What’s on
Featured exhibition
Unearthed
Between 1983 and 1991, archaeologists excavated one of the most contested blocks of land in Sydney – the site of Australia’s first Government House. They unearthed around 140,000 objects that had lain hidden beneath the city’s streets for almost 140 years. Even the most ordinary object has many stories to tell, depending on how you look at it.
VisitEvents
Workshop
Natural Dyeing Workshop
Harness nature’s beautiful colour palette to create your own unique tie-dyed item, using natural dye, food waste and foraged materials, in this hands-on workshop with artist Alacoque Dash
70 Alice Street, Rosehill NSW 2142
Tuesday 20 January 10.30am–12pm
Tour
Members Hour: Elizabeth Farm
Be treated to a special tour of the property, led by our expert museum staff
70 Alice Street, Rosehill NSW 2142
Wednesday 21 January 9am–10am
Sydney Open Series
Tour
Heritage and Architecture Tours of Kincoppal Rose Bay School
This guided tour offers the opportunity to discover the remarkable history of this beautiful harbourside campus
Saturday 24 January 10am–11am
Film
Archaeology on Film: Fact Versus Fiction
To coincide with our exhibition Unearthed at the Museum of Sydney, we’re presenting a film series that explores how archaeology is portrayed in cinema, from documentaries to family favourites
Corner Phillip and Bridge streets, Sydney NSW 2000
Sunday 25 January 2pm–3pm
Workshop
Cyanotypes Workshop
Photography and installation artist Izabela Pluta will lead this hands-on workshop where participants will explore the early photographic process of cyanotype
Wentworth Road, Vaucluse NSW 2030
Wednesday 28 January 10.30am–12.30pm
Workshop
Bee Magic
Explore the world of bees in this hands-on workshop that’s buzzing with creativity and fun
Wentworth Road, Vaucluse NSW 2030
Friday 30 January 10.30am–12pm
Sydney Open Series
Tour
Caring for Rose Seidler House as a Museum of Mid-Century Design
Discover the challenges and rewards of caring for a mid-century modern building in this unique and informative tour of Rose Seidler House
71 Clissold Road, Wahroonga NSW 2076
Saturday 14 February 12pm–1.15pm
Tour
Members Hour: Rouse Hill Estate
Experience Members Hour at Rouse Hill Estate
356 Annangrove Road, Rouse Hill NSW 2155
Sunday 15 February 9am–10am
Tour
Queer Histories, Queer Futures
This Mardi Gras, Museums of History NSW Assistant Curator Dr Tuan Nguyen and Collection Discovery Assistant Mel Flyte will lead a history walk down Macquarie Street
Queens Square, Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000
Saturday 21 February 4.30pm–6.30pm
Online talk
Vernon and Sobraon: Nautical Training Ships for Boys
Join us for a webinar exploring the stories of the inmates of the nautical training ships the Vernon and the Sobraon
Friday 27 February 10.30am–11.30am
Sydney Open Series
Tour
White Bay Power Station Behind-the-Scenes Tours
As part of the 25th Biennale of Sydney, go behind the scenes at Sydney’s longest-serving power station, at White Bay
Saturday 14 March 12pm–1.15pm
Event series
Sydney Open Series
Building on the Sydney Open program, this series offers talks, workshops, and tours throughout the year, with a focus on history, architecture, design innovation, sustainability, and heritage
HomeGrown Series
Exploring Australian homes, gardens and domestic life past and present through a rich and eclectic mix of workshops, tours and talks held in Museums of History NSW’s beautiful historic houses and gardens
Collections Series
Join our expert curators, archivists, researchers and conservators for talks, tours, viewings and discussions as they highlight some of our most fascinating collection material
On display
Featured display
Eora by Michael Riley
Eora, by the late Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi filmmaker and photographer Michael Riley (1960–2004), is a 20-minute digital film that tells the story of Sydney’s First Nations people – before and after colonisation
Saturday 7 December
Featured display
Madjeri
Madjeri (pronounced mud-jer-ee) is the Dharawal word for canoe or small floating vessel
Saturday 3 August
Permanent display
Alexander Riley, legendary Aboriginal police tracker
The remarkable talents of Aboriginal trackers who worked for NSW Police in the 20th century are featured in a display at the Justice & Police Museum
Saturday 1 April
Permanent display
Healing land, remembering Country
A powerful work by Kuku Yalanji artist Tony Albert
Sunday 30 April
Permanent display
Yura Nura: People & Country
Yura Nura: People & Country presents contemporary Aboriginal reflections on the history of Sydney and colonisation
Saturday 1 April
Touring exhibitions
Touring exhibition
How cities work
Enter an immersive cityscape full of magical, tactile experiences to discover how the city works. Peek inside buildings, duck underground, and explore the streets to find out what’s going on above your head and beneath your feet
Touring exhibition
On the Move
Grab your ticket and enter an interactive transport world created in collaboration with illustrator James Gulliver Hancock
Touring exhibition
Street Photography
Before the days of Instagram, personal cameras, copyright and privacy laws, street photographers were a familiar part of city streets during the 1930’s to the late 1950’s, inadvertently creating a vast archive of black-and-white, postcard-sized candid images
Touring exhibition
Underworld: Mugshots from the roaring twenties
Welcome to the dark side of the Roaring Twenties. Descend into a seedy underworld where the only rules were never squeal to the police and always, always shoot first