Thanks to the support and involvement of our regional communities, audiences, peers and partners, our work and remit stretch across the state.

Our governing legislation, the Museums of History NSW Act 2022, charges us with responsibility for increasing statewide access to our collections, museums and historic sites, and to the stories that shape the social, cultural and political histories and identity of NSW.

This page highlights some of the many activities, resources and projects developed with, for or about our regional and remote audiences.

Regional framework

With the establishment of Museums of History NSW on 31 December 2022, a Regional Coordination Framework was prepared to ensure that audiences in regional NSW have access to MHNSW’s rich and diverse collections, sites and resources onsite, online and on tour. These include the vast and globally significant State Archives Collection of over 14 million items, which MHNSW holds in trust for the people of NSW. This framework details how we ensure that regional and rural audiences are key in the planning and delivery of our statutory and strategic objectives.

Save the date!

Volunteer Symposium, 28 & 29 July 2025

The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Museums of History NSW is excited to be partnering with Museums & Galleries of NSW to bring you the inaugural Volunteer Symposium for NSW Regional and Community-run Museums in July 2025. We will publish more information closer to the event, but for now please mark the dates in your calendar!

For further information, contact regional@mhnsw.au

Volunteer Symposium

View more

A view from the back of a crowd standing on the main street listening a speaker

Regional Archives Centres

A network of Regional Archives Centres provides access to state archives of regional significance and to copies of key state archives

A film crew set up outside a heritage building

Museums & Galleries of NSW

We are delighted to be continuing our successful partnership with Museums & Galleries of NSW

Resources

Sophie Reid, Producer – Learning Programs; Carlin de Montfort, curator; and Naomi Manning, Producer – Learning Programs, stand in front of a series of cameras as they present a virtual excursion. They are standing behind a table of historical objects in the Meet the Convicts room on the top floor of the Hyde Park Barracks.

Virtual excursions

Our interactive virtual excursions connect your class live with a museum educator and focus on specific curriculum content, concepts and skills. We currently offer virtual excursions for Stages 1 to 4

A federation style house under construction

Collections on Tour 2024

Museums of History NSW has been on the road again, sharing our stories with the people of regional NSW

Upcoming webinars

Browse all
Government Printing Office; NRS 4481, Glass negatives.  NRS-4481-3-[7/15880]-M1925 Government Printing Office 1 - 34395 - General dining room, Liverpool Asylum [From NSW Government Printer series: Department of Public Health]
Online talk

The records of Liverpool Asylum

This webinar will explore the records of the Liverpool Asylum for the Infirm and Destitute (1862-1933) and was later known as the Liverpool State Hospital and Home (1933-1961)

Friday 22 November 10.30am–11.30am
Painting of 3 masted cutter [no date]; [alternate title 'Copy of painting of unidentified schooner. This is possibly from the Dufty Collection']
Online talk

Assisted immigrant records

This webinar will provide an overview of our assisted immigrant indexes and the digitised passenger lists

Friday 6 December 10.30am–11.30am
A large register sits open showing handwritten entries of wages paid to orphans
Latest News

Wages Paid to Orphans – a regional tour

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent Collections on Tour program on Wages paid to orphans, 1849-1851

Cover label Small debts registers [Newcastle Court of Petty Sessions]
Latest News

Archives for Everyone

The Archives for Everyone project has seen us partner with 14 groups who have nominated Small Debts registers from Courts of petty sessions throughout NSW

Behind the scenes
Latest News

Significance matters

As part of an ongoing partnership with Museums & Galleries of NSW, our Curatorial and Digital teams have been hard at work making a suite of vocational videos that explore the importance of assessing and communicating the significance of museum collections

Collections

Explore our collections from anywhere, anytime

Regional stories

Browse all

The fountains of Machattie Park, Bathurst

Several of the postcards featured in our current library display depict Machattie Park in Bathurst. Postcard collector Vera Bell lived in Bathurst between 1905 and 1908 while her father, John, acted as the police superintendent

Pencil drawing of Bathurst 1818, Plans of Government Buildings at Bathurst, Main series of letters received [Colonial Secretary], 1788–1826.

Convict farmer Antonio Roderigo and a ‘dastardly massacre’

A dispute over potatoes farmed by convict-settler Antonio Roderigo was one of many hostile events between colonists and Wiradyuri people that led to the Bathurst War of 1824

A steam train travels along a railway cutting with a cliff face on one side and a cliff drop on the other

Westward, Ho! The Great Western railway arrives

While the railway had arrived at Penrith in 1862 the Blue Mountains, once again, seemed like an impassable obstacle