Step into the dark side of Sydney’s past with a visit to a historic police and court building (1856 –1888) that once imposed authority on Sydney’s unruly waterfront. Explore the building’s atmospheric interior – heavy blocks of sandstone, spiked gates and the corridor of cells. In the 1890s police Charge Room you can stand before the Duty Sergeant’s desk and imagine yourself being fingerprinted. Encounter a spine-chilling collection of criminal weapons and a mug-shot gallery of offenders that stare defiantly back at you from the walls.

Home to a vast negative archive documenting police investigation, many important records and over 9000 objects, the Justice & Police Museum examines the social history of law, policing and crime in New South Wales. A comprehensive school education program and lively public programs extend the appeal of this Museum.

Read the Guidebook