

Search our website and collections

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

State Archives collection

page from an 1836 bundle of correspondence

Languages alive 2024

In the second annual NSW Aboriginal Languages Week, held on 20–27 October, we celebrate the determination and courage of First Nations peoples to maintain and revitalise languages

Letter containing a statement of absolute pardon for Samuel Henry Horn (more often known as Horne), dated 1830 and signed by Governor Richard Bourke in 1832

A recently donated letter, signed by the governor of NSW in 1832, offers a tangible connection to the story of Samuel Horne, a convict who rose to the rank of district chief constable in the NSW Police

Address presented to Lord Carrington Governor of NSW from the Murrumbidgee P & A Association, 1890.

Special event

Lord Carrington’s illuminated addresses

Join us for a special Rare Book Week event showcasing the Carrington Albums, a jewel in the State Archives Collection

Thursday 24 October 10.30am–12pm

A large register sits open showing handwritten entries of wages paid to orphans

Wages Paid to Orphans – a regional tour

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent Collections on Tour program on Wages paid to orphans, 1849-1851

Cover label Small debts registers [Newcastle Court of Petty Sessions]

Archives for Everyone

The Archives for Everyone project has seen us partner with 14 groups who have nominated Small Debts registers from Courts of petty sessions throughout NSW

Painting of 3 masted cutter [no date]; [alternate title 'Copy of painting of unidentified schooner. This is possibly from the Dufty Collection']

Online talk

Assisted immigrant records

This webinar will provide an overview of our assisted immigrant indexes and the digitised passenger lists

Friday 6 December 10.30am–11.30am

Government Printing Office; NRS 4481, Glass negatives. NRS-4481-3-[7/15883]-M2439 | Government Printing Office 1 - 30700 - Supreme Court, King and Elizabeth Streets, Sydney [From NSW Government Printer series: City Views]

Equity Court records

Since 1823 the Equity Jurisdiction has dealt with matters of fairness and the enforcing of rights not recognised at Common Law

Muswellbrook Power Station Carl Street Apprentices For 1982 Annual Report

Electricity Commission

These photos record the power generation and transmission assets of the organisation and document the working conditions and social events of its employees

Government Printing Office; NRS 4481, Glass negatives. NRS-4481-3-[7/15880]-M1925 Government Printing Office 1 - 34395 - General dining room, Liverpool Asylum [From NSW Government Printer series: Department of Public Health]

Online talk

The records of Liverpool Asylum

This webinar will explore the records of the Liverpool Asylum for the Infirm and Destitute (1862-1933) and was later known as the Liverpool State Hospital and Home (1933-1961)

Friday 22 November 10.30am–11.30am