State Archives Collection

State Archives Collection
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Go direct to State Archives online indexes
Go direct to State Archives catalogue
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Museum of Sydney
First Fleet
Convicts
Probate
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State Archives Collection
Making history every day
The NSW State Archives Collection documents the daily work of the NSW Government and its agencies from 1788 to today. This vast collection records history as it happens, providing valuable and at times life-changing evidence of events and decisions that have shaped, and continue to shape, our history, communities and lives.
Online indexes, research guides & webinars are listed in
Subjects A-Z
. You can also
search all the indexes at once via the catalogue
.
Popular research subjects
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Colonial Secretary
Convicts
Divorce
Immigration & shipping
Inquests
Land
Probate & wills
Schools
About us
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How to use the State Archives Collection
The largest collection of records relating to the history of NSW and the lives of its people
Plan your visit
State Archives Reading Room, Kingswood
First Nations Community Access to Archives
This project aims to improve access for First Nations people to important archival material about culture, kinship, stories, and languages within the State Archives Collection
First Nations
State Archives Collection
Ask an Archivist
We’re here to help you access and use our collection
Collection strengths
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Family history
Local history
Search for people & places
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Assisted Immigrants index 1839-1896
Passengers arriving in Sydney & Newcastle 1844-59, Moreton Bay 1848-59 & Port Phillip 1839-51
Convicts index 1791-1873
140,000+ entries including certificates of freedom, bank accounts, & tickets of leave
1841 Census index
Records the population by police districts, counties & towns. The head of the household is recorded in the returns
Gaol inmates & prisoners photos index
Browse 50,000+ entries & download digitised photos from 1870 to 1930
Watch & learn
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Discovering the State Archives Collection
Explore the State Archives Collection on the MHNSW website
State Archives Collection
Video
Researching your house and property
Learn how to find house and property records in the NSW State Archives Collection
Webinar
State Archives Collection
Probate packets
This webinar focuses on probate sources in the State Archives Collection and how to find them
Family history
Births, deaths & marriages
State Archives Collection
Webinar
Unassisted passenger lists online
Unassisted passengers are those who paid their own way. This webinar explains how to search lists of unassisted passenger arrivals to NSW
Vernon and Sobraon: Nautical Training Ships for Boys
This webinar explores the stories of the inmates of the nautical training ships the Vernon and the Sobraon
Webinar
State Archives Collection
Collections
The ‘Old Register’: Illuminating Early Colonial NSW
This webinar led by Dr Carol Liston AO, Adjunct Associate Professor in History at Western Sydney University explores the ‘Old Register’ and what it can tell us about early colonial NSW.
Webinar
State Archives Collection
Collections
Faculty files
This webinar explores 19th-century teacher records held in the NSW State Archives Collection, making it possible to trace teachers’ careers from young trainees through to the established teachers they became
State Archives Collection
Collections
Webinar
More Than a Name: NSW Naturalisation Records
This webinar showcases the various naturalisation records held, including original applications for naturalisation, and advises what you may be able to discover about your immigrant ancestors in the collection
State Archives Collection
Collections
Webinar
What can you find?
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Schools: what the files can tell you
School files very strongly reflect the growth or decline of towns and are an excellent source for your local history research
Collections
State Archives Collection
Local history
Regional NSW
Bankruptcy: what the files can tell you
Bankruptcy files contain lists of creditors that the bankrupt person owed money to and debtors that owed money to the bankrupt person
Local history
State Archives Collection
Regional NSW
Family history
Probate packets: what the files can tell you
Probate packets hold the last will and testament, codicils, an inventory of assets of the estate, affidavits of death and other papers
Births, deaths & marriages
Family history
State Archives Collection
Regional NSW
First Nations
Stories & articles
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Canberra – the federal capital contest
This record series from the State Archives Collection sheds light on the proud efforts a number of towns, villages and other areas took to present their submissions to become the capital of the new Commonwealth
Federation
State Archives Collection
Collections
On this day
Sydney Opera House drawings
An International Competition for the design of a National Opera House at Bennelong Point was held in 1956. We hold the original drawings submitted by Jørn Utzon and other competition records
Sydney Opera House
Jørn Utzon
State Archives Collection
Celebrating federation
The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed on 1 January 1901. The Federation Pavilion in Sydney’s Centennial Park was the focus of the inauguration ceremonies and a five mile procession through the decorated streets of Sydney was greeted by large crowds
On this day
Federation
State Archives Collection
Collections
First Nations
Cummeragunja Walk Off
The Cummeragunja Walk Off which began in February 1939 has been described as the first ever mass strike of Aboriginal people in Australia. It brought about changes to the Aborigines Protection Act of NSW
First Nations
State Archives Collection
Protests & strikes
Eveleigh Workshops during the 1917 railway strike
On 2 August 1917 the General Strike began. It started in the Randwick Rail Workshops & Eveleigh Carriage Workshops & quickly spread to other industries until about 100,000 workers were on strike
On this day
Trains & railways
Professions & trades
Protests & strikes
State Archives Collection
Tilly Devine & the Razor Gang Wars, 1927–1931
Learn about the Razor gangs and their leaders Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh
Justice & Police Museum
State Archives Collection
Mugshots
Crime
Roaring 20s
History of Taronga Zoo
Can you imagine Sydney Harbour without Taronga Zoo perched on Bradley’s Head at Mosman? For one hundred years families have been making the trip by ferry, tram and car to see the exotic and native animals at Taronga and get a picturesque view of the harbour
Zoo
Animals
State Archives Collection
Collections
On this day
Central Railway Station: through the Lens
Highlighting the transformation of Central Railway Station from its opening in 1855 to 1921 when the clocktower was completed
Trains & railways
State Archives Collection
Architecture & design
Collections
On this day
News
Latest News
Iconic treasure published online
We are thrilled to announce the online publication of the ‘Old Register’ from the State Archives Collection
State Archives Collection
Collections
Latest News
New transfer of Parramatta and Rydalmere hospital records
The State Archives Collection has just received an important set of mental health records from Western Sydney Local Health District. The transfer is particularly exciting as we thought that these records were lost!
Collections
State Archives Collection
Hospitals & sanatoriums
Latest News
Envisioning the ‘Sydney National Opera House’: A different ‘Red Book’
A variant version of the ‘Red Book’ – with additional plans dated May 1958 – has recently been generously donated to Museums of History NSW by Mr Mark Matheson
Sydney Opera House
State Archives Collection
Collections