2 photo(s) in gallery
Museum of Sydney
Museums
Daily, 9.30 am – 5 pm (Closed Xmas Day and Good Friday)
Information
The Museum of Sydney opened in 1995, it is a modern museum on a historic site. It's a place with many layers and meanings: the site of the colony's first Government House built 1788, it was also the point of first contact between the Cadigal people of Sydney and the British exiles arriving on the First Fleet. Today the site remains a symbol of 1788, a turning point for Sydney.
The museum's evocative displays interpret the archaeological remains of first Government House, and explore stories about Sydney past and present. Exhibits focus on the pre 1788 character of Sydney, its history during the lifetime of first Government House 1788-1846, and the continuing stories of Sydney people and place as it has developed into the metropolis it is today.
Current Exhibition
Mirror: Jeannie Baker
14 August - 10 October 2010
In an era where the average Australian child spends 20 hours a week in
front of a television or computer screen, one of our best-selling
children's authors is bringing children back to books in their droves.
Such is the appeal of award-winning author and artist Jeannie Baker's
work, that coinciding with the August release of her much anticipated
picture book Mirror, the original works will feature in a national
touring exhibition opening 14 August at the Museum of Sydney, before
travelling to seven venues around the country.
Mirror tells the story of two boys and their families, one from inner
city Sydney and the other from the remote village of Berber in Southern
Morocco, making the point that despite our geographical and cultural
differences, we have more similarities; we are the reflection of each
other.
Discover Jeannie's exquisite collages made from natural materials such as spices, earth pigment, clay and plaster collected in Morocco, fabric
cut from the hem of her dress and her husband's hankies, and see why the
pages of her books have a three-dimensional illusion.
Experience the western and Arabic ways to read a story, see the Sydney
journey from left to right, front to back, and the Moroccan journey,
right to left, back to front.
Specially designed children's platforms will enable children and adults
to get up close and view the beautiful detail of the artworks at eye
level.
After viewing the exhibition booklovers are invited to relax in the
reading area on a Moroccan rug and read through Mirror and a selection
of Jeannie's other picture books.
Join Jeannie at the Museum of Sydney on Sunday 22 August and have your
book signed as you indulge in Moroccan Tea, Turkish delight and
traditional North African music from 2.30pm - 3.30pm. The event is free
with museum entry.
Painting The Rocks: the loss of Old Sydney Exhibition
Museum of Sydney 7 August - 28 November 2010
In 1900 the NSW government announced plans to knock down Old Sydney,
sparking a group of determined artists to immortalise the area on canvas
with paint and palette, and for the first time in over 100 years these
paintings will be displayed as part of a new exhibition opening 7 August
at the Museum of Sydney.
Painting The Rocks: the loss of Old Sydney, a joint collaboration
between the Historic Houses Trust of NSW and the Sydney Harbour
Foreshore Authority, showcases surviving artworks from a 1902
exhibition, government photographs taken at the time, artworks from
private collections, written material championing the need for heritage
conservation and archeological artifacts and remnants of buildings.
Discover the streets and buildings that disappeared through the
romanticised works by artists such as Sydney Long, Julian Ashton and
Lionel Lindsay and compare these with government commissioned
photographs that tell a different story.
Uncover the life stories of those who lived and worked in The Rocks and
Millers Point such as James Mathers, a dedicated missionary who helped
the needy and whose diaries feature in the exhibition.
Inspect a rat trap and preserved rat. Over 100,000 rats were caught and
killed by rat catchers and civilians in the effort to cleanse the area
from the bubonic plague.
Embark on your own adventure using the walking tour map or iPhone
application, to see the existing and demolished sites featured in the
exhibition and consider the current major redevelopment of the
surrounding areas in an historical context.
Venue
Museum of Sydney @ Cnr Phillip and Bridge Street, Sydney
Price
Adults $10, Conc $5, Family $20
Bookings
N/A