Museum of Sydney

Find out more about early colonisation as well as modern Australian history at this compact museum
  • Museums
  • Sydney
Advertising

Time Out says

This building stands on one of the most historic spots in Sydney, the site of the first Government House, built in 1788 by Governor Arthur Phillip and home to the first nine governors of NSW. In 1983 archaeologists unearthed the original footings of the house, which had survived since the building’s 1846 demolition; these remains are now a feature at the museum.

Administered by Sydney Living Museums and opened in 1995, the MOS offers a mix of state-of-the-art installations, nostalgic memorabilia and changing exhibitions. A giant video spine spans the full height of the building and charts the physical development of the city.

This area was the first point of contact for the indigenous Gadigal people and the First Fleet, so the museum also explores colonisation, invasion and contact. The Gadigal Place gallery honours the clan’s history and culture, while outside the museum the 'Edge of the Trees' sculpture installation by Fiona Foley and Janet Laurence symbolises the first encounter, in which the Gadigal people hid behind trees and watched officers of the First Fleet struggle ashore.

Pause in the foyer in front of late indigenous artist Gordon Bennett's 1991 painting 'Possession Island', which re-interprets the traditional European story of contact and colonisation, and parodies British paintings depicting Cook's claiming of Australia.

Details

Address
Corner Phillip and Bridge Streets
Sydney
2000
Transport:
Nearby stations: Circular Quay
Price:
$12-$15
Opening hours:
Thu-Sun 10am-5pm; closed Good Friday, Christmas Day

What’s on

Seeing Sydney, Knowing Country

Ever wondered what Sydney would have looked like without all the clustered skyscrapers, scenic foreshores and sprawling suburbs? Seeing Sydney, Knowing Country strips the Harbour City right back to reveal the land as it once was. Running until November, the exhibition at the Museum of Sydney shows how the British colony took shape — and how knowledge of Country has continued to shape Sydney across generations. Travel back to the late 18th century when Governor Arthur Philip drew Sydney’s first boundary line in the sand of what we call Manly Cove. This marked the beginning of dispossession from the First Nations peoples after 60,000-plus years of custodianship of the land. The first land grant issued in the colony is one of many artefacts, sketches, plans and objects in this fascinating collection.  This free exhibition was created in collaboration with artist and designer Alison Page, a proud descendant of the Dharawal and Yuin peoples. Through her Aboriginal design agency and roles on numerous cultural boards, Page is a leading voice in contemporary Indigenous art and storytelling. Her innovative artistic intervention runs throughout the exhibition, layering First Nations understandings of Country over the colonial view of Sydney’s past. The exhibition was also developed in collaboration with the Sydney Coastal Aboriginal Women's Group.  Seeing Sydney, Knowing Country is open seven days a week at the Museum of Sydney until November. Find out more about this free...
  • Galleries
Advertising
You may also like
You may also like