Come and explore Sydney's convict history at the World Heritage-listed Hyde Park Barracks.
Image courtesy of Historic House Trust
Convict Sydney is a long running exhibition to allow us to learn about the daily lives of convicts and how they built the colony. You can try on some leg-irons, lie in a convict hammock or explore the streets of early Sydney on the giant map. There is also a convict database for you to search for your distant relatives or to uncover some of the intriguing stories of some of the convicts who passed through the Barrack's doors. Bring the kids and they can enjoy playing dress-ups in period pieces and explore the convicts Kids' Trail.
Image courtesy of Historic House Trust
The Hyde Park Barracks was built in 1819 originally to house, clothe and feed convict men and boys. Around 50 000 passed through between 1819 and 1848.
It went on to also hold newly arrived immigrant women and the destitute. Hundreds of chronically sick, homeless or insane women were given refuge here. In 1887 the Hyde Park Barracks became a hub of government departments and renamed Chancery Square. Today the Hyde Park Barracks is a museum about itself and Sydney's colourful convict history.
The 19th Century Barracks was once over-run with rodents. They scurried beneath the floorboards and dragged away scraps of clothing, food, newspaper and bedding to build dense and cosy nests. In the early 1980s, when work started on the museum, builders uncovered mountains of grimy debris horded in the darkness.
Thanks to industrious rats, thousands of personal and everyday objects like bonnets, aprons, shirts, stockings and buttons were carefully preserved. Today, an astonishing collection of around 100,000 objects is held in the museum's archaeology store.
This impressive brick building and walled compound, located at the head of Sydney's historic Macquarie Street, was designed by convict architect
Francis Greenway.
Hyde Park Barracks is an
UNESCO World Heritage listed site so that our history can be preserved for future generations.
The
Convict Sydney exhibition is running until 31/05/2013
Admission: Adults $10; Child/Concession $5; Family $20
There is wheelchair access
Hours: Daily 9.30am — 5.00pm (Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day)
Address: Queens Square, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Nearby parking: The Domain Car Park – Open 7:00am to 9:00pm (Mon-Sat), 10:00am to 6:00pm (Sun)
The closest train stations on the CityRail network are St James and Martin Place.
