Catalogues of Lost Dreams
House contents have been sold by auction in Sydney for over 200 years. Many of these sales took place in Sydney’s grandest homes, with their furnishings documented room-by-room in catalogues produced by local auction houses. Discover the gossip behind these sales and view auction catalogues, rare books, photographs and treasures associated with some of these magnificent buildings.
This event is presented as part of the Sydney Rare Book Week 2025 program. The program concludes with the Sydney Rare Book Fair at the State Library of NSW, from Thursday 23 to Saturday 25 October 2025.
Related
Collections Series
The MHNSW Collection Series explores the many stories of home, garden, history and life celebrated in these expansive and diverse collections
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
Wednesday 22 October 10am–12pm
Caroline Simpson Library
The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000- Cafe
- Wheelchair accessible