The end wall of the Colony exhibition houses a range of objects relating to everyday activities of the early settlers. With no recognised colonial currency, coins from around the globe were used by traders selling goods at the port.

Buttons and other paraphernalia of the military guards and items necessary for medical surgeons who strived to keep the colony free of disease and heal injuries. In addition, colonial bottle glass was utilised by Aboriginal people to fashion traditional tools, formerly made from stone

Survival often depended on the skill, resilience, and resourcefulness of the colony’s medical pioneers. From the very first days of European settlement, medical officers played a crucial role in navigating the health crises of a challenging new world.

When the First Fleet arrived in 1788, Surgeon John White, leading the medical team, established Sydney’s first hospital on George Street. This early hospital, built between Globe Street and Mill Lane, was rudimentary at best—simple wooden structures complemented by portable canvas building, brought by the Second Fleet in 1790. It was a far cry from modern medicine, but it was a lifeline for a colony on the brink.

Local medicines used by the Aboriginal peoples such as "Warrigal Greens" supplemented diets and assisted in avoiding scurvy.