The letter from Frenchman Francis Barrallier to Governor King in 1802 during an expedition seeking a route across the Great Dividing Range is historically significant as a rare document describing and interpreting a French view of the pre-1788 Sydney Aboriginal people’s environment and culture. Continue reading
Discover a collection of late nineteenth century personal effects and shop stock owned by the Wong’s – an Anglo-Chinese family from Bolong, Australia. Continue reading
Discover the medal presented as a mark of esteem to Charles De Boos, Gold Fields Warden, from Chinese Miners in the Braidwood district in 1881. Continue reading
Discover the British ‘Union Jack’ Flag used at the Westbridge Migrant Hostel, Villawood, New South Wales between 1950 and1960. Continue reading
Discover the Gold Miner’s Licence from the 1850s. Miner’s licences were hated by the diggers and this with other antagonisms with the government and police led to the famous Eureka Rebellion of 1854. Continue reading
Discover the One nation, One people, One destiny medal created to commemorate the Australian Federation in 1901. Continue reading
The Order-in-Council has historical significance as evidence of the 1840 Order-in-Council and its aftermath represented the turning point when, 50 years after its foundation, New South Wales ceased to be a penal colony. Continue reading
The poster has historic value as evidence of post World War 2 mass migration and the attempt by the Australian government to build the nation’s population with European migrants. Continue reading
Discover the collection of tools, shingles and convict made bricks and nails from the early township of Liverpool NSW. Continue reading
The coins have historic value as evidence of the events that surround the internment of POWs in Australia in World War 2 and the experience of the refugees and POWs life at the Hay POW camp. Continue reading
Discover the 1787 convict love token made for Thomas Tilley a convict on the First Fleet. Continue reading
Discover the cast iron bow anchor and cannon from HMS Sirius (1780 – 1790). HMS Sirius escorted the British First Fleet on their historic journey to Botany Bay in 1787- 1788. Continue reading
Discover the NSW Trades Hall Union Banner Collection. Continue reading
Discover the Dunbar Shipwreck Collection, excavated from the immigrant ship Dunbar that was wrecked off the south head to Port Jackson in 1857. Continue reading
Discover the collection of tools and equipment associated with the Estonian poultry farmers at Thirlmere. Continue reading
Discover the Convict Cap dated 1850, two years before convict transportation ended on the east coast of Australia. Continue reading
Discover the long sleeved woollen convict jacket made of ‘Parramatta cloth’, c.1855. Continue reading
Discover the framed memento made by German prisoners of war at the Berrima internee camp in 1916 for the Australian Military 20th Berrima Guard. Continue reading
Discover the portrait miniature of Eber Bunker c.1810 founder of the New South Wales colonial whaling and livestock industries and builder of Collingwood House at Liverpool. Continue reading
See the bugle that Japanese prisoner of war TOYOSHIMA HAJIME used to signal the start of the mass escape of Japanese POWs from Cowra POW Camp in 1944. Continue reading
See the collection of buttons that were discovered recently in the drain pipes at Trial Bay Gaol. The buttons are from the clothes of Australian military guards and German prisoners of war circa 1915.
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The lathe used by Trial Bay internees has aesthetic significance in the design and manufacture of toys for children interred at other internment camps.
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The Gaol Cell Door is a part of a collection of objects integral to the fabric of the Trial Bay Gaol heritage site and provides the distinctive character of the place. Continue reading
The banner’s historic value lies in its relationship to the themes of the gold rush experience, racial antagonism, the fear of the exotic and unknown, and ideologies that culminated in the first act of the newly Federated Commonwealth of Australia, the 1901 Immigration Restriction Act. Continue reading
Discover the book ‘The Gentle Art of Photography’. The book was used by the internees at Trial Bay Gaol to take and develop photographs of the Trial Bay Camp. Continue reading
Discover the cell door from Berrima Gaol where German POWs were interred between 1915-1918. Continue reading
Discover the gate that was erected by Adolph Pfrunder on his property Baden at Grong Grong near Germantown, NSW in c.1904. Continue reading
Discover the 12 string electric guitar Harry Vanda played with the Easybeats during their heyday. The Easybeats are regarded as Australia’s greatest pop band from the 1960s and formed from a group of migrant teenagers living at the Villawood Migrant Hostel.
Discover the 1787 Draught Instructions for Governor Phillip that empowered Captain Arthur Phillip to establish a British Colony at Botany Bay, grant land and issue regulations to the Colony from 1788. Continue reading
Discover the Race to the Australian Goldfields board game c.1850s where travellers race to get bags of gold – or fail in the Australian gold rush.
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