Talks and webinars
Latest talk
Creating Imagined Interiors
Join industry experts at the Caroline Simpson Library as they discuss different approaches to creating interiors for house museums and film and television productions
Watch our talks and webinars
Unlocking Past Lives
Join Matthew Stephens, research librarian at the Caroline Simpson Library, as he uses the library’s specialist collection to explore the contexts of a selection of historic family photographs
![Vivienne Chaffer : Colour [interior design student workbook]](https://images.mhnsw.au/fotoweb/embed/2024/03/b09f1f0c5831414a9ae3b0baf97b548d.jpg)
Phyllis Shillito and her colour curriculum 1945–1979
This event focused on the colour curriculum of pioneering Sydney-based colour designer and educator Phyllis Shillito (1895–1980) of the 1940s to the 1970s
The Extraordinary Story of Rose de Freycinet
Hear the story of Rose de Freycinet, the first woman to write an account of a global circumnavigation, with Suzanne Falkiner
![Vivienne Chaffer : Colour [interior design student workbook]](https://images.mhnsw.au/fotoweb/embed/2024/06/a8d362acee004473a3e57d2a7d683fe6.jpg)
Experiencing a Technical Difficulty
Join Dr Catriona Quinn on a journey through Australia’s rich interior design heritage and a deep dive into the studios of design educators in Sydney in the 1940s, 50s and 60s
Historic colour in the home
The many sources in the Caroline Simpson Library that can bring colour to the homes of past, with Matthew Stephens
![Furniture by Grace Bros. [trade catalogue]](https://images.slm.com.au/fotoweb/embed/2023/09/9d268b19d6db4a90b14f4e46d40267d6.jpg)
Burdekin House columns
Burdekin House was once described as one of the finest buildings in New South Wales and one of the sights to see when visiting Sydney
Music in our Houses
Join Dr Matthew Stephens as he discusses how we can convert musical museum objects into musical sound
![[Collection of pencil and watercolour sketches, photographs and ephemera related to the Rouse family of Rouse Hill House] / Thomas Wingate [pictorial material]](https://images.mhnsw.au/fotoweb/embed/2024/06/0567f8c50f23494185819ef9578e183d.jpg)
House Music at Your House webinar
A new musical experiment aiming to bring the music of the 19th century into the 21st century
![Haidee B. Harris volume of songs and music, circa 1790-1800. [music]](https://images.mhnsw.au/fotoweb/embed/2024/06/cb702232d7624d02a0923cecde5f3d50.jpg)
The cultural history of wallpaper
Wallpaper, once dismissed as old and fusty, is having something of a resurgence of late
Dick Whittington and his cat
The tall tale of Dick Whittington and his adventurous cat reminded children that good deeds and generosity will ultimately lead to great fortune
![[1] Rhodanthe anthemoides [2] Zerochrysum [3] Coronidium oxylepis [4] Chrysocephalum : watercolour by Gertrude Lovegrove, c1891](https://images.slm.com.au/fotoweb/embed/2023/09/f9bbe6791f9046faad69fb7c80af0305.jpg)
The artist and botanical collector
There are only a handful of known remaining copies of 'The Wild Flowers of New South Wales', a small booklet of watercolours and descriptions published in the late 19th century by Shoalhaven-based artist Gertrude Lovegrove and botanical collector William Bäuerlen
Caroline Simpson Library
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![Furnishing guide : 4th edition / B. Bebarfald & Co Ltd. [trade catalogue]](https://images.slm.com.au/fotoweb/embed/2023/04/768091d621f044e983713ab8b01e316a.jpg)
Collection strengths
The Caroline Simpson Library holds many collections relating to the history of houses, interiors and gardens. Explore a selection of some of our favourites
Notable collections
The Caroline Simpson Library holds many collections relating to the history of houses, interiors and gardens. Explore a selection of some of our favourites
An extraordinary collection
The Caroline Simpson Collection has become Australia’s leading source of information on the history of houses, interiors, furnishings, gardens and domestic life