Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts

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…

 

A piece of SMSA History explored

A piece of SMSA History

Daring Debaters: Exploring SMSA artifacts at the State Library of NSW

In celebration of our rich history, the SMSA was given exclusive access to the Special Collection at the State Library of NSW.

SMSA History

An inclusive members society with a passion for sharing knowledge

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.

LEARN MORE
SMSA Library | Membership benefit

LIBRARY

Open to SMSA members to browse and borrow

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 Tiered Theatre | Venue Hire

VENUE HIRE

Meetings and events in the heart of the city

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.

SMSA Featured Event | An Evening with the Keneallys

Featured Event

An Evening With The Keneallys

The SMSA was proud to host an exclusive evening in conversation with the Keneally family to honour national treasure, Australian novelist, playwright and actor Tom Keneally AO, his daughter, co-author, editor and reporter Meg Keneally and Meg’s daughter and emerging poet Alex Coverdale. Enjoy this unique discussion with three generations of Keneally’s exploring their work, family and more.

What’s On

To Be or Not To Be

To Be or Not To Be

Past Event: October 10, 2024 : 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm

SMSA members are invited to watch Ernst Lubitsch’s noir comedy "To Be or Not To Be", a 1942 American noir comedy film, directed by Ernst…

View Event
View All Events
Membership

When you join SMSA as member, you get a wide range of benefits

Access to the SMSA Library

We are home to a unique collection of books, a highlight being our Mystery and Crime section.

Able to borrow from the Tom Keneally Centre

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.

Access to member only events

Join a members group, share your passions, learn new skills and get involved.

Access to member only activities such as members groups

We provide a variety of member only events, these are relaxed social occasions to have fun and make new friends.

Join as a Member

Subscribe to stay up-to-date

    `