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History

Explore our history through the Library's unrivalled collections.

History

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18th Century and before

Captain Cook’s voyages of discovery

Terra Australis Incognita – the unknown southern land. The existence (or not) of this mysterious, mythical place had been puzzled over since it was first hypothesised by the ancient Greeks and Romans

Old map of the Great Pacific Ocean with words a chart of the Great Pacific Ocean as desribed by Mr Banks and Dr Solander in the year 1772

The Spanish quest for Terra Australis

Spanish explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós' quest to discover Terra Australis is documented in a number of rare 'memorials' held by the Library.

Magna Carta

The Library holds a rare manuscript version of the 1297 statute of the Magna Carta that was signed by King John at Runnymede.

An unknown warrior: mysterious portrait of an unknown, handsome young Aboriginal man

by Ronald Briggs

This mysterious portrait of an unknown, handsome young Aboriginal man is believed to have belonged to Governor Lachlan Macquarie, described as ‘One of the NSW Aborigines befriended by Governor Macquarie’. Part of the 10 Works in Focus series.

Power and influence on the Cumberland Plain

by Elizabeth Ellis

Sydney’s colonial gentry built mansions, held lavish parties and amassed fortunes beyond the imagination of their English relations.

An illustration of a social hall, with ladies in dresses accompanied by men in tailcoats.

The Sydney Cove Medallion

by Emma Butler-Nixon

An interest by British arrivals in the quality of Sydney clay led to the making of the Sydney Cove Medallion by noted English ceramicist, Josiah Wedgwood.

Etruria 1789

The real secret river: exploring Dyarubbin

by Grace Karskens

A list of Aboriginal placenames was a trigger for seeking the ‘real secret river’.

A landscape photograph depicting a misty river as viewed through a break in tree cover.

19th Century

Bushrangers of New South Wales

The stories and songs of the bushrangers shine a light on Australia’s early attitude to crime, family, race and justice.

bushranger banner

Felons: villains, blaggards and the mad dentist

With its convict beginnings, it’s hardly surprising that New South Wales has produced more than its fair share of villains.

A crowd of people, mainly men, stand around outside as a man, seated on the ground, is surrounded. There are two horses in the drawing.

Reclaiming our story

by Callum Clayton-Dixon

A contributor to the Library’s Living Language exhibition reflects on Indigenous resistance, survival, and the New England linguicide.

Young man sits at a wooden desk, surrounded by shelves of boxes and jars.

The Tichborne case: a Victorian melodrama

The Tichborne Case has everything; a shipwreck, a massive reward, an English inheritance, a grieving mother and an outlandish butcher from Wagga Wagga.

Convict artists in the time of Governor Macquarie

Many used their art to record and interpret the landscape and people of the early settlement.

Eureka! The rush for gold

The gold rushes and the diggers who worked the goldfields are etched into Australian folklore. Follow the story of the people who sought the glittering prize.

Thomas Sutcliffe Mort

Sydney Harbour's natural beauty has always enticed residents to settle on its foreshores.

20th Century

David Unaipon

A great inventor, an Indigenous rights advocate and Australia's first published Aboriginal writer.

Photograph in black and white of a man wearing a suit

The story of May Gibbs

May Gibbs, author, illustrator and cartoonist, has captured the hearts and imaginations of generations of Australians with her lovable bush characters and fairytale landscapes.

Hope you're still going strong! [tennis] c. 1916, colour postcard by May Gibbs

Harry Seidler collection

Designs and photographs from Australia's best known modernist architect.

Antarctica: Frank Hurley

As the official photographer on the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, Frank Hurley provided a remarkable record of the dangers and heroism of Antarctic exploration in the early twentieth century.

a1985001h.jpg

Architect of the screen: Eric Thompson as architect, artist and filmmaker

by Erica Aronsten

Eric Thompson’s career as an architect, artist and filmmaker highlights the close connection between architecture and design in the development of the film industry.

Several men in white coats sketching a young woman modelling

Architecture: arrival of modernism

Architectural modernism was a revolutionary rejection of past styles and the use of architectural ornament.

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The Bridge: the arch that cut the sky

The journey to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge would take almost 100 years. In this 5-part series, travel through history to experience the story of realising a city’s dream. 

The Bridge website