This is list of museums in New South Wales, Australia. Museums are defined for this context as institutions that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Non-profit art galleries, university art galleries, other non-profit organisations, government entities, and private businesses are included.
According to the 2013 NSW Museum and Gallery Sector Census and Survey conducted by Museums & Galleries of NSW, a state funded support agency, there were 495 operational museums and galleries located in NSW in that year. They include 293 community-run and -managed museums, 57 public and regional galleries, 51 public and regional museums, 37 community-run and -managed galleries and artist run initiatives and 23 Aboriginal cultural centres. The balance of the identified organisations were state or national galleries or museums located in NSW. It does not include private museums or commercial galleries.[1]
Museums & Galleries of NSW provides a complete list and profiles for these institutions on their website.[2]
For a list of publicly-funded regional galleries, refer to Regional and Public Galleries Association of New South Wales.[3]
| Name | Location | Area | Type | Summary | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12th/16th Hunter River Lancers Memorial Museum | Military | information, history of the 12th/16th Hunter River Lancers May be closed. See[4] for further information. | ||||||||||
| Historic house | 50-room Scottish-baronial mansion of the 1870s | |||||||||||
| ACU McGlade Gallery at Strathfield | Art | Part of Australian Catholic University[5] | ||||||||||
| Central West | Natural history | Devonian fish fossils and a live aquarium | ||||||||||
| Albert Kersten Mining & Minerals Museum | Western Plains | Geology | website, rocks, minerals, area's geology, earth sciences of mineralogy and metallurgy | |||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Riverina | Local history | Combined library and museum of local history and art | ||||||||||
| Alison Homestead | Local history | website, operated by the Wyong District Museum & Historical Society, pioneer homestead displays | ||||||||||
| Armidale and Region Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place | Northern Tablelands | Ethnic | website, includes an art gallery, exhibits about history and culture | |||||||||
| Armidale Bicentennial Railway Museum | Northern Tablelands | Railway | website | |||||||||
| Armidale Folk Museum | Armidale | Northern Tablelands | Local history | website | ||||||||
| Military | website, history of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps | |||||||||||
| Music | website | |||||||||||
| Central Tablelands | Geology | Fossils, minerals | ||||||||||
| Automotive | website, vintage cars and memorabilia | |||||||||||
| Australian Museum of Clothing and Textiles | Hunter Valley | Textile | information Located in the Maitland Gaol | |||||||||
| Australian Pen Museum | Literary | information, writing implements, documents and associated items | ||||||||||
| Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre | Gundagai | Cootamunda-Gundagai | Transport | website | ||||||||
| Maritime | website, features original Las Balsas raft, ship models, steam and diesel engines, maritime communication, uniforms, shipbuilding, life on a ship | |||||||||||
| Central Tablelands | Local history | website | ||||||||||
| Central Tablelands | Art | website, municipal art gallery | ||||||||||
| Southern Tablelands | Historic house | Operated by the National Trust of Australia, 19th century homestead, open by appointment | ||||||||||
| Local history | website, operated by the Berry & District Historical Society | |||||||||||
| Art | Showcases contemporary Australian visual culture with up to ten exhibitions annually | |||||||||||
| Big Fish Fossil Hut | Central West | Natural history | website, fossils including trilobites, ammonites, fish, amphibians and dinosaurs | |||||||||
| Riverina | Historic house | website, 1888 iron house and rose garden | ||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Local history | website | |||||||||||
| Breakwater Battery Military Museum | Military | WW2 battery and observation post | ||||||||||
| Western Plains | Art | website | ||||||||||
| Art | Historic homestead and studio of painter Arthur Boyd | |||||||||||
| Art | website, works by Australian cartoonists and caricaturists | |||||||||||
| local history | https://camdenhavenhistoricalsociety.org/ operated by the Camden Haven Historical Society, in 1911 School of Arts building, historic exhibitions and artefacts, family history and research | |||||||||||
