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Elizabeth Bay House
Elizabeth Farm
Hyde Park Barracks
Justice & Police Museum
Meroogal
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Rose Seidler House
Rouse Hill Estate
Susannah Place
The Mint
Vaucluse House
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Caroline Simpson Library
State Archives Reading Room
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Become a member
For exclusive Member events and experiences plus a range of year round benefits
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The People’s House: Sydney Opera House at 50
Celebrating five decades of extraordinary performances and unforgettable moments at the Sydney Opera House
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The People’s House: Sydney Opera House at 50
Celebrating five decades of extraordinary performances and unforgettable moments at the Sydney Opera House
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Collections
Dive deep or just browse among our diverse and inspiring collections
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State Archives Collection
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State Archives catalogue
Caroline Simpson Collection
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Caroline Simpson catalogues
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Collections on Tour
We're on the road again, sharing our stories with the people of regional NSW
Read on
Collections on Tour
We're on the road again, sharing our stories with the people of regional NSW
Read on
Learning
Explore the past and imagine the future through immersive and interactive programs and resources, onsite and online
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Learning
Discover past lives, events and stories in the places where they actually unfolded
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Learning
Discover past lives, events and stories in the places where they actually unfolded
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First Nations Hub
A dedicated space for First Nations community, cultures and history
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Read and reflect
First Nations Hub
First Nations stories
First Nations Speaker Series
Harold Blair, trailblazer
Wulli Wulli tenor Harold Blair AM was Australia’s first professionally trained Aboriginal opera singer. An honour he had to fight for.
Read on
Harold Blair, trailblazer
Wulli Wulli tenor Harold Blair AM was Australia’s first professionally trained Aboriginal opera singer. An honour he had to fight for.
Read on
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Stitching for our house museums
For almost 15 years, a dedicated group of volunteers has gathered to sew, crochet, knit, embroider and stuff historically authentic soft furnishings for our houses
Read on
Stitching for our house museums
For almost 15 years, a dedicated group of volunteers has gathered to sew, crochet, knit, embroider and stuff historically authentic soft furnishings for our houses
Read on
Stories
There’s no limit to the stories our houses, museums and collections can tell
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Popular topics
Architecture & design
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Convicts
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Regional NSW
Sydney Opera House
Women's stories
A new way of living
Once word spread about the newly built Rose Seidler House in 1950, it was the ‘most talked about house in Sydney’
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A new way of living
Once word spread about the newly built Rose Seidler House in 1950, it was the ‘most talked about house in Sydney’
Read more
Venue hire
From magnificent colonial style buildings to iconic modern designed spaces, we have a venue ready for you
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Be inspired
Unique and spectacular spaces for your next event or occasion
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Be inspired
Unique and spectacular spaces for your next event or occasion
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Government services
Information and resources for managing, storing and transferring government records 
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Government Records Repository
Manage your records with GRR
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Visit the State Records NSW website

Search our website and collections

Go direct to State Archives online indexes Go direct to State Archives catalogue

Construction & engineering

Crowds at the entrance to St James Station

On This Day

20 Dec 1926 - Sydney underground railway opened

On 20 December 1926 the first section of underground railway in Sydney began operating

Nailing history at Rouse Hill House

When Richard Rouse, superintendent of the Parramatta lumberyard, won the contract to build tollhouses along the new turnpike road running from Parramatta to Windsor in 1811 he couldn’t have known that his name would be etched in colonial history

Government Printing Office d1_03860 - Circular Quay Showing Strathnaver, and Sydney Harbour Bridge [From NSW Government Printer series: City Views], 1931

Sydney Harbour Bridge guide

A brief history of the Sydney Harbour Bridge plus a select list of records relating to the design, construction and official opening ceremony. Also included is a list of records relating to the construction workers employed by the NSW Government

Construction & engineering

Government Printing Office 2 - 29953 - Opera House from Unilever Building [Sydney Opera House (N.S.W.); building construction] [GPO original locations or series - unnumbered] [4/03/1966]

Sydney Opera House construction

We hold records relating to the construction of Sydney Opera House including the stages of construction, who was who, correspondence, plans, contracts, accounting records and more