Caroline Simpson Collection
Home and garden design, history and life
Collections Series
Museums of History NSW holds one of Australia’s most significant cultural collections incorporating the State archives, 13 historically significant buildings and sites – including a diverse range of objects, artefacts and materials related to these places – and the Caroline Simpson Library Collection. The MHNSW Collection Series explores a multitude of stories, perspectives and experiences associated with this unique collection.
Join our expert curators, archivists, researchers and conservators for talks, tours, viewings and discussions as they highlight some of our most fascinating collection material – from buildings to wallpaper, house furnishings, art, furniture, rare books and archival material.
What's on
Collections Series
Talk
‘Faces in Shadow’: Silhouettes from Our Collections
There are many silhouettes in our collections. Join curator Dr Scott Hill as we explore albums, framed works and catalogues of these shadowy figures
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Monday 1 December 6pm–7.30pm
Past event
Great Migration: Irish immigration records and government schemes to NSW
Join us for a half-day-seminar on Irish immigration records featuring a series of talks by renowned expert historians and genealogists
161 O'Connell Street, Kingswood NSW 2747
Friday 17 October 9.30am–4pm
Past event
‘Confused heaps’ and ‘systemic order’: Keeping records in 19th-century NSW
Join us for a fascinating talk that uncovers how official records were created, kept and carefully (and sometimes not so carefully) stored in 19th–century NSW
161 O'Connell Street, Kingswood NSW 2747
Wednesday 22 October 10am–12pm
![[Wingate album] : pencil drawings, watercolour sketches, photographs / Thomas Wingate [pictorial material]](https://api.mhnsw.au/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mhnsw.au%2Ffotoweb%2Fembed%2F2025%2F08%2F4c521c9038494a71828e87679ac7a62e.jpg&w=1920&h=400&fit=inside&format=webp)
Past event
Catalogues of Lost Dreams
House contents have been sold by auction in Sydney for over 200 years. Discover the gossip behind these sales and view auction catalogues
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Thursday 23 October 2pm–3pm
Collections Series
Tour
Collections in Focus: Rose Seidler House
Enjoy a curator-led tour with a special focus on the unique collection at Rose Seidler House
71 Clissold Road, Wahroonga NSW 2076
Saturday 22 November 10am–11.15am
Past event
Dark Waters: Crime, Smuggling and Shipwrecks in NSW
Join us for a gripping talk about the darker side of NSW’s rivers and harbours to celebrate NSW History Week 2025
161 O'Connell Street, Kingswood NSW 2747
Friday 12 September 10am–12pm
![The home beautiful / by Mark Foys Ltd. [trade catalogue]](https://api.mhnsw.au/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mhnsw.au%2Ffotoweb%2Fembed%2F2025%2F06%2F0827ff70a8964cb29ec6082ca208d66e.jpg&w=1920&h=400&fit=inside&format=webp)
Past event
From Mail Order to Online Shopping
Join curator Michael Lech for an insightful look into the world of department store and mail order catalogues
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tuesday 12 August 6pm–7.30pm
Past event
In conversation: Community Policing, Policing a Community
On the anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (24 June 1978), join us for this special Collections Series event
Corner Albert and Phillip streets, Sydney NSW 2000
Tuesday 24 June 6pm–7.30pm
![Alexander Mackintosh Archive :
architectural plans and specifications, 1901-1924: Alfred H. Hale and Norman D. Hale, architects : architectural plans and specifications, 1905-1921 / Alfred H. Hale & Norman D. Hale [architectural drawings]](https://api.mhnsw.au/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mhnsw.au%2Ffotoweb%2Fembed%2F2025%2F04%2F2161bf7ca0dd41239726913d7e21b49e.jpg&w=1920&h=400&fit=inside&format=webp)
Past event
The Alexander Mackintosh Archive
Join Mel Flyte, Collections Discovery Assistant at Museums of History NSW, for a special viewing of the Alexander Mackintosh Archive
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tuesday 13 May 12pm–1pm
Past event
Up Close and Personal
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Susannah Place Collection
Saturday 5 April 1pm–3pm
Past event
An Appetite for History
Cookbooks and manuscript recipes from the 1830s to the 1970s
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Wednesday 12 March 6pm–7.30pm
Past event
A Lesson in Bold Design
Exploring the John and Phyllis Murphy Collection of historic wallpapers
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Wednesday 5 February 6pm–7.30pm
Past event
Elizabeth Farm: a museum at 40
Join MHNSW curator Dr Scott Hill for a tour of Australia’s oldest surviving house and its recreated garden
70 Alice Street, Rosehill NSW 2142
Saturday 30 November 11am–12pm
Past event
Mrs Simpson's legacy - in conversation with Edward Simpson
Join us to explore some of the highlights of Mrs Caroline Simpson's unique cultural gift and discover the story of the woman behind the collection
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tuesday 29 October 6pm–7.30pm
Past event
A designer’s inspiration: 19th century ornament source books
Lavishly illustrated Ornament Source Books provided creative inspiration to 19th century designers. A wide variety will be on view for this Rare Book Week event
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Wednesday 23 October 2.30pm–3.30pm
Past event
Lord Carrington’s illuminated addresses
Join us for a special Rare Book Week event showcasing the Carrington Albums, a jewel in the State Archives Collection
161 O'Connell Street, Kingswood NSW 2747
Thursday 24 October 10.30am–12pm
Past events
Featured display
Featured display
Scientific Splendour: The art of botanical illustration
Our current display explores the development of botanical illustration from the end of the 18th century to the turn of the 20th century. Initially employed to support scientific discourse, botanical illustration evolved as an art form that increasingly prioritised aesthetic style over scientific exactitude
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tuesday 1 July
Explore our Collections
Browse allState Archives Collection
Making history every day
Museum Collections
Place-based collections at our historic houses and museums
Collections stories
Flat out access: unfolding the parchment pardon of Samuel Henry Horne
The conservators at the Western Sydney Records Centre treat items from across Museums of History NSW collections. A recent example is the 1832 absolute pardon of convict Samuel Henry Horne
First Nations
Little footsteps, big futures: honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day
In this article, Beth Thornber, Access Advisor on the First Nations Community Access to Archives project, reflects on the significance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day through examining the role of young First Nations people in language preservation and revitalisation
‘A creature of incredible taste’: Winnafreda, Countess of Portarlington
Australian by birth, Winnafreda Portarlington was one of the most glamorous and well-connected women in British society in the first half of the 20th century. Find out more about this fascinating woman, her social connections, and her collections
The Spa subsidised school
A curious index card unlocks information about a unique subsidised school, whose history has been preserved within the State Archives Collection