Museums of History NSW - State Archives Collection

  • 3,901 photos
  • 31.4M views
  • Member since 2013
  • Last upload was
    August 2022
  • 🇦🇺
The Photographic Collection We hold tens of thousands of archival photos from the late 19th Century to the present, capturing life in New South Wales in much of its richness and diversity. The original formats of these images vary widely, from glass plates and lantern slides to 35mm negatives, colour transparencies and prints. More images from our photographic collection can be searched for from the Homepage on our website.

When were these photos taken?

331
2002
2022

 

Where were these photos taken?

3% of these photos are geotagged.

These links will take you to Flickr.com. For now.

Photos of interest

These photos have had lots of views, comments, and favourites.

Recent uploads

The last upload was August 2022.

Conversations

Here’s a selection of the conversations happening on these photos::

New South Wales Lands Department Building, Bridge Street, Sydney (NSW)

from Museums of History NSW - State Archives Collection

  • 1 older comment, and then…
  • beachcomber australia said:
    Is that the top of the onion tower mid-right balustrade? If so it would make the photo after 1891 (?).
  • beachcomber australia said:
    [https://www.flickr.com/photos/51979177@N02] Yes, this photo is definitely pre-tower, what with the angle of the dangle - and also the lack of the 1891 Metropole Hotel tower in the background.
  • Philip Cohen said:
    Surely, circa 1881, when first stage was completed; second (southern) stage, with tower, built 1880-1892 …
  • beachcomber australia said:
    Philip Cohen Unfortunately, "Plastic Transport"'s account and comments are deleted from Flickr, which make nonsense out of many of these old threads. He did some serious research on the various statues which filled the niches in the Lands Department Building, including when each was installed. I can't remember what he posted above.
    But the Mort statue in the foreground was unveiled in 1883, so the photo is after that - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sutcliffe_Mort#Death_and_legacy
  • beachcomber australia said:
    And six years ago (!) we did not have the luxury of Google Maps and streetview at this location. The photographer was near this angle and up several storeys - goo.gl/maps/dC6QduYTtDhZbxQUA

A Cave Picnic

from Museums of History NSW - State Archives Collection

Electric 'toastrack' trams at Circular Quay (NSW)

from Museums of History NSW - State Archives Collection

  • 7 older comments, and then…
  • beachcomber australia said:
    [http://www.flickr.com/photos/51979177@N02] Ha! I thought you had gone 'batty' from looking at these old photos. The poles and wires are really ugly - I think they were building the Cahill Expressway.

    GoogleMapsStreetView - maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Sydney+NSW&hl=en&ll=-33...
  • Mich said:
    Well that large building in the background is half built. Its the museum of contemporary art which was originally the Maritime Services Board. If I recall correctly, it was built around 1938, and unlike the Opera House it didn't take 17 years to complete, so being in a half-built condition like that should narrow down the date that the photograph was taken within about 6 months or so.
    Not sure why you would have "dated earlier than 10/12/1952" so specifically, but I think this photo was taken about 1938 or thereabouts.
  • Unidentified : Collins, Gegg, O'Neil Families said:
    The tram shown in the photo doesn't appear to be a toastrack but another type (name unknown) that was in use in Sydney. The toastrack had compartments which could be entered from each side of the tram with two seats going right across the width of the vehicle. Thus each compartment lined up alongside each other and gave the impression of a toast rack with its slices of toast.
  • Museums of History NSW - State Archives Collection said:
    Unidentified : Collins, Gegg, O'Neil Families You can only really see one side of the trams in this image. However, I'd assume there'd be identical openings on the opposite sides allowing entry from either side of the tram.
    Have a look at this image of a Toastrack 'O' class tram - there are some similarities to the trams shown in this image.
    www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=208027&...
    However we might need an expert in the tram field to confirm exactly what kind of tram it is!
  • Mich said:
    I didn't realise that building was built in two halves.

No comments. Yet.

Do you know anything about what’s in these photos?

🇦🇺 Other members from Australia