Walking the streets of Sydney
Redfern
Carriageworks
carriageworks.com.au/
This a wonderful conversion of an old industrial property which now has performances and art installations, many of which are free. It is a great space and the art they show is often really fun and interesting for children as well. These photos are from a wonderful exhibition in January 2016.
carriageworks.com.au/
This a wonderful conversion of an old industrial property which now has performances and art installations, many of which are free. It is a great space and the art they show is often really fun and interesting for children as well. These photos are from a wonderful exhibition in January 2016.
Street art in Redfern
On your way to Carriageworks, you can see some wonderful street art in Ivy Lane.
On your way to Carriageworks, you can see some wonderful street art in Ivy Lane.
Macquarie Street
A walk down Macquarie Street starting at Hyde Park and finishing at Circular Quay will take you past some of the beautiful old buildings in the city. You could finish with a picnic in the Botanic Gardens or near the Harbour.
A walk down Macquarie Street starting at Hyde Park and finishing at Circular Quay will take you past some of the beautiful old buildings in the city. You could finish with a picnic in the Botanic Gardens or near the Harbour.
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Hyde Park Barracks
sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/hyde-park-barracks-museum/visit The Barracks aren't free to visit inside, but you can still walk around the outside of the building and imagine what it must have been like to live here. From their website: Modern Sydney is built on convict foundations – on convict labour, convict skills and convict stories. In June 1819 the Hyde Park Barracks opened to house convict men and boys working in government gangs, and over the next three decades as many as 50,000 convicts passed through its gates. With the end of transportation, the building was converted to a hostel for orphan girls escaping the Irish famine, female immigration depot and later asylum for aged and destitute women. Today, as a museum about itself, the barracks tells stories of convict Sydney, and of those since then who have had the misfortune to spend time there. The Hyde Park Barracks is one of 11 Australian convict sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
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In this award-winning redevelopment of Sydney CBD’s oldest public building and historic coining factory, past and present truly co-exist. Facing Macquarie Street, the elegant colonnaded building once formed the southern wing of Governor Macquarie’s notorious Rum Hospital and later part of the first overseas branch of London’s Royal Mint. The coining factory behind, shipped in pieces from England during the height of the gold rushes, contained the most cutting-edge technology in the colony. Integrating new and heritage buildings, historic structures and archaeological elements, the site today houses our head office and verandah café, while the central courtyard provides a tranquil oasis on Sydney’s busy Macquarie Street. The Mint is also home to the Caroline Simpson Library, which holds the only public research collection in Australia dedicated to the history of the home and garden.
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Parliament House
www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Pages/home.aspx
This is the seat of the New South Wales parliament. You can do a self-guided walk around and there are also tours, events and exhibitions. You can also watch the parliament sitting at certain times. Entry is free.
www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Pages/home.aspx
This is the seat of the New South Wales parliament. You can do a self-guided walk around and there are also tours, events and exhibitions. You can also watch the parliament sitting at certain times. Entry is free.
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Sydney Hospital
www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/SHSEH/ Sydney Hospital is Australia's first hospital. From their website: Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital is steeped in history, with a legacy of nursing and medical firsts to its credit and having paved the way in many clinical areas - both nationally and internationally.
Sydney Hospital is Australia's first hospital and dates from the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. Sydney Hospital has been located at the present site on Macquarie Street since 1811, with 2011 marking its milestone of 200 years. |
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State Library
www.sl.nsw.gov.au/
The State Library is a lovely light-filled building holding books and records. The library also hosts exhibitions and events. Entry is free.
www.sl.nsw.gov.au/
The State Library is a lovely light-filled building holding books and records. The library also hosts exhibitions and events. Entry is free.
The Royal Botanic Garden
www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/
The Gardens are a haven in the busy city, with wonderful gardens of course and views of the Harbour. Entry is free.
www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/
The Gardens are a haven in the busy city, with wonderful gardens of course and views of the Harbour. Entry is free.
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Sydney Conservatorium of Music
The Conservatorium is a beautiful building, sitting like a castle at the end of Macquarie Street. There is a history of the Conservatorium here: music.sydney.edu.au/about/history/. You can visit the building, entry is free. The Conservatorium also hosts free lunchtime recitals by students, and other events. |
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Government House
sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/government-house Another "castle" at the end of Macquarie Street as you walk around to the Sydney Opera House is Government House. There are free tours at certain times. |
Fort Denison
The second photo just shows Fort Denison through the trees. The island has a long and not very pleasant history - www.fortdenison.com.au/. Tours to Fort Denison are not free but we have in the past done an island hop around the Harbour which was free for the day and included Fort Denison. It may have been a special event only, but something to look out for. You could always take a ferry on a Sunday for $2.50 and do various trips around the Harbour which would take you past the Fort. |
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Circular Quay and the Opera House
You can finish your walk at the Harbour and walk around to the Opera House. There are lots of places to have a picnic on your way to the Opera House and of course spectacular views when you arrive. You can sit and watch the ferries come into Circular Quay and perhaps see a cruise ship dock at the Overseas Terminal. There is always a lot of activity on the Harbour and if you are there as the sun goes down, you'll see the city lights come on. |
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Customs House
www.sydneycustomshouse.com.au/ Another historic building to visit when you get to the Harbour having walked down Macquarie Street, is Customs House. Entry to the building is free. There are some reading spaces on the ground floor and an amazing under floor model of the city. |
