The archive holds:

  • non-current records of the Presbyterian Church in NSW including parishes, committees and organisations
  • non-current records of the General Assembly of Australia. This does not include records of churches and parishes of other Australian states and territories.
  • image collection of churches and church functions, ministers, home missionaries, elders and missions.
  • church plan collection
  • biographical information about Presbyterian ministers (Australia wide), NSW home missionaries, deaconesses, elders and prominent Presbyterians.
  • parish/locality ephemera collection
  • subject collection on issues diverse as clerical dress, Scottish immigration and the church’s attitude to various social issues.
  • records of the nondenominational Bush Missionary Society
  • records of the World Day of Prayer.
  • Records of the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia (PCEA)

All records are subject to Federal Privacy legislation.

The archives do not hold:

  • records for church schools. These are held within the schools. See links page.
  • records for the Burnside Homes. The Burnside Homes became the property of the Uniting Church in 1977. See links page for a history of the homes.
  • Records relating to individual patients the Queen Victoria Hospital
  • Presbyterian Adoption Agency. See links page for further information.
  • cemetery records. The NSW government took control of church cemeteries in the 1960s and records were passed to the local councils.

The archives are open, at the discretion of the archivist, for research by parishes, church organisations, tertiary students, heritage consultants, academic and other researchers.

Please email or phone to discuss you research and make an appointment to visit the archives.
There is no direct access to the archives by family historians. Family history research is available only by mail and charges apply.

All records are subject to Federal Privacy legislation. Records relating to living people is only available to the person concerned on proof of identity.
The use of cameras to copy material is not permitted.