State Archives Reading Room

We are not within walking distance of a train station. We suggest catching the train to either Penrith or St Mary’s Stations, then taking a bus from there.

For up-to-date timetables or to find the quickest public transport routes visit the Transport Infoline or call 131500.

Bus

Buses from both Penrith and St Marys stations stop regularly at the Western Sydney Reading Room. Please check the Busways website for timetables and details.

Driving from Sydney (approx. 50km)

• Take Parramatta Road to North Strathfield
• Turn onto the M4 motorway and continue to the Kent Road (Claremont Meadows) exit.
• Turn right onto Kent Road and follow as it changes to Gipps Road.
• Turn left into Sunflower Drive and follow the road around past the shops and Claremont Meadows Public School.
• Turn left into O'Connell Street and keep going until you reach the WSRC at 161 O'Connell Street on the left hand side of the road.

Driving from the Blue Mountains

• Take the Great Western Highway / M4 to the Northern Road exit
• Turn left onto the Northern Road and proceed to the Great Western Highway
• Turn right onto the Great Western Highway
• Turn right into O'Connell Street and keep going until you reach the WSRC. O'Connell St is L-shaped - follow it around the university to the WSRC.

Parking

There is ample free onsite parking.

Cycling

There are bike racks onsite.

• Please bring your own pencils and stationery.
• If you wish to make copies of records we strongly suggest that you bring your own camera/tablet/smartphone or USB. Our paper-based photocopy service is available for a fee.
• Bags cannot be taken into the reading room and can be stored in the lockers provided.
• The reading room has a well-equipped readers lounge with free tea and coffee, microwave and fridge, but we recommend that you bring your lunch if you are staying the whole day as there are no shops within easy walking distance – the new shopping centre at Caddens Corner is a hilly 800m walk away.
• Hand sanitiser is available for the safety and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and volunteers.

If you are planning to visit us in a group of five or more people, we ask that  you contact us one month in advance of your visit. This is particularly important on Saturdays when the reading room is staffed at minimum levels.

Short tours of the Western Sydney Records Centre can also be presented to groups of 6-20 people (Tuesday–Friday only). Book a tour when you book your visit.

Book in your group visit

We have made some of the most useful state archives for family and local history available in the Archives Resources Kit, located at 40 community access points around NSW. 

You can also access copies of key and locally significant state archives through our network of regional archives centres, located in host institutions in Armidale, Broken Hill, Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, Wingecarribee and Wollongong.

The network gives physical context to regional state archives by keeping them within the communities where they were created and gives those communities ready access to their archives. This includes archives from a range of public offices such as local land boards, schools, councils, police and local courts. The regional centres also house copies of our Archives Resources Kit and private collections of regional records.