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The Mint

Museums ·Sydney ·Open now
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About

The Mint is a former Rum Hospital wing and Royal Mint at 10 Macquarie Street in central Sydney, beside Hyde Park Barracks. Today it houses Museums of History NSW’s head office, a public research library and a permanent history display.

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The Mint
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What's on here

PWI Women in Rail Breakfast PWI Women in Rail Breakfast Wednesday, 08:0060.50 AUD

Why go

  • Sydney CBD’s oldest surviving public building.
  • The hospital whose construction contractors were paid 45,000 gallons of rum.
  • The Royal Mint’s first branch outside England.
  • Coins bearing “Australia” from 1855, decades before federation.

Opening hours

Today09:00 – 16:00Show all
Monday09:00 – 16:00
Tuesday09:00 – 16:00
Wednesday09:00 – 16:00
Thursday09:00 – 16:00
Friday09:00 – 16:00
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

Don't miss

  • Rum Hospital frontageLook for the largely original 1816 façade, the double-tier verandah on three sides and inward-angled Doric cedar columns that create a Parthenon-like illusion.The original hospital wing facing Macquarie Street On the map
  • Permanent history displayView the display about the building’s history.Inside the Mint On the map
  • Courtyard and lawnPause in the courtyard formed by the mint buildings behind the hospital wing.Behind the former hospital wing On the map

Know before you go

  • Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.

With kids

  • Children can play garden games on the courtyard and lawn.

Tips for your visit

  • Only parts of the working office complex are open to visitors; the permanent history display is visitable.
  • Explore independently or ask staff or volunteers about the Rum Hospital’s history.
  • Nearby landmarks include St James’ Church and Parliament House.

Interesting facts3

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  1. The original hospital had three wings: its northern wing survives as part of Parliament House, while its central wing was demolished.

    Sydney Mint - Wikipedia

  2. Two fig trees on Macquarie Street reflect 19th-century planning around Chancery Square, now Queen’s Square.

    Sydney Mint - Wikipedia

  3. Excavations revealed hospital kitchen foundations and the base of a 19th-century courtyard fountain.

    Sydney Mint - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

  1. 1811–1816The building was constructed as the southern wing of Sydney Hospital, also called the Rum Hospital.
  2. 1842–1854The southern wing became a pharmacy; other rooms served as a military hospital until 1854.
  3. 1851After the gold rush, the colonial government sought to control gold trading and mint gold locally.
  4. 1854A mint was established on the site, using the former hospital wing for staff and offices.
  5. 14 May 1855The site began operating as the Royal Mint, Sydney Branch.
Show all
  1. 1868–1886Sydney coins became legal tender in British colonies in 1868 and were accepted in Britain from 1886.
  2. 1926Coin production for New South Wales ended.
  3. January 1927The mint closed because its equipment was ageing and it was unprofitable.
  4. 1956A District Court replaced the Coining Factory’s Assay office and stores.
  5. 1968A car park replaced factory facilities for quartz crushing, melting and rolling.
  6. 1977–1979The buildings were restored for museum use; a 1979 campaign helped preserve the Mint and Hyde Park Barracks.
  7. 1982A decorative arts, coins and stamps museum opened.
  8. 1997The museum closed.
  9. 1998The Historic Houses Trust took over the building for administrative use.
  10. 2004Architect Richard Francis-Jones oversaw the former Coining Factory’s remodelling as offices, with a theatrette and foyer added.

How to get there

  • 5 minTrainSt James station on the City Circle line is a 5-minute walk away.
  • 10 minTrainMartin Place station on the Eastern Suburbs line is a 10-minute walk away.
  • 5 minBusThe nearest bus stops are on Elizabeth Street at Hyde Park, a 5-minute walk away.

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Accessible toilets In the Coining Factory.

Sources: Sydney Mint - Wikipedia · The Mint · The Mint · Sydney Mint - Wikipedia · checked 4 Oct 2026

Where
10 Macquarie St, Sydney

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

Who designed The Mint’s hospital wing?

Its architect is unknown.

Did The Mint’s original building have construction problems?

Francis Greenway criticised its proportions and construction. Defects were repaired in 1820 and 1826.

Did The Mint make Commonwealth coins?

It was one of three Australian mints that struck the Commonwealth’s first coins after federation.

Are The Mint’s Macquarie Street gates original?

The originals were removed in the 1930s for parking. Iron copies were reinstated in the 1980s.

What was found beneath The Mint’s hospital wing?

Archaeologists found cellars, likely filled when the site became a mint between 1854 and 1868.

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