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What to See in Sydney - Top Sights and Attractions

Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Sydney (Australia). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Luna Park. Also, be sure to include Royal Botanic Garden in your itinerary.

Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Sydney (New South Wales).

Sydney Opera House

Performing arts centre in Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / Alphacontrol / CC BY-SA 4.0

Australia's iconic performing-arts venue. The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the banks of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th century architecture.

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, but completed by an Australian architectural team headed by Peter Hall, the building was formally opened on 20 October 1973 after a gestation beginning with Utzon's 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. The Government of New South Wales, led by the premier, Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958 with Utzon directing construction. The government's decision to build Utzon's design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost and scheduling overruns as well as the architect's ultimate resignation.

The building and its surrounds occupy the whole of Bennelong Point on Sydney Harbour, between Sydney Cove and Farm Cove, adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and near to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The building comprises multiple performance venues, which together host well over 1,500 performances annually, attended by more than 1.2 million people. Performances are presented by numerous performing artists, including three resident companies: Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. As one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, the site is visited by more than eight million people annually, and approximately 350,000 visitors take a guided tour of the building each year. The building is managed by the Sydney Opera House Trust, an agency of the New South Wales State Government.

On 28 June 2007, the Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, having been listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate since 1980, the National Trust of Australia register since 1983, the City of Sydney Heritage Inventory since 2000, the New South Wales State Heritage Register since 2003, and the Australian National Heritage List since 2005. The Opera House was also a finalist in the New7Wonders of the World campaign list.[1]

Address: 2 Macquarie St, 2000 Sydney

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Sydney Harbour Bridge

Through arch bridge in Sydney, Australia
Dreamstime.com / Xvaldes / RF

Massive steel arched bridge with lookout. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a heritage-listed steel through arch bridge in Sydney, spanning Sydney Harbour from the central business district to the North Shore. The view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is widely regarded as an iconic image of Sydney, and of Australia itself. Nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its arch-based design, the bridge carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

Under the direction of John Bradfield of the New South Wales Department of Public Works, the bridge was designed and built by British firm Dorman Long of Middlesbrough (who based the design on their 1928 Tyne Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne) and opened in 1932. The bridge's general design, which Bradfield tasked the NSW Department of Public Works with producing, was a rough copy of the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City. This general design document, however, did not form any part of the request for tender, which remained sufficiently broad as to allow cantilever (Bradfield's original preference) and even suspension bridge proposals. The design chosen from the tender responses was original work created by Dorman Long, who leveraged some of the design from their own Tyne Bridge which, though superficially similar, does not share the graceful flares at the ends of each arch which make the harbour bridge so distinctive. It is the eighth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world and the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 m (440 ft) from top to water level. It was also the world's widest long-span bridge, at 48.8 m (160 ft) wide, until construction of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver was completed in 2012.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge went on to be added to the Australian National Heritage List on 19 March 2007 and to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 25 June 1999.[2]

Address: Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney

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Luna Park

Amusement park in Milsons Point, Australia
wikipedia / CSIRO / CC BY 3.0

Amusement park and entertainment venue. Luna Park Sydney is a heritage-listed amusement park located at 1 Olympic Drive in the harbourside suburb of Milsons Point, New South Wales, Australia, on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour. The amusement park is owned by the Luna Park Reserve Trust, an agency of the Government of New South Wales, and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 5 March 2010.

The park was constructed during 1935 approximately 600 metres (2,000 ft) from the northern approaches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and ran for seventy-month seasons until 1972, when it was opened year-round. Luna Park was closed in mid-1979, immediately following the Ghost Train fire, which killed six children and one adult. Most of the park was demolished, and a new amusement park was constructed; this originally operated under the name of Harbourside Amusement Park before resuming the Luna Park name. The park was closed again in 1988 as an independent engineering inspection determined that several rides needed urgent repair. The owners failed to repair and reopen the park before a New South Wales government deadline, and ownership was passed to a new body.

Reopening in 1995, Luna Park closed again after thirteen months because of the Big Dipper rollercoaster: noise pollution complaints from residents on the clifftop above the park caused the ride's operating hours to be heavily restricted, and the resultant drop in attendance made the park unprofitable. After another redevelopment, Luna Park reopened in 2004 and has continued operating since.

