History

Step into the powerful story of Tự do (Freedom), the boat that carried Vietnamese refugees to Australia in 1977.

Learn about Sydney's railways

A one-act medieval comedy that throws knights, nobles, and peasants together for an evening of farce and mayhem.

Through intimate guided tours, we tell the stories of everyday families who helped shape Sydney.

A narrative driven walking tour of Sydney's CBD for locals and tourists

a new exhibition exploring how the Navy has grown alongside Australia, from colonial defence to a modern maritime force.

Explore 200+ years of history and evolution of the Parliament of New South Wales

Torres Strait pearling history, centering the overlooked stories of Indigenous and South Sea Islander seafarers

These school holidays we invite families to travel to back in time to ancient Rome

A School Holiday Activity for the whole family to enjoy

Discover hidden gems and untold stories of the city's train stations

The evolution of Australian military service, focusing on the personal stories of NSW service.

Discover 90 treasures that have been donated to the Anzac Memorial from its opening in 1934.

Travel back in time to early medieval Scotland and discover unique and mysterious Viking-age treasures.

Sydney's only venue for the blockbuster, internationally touring photographic exhibition.

At 11am each day, the Anzac Memorial pauses for a Service of Remembrance.

We explore stories of wartime marriages in this museum exhibit

Indulge two course lunch at State Parliament House in Sydney

An exhibition focused on the dramatic events of the Japanese midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour.

Classes cover the techniques of fencing with historical weapons and provide a safe place to spar with them

Discover the Chinese merchants who built Sydney’s Chinatown and shaped Haymarket’s history.

Experience an intimate guided tour of the iconic heritage-listed Sydney Observatory.

Caring for Country

Explore all things ghostly as we visit Sydney's most haunted pubs.

Join a buggy tour around Australia's oldest botanic garden and a 30-hectare paradise adjoining Sydney Harbour

Explore the iconic Sydney Observatory with a tour designed for groups that include young children aged 6 and older.

Indulge in an afternoon of elegance and history at the Parliament of NSW.

Upskill your calligraphy

NAIDOC week calls us to listen.

Hear from our model maker Richard Braddish about the scale model of our local area.

In the charged atmosphere of the Justice & Police Museum, this performance unfolds in a space shaped by layered stories.

From Hyde Park to the Opera House, uncovering Sydney’s hidden past

Public Lectures by Virginia Handel and Major Paul Handel RFD (retd) for the Military History Society of New South Wales

Step into the glamour of the 1950s with a fashion presentation, storytelling, cocktails & hors d’oeuvres.

A conversation about the Library’s vital family history research, including the ethics and challenges that arise.

Orange + Canberra Wine Dinner, with Philip Shaw + Eden Road Wines at NSW Parliament House

Discover the long-lost mansions and playhouses of Darlinghurst with the Historic Houses Association

Join daughter of Holocaust survivors, Freda Widawski, in conversation with interviewer Michaela Kalowski

Discover the architecture of Pyrmont and learn about its history in a two hour walk with a trained AAA volunteer

Uncover the stories of the past at a special after dark tour of this stunning Georgian property

The Cult of Gloriana: Art, Music and Politics at the Court of the Virgin Queen

An Aussie and a Russian walk into a bar...

Be transported through improvisation and sound as the Hilary Geddes Quartet play music from the album Redleaf.

Go where the locals go

Go where the locals go

Go where the locals go

Saturday September 12th - Remembering the famine in Ireland, ancestors, and Irish influence in Australian development

The Great Age of the Shogun: Art and Culture in Edo Period Japan

Marie Conte-Helm presents: NATURE, ART, AND GARDENS IN JAPAN: From Tradition to Contemporary Life

Free entry. Rare books, maps, prints & ephemera for sale. The Glasshouse, State Library NSW. 22–24 October 2026.

A relaxed music/talk series at the State Library of NSW

Lee Miller's son Antony Penrose presents: Hand Grenades Like Cartier Clips: Lee Miller’s Life and Work in Fashion

Free tour por Sídney en Español