Country Always

Caring for Country

A Corner of the Empire

The Garden Palace

The Holding Pen

The Agricultural Hall

Regional Networks

Across New South Wales

A Museum of Doing

Technological Museum

Expanding Stories

Evolution of the Castle Hill site from botanical research station to Museum Discovery Centre

Transforming the Tramsheds

Powerhouse Stage 1 and the Harwood Building

A Symbol in Time

Sydney Observatory

Ongoing Transformations

Powerhouse Ultimo

Applied Arts and Sciences

Defining the terms in the 21st century

Powerhouse Renewal

A transformative renewal program across four sites

We Rise

Blak Powerhouse

Powerhouse-1 Mission Launch to the ISS

An initiative of the Powerhouse: Future Space program

2024

Exoskeleton

Powerhouse Parramatta

Neilson Foundation

Leadership Circle – Powerhouse Parramatta

2023

Landscape-format, black and white glass plate negative depicting a picnic scene at Freshwater, with young men and women and a small child

Program

Holidays

Name: Holidays
Start: 2023-10-20T23:00:00.000Z
End: 2025-06-08T06:00:00.000Z
Location: Castle Hill

Exhibition

Ended 8 Jun 2025

Free

Castle Hill

The sound of a cricket bat thwacking a ball, the smell of a sizzling barbecue and the feeling of grass or sand under our feet. These sensory memories send us right back on holiday and lift the spirits. The appeal of leaving the everyday world behind for a while to go on holiday is universal across ages and cultures.

Changes in society since the 1900s, such as paid annual leave and access to new or cheaper modes of transport, have meant that more Australians are able to take some time to rest, explore and play. Swimming, caravanning, sport and games have long been popular holiday pastimes, and since the advent of COVID-19 there has been a resurgence in the popularity of picnics and bushwalks, and in the use of puzzles, playing cards and board games.

White mould cast porcelain figurine of rabbit family at the bbq table — 1/5
'Aussie BBQ Bunnykins' figurine set by Royal Doulton, 2012
Object No. 2013/15/11

Black and white photograph of children playing in a pool. — 2/5
Photograph of children playing in a pool by Bayram Ali 1953–1970
Object No.97/149/1-2/4/118

1930's women sitting on the grass, relaxing. — 3/5
Object No. 94/63/1-57/1 Glass negative, quarter plate, Palmer's Mystery Hike No. 2, Tom Lennon, Sydney, Australia, 10 July 1932 Powerhouse collection.
Object No. 94/63/1-57/1

People camping next to a car with lots of beer stacked up inbetween — 4/5
Photograph 'Ten days drinking Holiday' by Jozef Vissel
Object No. 2015/8/1-5

Green picnic case and contents. — 5/5
Picnic case and contents, 1950–1989
Object No. 2010/87/1