Luna Park is one of two amusement parks in the world that are protected by government legislation; several of the buildings on the site are also listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate and the New South Wales State Heritage Register. Architectural plans and drawings of rides and buildings at Luna Park (Milson’s Point, New South Wales) are held at the State Library of New South Wales, including the Ghost Train ride. The plans and drawings include some from Luna Park (St Kilda, Victoria) and Luna Park (Glenelg South Australia).

The park has been utilised as a filming location for several movies and television shows.[3]

Address: 1 Olympic Dr, 2061 Milsons Point (North Sydney)

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Royal Botanic Garden

Botanical garden in Sydney, Australia
Dreamstime.com / Jankratochvila / RF

Oasislike gardens with glasshouses. The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney is a heritage-listed major 30-hectare botanical garden, event venue and public recreation area located at Farm Cove on the eastern fringe of the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia.

Opened in 1816, the garden is the oldest scientific institution in Australia and one of the most important historic botanical institutions in the world. The overall structure and key elements were designed by Charles Moore and Joseph Maiden, and various other elements designed and built under the supervision of Allan Cunningham, Richard Cunningham, and Carrick Chambers. The garden is owned by the Government of New South Wales and administered by the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust. The Botanic Garden, together with the adjacent Domain were added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

The Garden and The Domain are open every day of the year and access is free. Its stunning position on Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Opera House and the large public parklands of The Domain ensure it is one of the most visited attractions in Sydney. The garden is bordered by the Cahill Expressway to the south and west, Macquarie Street to the northwest, Art Gallery Road to the east, and Sydney Harbour to the north.[4]

Address: Mrs Macquaries Rd, 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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Taronga Zoo

Zoo in Mosman, Australia
wikipedia / Ghislain Montvernay / CC BY-SA 3.0

Large zoo divided into different regions. Taronga Zoo is a zoo located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in the suburb of Mosman, on the shores of Sydney Harbour. The opening hours are between 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It was officially opened on 7 October 1916. Taronga Zoo Sydney is managed by the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales, under the trading name Taronga Conservation Society, along with its sister zoo, the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo.

Divided into various zoogeographic regions, the 28-hectare (69-acre) Taronga Zoo Sydney is home to more than 2,600 animals of approximately 250 different species, making it the largest zoo in Australia. It has a zoo shop, a cafe, and an information centre.[5]

Address: Bradleys Head Rd, 2088 Mosman (Mosman)

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Carriageworks

Art center in Eveleigh, Australia
wikipedia / Carriageworks / CC BY-SA 3.0

Art center in Eveleigh, Australia. Carriageworks is a multi-arts urban cultural precinct located at the former Eveleigh Railway Workshops in Redfern, Sydney, Australia. Carriageworks showcases contemporary art and performing arts, as well as being used for filming, festivals, fairs and commercial exhibitions. The largest such venue in Australia, it is a cultural facility of the NSW Government, and receives support from Create NSW and the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts. The centre has commissioned new work by Australian and international artists, and has been home to eight theatre, dance and film companies, including Performance Space, Sydney Chamber Opera and Moogahlin Performing Arts, and a weekly farmers' market has operated there for many years.

On 4 May 2020 Carriageworks Ltd, the company that operates the venue, declared it would be entering voluntary administration and closing, citing an “irreparable loss of income” due to government bans on events during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequent negative impact on the arts sector. Carriageworks successfully emerged from voluntary administration and reopened its doors to the public in August 2020.[6]

Address: 245 Wilson St, 2015 Eveleigh (South Sydney)

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Hyde Park

Park in Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / Greg O'Beirne / CC BY-SA 3.0

Australia's oldest public parkland. Hyde Park is a heritage-listed 16.2-hectare urban park located in the central business district of Sydney, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It is the oldest public parkland in Australia. Hyde Park is on the eastern fringe of the Sydney city centre and is approximately rectangular in shape, being squared at the southern end and rounded at the northern end. It is bordered on the west by Elizabeth Street, on the east by College Street, on the north by St. James Road and Prince Albert Road and on the south by Liverpool Street.

