For nearly 30 years starting in 1819, the Hyde Park Barracks housed male convicts who had been transported from Europe to the settlement of Sydney. The brick structure was designed by Francis Greenway and built by prisoners. After its closure in 1848, this UNESCO World Heritage Site served several government purposes until it was renovated and opened as a history museum in 1991. The displays tell the story of Sydney’s origin as a British penal colony in the late 19th century and the role of this barracks as a penitentiary.
