Hyde Park Barracks
A UNESCO World Heritage site in the heart of contemporary Sydney, the Hyde Park Barracks is an extraordinary record of the living legacy of colonial Australia. Originally built to house convicts, the Barracks also served as a women’s immigration depot and asylum, and later law courts and government offices. Today this immersive museum tells the stories of the thousands of men, women and children held or housed there, and the Aboriginal communities profoundly impacted by the relentless push of colonial expansion.
Hyde Park Barracks – the convict years
In 1788, the penal colony of New South Wales was established on the Country of the Gadigal people
Hyde Park Barracks
Queens Square, Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000. Phone +61 2 8239 2311- Wheelchair accessible
Stories from Hyde Park Barracks
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Hyde Park Barracks: a keeper of lost things
Uncover and explore some of the items found inside the barracks
Hope 1848–1886
In 1848 the Hyde Park Barracks became an immigration depot and hiring office for unaccompanied women newly arrived in Sydney
The convict impact on Aboriginal people
Impacts of the convict system on Aboriginal Country and communities
Learning programs
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Archaeology underfoot
As they experience historical archaeology first hand, students learn to differentiate between the roles of historian and archaeologist
Home: convicts, migrants and First Peoples
What was it like to be a convict living at Hyde Park Barracks?
2023 Annual Appeal
Help us preserve our past. All funds raised will allow us to accelerate our work to digitise the significant collections in our care.
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