The park was designed by Norman Weekes, Sir John Sulman (1927 design resolution), Alfred Hook, W. G. Layton and I. Berzins and was built from 1810 to 1927. It is also known as Hyde Park, Sydney Common, Government Domain, The Common, The Exercising Ground, Cricket Ground and Racecourse. Hyde Park is owned by the City of Sydney and the Land and Property Management Authority, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 13 December 2011.

It is the southernmost of a chain of parkland that extends north to the shore of Sydney Harbour via The Domain and Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens. Around the park's boundaries lie various buildings housing the Supreme Court of New South Wales, St. James Church, Hyde Park Barracks and Sydney Hospital to the north, St Mary's Cathedral, the Australian Museum and Sydney Grammar School to the east, the Downing Centre to the south, the David Jones Limited flagship store and the CBD to the west. It is divided in two by the east–west running Park Street.

Hyde Park contains well-kept gardens and approximately 580 trees; a mixture of figs, conifers, palms, and other varieties. It is famed for its magnificent fig tree lined avenues. Sandringham Gardens sit on the eastern side of the park, close to the intersection of Park Street and College Street.[7]

Address: Elizabeth St, 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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Australian Museum

Museum in Darlinghurst, Australia
wikipedia / J Bar / CC BY-SA 3.0

Museum in Darlinghurst, Australia. The Australian Museum is a heritage-listed museum at 1 William Street, Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. It is the oldest museum in Australia, and the fifth oldest natural history museum in the world, with an international reputation in the fields of natural history and anthropology. It was first conceived and developed along the contemporary European model of an encyclopedic warehouse of cultural and natural history and features collections of vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, as well as mineralogy, palaeontology and anthropology. Apart from exhibitions, the museum is also involved in Indigenous studies research and community programs. In the museum's early years, collecting was its main priority, and specimens were commonly traded with British and other European institutions. The scientific stature of the museum was established under the curatorship of Gerard Krefft, himself a published scientist.

The museum is located at the corner of William Street and College Street in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, and was originally known as the Colonial Museum or Sydney Museum. The museum was renamed in June 1836 by a sub-committee meeting, when it was resolved during an argument that it should be renamed the "Australian Museum". The Australian Museum building and its collection was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The museum is mentioned in the poem William Street by notable Australian poet Henry Lawson.

Its current CEO and Executive Director is Kim McKay AO.[8]

Address: 1 William St, 2010 Sydney (Eastern Suburbs)

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St Mary's Cathedral

Cathedral in Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / JohnArmagh / CC BY-SA 3.0

Grand Gothic-style church begun in 1821. The Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney, currently Anthony Fisher OP. It is dedicated to the "Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians", Patroness of Australia and holds the title and dignity of a minor basilica, bestowed upon it by Pope Pius XI on 4 August 1932.

St Mary's has the greatest length of any church in Australia (although it is neither the tallest nor largest overall). It is located on College Street near the eastern border of the Sydney central business district in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Despite the high-rise development of the central business district, the cathedral's imposing structure and twin spires make it a landmark from every direction. In 2008, St Mary's Cathedral became the focus of World Youth Day 2008 and was visited by Pope Benedict XVI who consecrated the new forward altar. The cathedral was designed by William Wardell and built from 1866 to 1928. It is also known as St Mary's Catholic Cathedral and Chapter House, Saint Mary's Cathedral and St Mary's Cathedral. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 3 September 2004.[9]

Address: 2 St Mary's Rd., 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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Hyde Park Barracks

Barracks in Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / J Bar / CC BY-SA 3.0

Barracks in Sydney, Australia. The Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney is a heritage-listed former barracks, hospital, convict accommodation, mint and courthouse and now museum and cafe located at Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Originally built from 1811 to 1819 as a brick building and compound to house convict men and boys, it was designed by convict architect Francis Greenway. It is also known as the Mint Building and Hyde Park Barracks Group and Rum Hospital; Royal Mint - Sydney Branch; Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary; Queen's Square Courts; Queen's Square. The site is managed by the Sydney Living Museums, an agency of the Government of New South Wales, as a living history museum open to the public.

