- Past Exhibition
Sin City
crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney
Focusing on the 1940s to the 1980s, this exhibition will examine some of the audacious crimes, fascinating people and various vice trades from suburban bookmakers and sly-grog sellers to narcotics dealers and flashy illegal casinos that bankrolled corruption.
By presenting a mixture of new interviews, short biographies, rare objects and a comprehensive news archive, Sin City will uncover the elements of Sydney that condoned and encouraged corruption, and expose some of the popular myths associated with this celebrated topic.
'No city in the world can rival Sydney’s tolerance for organised crime.' Professor Alfred W McCoy, 1980.
A hard cover pictorial book also available online via our shop.
See ABC Stateline coverage of the exhibition below
Sponsors: Fairfax photos, Channel Nine, ABC, Dendy Cinemas and Avant Card

















Carmen Rupe at the Sin City Launch
Carmen Rupe at the Sin City Launch

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Wayne Martin with Michael Kirby at the Sin City launch
Wayne Martin with Michael Kirby at the Sin City launch

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Tim Girling-Butcher, Michael Kirby, Kate Clark and guest at the Sin City Launch
Tim Girling-Butcher, Michael Kirby, Kate Clark and guest at the Sin City Launch

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view

Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view
Sin City: crime & corruption in 20th-century Sydney exhibition installation view