Hyde Park Barracks archaeology collection

The main archaeological collection of the Hyde Park Barracks, comprising approximately 95,000 artefacts, was retrieved during the first major, public-funded excavation in Sydney in 1980–1981. The excavation was undertaken prior to the restoration of the site as a museum. The excavation explored the construction and occupation of the Francis Greenway designed convict barracks building (1817–1848), which was later used as an Immigration Depot (1848–1886), Government Asylum for Aged, Infirm & Destitute Women (1862–1886) and then numerous judicial courts and offices (1886–1979). Smaller excavations were carried out for minor maintenance projects from 1982 to 1997.