| South Western Sydney | Art | Regional art centre for multidisciplinary contemporary art | ||||||||||
| Canowindra Motors Holden Museum | Central West | Automotive | information, large collection of vintage Holden cars, including a 1948 FX Holden | |||||||||
| Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre | South Western Sydney | Art | Performing and visual arts centre, includes 6 galleries with a year-round exhibition program of changing exhibitions and a theatre | |||||||||
| Centenary Cottage Museum | Tenterfield | Northern Tablelands | Local history | information, information, operated by the Tenterfield and District Historical Society | ||||||||
| Cessnock Regional Art Gallery | Hunter Valley | Art | information, Facebook site | |||||||||
| Central Tablelands | Historic house | website, home of Australian Prime Minister Ben Chifley and his wife, Elizabeth | ||||||||||
| Chrystie's Museum | Riverina | Automotive | website, private collection of cars, trucks, tractors, caravans | |||||||||
| Inner West | Local history | Collections include toys, material from the WW1 and WW2, household, sports memorabilia, local industry items | ||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Local history | website | |||||||||||
| Coolamon Fire Museum | Riverina | Firefighting | website, private collection of firefighting memorabilia[6] | |||||||||
| Historic house | Operated by the National Trust of Australia, 19th century homestead and stables | |||||||||||
| Cowra and District Historical Museum | Central West | Multiple | information, WWI and WWII military camp displays and armoury, working oil and steam engines, agriculture equipment | |||||||||
| Central West | Art | website | ||||||||||
| Mining | website, underground and surface mine tours | |||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Art | website, home and studio of Sir William Dobell | ||||||||||
| Don Bank Museum | Local history | information | ||||||||||
| Dorrigo and Guy Fawkes Museum | Local history | information, operated by the Dorrigo and Guy Fawkes Historical Society | ||||||||||
| Dorrigo | Mid North Coast | Railway | Collection of railway vehicles and equipment from the railways of New South Wales, not yet open to the public | |||||||||
| Historic house | 1840s slab hut house, operated by the National Trust of Australia | |||||||||||
| Riverina | Military | website, history of the local prisoner of war and internment camps in World War II | ||||||||||
| Maritime | Australian whaling industry, maritime and fishing artifacts, timber industry and local social history | |||||||||||
| Historic house | Operated by the Sydney Living Museums, homestead dating back to 1793 | |||||||||||
| Central Tablelands | Science | website, how electricity is produced and tours of the Mount Piper Power Station | ||||||||||
| Historic house | Early 20th-century house and garden with original furnishings | |||||||||||
| Blue Mountains | Historic house | website, 19th-century house with exhibits of local history, Lithgow pottery | ||||||||||
| Eugowra Historical Society Museum | Central West | Local history | information | |||||||||
| Historic house | Operated by the National Trust of Australia, Australia's first European farmstead dating back to the 1790s | |||||||||||
| South Western Sydney | Art | website | ||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Aerospace | website, Australian Fighter and aircraft related history, located at RAAF Base Williamtown | ||||||||||
| Aerospace | Located on Naval Air Station Nowra, Australia's naval aviation history including aircraft and helicopters | |||||||||||
| Forbes Historical Museum | Central West | Local history | website, operated by the Forbes and District Historical Society | |||||||||
| Hunter Region | Military | Late 19th century coastal defence installation | ||||||||||
| Science | website, hands-on exhibits about solutions to environmental challenges | |||||||||||
| Gallery Blackheath | Blue Mountains | Art | website, artist-owned and managed non-profit gallery showcasing a selection of fine paintings, drawings, printworks and photographs by prize-winning Blue Mountains artists | |||||||||
| Historic house | website | |||||||||||
| Gill Bennet Gem and Mineral Collection | Geology | information | ||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Glen Museum | Blue Mountains | Local history | website, formerly the Charlie Pinch Museum | |||||||||
| Glenreagh Memorial Museum | Local history | information | ||||||||||
| Railway | Heritage railway | |||||||||||
| Golden Memories Museum | Central West | Local history | information | |||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Technology | website, steam operated pumping facility with working engines | |||||||||||
