by Maz Serena Rockers (
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I love writing, art, music, food, finance, hanging out with my favourites & being a productive night owl.
Take a journey to the darker side of Sydney's crime history, through the eyes of the police. This quaint little building expands into so much more than what you'd expect when looking at it from the outside.
The Justice and Police Museum is an excellent and inexpensive way to spend an afternoon (or morning, for that matter).
Inside, you will find a number of attractions. From a fully equipped court room to jail cells and weaponry, to a relaxing historical video which might be slightly biased in favour of the NSW police force – you get a fairly holistic experience.
The overall impression from the museum seems like somebody is trying very hard to promote the police force. I can understand that, as the police obviously do a lot of good – however in the history video, none of the royal commissions or enquiries into corruption were mentioned at all. Other than being slightly propagandistic, I think the video was highly educational, especially on how the police force was initially formed.
There is a beautiful display of uniforms, many weapons and random artefacts from history such as phones and well – just about anything historical. Some of the display is actually contained in old jail cells, which adds a slightly eerie touch.
You can choose to try on a police jacket or even sit in a police wagon if you've never been subjected to it before. Personally, it felt a little less comfortable than what I had imagined it to be, though this of course makes sense given the purpose of such vehicles.
Kids will absolutely adore the court room. There was one area up a spiralling staircase which was unfortunately closed, but I do hope that it will one day reopen.
The Justice and Police Museum is a must-see for just about anyone who might be interested in Aussie crime. It's a relatively inexpensive city attraction, starting at just $5 a person depending on what type of ticket you require. This is definitely a museum worth visiting.
