Hyde Park Barracks Museum
This Georgian building was designed by the convict architect Francis Greenway as sleeping quarters of 600 male convicts (1819-1848). Subsequently it housed immigrant girls and asylum women (1848-1886) and legal offices and courts eventually occupied the entire site (1887-1979). It has been refurbished as a museum about itself, and its displays include relics, pictures, plans and models exploring the sites past and present. A special feature is reconstructed convict dormitories, which are periodically available to sleep in overnight, with a convict breakfast served at dawn. The building also houses the Greenway Gallery (see separate entry). Interpretive displays within the building and grounds highlight many aspects of the barracks history.
Collections
85,000 objects and other sundry documents, photos and other material culture