10 May 2011: The Justice and Police Museum

After thirty full minutes of spinning trills on the Oz Jetboating ride, my mother and I headed for the Justice and Police Museum. I was not particularly interested in this museum, but it was the nearest available museum at Circular Quay, so I gladly visited it.

A choice of convenience, the Justice and Police Museum fondly reminded me of the former Supreme Court in Singapore. I later learnt that the Justice and Police Museum is the site of the original settlement of convicts during the earlier days when the first European settlement started in Australia, Sydney.

At this museum, visitors learn about some of the most spectacular crimes that had happened in Sydney. There were exhibits consisting weapons used by law-enforcers. Strangely, there were relics from notorious crimes put on display at the museum. With all these fear inducing weapons and relics, I thought it would take a fair level of guts to visit this museum.

Again, the See Sydney Attractions Pass came in useful.

Usually, it would cost AUS$8 per adult for entry into the Justice and Police Museum. With the See Sydney Attractions Pass, entry is free!

Heading to the cells.

I came across exhibits of the Hangman's Noose and hoods that were used in the early 20th century. The quotation that was printed on the walls were thought provoking.

"...one is absolutely sickened not by, the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments the good have inflicted." - Oscar Wilde (From the Soul of Man under Socialism.) 

The section on the Aboriginal customary law caught my eye but given that I had wanted to get myself lunch before catching a cruise that afternoon, I hardly had enough time to enjoy much of the museum. I had been there, but I felt I did not know enough about the history of crimes and laws in Sydney as I had spent only close to an hour at this museum. If you are visiting this museum, please set aside at least two hours to better appreciate some of the exhibits.


Justice and Police Museum
Corner Philip and Albert Street
Circular Quay, Sydney
Tel: (+61) 2 8239 2288
http://www.hht.net.au/museums/justice_and_police_museum
Admission: AUS$8 per adult.


Please also see: My visit to Sydney, May 2011
All the photos on this post were taken using a Canon Digital IXUS 1000HS camera.