Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Caroline Simpson Library

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Caroline Simpson Library.

The Caroline Simpson Library began as the Lyndhurst Conservation Resource Centre in 1984. It was renamed in 2004 in recognition of the extraordinary cultural gift donated by the children of Caroline Simpson OAM (1930–2003) to the Historic Houses Trust of NSW (now Museums of History NSW). The gift included furniture, artworks, books and decorative arts from their mother’s collection, along with an endowment for the library. A keen collector, Caroline had a passion for colonial history and heritage and an eye for rare and significant material. This display draws from Caroline’s collection of objects related to the incredible voyage of Rose de Freycinet (1794–1832) aboard the French scientific vessel Uranie in 1817–20. It offers just a glimpse of the breadth and importance of the objects acquired by one of Australia’s great collectors.