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
A Century of Paint Colour Charts: 1880–1980
Contemporary interiors seem to reject colour in favour of ‘greige’, off-whites, and neutrals. Yet for many centuries the choice and concentration of colour for the decoration of interiors reflected wealth, status, and fashion
Caroline Simpson Library
Gadigal Country
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000- Cafe
- Wheelchair accessible
Make the home your muse: apply for the Caroline Simpson Library Creative Residency
Take rich inspiration from the home and unlock creative possibilities with the inaugural Caroline Simpson Library Creative Residency
Stories
Creatives selected for inaugural Caroline Simpson Library Creative Residency
Two creatives selected for the inaugural Caroline Simpson Library Creative Residency program
‘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
Wallpaper printing rollers: from machine printing to 3D capture
In December 2022, Phyllis Murphy AM generously donated to the Caroline Simpson Library more than 3,000 wallpaper samples. While the bulk of the donation consists of wallpaper rolls, lengths and sample books, it also includes two printing rollers
House photo albums
These specially produced photograph albums (some in published form and others consisting of photographs pasted into an album) comprise images of one or more domestic dwellings and depict exteriors, interiors and gardens in NSW mostly from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries
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