| Railway | Railroad roundhouse, includes rolling stock, locomotives, carriages, railroad artifacts | |||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Goulburn War Memorial & Museum | Military | information, memorial tower and artefacts about WW1 | ||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Central West | Local history | website | ||||||||||
| Riverina | Open air | website, relocated historic buildings, machinery and artefacts | ||||||||||
| Riverina | Art | website | ||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Historic house | website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, displays 19th century costumes and textiles | ||||||||||
| Central Tablelands | Local history | Community's history during the 1870s gold rush era | ||||||||||
| Historic house | website, operated by the Parramatta & District Historical Society, mid 19th century period cottage | |||||||||||
| Historic house | Operated by the National Trust of Australia, mid 19th century homestead | |||||||||||
| Medical | website, history of anaesthetic practice, part of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists | |||||||||||
| Open air | Historic village administered by NSW Parks & Wildlife Service | |||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Local history | website | |||||||||||
| Hay Gaol Museum | Riverina | Local history | Former prison with exhibits of local history | |||||||||
| Art | Arts centre that includes two art galleries, a theatrette, art studios, meeting rooms | |||||||||||
| Historic house | website, home of Henry Kendall (poet) | |||||||||||
| Central West | Multiple | website, includes the King's Castle with a collection of Elvis Presley artefacts, Parkes Motor Museum, Henry Parkes Museum about local history, and antique machinery collection | ||||||||||
| Hillgrove Rural Life and Industry Museum | Armidale | Northern Tablelands | Local history | information, website, artifacts of everyday life in old Hillgrove | ||||||||
| Central Tablelands | Mining | website, gold rush collection, mining equipment, underground mine | ||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Railway | Includes rolling stock and locomotives | ||||||||||
| website | ||||||||||||
| Local history | website, operated by the Illawarra Historical Society | |||||||||||
| Illawarra | Railway | Includes mainline narrow gauge light railway, a miniature gauge railway, and a museum | ||||||||||
| Sports | History of cricket, cricketing career of Australian batsman Sir Donald Bradman | |||||||||||
| Inverell Art Gallery | Northern Tablelands | Art | website, community art gallery, operated by the Inverell Art Society | |||||||||
| Inverell Pioneer Village | Inverell | Northern Tablelands | Open air | website, 19th-century pioneer village buildings | ||||||||
| Riverina | Local history | website, operated by the Junee & District Historical Society in the former Broadway Hotel | ||||||||||
| Junee | Riverina | Railway | Only working roundhouse railway station in the Riverina | |||||||||
| Open air | website, late 19th and early 20th century buildings, farm machinery, house and personal items | |||||||||||
| Central West | Railway | Heritage railway and Cowra Roundhouse Depot and Museum | ||||||||||
| Maritime | website, includes the 1911 Lady Denman ferry, surveying instruments, naval and maritime objects, local history displays, marine environment gallery | |||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Art | website | ||||||||||
| Lambing Flat Folk Museum | Young | Central West | Local history | website | ||||||||
| Military | website, located in Lancer Barracks | |||||||||||
| Northern Rivers Region | Telecommunications | History of telecommunications and radio broadcasting in Australia | ||||||||||
| Leuralla Toy & Railway Museum | Toy | Toys, model trains and memorabilia | ||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Local history | website, operated by the Richmond River Historical Society | |||||||||||
| Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum | Lithgow | Blue Mountains | Technology | website, Lithgow Small Arms Factory history and collection of machine guns, rifles, pistols and related items from around the world | ||||||||
| Lithgow | Blue Mountains | Mining | Coal mine buildings and equipment, railroad cars, equipment and track | |||||||||
| Hunter Region | Multiple | website, former police station with tours of the prison cells, a contemporary art gallery and artist residency | ||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Aerospace | Vintage aircraft, particularly de Havilland Tiger Moths | ||||||||||
