Women's stories

First Nations
A fisher woman of Warrane
Daringa’s short but fascinating life reflects the connection of coastal Aboriginal peoples to the water, and the key role played by women in the fishing economy

A manuscript cookbook from Meroogal
Cooking was an integral part of the rhythm of life for the family at Meroogal, near Nowra on the south coast of New South Wales

Baubles, brooches & beads
We wear jewellery as articles of dress and fashion and for sentimental reasons – as tokens of love, as symbols of mourning, as souvenirs of travel

Convict Sydney
Female migration
For many women in the UK migration was seen as an opportunity to change their fortunes - to escape poverty, find work and start a family

Forgotten objects – the hatpin
Rarely seen or used today, hatpins were once an essential item for the fashionable lady

Irish orphan girls at Hyde Park Barracks
This is a story of over 4000 Irish orphans driven from their homeland by the Great Famine