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The MOS is the site of the first interaction between Sydney’s Cadigal people and the British First Fleet. See what the city looked like 100 years ago and discover the history of its indigenous people.

Established in 1827, Australia’s first museum is the place to explore the country’s natural and cultural �historyhistory through its huge collection of artifacts. Experience indigenous culture with dance performance every Sunday, and enjoy interactive features for kids and inspired temporary exhibitions.

This museum of science, design and technology is interesting and great fun, offering many interactive displays.

In Francis Greenway’s historic building, this museum uses objects, soundscapes and testimonies to recreate the lives of convicts in early Sydney. Learn about their crimes, their difficult voyage from England and their rebuilding of the colony. Then have a look at the dormitory hammocks.

Darling Harbour is the ideal spot for this museum dedicated to life at sea. From the water-craft of indigenous Australians to the history of the Royal Australian Navy, the Maritime Museum has it all covered. It’s also possible to tour some of the historic boats moored nearby.

This interesting museum traces the history of Jewish life in Sydney, from a tiny group who arrived on the First Fleet in the 18th century to today’s thriving community of over 30,000. There is also a Holocaust memorial and section, tours of which can be arranged.

Sydney’s convict past was the start of a colourful history of crime and prosecution. Find out about the thugs of the past, the heroic cops who caught them, and Sydney’s current under-world. The museum has a vast collection of police and judicial evidence such as court records and mug shots.

Built in 1844, Susannah Place Museum is as much a historic site as it is a museum; the row of quaint terrace houses evokes life in early Sydney. The houses have original outdoor laundries and brick lavatories that are some of the city’s oldest. One of the houses has been recreated as a corner shop that sells goods from that historical era.

In Sydney University’s Gothic sandstone Quadrangle, the Nicholson Museum building is worth visiting for its architecture alone. It’s a fitting venue for an impressive collection of antiquities, including a large range of Eastern Mediterranean artifacts.

Also at the University of Sydney, Macleay Museum was built in 1887 to house the vast entomological collection of the Macleay family. Since then, the collection has been added to by various ethno-graphers, naturalists and anthro-pologists. The pieces exhibited, which were mostly collected in the 1870s, include the oldest Aboriginal bark paintings in existence. The collection now includes over 1,000 antique scientific instruments.