Celebrating 190 years 1833 – 2023
Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts has been welcoming members and visitors for over 190 years, providing an inclusive environment for people to share their love of learning.
Home to Australia’s longest-running lending library and the Tom Keneally Centre, SMSA is an integral part of Sydney’s literature and cultural society.
SMSA offers a robust event program and invites members and visitors to attend.
Our convenient Sydney CBD location also provides a range of meeting rooms and event spaces for hire.
We invite you to explore what SMSA has to offer…
Since its inception, the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts has always been a meeting place for lifelong learners eager to share their knowledge and skills. A self-funded, not-for-profit organisation wholly owned by its members, SMSA has made a major contribution to Sydney’s culture, industry, society, and politics since 1833.
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Our library collection has over 30,000 books on the shelves covering all genres including fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, biography, and poetry. Many people know us for having the best crime fiction collection in Sydney.
SMSA offers several flexible and affordable meeting rooms and event spaces, which are all conveniently located right in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. From our tiered theatre and multiple meeting rooms, to the unique book lovers venue, the Tom Keneally Centre, SMSA is the place to meet.
Join us to watch Jean Vigo’s classic film L’Atalante (1934) introduced by SMSA Member Peter Rainey.
The Poetry at SMSA members’ group will pay homage to Robert Frost through a special reading of his famous poems.
Join us for a conversation with author Chris Hammer and Catherine Du Peloux Menagé about his latest book, The Seven.
Our members love a great crime novel, so we were over the moon to have the opportunity to ask award winning author Suzanne Leal to dish the details on her new book The Watchful Wife. The Watchful Wife is Suzanne’s fifth book, which tells the story of Ellen, a young woman who finds herself in a difficult […]
Atmospheric Memory at the Powerhouse MuseumHave you ever considered what it would be like to not only hear words, but also to see and even touch them? This is one of the intriguing concepts explored by Mexican – Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer in the Powerhouse Museum’s latest international exhibition Atmospheric Memory. This body of work floats seamlessly between an immersive […]
Book Restoration with LilianaDid you know Liliana, one of our brilliant SMSA library team repairs our damaged library books?
We are home to a unique collection of books, a highlight being our Mystery and Crime section.
We are honoured to be the home of Tom Keneally’s personal collection of books, many of which have been used as research for his own work.
Join a members group, share your passions, learn new skills and get involved.
We provide a variety of member only events, these are relaxed social occasions to have fun and make new friends.