History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves.

To celebrate the official launch of the digitised version of the Settlers’ Muster Book 1800, the NSW Parliamentary Library, in collaboration with Museums of History NSW, delivered an in-depth presentation on this crucial document from New South Wales’ colonial past.

You can watch the full video from this discussion below, recorded on Wednesday 23 October in NSW Parliament’s Jubilee Room.

The Muster Book holds many key dates and stories, all of which were expertly and thoughtfully explored by Carol Listen AO, Adjunct Associate Professor at Western Sydney University, and Martyn Killion, Director of Collection at Museums of History NSW. We thank them for their insightful presentation.

Historians, researchers and the general public alike can now access this digitised treasure via our new image database Parlimento.