Annual Appeal: Interpreting our Past

Engaging displays and digital experiences will explore how justice and policing have evolved, from the earliest colonial laws to the growth of cybercrime and today’s DNA investigation technologies. Visitors will encounter stories of resilience, courage and reform, and consider the ethical and emotional dimensions of justice.

The new interpretation will move beyond institutional history to illuminate the lived experiences of police officers, as well as First Nations people and others whose stories have too often gone untold. It will bring together diverse perspectives to create a more inclusive and questioning view of justice in NSW.

Through new research, bold storytelling and immersive design, visitors will trace the changing face of policing, from colonial courts to the complex realities of forensic science, digital crime and social reform. Sensitive issues such as domestic and gender-based violence will be explored with honesty and empathy, highlighting their impact on individuals and society.

By connecting past and present stories of policing, justice, and marginalised communities, the new interpretation will encourage visitors to reflect on what justice means and how it continues to evolve. Aligned with the new NSW school curriculum commencing in 2027, the content will strengthen school engagement and inspire future generations to think critically about fairness, accountability and community.

New purpose-built showcases will provide secure environments to display significant collection items, including rare firearms and other weapons.

Their flexible design will allow regular rotations, ensuring that more of the Justice & Police Museum Collection can be shared with visitors, while maintaining the highest standards of conservation, safety, and legal compliance.

The showcases will enhance storytelling, transforming historic spaces into dynamic displays that connect audiences more deeply with the objects, and stories of justice, crime and community.

A bold new design will reveal and celebrate the holding cells’ original fabric while creating a more immersive and contemporary visitor experience.

Flexible, modular displays will reveal original details of the space and allow new stories and collection items to be introduced in the future. The visually striking design will bring objects and narratives to life, inspiring deeper engagement and repeat visitation.

The 2025–26 Annual Giving campaign focuses on the Water Police holding cells, but our vision goes further. We aim for the Justice & Police Museum to become a vibrant cultural anchor in Circular Quay, a place that energises the precinct day and night while offering contemporary reflections on justice, community, and the rule of law.

We aim to transform the museum from a place that could exist anywhere into one that is unmistakably place-based, deeply connected to this unique complex of three historic buildings and its world-renowned collection.

A cutting-edge visitor experience with a strong street presence will revitalise this under-utilised asset within the dynamic Circular Quay precinct, attracting audiences far beyond traditional museum-goers and contributing to Sydney’s 24-hour cultural and visitor economy. Our goal is a richer, more holistic experience that meets the expectations of contemporary audiences.

A whole-of-site renewal offers the potential to deliver greater activation through contemporary interpretation and storytelling, expanded education activities aligned with the new curriculum (2027), dynamic public programs, enhanced accessibility and improved visibility.

We also see opportunities to strengthen our commercial offering in ways that complement the visitor experience, such as food and beverage options that create a welcoming place for people to gather, reflect and spend more time on site, helping to weave the museum more fully into the life of the precinct.

As a state cultural institution entrusted with the care of the stories, collections and heritage places of NSW, we carry both privilege and responsibility. Government investment allows us to protect these assets and serve the people of this state.

Philanthropy, however, plays a vital and complementary role. While government funding maintains our foundations, it does not extend to the type of interpretive transformation we are undertaking at the Justice & Police Museum. Private giving allows us to innovate, to move more quickly and to be ambitious in how we tell the stories of NSW.

Your support will directly shape what we can deliver.