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200th Anniversary Exhibitions

Immerse yourself in a powerful series of exhibitions, installations and digital experiences as we mark the State Library’s 200th Anniversary.

In this milestone year, SLNSW’s dynamic program reflects on the evolution of this much-loved Library and its extraordinary collections — revealing stories that will surprise, delight and make you think!

200 years of collecting
Level 1, Mitchell Building
This major exhibition brings together some of the Library’s most valuable and internationally significant objects alongside surprising, lesser-known gems. It reveals the breadth and interconnected nature of the collection, pairing items that speak to one another or deepen our understanding of familiar stories.

200 years of storytelling
Level 1, Mitchell Building
A self-curated digital timeline, in the galleries, features more than 250 stories, revealing passionate characters, bold architectural visions, remarkable collecting feats and even the occasional brazen crime.

Fresh perspectives on Paintings from the Collection
Level 1, Mitchell Building
New interpretations of key colonial works in the Paintings Galleries invite you to see familiar subjects through a fresh lens. Newly acquired works foreground First Nations voices, perspectives and experiences. View striking portraits of proud First Nations women Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO and Dr Lynette Riley AO, alongside paintings by First Nations artists Fay Clayton Moseley and Robert Campbell Jr — presented in this space for the first time.

Event details

  • State Library of NSW
  • 1 April, 2026 – 18 April, 2027
  • 9:00am – 5:00pm

    Daily

  • Free
Learn More

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