SYDNEY.-A lock of Napoleon Bonaparte's hair, a chair from the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and a lamp from a Japanese midget submarine found in Sydney Harbour in 1942 are amongst some of the treasures revealed in a new book about the Sydney Town Hall collection.

Sydney Town Hall - The Building and its Collection, by City of Sydney Curator Margaret Betteridge, follows the turbulent years of the building's construction in the 1870s and 1880s and for the first time details the priceless art and curiosity collection contained within its walls.

by City of Sydney Curator Margaret Betteridge, follows the turbulent years of the building's construction in the 1870s and 1880s and for the first time details the priceless art and curiosity collection contained within its walls.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the book documents the architectural highlights and visionary zeal with which Council pursued its vision to create a public building worthy of a burgeoning young city.

"The book also presents for the first time, the highlights of the Town Hall's remarkable collection, a rich tapestry of civic patronage and history assembled over more than 150 years," Ms Moore said.

"If one measure of a collection lies in its diversity, then Sydney Town Hall's must be one of the best. As tangible evidence of the personalities and process of civic history of Australia's oldest city, the collection is without precedent.

"As we prepare to close the doors to Sydney Town Hall on 29 February and undertake an 18-month essential services upgrade to the ailing building, Sydneysiders can look forward to the creation of a new curatorial space to publicly exhibit this fascinating collection," Ms Moore said.

The five-year rescue package for the building will involve restoring the crumbling sandstone facade and updating internal services such as air-conditioning, sewerage, electricity, heating and communications technology which are out of date and in danger of failing.

The plan includes upgrading the Lower Town Hall for a wider variety of uses including an exhibition space for the Town Hall curatorial collection.

The City is also committed to implementing environmental initiatives like rainwater capture off the extensive roof of the building and improved energy efficiency.

"In 1889 the Mayor of Sydney John Harris stood in the newly opened Town Hall and declared 'it must be remembered that the building in which we are now assembled has not been erected for the requirements of today, but of future generations'.

"It is with this same spirit of custodianship and responsibility for future generations that we must undertake these essential works to guarantee Sydney Town Hall remains a working building for the next 100 years," Ms Moore said.

The book's author Margaret Betteridge, a highly regarded Sydney curator, spent four years researching and writing.

"The book was inspired out of my frustration of not being able to show the full Town Hall collection to the public because of a lack of space," Ms Betteridge said.

"During regular tours of the building, people would be amazed at all the quirky facts and hidden features and details of the building and this is what inspired me to bring the collection to a wider audience.

"Without doubt one of the most fascinating items in the Sydney Town Hall collection is a lock of hair purportedly from the head of the great French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte. While there is no record of how this came to be in the collection, the lock of hair is attached to a letter dating from 1840.

"We know that on his death, locks of his hair were cut from his head and some presented to members of his family as he stipulated in his will. Pieces of Napoleon's hair have surfaced in England, Europe and the United States, so it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the hair is authentic," she said.

Other curious items include a chair from the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II which is made of stained mahogany and upholstered in green velvet with the initials 'ER' embroidered in gold.

"On 2 June 1953 Lord Fraser attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey and as was the custom, he was offered the chair he used and he has since donated it to the City of Sydney," Ms Betteridge said.

Other artifacts include a range of civic 'tools' including ceremonial cementing trowels, spades and keys. One brass key was used by Queen Elizabeth II to unlock the gates of Sandringham Gardens in Hyde Park in 1954.

"There are also examples of the well-known Key to the City. The idea of giving somebody a key dates from Medieval custom when walled cities were common and where a key symbolised the independent authority of a city district from the political control of the Monarchy. When the ruler visited the city for the first, the keys would be given to the ruler to symbolise the Monarch's authority. The key would then be given back to the City as a symbol that he or she intended to respect the political authority of those who administered the City. However if the key was kept, it symbolised withdrawal of the city's right to independence," Ms Betteridge said.

Today the key is purely symbolic and is reserved to honour individuals or organisations for their contributions. Since 1960, the Key to the City of Sydney has been presented to more than 40 individuals and organisations including Nelson Mandela, Jorn Utzon, Dame Joan Sutherland and Dawn Fraser.

Another item in the collection, a seemingly simple lamp and switch, was taken from a Type A Japanese midget submarine. On the evening of 31 May 1942, three Japanese submarines made their way into Sydney Harbour. One submarine became entangled in an anti-torpedo net inside the heads and the crew detonated the submarine's demolition charge destroying the ship and themselves. The second released a torpedo which struck HMAS Kuttabul killing 21 Australians and British sailors before quietly slipping out of the harbour, while the third sub was attacked by vessels of the Royal Australian Navy before limping into Taylors Bay.

The book Sydney Town Hall - The Building and its Collection is published by the City of Sydney (2008) and is available for sale from all City of Sydney libraries and from Town Hall House Archives on Level 1 (weekdays only) for $50.