NIDA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we learn and tell stories, the Bidjigal, Gadigal, Dharawal and Dharug peoples, and we pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past and present.

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Costume Research Collection

NIDA’s Costume Research Collection is one of the most substantial repositories of vintage clothing and accessories within an educational institution in Australia.

We document and preserve the collection for both study and exhibition purposes.

In addition to the Costume Research Collection, we also have administrative and production archives, Old Tote Theatre Company archives and personal archives.

What is held in the collection?

The collection includes:

  • clothing of men, women and children, dating from the early 19th century to the present
  • a diverse range of accessories, such as hats, handbags, gloves, hosiery and shoes
  • pieces from Sophie van Rood’s Banana Room collection
  • the Betty Viazim Hat Collection.

How is the collection used?

At NIDA, the collection is used:

  • for teaching and research in costume training
  • to give our students a greater understanding of the development of clothing in the 19th and 20th centuries
  • to assist the understanding of curatorial, conservation and exhibition processes for costume.

We are committed to sharing the collection with professionals in the design and costume fields. For more information about the collection, including how to make a donation, please contact the Head of Costume, on (02) 9697 7600 or email.