Australian Scout Museum
Located in the 1897 Armory laboratory
Escape the Museum activities for kids
Escape the Museum activities for kids
Museum entrance
Scout shirts, scarves and flags
The fundamentals of Scouting
Main display area
Early days of Scouting
Early days of Scouting
Scouting timeline to World War 2
Scouts in wartime
A woggle secures the scarf around the neck
Scout badges from around Australia
Before the GPS and mobile phones...
0016 Before the internet...
The museum has a small theatrette
0018 Dick Smith is a prominent Scout
0019 Our changing display gallery
Jamborees are held every three years
Sydney's first jamboree was in 1938-39
Australian Scout Museum poster
About
Scouts have been a part of the Australian community for over one hundred years.
Born during Edwardian times in England, the Scout Movement was operating globally by the start of World War 1. Australia was an early adopter, with a number of Boy Scout patrols active in Sydney by the close of 1908 and in country New South Wales not long after. The Scouts learned leadership, initiative and a love of the great outdoors. Fast forward to the Swinging Seventies and major change was in the air – girls could now join and the Boy Scouts became, simply, Scouts. But the fundamentals remained the same and today, forty years on, we find ourselves embarking on a major review of Scouting’s ethos and program.
Most visitors to the museum are parents with their kids. The adults enjoy the nostalgia – That was the uniform I used to wear, or I got that badge when I was in Venturers. The kids are there for some fun – in that respect nothing much has changed over the years. On the second and fourth Sundays of each month we run Escape the Museum games combining a search for objects in the museum with unusual activities outside. Often the parents join in with their kids. Entry is free.
Families usually combine a visit to the museum with some of the other activities Sydney Olympic Park has to offer. There’s the unique playground in Blaxland Riverside Park, the Armory train that runs every half hour on Sundays, Birdlife Australia’s Discovery Centre, the Armory Gallery, bicycle and Segway hire, frisbee golf, geocaching and several clue trails around the heritage precinct. And there’s also a great cafe down by the Parramatta River only three minutes from the museum.
The Australian Scout Museum is located at the end of Jamieson Street, Newington, just inside the Armory gates.
A great place for young and old alike!
Contact
02 9735 9000 or 1800 SCOUTS
Email Us
Visit our web site
Entry Fees
Entry is free for casual visitors. Groups can book special packages costing between $5 and $15, including Escape the Museum games, a ride on the Armory train or a Segway, and a souvenir badge.
Links
Getting There

Newington Armory
Sydney Olympic Park
Opening Hours
Sunday
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Open on the second and fourth Sundays of each month
A Great Location for Young and Old
The Australian Scout Museum is located in the Newington Armory heritage precinct of Sydney Olympic Park. Parking and Parramatta River foreshore access are nearby, along with an excellent kiosk and cafe. For the kids there's a monster playground, several clue trails, frisbee golf and the Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre - all close at hand and free. So visit our museum and make a day of it!