NSW State Archives

22/11/2022

We are now Museums of History NSW, a new cultural institution that will change the way our past is experienced.

The vast collection of the NSW State Archives has combined with the 12 historic houses and museums, and the important collections previously in the care of Sydney Living Museums.

Together we will provide greater access to these assets and to a broad range of stories about our social, cultural and political histories and identities in New South Wales.

Thank you for all your support here on Facebook. You can continue to see this content and much more on the Museums of History NSW website here: https://mhnsw.au/

10/11/2022

On this day 104 years ago, the guns of the Western Front fell silent after four years of continuous warfare. With their armies retreating and close to collapse, German leaders signed an Armistice, bringing to an end the First World War. Each year on 11 November, Australians observe one minute’s silence at 11 am, in memory of those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts and appreciation of their sacrifice. We will remember them.

Image: Railway float: showing maids on one side, 1944, State Rail, State Archives Collection, NRS21573-2-1-PR188

27/10/2022

28 October 1916 Australians went to the polls to vote in a plebiscite on wartime conscription. Even the soldiers at the front had the opportunity to make their voices heard.

The divisive debate fractured communities across the country. The ‘No’ vote won. In New South Wales, 474,544 people, or 57% of voters, were against conscription. Nationally, it was a 52% ‘no’ vote.

A second plebiscite on 20 December 1917 resulted, again, in a 'no' vote.

https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/magazine/onthisday/28-october-1916

25/10/2022

Are you a user of the records created by NSW State Government (including State archives)? Would you like to have a say about the policies and strategic plans of the State Records Authority of NSW (SRNSW) and the identification of records to be retained as State archives?

We have an exciting opportunity coming up. Please review this advertisement about a vacancy on the Board of SRNSW https://boards.dpc.nsw.gov.au/home/view/885/

23/10/2022

24 October 1889 Sir Henry Parkes, then Premier of NSW, made his famous speech, the 'Tenterfield Oration', in favour of Federation. The speech was given at the Tenterfield School of Arts in northern NSW in order to promote free trade across colonial borders and called for "a great national government for all Australia".

Henry Parkes served five terms as NSW Premier between 1872 and 1891. He became known as the 'Father of Federation'.
http://ow.ly/EKmS50KVkaa

19/10/2022

19 October 1872 the Beyers and Holtermann nugget, the largest single piece of reef gold ever discovered in the world was found by workers of the Star of Hope Mining Company at Hill End. It stood 144.8cm high, 66cm wide and 10.2cm thick.

http://ow.ly/oRkT50L1zJB

17/10/2022

18 October 1909, New South Wales agreed to surrender approx. 2400 square kms of the state to the Commonwealth for the creation of the Australian Capital Territory. The agreement was signed by Prime Minister Alfred Deakin and NSW Premier Charles Wade.

The site of the federal capital was of such importance in NSW that it is considered to be a contributing factor to the colony voting 'Yes' to federation in the 1899 referendum. NSW had been promised, in 1898, that the federal capital would be within its boundaries but not within 100 miles of Sydney.

The Commonwealth Parliament was to select the site and would meet in Melbourne until a capital was provided. Despite many suggestions and lobbying for various sites from local federal capital leagues, politicians and the press, a site could not be agreed on and all choices were hotly debated until the Yass–Canberra district was finally selected.

Walter Burley Griffin won an international competition in 1912 to design the capital. The official name of the capital was not known until 'Canberra' was announced by Lady Denman in 1913. It was not until 9 May 1927 that the Commonwealth Parliament was formally opened in Canberra.

http://ow.ly/weML50Lbjvn

16/10/2022

We have some exciting news! The Museums of History NSW Act 2022 was recently created paving the way for a new cultural institution focused on the history of the state.

This Act establishes Museums of History NSW (MHNSW), bringing together NSW State Archives and Sydney Living Museums.

Alongside the creation of MHNSW will be the formation of State Records NSW (SRNSW) – a separate and dedicated agency for recordkeeping standards, regulation, advice, education and policy.

We look forward to sharing updates with you as we work towards the launch of MHNSW.

Read more: http://ow.ly/MI5Z50LbiWz

Image: The Mint. Photo © Douglas Riley for Sydney Living Museums. NSW State Archives. Photo © NSW State Archives

11/10/2022

is coming up 24-28 October and we're holding an in-person event "Stationery binding: Intricate examples from the NSW State Archives Collection"

WHEN: Wed 26 October @ 10.30am
WHERE: NSW State Archives
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL: http://ow.ly/NI0850KVkfC

Stationery bindings—books intended to be written in—are often characterised by a tendency towards durability and function over beauty. Encompassing ledgers, account books and notebooks, these ‘work horse’ volumes were almost completely bound by hand and reinforced to withstand heavy use; this utility often came at the expense of the tooling, detail and grandeur of other binding types.

We'll be presenting intricately bound examples and ornamental lacing patterns found in the NSW State Archives collection. Come along and view collection highlights and participate in a hands-on session exploring vellum lacing patterns.

10/10/2022

Search 200,000+ entries from the Colonial Secretary's correspondence 1826-1896!

The Colonial Secretary was the pre-eminent figure in public life during much of the 19th Century and the records are among the most valuable sources of information on all aspects of the history of the Colony and the State of NSW. This select index, compiled by Joan Reese, Linda Bowman and Aileen Trinder, indexes the Colonial Secretary's main series of letters received for the years 1826-1896.

Search: http://ow.ly/n7oI50L1v0U

Prior to the 1850's the index is very selective and contains mostly the names of convicts and others of interest who had written to the Governor or the Colonial Secretary on various matters. From the 1850's and onwards a much wider range of material is covered such as:
- Immigration
- Admission and discharges of children into and out of orphan schools and the industrial and training schools
- Warrants for admission to and notification of death/discharge from asylums
- Memorials or petitions from inhabitants of towns and villages including their signatures
- Applications for burials in the Devonshire Street and Camperdown cemeteries
- Government employees
- Lists of Aboriginal people in particular areas and lists of blankets distributed to Aboriginal people
- Maps, plans, sketches and tracings
- Apprehension of bushrangers and runaways
- Reports, printed circulars and By-Laws for various localities
- Military, Military Forces and Regiments

09/10/2022

06/10/2022

7 October 1916 Taronga Zoo officially opened on the shores of Sydney Harbour in Mosman, on the traditional land of the Cammeraygal people. Taronga Zoo was the first public zoo in New South Wales; it initially opened in 1884 at Billy Goat Swamp in Moore Park, on the site now occupied by Sydney Boys High and Sydney Girls High.

The NSW Government granted 43 acres for the new bar-free zoo in Mosman. The zoo was home to monkeys, seals, elephants and over 500 birds.

Browse more photos in our catalogue http://ow.ly/xYpk50KViKh