Collected: Sydney Living Museums acquisitions

Sydney Living Museums (now Museums of History NSW) seeks to tell diverse stories about Australia’s past, from a broad range of voices and perspectives, through the 12 museums and heritage sites, and rich and varied collections in its care.

Collected showcases a selection of over 40 collection items, from simple household objects to dynamic contemporary artworks, from Sydney Living Museums’ active acquisitions program. Each item has found its way into the collection along different and carefully considered pathways. Many have been generously funded or gifted by donors and benefactors – some of whom are descendants of those who lived in the places now under Sydney Living Museums’ care. Others have been purchased or specially commissioned to add new layers of meaning and understanding to our existing histories.

Reflecting the layered and sometimes contested histories of our sites, their legacies, and the countless stories of people connected to them, these items add to the rich tapestry that is the story of Sydney and NSW. Collected allows visitors to connect with and consider our shared and individual identities – in the present and into the future.