Primary contact
Chau Chak Wing Museum, F21 University Place, University of Sydney, Camperdown
Sydney, New South Wales 2006
Macleay Collections, Chau Chak Wing Museum, Sydney
The Chau Chak Wing Museum brought together three collections of the University of Sydney:
For further information about the three collections, see https://www.sydney.edu.au/museum/discover-our-collections.html
The Macleay Collections:
Established from the 1790s collections of New South Wales Colonial Secretary Alexander Macleay, successive members of the family extended the specimen/object collections throughout the nineteenth century.
Archives include original material and copies of documents in the Public Record Office, Kew, London, Linnean Society of London and Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney and the University Archives, Sydney University.
Senior Curator, Macleay Collections
Curator, Science, Curatorial Assistant (Science), Curator Natural History, Curator Ethnography, Curator of Indigenous Heritage and University Repatriation project officer.
Material concerning Macleay family, or their collectors, especially their natural history activities. Some original material with mostly copies of documents in Parliament of New South Wales, Public Record Office, Kew, London and Linnean Society of London. https://www.sydney.edu.au/museum/about-us/policies-and-guidelines.html
F21 Chau Chak Wing Museum.
Macleay collections represent a wide range of material related to the collecting activities of its donors and benefactors along with the activities of the museum since its establishment in 1892.
Archival holdings are tied to the collection strengths, that is:
The collections reflecting the work of Russian N Miklouho-Maclay overlap these collecting areas.
The collections can be searched online at: https://www.sydney.edu.au/museums/collections_search/
Museum: the Macleays, their collections and the search for order / Robyn Stacey and Ashley Hay
An appointment time must be arranged in advance of a visit. Entitlements to access records held by the Macleay Collections vary. It is essential that you discuss your research with the relevant curator to determine whether records are available for your use.
Under the State Records Act 1998 (NSW), a closed period of 30 years applies.
Visitors are required to complete a research request form.
Visitors who may need a wheelchair or access to print or audio material or who need to bring a companion animal with them, should ask at the front desk of the Chau Chak Wing Museum for further information and/or ring in advance on 02 9351 2812.
Curators will assist you with advice on relevant records held by the Museum which may be of use to you and provide guidance on the use of the collection and access to them.
Staff cannot undertake research on your behalf. If you are unable to carry out your own research, we advise you to obtain the services of a professional researcher who can conduct the research for you.
Decisions on the reproduction of material are made on a case-by-case basis with reference to security issues, copyright, and privacy and moral rights connected to the given records.
Material from the Macleay Museum Collections are exhibited throughout the Chau Chak Wing Museum.
Revised 5 November 2024