Caroline Simpson Library
A specialised resource centre
The Caroline Simpson Library is a specialised research library open to anyone with an interest in the history of house and garden design, interior furnishings and domestic life in NSW. Its collection features a wide range of formats, including architectural pattern books, architectural fragments, wall and floor coverings, trade catalogues and sample books, garden ornaments, hardware and fittings, soft furnishings and trimmings, personal papers, manuscripts, pictures, photographs, books, periodicals and oral histories.
Featured display
![Burdekin House, Elizabeth Bay House, Sydney Mint, Old Sydney 1933-35 / [Thomas J Lawlor, photographer] [photograph album]](https://api.mhnsw.au/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mhnsw.au%2Ffotoweb%2Fembed%2F2026%2F06%2F209e4a0ba5c7492a8076056e64557c47.jpg&w=1920&h=400&fit=inside&format=webp)
Leaving Only Memories: The loss of Burdekin House
Our current display showcases objects and artworks related to Burdekin House, a grand colonial mansion that once stood on Macquarie Street but was demolished in 1933, a victim of Sydney’s urban development
Caroline Simpson Library
Gadigal Country
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000- Cafe
- Wheelchair accessible
Useful and beautiful – new Caroline Simpson Library niche display
The new display in the niche just outside the Caroline Simpson Library gives visitors a chance to see an original Morris & Co chair with an Australian provenance
Stories
Carpet Manufacturers Limited
Carpet Manufacturers Limited operated one of the first Australian factories to design, dye and weave high-quality carpets locally
Diana Luxton Messara: public interior designer
The Diana Luxton Messara archive, generously donated by the designer herself, contains drawings, plans, textile designs, photographs, correspondence, publications, sample boards and personal papers spanning more than five decades.
Fatshaudi commissioned works
We commissioned a range of musicians to create new compositions for Dream Feast in response to sheet music held in the Caroline Simpson Library Collection. One of the musicians, Fatshaudi (Brisbane-based producer Rachael Ryan), shares her experience
On a tour with palms: a botanical foray into the Caroline Simpson Library
A search for palms in the museum collections took this researcher on a journey back to a time when these plants were considered an essential addition to the tasteful home
Find out more about our collection
Annual Giving: Interpreting our Past
For the first time in more than two decades, the Justice & Police Museum is embarking on a bold transformation that reimagines how stories of justice, crime and community are told
Find out more