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Justice & Police Museum

Dual mugshot in black and white; man seated and then man standing, with white naval cap on.
WW1

A dubious defence

On 19 October 1921 Herbert Burridge was listed in the New South Wales Police Gazette as a deserter from HMAS Cerberus

Dark haired woman wearing a red dress and black blazer leaning on a wooden door frame

A life in crime

Curator Nerida Campbell has got the dream job – rummaging through the grit and grime of Sydney’s criminal past to help us to come to terms with the city’s dark side

View of pigeonholes in the the police station charge room.
Onsite

A trial run

Within the setting of a historic police station and courthouse, this program gives students the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the interrelationships between the law and society

Magda Dabrowa, Holly Schulte and Nerida Campbell sit around a table in the Water Police Court. They are smiling at each other as they wrap up the event for the night.

After Dark

Join us for the 2023 edition of After Dark at the Justice & Police Museum

Visitors look up, their faces illuminated by the light of the projected film. They are seated at round tables with candles and cocktails.
27 October, 5pm-9pm
Special event

After Dark: Dis(order)

Join us for this year’s final After Dark, an evening of live music, discussion and dis(order) as we delve into Sydney’s nightlife and cultural history

Sergeant Tracker Alexander ‘Alec’ Riley, standing in police uniform
Permanent display

Alexander Riley, legendary Aboriginal police tracker

The remarkable talents of Aboriginal trackers who worked for NSW Police in the 20th century are featured in a display at the Justice & Police Museum

Sergeant Tracker Alexander ‘Alec’ Riley wearing his police uniform

Alexander Riley, legendary Aboriginal police tracker

The remarkable talents of Aboriginal trackers who worked for NSW Police in the 20th century are featured in a display at the Justice & Police Museum

Onsite

Bailed up!

Students explore the impact of the gold rush on law and order in the colony of NSW, and of bushrangers on the Australian identity

DES17_FP07_0026_004detail.jpg
Underworld

Behind the scenes: How to read a ‘special’

Around the world, police forces followed established conventions when taking mugshots. But Sydney police in the 1920s did things differently