| Media | website, memorabilia related to the film Mad Max 2 | |||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Prison | 19th century prison, also features the Australian Museum of Clothing and Textiles | ||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Art | website | ||||||||||
| Art | Focuses on Australian ceramics, and extensive holdings of paintings by Antonio Dattilo-Rubbo, local history | |||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Manning Valley Historical Museum | Local history | information, operated by the Manning Valley Historical Society | ||||||||||
| Religious | website, shrine and museum about Mary MacKillop, also known as Saint Mary of the Cross | |||||||||||
| May Gibbs’ Nutcote | Historic house | website, home of children's author and illustrator May Gibbs | ||||||||||
| Northern Tablelands | Art | website, operated by the Uralla Historical Society, art, local history and culture | ||||||||||
| Central West | Automotive | website, veteran, vintage, classic and custom cars | ||||||||||
| Melvie Chick Historical Museum | Local history | website, operated by the Cundletown & Lower Manning Historical Society | ||||||||||
| Central Tablelands | Military | website, military art and artifacts | ||||||||||
| Historic house | ||||||||||||
| Maritime | website | |||||||||||
| Newcastle | Hunter Region | Historic house | website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, Edwardian terrace house with 100 years of collectables, 1909–1940 furnishings | |||||||||
| Central Tablelands | Historic house | Operated by the National Trust of Australia, features owner's mementos including family items, furniture, horse-racing memorabilia, and artefacts linked to the early history of Bathurst | ||||||||||
| Molong Museum | Central West | Local history | website | |||||||||
| Junee | Riverina | Historic house | Late 19th century Victorian manor | |||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Historic house | website, 19th century period house, operated by the Moruya and District Historical Society | |||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Mount Victoria Museum | Blue Mountains | Local history | website | |||||||||
| Murray Art Museum Albury | Riverina | Art | website | |||||||||
| Museum of Antiquities at UNE | Armidale | Northern Tablelands | Archaeology | website, part of the University of New England, antiquities from the ancient Mediterranean, Near East, objects and ethnographic material from Australia, South East Asia, New Guinea, the Pacific region, Mesoamerica and Africa | ||||||||
| Museum of Education at UNE | Armidale | Northern Tablelands | Education | website, part of the University of New England, features two original 1880s school buildings, open by appointment | ||||||||
| Museum of Fire | Firefighting | website, features large collection of hand drawn, horse drawn and motorised vehicles from the late 18th century up to the 1980s | ||||||||||
| Museum of Printing at NERAM | Armidale | Northern Tablelands | Media | website, historical printing processes and products, part of the New England Regional Art Museum | ||||||||
| Wagga Wagga | Riverina | Local history | Local history, culture across two sites | |||||||||
| Hunter Region | Art | website | ||||||||||
| Maritime | Lighthouse tender museum ship | |||||||||||
| Maritime | website, original light and optical apparatus from the Montague Island Lightstation | |||||||||||
| Wagga Wagga | Riverina | Art | Features changing selections from the National Art Glass Collection and exhibits of Australian glass artists | |||||||||
| Central Tablelands | Automotive | Adjacent to the Mount Panorama Circuit, Australia's motor racing history including famous cars, motorcycles and memorabilia | ||||||||||
| Riverina | Art | 19th- and early 20th-century Australian pottery | ||||||||||
| Northern Tablelands | Transportation | website, vintage, veteran, and classic cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses, also dolls and wedding dresses | ||||||||||
| New England Regional Art Museum – NERAM | Armidale | Northern Tablelands | Art | website, Australian art in many media, includes six gallery spaces and the Museum of Printing | ||||||||
| Hunter Region | Art | |||||||||||
| Newcastle East | Hunter Region | Maritime | website | |||||||||
| Newcastle East | Hunter Region | Multiple | Local history, culture, industry, science | |||||||||
| Maritime | Tours of the active lighthouse | |||||||||||
| Art | ||||||||||||
| Local history | website, operated by the Shoalhaven Historical Society | |||||||||||
