Barracks Hyde Park is an impressive brick building, built exiled architect Francis Greenway in the years 1818-1819 of convicted men and boys. Today the building of the barracks is a Museum of international significance and listed as a national heritage of Australia and New South Wales. It is also listed as a world Heritage site by UNESCO as one of 11 outstanding places of Australia for prisoners - "an excellent example of large-scale transportation of exiles and the colonial expansion of European powers".

Built by the labors of the prisoners on the orders of Governor Lachlan of Maqueira, barracks – one of the most famous creations of Australian architect Francis Greenaway, born in England. Until the closure in 1848, in these principal in New South Wales barracks convicts lived, worked on building sites in Sydney and around it. From 1848 to 1886, the building served as an Immigration Station for single women who immigrated to Australia in search of work. And throughout most of the 20th century – until 1979 – it housed the judiciary and government agencies.

In 1981 in the barracks Hyde Park had a serious repair work, then the building was turned into a Museum. Today it is possible to see how the prisoners lived in the 19th century and the other inhabitants of the barracks. The Museum has several permanent exhibitions depicting the working exploits exiled convicts and about the Australian system of sending criminals to the colonies.