Justice & Police Museum
Discover the site’s architectural development over time and hear some of the stories from the Police Station, the constables and their families.
10am–5pm
About the building
Building information
The site of the Justice & Police Museum once made up one of the city’s busiest legal hubs. Originally a police station and courts, the museum draws you into a world of crime, punishment and policing, with exhibition themes covering bushrangers, razor gangs, forensics and much more.
The town of Sydney was thriving by the 1850s, and people of all kinds flooded through the bustling port. The waterfront was the hub of the expanding city and colony, and both trade and crime were on the rise. The Water Police urgently needed a new building and chose an elevated site overlooking the waterfront.
The complex, which is now the Justice & Police Museum, included the Water Police Court (1856), designed by Colonial Architect Edmund Blacket; the Water Police Station (1858), by Blacket’s successor Alexander Dawson; and the Police Court (1886), designed by Colonial Architect James Barnet.
Visitors to the museum can explore the holding cells, offices, charge room and courts, and join a guided tour of the Water Police Station to discover more stories about those who worked there.
1856, 1858, 1886
ArchitectEdmund Blacket, Alexander Dawson, James Barnet
Find out more about this building here
Justice & Police Museum
Corner Phillip and Albert streets, Sydney
Entry details
The Justice & Police Museum buildings and exhibitions
10am–5pm
Members hour: MHNSW Members receive exclusive access from 9am–10am
4.30pm
Need to Know
There are 16 steps into the museum via the front entrance on Albert Street. The accessible ramp is to the left of the main steps on Albert Street. There is level access into the Water Police Station via the Tracker Riley Room. The museum is a multi-level building with stairs, and due to the heritage nature of the site, some surfaces are uneven. Access to the Water Police Station and upper storey is via a narrow staircase that is not wheelchair accessible or pram friendly
No flash photography is permitted
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