| Railway | Includes locomotives and passenger and freight rolling stock | |||||||||||
| Local history | website, operated by the Clyde River and Batemans Bay Historical Society | |||||||||||
| Prison | 19th century prison | |||||||||||
| Historic house | Operated by the National Trust of Australia, former "country" residence of 10 early governors of New South Wales | |||||||||||
| Local history | Operated by the Merimbula-Imlay Historical Society | |||||||||||
| Central West | Art | website | ||||||||||
| Oxley Museum | Local history | information | ||||||||||
| Central West | Science | Astronomy and space science, history of the radio telescope observatory | ||||||||||
| Print technology | website | |||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Pioneer Cottage Museum | Urbenville | Northern Tablelands | Local history | information, period displays of a settler's home | ||||||||
| Riverina | Women's | website, ingenuity of women in finding solutions to the challenges of looking after a family in early rural Australia | ||||||||||
| History | website, mid 19th century courthouse | |||||||||||
| Local history | website, operated by the Port Macquarie Historical Society Inc | |||||||||||
| Transportation | website, motorcycles from the 1950s to 1980s | |||||||||||
| Queanbeyan Historical Museum | Local history | website, also information | ||||||||||
| Media | website, working printing presses and memorabilia | |||||||||||
| Riverina | Aerospace | Indoor and outdoor displays of aircraft, memorabilia and photographs relating to RAAF Base Wagga | ||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Railway | Preserved self-propelled railway vehicles and equipment | ||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Railway | Heritage railway and museum about the former coal mine | ||||||||||
| Historic house | Operated by the National Trust of Australia, 19th century homestead | |||||||||||
| Central Tablelands | Local history | information, also historic mill machinery | ||||||||||
| Historic house | Operated by Sydney Living Museums, mid 20th century modern house | |||||||||||
| Historic house | website, located in Macquarie Nature Reserve | |||||||||||
| Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitors' Centre | Western Plains | Geology | information, history and work of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia | |||||||||
| Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Museum | Inner West | Medical | Website, History of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital | |||||||||
| Hunter Region | Religious | website, convent and museum of the Sisters of Mercy | ||||||||||
| Armidale | Northern Tablelands | Historic house | Operated by the National Trust of Australia, Edwardian mansion with original furnishings | |||||||||
| Historic house | website, Victorian period house, operated by the Clarence River Historical Society | |||||||||||
| Riverina | Industry | website, shearing history and future technologies | ||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Western Plains | Prison | website, also local history exhibits, operated by the Broken Hill Historical Society | ||||||||||
| Western Plains | Education | website, late 19th century school used until 1970 | ||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Local history | website, operated by the Singleton Historical Society | ||||||||||
| St Clair Local History Museum & Archives | Local history | information | ||||||||||
| Stoke Stable Museum | Central West | Local history | information | |||||||||
| Art | website, education center for Australian craft and design with exhibit gallery | |||||||||||
| Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum | Western Plains | Railway | information, steam trains, railway machinery and a mineral collection | |||||||||
| Sunnyside Historic Home & South Sea Island Museum | Hunter Region | Historic house | information | |||||||||
| Biographical | Operated by the National Trust of Australia, features memorabilia owned by Sir Henry Parkes | |||||||||||
| Technology | Exhibits relating to the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme | |||||||||||
| Hunter Region | Historic house | website, operated by the National Trust of Australia | ||||||||||
| Technology | website, history of electricity and the impact of the development of electricity on modern society | |||||||||||
| Art | website, features textile and silver collections | |||||||||||
| Tarella Cottage Museum | Blue Mountains | Local history | website, operated by the Blue Mountains Historical Society | |||||||||
