History & archive collections
Our collections include formal City of Sydney archive records and the civic collection. They also include our history websites and local history resources at our libraries.
History & archive collections
City of Sydney ArchivesHistory & archive collections
Civic collectionHistory & archive collections
History websitesHistory & archive collections
Books about Sydney’s historyLibrary collections
Local history collection
Library & information services
How to use our archives collection
The City archives holds more than one million records from 1842, when the Council was established, to recent years.
City of Sydney News
News
Timeless treasures and the master who keeps them tickingFor History Week, we unveil the stories behind Sydney’s most beloved clocks and the skill that preserves their legacy.30 August 2024News
At the movies: Sydney's love affair with cinemasFrom grand picture palaces to cineplex chains, take a front row seat to the story of our theatres from the silver screen's first century.28 May 2024News
Echoes of the past honour the Stolen GenerationsLearn about the survivors of the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls (1912-1969) as Australia marks National Sorry Day.22 May 2024News
Thirsty for history? Order a drink with a dash of old SydneyPull up a bar stool at one of these 7 locations and experience our city's past18 April 2024News
Glebe's groundbreaking shelter Elsie Women’s Refuge turns 50 Local female activists reflect on a powerful feminist moment in the city’s past as we mark International Women’s Day24 March 2024News
A Torres Strait Islander Elder shares her storyLanguage, dance and legacy: Joyce Wymarra’s journey from Badu to Glebe.17 December 2023News
In pictures: Sydney’s public restrooms in the early 1900s To celebrate World Toilet Day, we step back a century to explore the early days of public sanitation in our area.17 November 2023News
We keep the ball in motionYoung Redfern All Blacks players, Jonathan Silva and Shyla Miller-Mundine, on championing togetherness in Australia's oldest Aboriginal rugby league club.26 October 2023News
The Sydney Opera House turns 50 Jan Utzon’s iconic creation turns 50 this month, so we’ve dived into the City of Sydney archives to look at the history of Sydney’s most recognised building.5 February 2024News
Support and nurture through culture and danceJodie Welsh, founder and artistic director of Brolga Dance Academy, looks back at the building blocks of her life.6 September 2023
History
Sydney is a vibrant city and it has an ancient heartbeat. Discover the rich, vivid history of Sydney from early Aboriginal life through to the modern global city.