The Mint

This attractive building with its white colonial façade and two-storey, double-colonnaded veranda was built between 1811 and 1816 as the southern wing of the Sydney Hospital. It turned into a coin-making operation – the first branch of the Royal Mint outside London – in the 1850s, following the discovery of gold in NSW, and continued to churn out money until 1926. The building has a modest historical exhibition presenting its many incarnations. It is also home to the Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection (housed in the former coining factory), which is open to the public and focuses on the history of house and garden design and interior furnishing in NSW. Other highlights include the Sydney Mint Café and the Mint Shop, with a great range of exclusive gift items for sale.