Posts Tagged ‘what to do in Sydney’

Irish Walk (Sydney)

Posted: September 16, 2019 in history, Sydney Streets
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So, this weekend, we followed a City of Sydney Irish walk which took as through some of the significant places where events concerning Irish immigrants in the young colony of Sydney occurred.

We learnt that

  • about 20,000 people were in Hyde Park on St Patrick’s Day in 1878 when there was an anti-Catholic riot.
  • that monument on the road at the top of the hill near St Mary’s Cathedral on the road to the Art Gallery was just a drinking fountain.
  • There’s a significant Irish Famine memorial at Hyde Park Barracks. Really cleverly done, it shows a dining table divided by a wall.
    • During the six years of great Irish Famine, when their potato crop was ruined by potato blight, about one million died and another one million left Ireland. The memorial remembers the 4114 orphan girls who were shipped to the Australian colonies. Some married, others were employed for different domestic work.
  • The original Martin Place only ran between George and Pitt Streets.
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Drinking Fountain

 

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Irish Famine Memorial at Hyde Park Barracks

 

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Irish Famine Memorial at Hyde Park Barracks

 

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State Library

 

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The windows are inspired by the Book of Kells

 

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St Mary’s Cathedral

 

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St Mary’s Cathedral

 

Callan Park

Posted: July 21, 2019 in history, Inner West
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We went for a walk with the pup around Callan Park, 60ha site in Lilyfield near the Iron Cove Bridge.

It became famous as a psychiatric hospital (Callan Park Hospital for the Insane) which was in use until 1994.

Thne buildings are now occupied by the Sydney College of the Arts.

The Bay Run runs through the park along the foreshore of Iron Cove.

Lots of off leash dog area to roam. Some beautiful old buildings in what was a very sad place for so many people. You’d like to think we are a bit better these days at caring for those struggling with mental health.

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Blue’s Point Rd, North Sydney

Posted: June 22, 2019 in history, Sydney Streets
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Our new pup Indie’s first proper walk. We forgot to take a pic of her first cafe outing!
A wander down this lovely strip this afternoon, following this guide from North Sydney Council.

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We’ve walked down this street before and never noticed the former Presbyterian School Hall

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1976! 1976! This chimney standing beside the fence at 126 Blues Point Rd belonged to a small cottage built in the 1860s. It was the last in the municipality to have electricity connected in 1976.

State Library Exhibition – “Dead Central”

Posted: June 2, 2019 in history
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Dead Central. the State Library’s current exhibition, is on display in Sydney.

Did you know that Central Station was the site of the colony’s first major cemetery? Thousands of graves were moved to accommodate the new station, which parliament wanted initially built in Hyde Park to avoid disruption.

Graves were moved to other cemeteries across Sydney.

A great exhibition – heaps of photos and a great audio guide. And FREE!

www.sl.nsw.gov.au/audio-dc

Harris Park Heritage Walk

Posted: May 5, 2019 in Sydney Streets
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This weekend we were at Parramatta for an event, so we tacked on the Harris Park Heritage Walk for a historical wander through colonial western Sydney.

The Harris Park Heritage Walk is an initiative of Discover Parramatta
It’s poorly signposted as you leave Parramatta ferry wharf but is a good wander through Experiment Farm Cottage, Hambledon Cottage and Elizabeth Farm.

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Margaret St, North Sydney

Posted: September 23, 2018 in Sydney Streets
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My nephew’s gorgeous partner, Gosia, is Polish. Gosia Streets are a bit thin on the ground in Australia! Gosia assures us that the equivalent of Gosia in English is Margaret.

Margaret St in North Sydney is a tiny little street near Kirribilli. At the foot of Margaret St is Anderson Park, where an extraordinary little micro-environment encourages a tine rainforerst-like environment to flourish.

Anderson Park contributes an interesting little anecdote to Sydney and Australia’s history – it’s where thousands gathered in 1934 to watch Charles Kingsford Smith take off for a promotional flight over Sydney.

As Peter Fitzsimons is want to say… “Gotta love this city.”

Anthony Rd, Castle Hill

Posted: September 9, 2018 in Sydney Streets
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A gorgeous early spring day for a walk in Sydney this weekend. Sun’s out, blue sky; just perfect.

Georgia and Anthony are my brother’s children and it was nice to find that Anthony Road in Castle Hill and Georgia Terrace in Kellyville are both fairly close to each other so it made sense to walk the two of them in the one go.

Lots of large McMansions in Kellyville; new houses are are the first ones built on new sub-divisions.

Anthony Rd, though, totally different. Older weatherboards that will not be there for much longer as the suburb changes markedly with the building of the new rail connection.

Georgia Terrace, Kellyville

Posted: September 9, 2018 in Sydney Streets
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A gorgeous early spring day for a walk in Sydney this weekend. Sun’s out, blue sky; just perfect.

Georgia and Anthony are my brother’s children and it was nice to find that Anthony Road in Castle Hill and Georgia Terrace in Kellyville are both fairly close to each other so it made sense to walk the two of them in the one go.

Lots of large McMansions in Kellyville; new houses are are the first ones built on new sub-divisions. New parks being built to cater for the increasing number of children who have nowhere to play in their own backyards – a lot of these houses have a huge footprint and sit on smaller blocks.

Very different to Anthony Rd, which has a lot of older weatherboards that will not be there for much longer as the suburb changes markedly with the building of the new rail connection.

Kate St, Turramurra

Posted: September 1, 2018 in Sydney Streets
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Kate Street is near Kissing Point Road and is a dead end street set amongst houses that are very similar to my grandmother’s house, all built probably around the early 1900s. Lots of huge gardens, huge trees, and a distinct lack of lawns owing to the shade and leaf letter.
At the end of Kate Street is Mimosa Oval and National Park or Forest that runs the whole way to Avondale Dam which is near Pymble ladies’ College.
There’s lots of Fox baiting going on in the area so Bailey didn’t do too much exploring.

 

Trent Road, North Rocks

Posted: August 30, 2018 in Sydney Streets
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Trent Rd runs into an industrial area at North Rocks. Bailey enjoyed a run through the bush at the end of the street, quiet on a Saturday afternoon.
I think it might be a bit busier on Sunday… the largest church compound we have ever seen is at the end of the road. Saesoon Presbyterian Church is a massive beast… hectares of land, thousands of square metres of buildings and car parks.

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