| Riverina | Aerospace | Historic military and civilian aircraft that range from World War II to the Vietnam War era | ||||||||||
| Riverina | Local History | Historic village museum showing the life of the area | ||||||||||
| Tenterfield | Northern Tablelands | Railway | website, Victorian railway station, exhibits of heritage rolling stock, model railway | |||||||||
| Open air | 19th century sawmiller's village with working full-size narrow gauge steam train | |||||||||||
| Local history | website, operated by the Tinonee Historical Society | |||||||||||
| Tomago House | Hunter Region | Historic house | website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, 19th century homestead | |||||||||
| Prison | Remains of a late 19th century prison and internment camp in World War I, located in Arakoon National Park | |||||||||||
| Turkish Bath Museum | Blue Mountains | Local history | website, operated by the Mt Wilson/Mt Irvine Historical Society | |||||||||
| Technology | website, development of steam and internal engines, the transition to the internal combustion engine | |||||||||||
| Art | Regional art gallery | |||||||||||
| Local history | website, also branches in Tweed Heads and Uki | |||||||||||
| Art | website, part of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of New South Wales | |||||||||||
| Railway | Heritage railway, depot, equipment and museum | |||||||||||
| Historic house | Operated by Sydney Living Museums, 19th century estate | |||||||||||
| Vienna Cottage | Northern Suburbs | Historic house | website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, late 19th century home | |||||||||
| Wagga Wagga | Riverina | Art | website, exhibits of Riverina artists and visiting exhibitions from Australia and overseas, includes the National Art Glass Gallery and Margaret Carnegie Print Collection | |||||||||
| Wagga Wagga Rail Heritage Museum | Wagga Wagga | Riverina | Railway | information, located in the Wagga Wagga railway station | ||||||||
| Walcha Pioneer Cottage Museum | Northern Tablelands | Local history | website | |||||||||
| Warren Museum & Art Gallery | Warren NSW | Orana | Local & Indigenous history | https://thewam.com.au Modern-style museum, featuring local history. Open Wednesday to Sunday. Art gallery featuring mostly local artists. Free entry to art gallery. | ||||||||
| Western Plains | Technology | website, heritage farm and mining machinery | ||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Western Plains | Art | website, paintings made with local minerals, exhibits of the architectural and mining history of the city, mining artifacts | ||||||||||
| Wing Hing Long Museum | Tingha | Northern Tablelands | Local history | website, history of Tingha's Chinese heritage and great tin boom, period general store display | ||||||||
| Historic house | 1830s home of Sir Charles Cowper, a Premier of New South Wales | |||||||||||
| Art | website | |||||||||||
| Science | ||||||||||||
| Wollombi Endeavour Museum | Hunter Region | Local history | information, information | |||||||||
| Woodford Academy | Blue Mountains | Historic house | website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, 1830s building | |||||||||
| Northern Rivers, NSW | Local History, Maritime heritage | website operated by the Port of Yamba Historical Society | ||||||||||
| Riverina | Agriculture | Displays of farm equipment, local history | ||||||||||
| Yass and District Museum | Southern Tablelands | Local history | information | |||||||||
| Yeoval Historical Museum | Central West | Local history | information | |||||||||
| Zoology Museum at the University of New England | Armidale | Northern Tablelands | Natural history | website, teaching museum open to the public | ||||||||
| Tumbarumba visitor information centre/Museum | Tumbarumba | Southern Tablelands | Local History | https://visitsnowyvalleys.au | ||||||||
| The Arms of Australia Inn Museum | Emu Plains | Greater Western Sydney | Local History | https://www.armsofaustraliainn.org.au | ||||||||
| Nepean Naval Museum | Penrith | Greater Western Sydney | Naval History | https://www.nepeannavalmuseum.org | ||||||||
| Mad Max 2 Museum | Silverton | Far West NSW | Mad Max 2 | https://www.silverton.org.au/mad-max-museum/ | - | Donald Bradman Museum & International Cricket Hall of Fame | Bowral | Southern Highlands | Cricket | https://www.bradman.com.au | ||
| Bega Cheese Heritage Centre | Bega | South-East NSW | Cheese | https://heritagecentre.com.au | ||||||||
| Donald Bradman Museum & International Cricket Hall of Fame | Bowral | Southern Highlands | Cricket | https://www.bradman.com.au |
Legends Surf Museum under threat at Coffs", Surfers Village, 9/27/12