The site is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of 11 pre-eminent Australian Convict Sites as amongst "the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts", and was listed on the Australian National Heritage List on 1 August 2007, and on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

The historic site was closed in January 2019 for $18 million restoration work to transform it into "a rich new, immersive visitor experience like no other in Australia" and reopened in February 2020.[10]

Address: Macquarie St, Sydney (Central Business District)

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Art gallery in Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / Siegfried Nugent / CC BY-SA 3.0

Art gallery in Sydney, Australia. The Art Gallery of New South Wales, founded as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872 and known as the National Art Gallery of New South Wales between 1883 and 1958, is located in The Domain, Sydney, Australia. It is the most important public gallery in Sydney and one of the largest in Australia.

The gallery's first public exhibition opened in 1874. Admission is free to the general exhibition space, which displays Australian art (including Indigenous Australian art), European and Asian art. A dedicated Asian Gallery was opened in 2003.[11]

Address: Art Gallery Rd, 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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Government House

Building in Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / Maksym Kozlenko / CC BY-SA 4.0

Building in Sydney, Australia. The Government House is the heritage-listed vice-regal residence of the governor of New South Wales, Australia, located on Conservatorium Road in the Sydney central business district adjacent to the Royal Botanic Garden, overlooking Sydney Harbour, just south of the Sydney Opera House. Constructed between 1837 and 1843, the property has been the vice-regal residence of the Governor since Sir George Gipps, except for two brief periods; the first between 1901 and 1914, when the property was leased to the Commonwealth of Australia as the residence of the Governor-General of Australia, and the second from 1996 to 2011.

The property was returned as the Governor's residence in October 2011 and was managed by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales from March 1996 to December 2013. Completed in 1847 and constructed in the Gothic revival style, the building is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register.[12]

Address: Macquarie St, 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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Central Park

Building complex in Chippendale, Australia
wikipedia / Kgbo / CC BY-SA 4.0

Building complex in Chippendale, Australia. Central Park is a major mixed-use urban renewal project in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia located on Broadway in the suburb of Chippendale. The development is focused on a new public park located just off Broadway of approximately 6,500 square metres in size. For many decades the southern side of Broadway was dominated by a brewery, which closed in the 2000s and the site was put up for sale. Frasers Property purchased the site from the Foster's Group on 29 June 2007. On a difficult site, the design fitted the towers around the streets, created new public spaces and connections to the city, added 30,000 specially selected plants, included art work, and incorporated pedestrian as well as vehicular access.

The project includes the award-winning high-rise building One Central Park, an apartment complex known for its hanging vertical gardens.[13]

Address: 28 Broadway, 2007 Chippendale (South Sydney)

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Queen Victoria Building

Marketplace in Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / Sardaka / CC BY 3.0

Landmark 19th-century shopping centre. The Queen Victoria Building is a heritage-listed late-nineteenth-century building designed by the architect George McRae located at 429–481 George Street in the Sydney central business district, in the Australian state of New South Wales. The Romanesque Revival building was constructed between 1893 and 1898 and is 30 metres wide by 190 metres long. The domes were built by Ritchie Brothers, a steel and metal company that also built trains, trams and farm equipment. The building fills a city block bounded by George, Market, York, and Druitt Streets. Designed as a marketplace, it was used for a variety of other purposes, underwent remodelling, and suffered decay until its restoration and return to its original use in the late twentieth century. The property is owned by the City of Sydney and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 5 March 2010.[14]

Address: 455 George St, 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

Aquarium in Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / Kgbo / CC BY-SA 4.0

Freshwater and marine animals up close. SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is a public aquarium that features a large variety of Australian aquatic life, displaying more than 700 species comprising more than 13,000 individual fish and other sea and water creatures from most of Australia's water habitats. Opened in 1988, it is regarded as one of Sydney's premier tourist attractions with over 55% of its visitors each year coming from overseas.

The aquarium features 14 themed zones including Jurassic Seas, Discovery Rockpool, Shark Walk, and the world's largest Great Barrier Reef display. Along the way, visitors encounter animals unique to each habitat, including one of only four dugongs on display in the world, sharks, stingrays, penguins and tropical fish, among others.

It is a public aquarium located in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the eastern (city) side of Darling Harbour to the north of the Pyrmont Bridge. It is a full institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).[15]

Address: 1-5 Wheat Road, 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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Overseas Passenger Terminal

Cruise terminal in the Rocks, Australia
wikipedia / Public Domain

Cruise terminal in the Rocks, Australia. The Overseas Passenger Terminal, known officially as the Sydney Cove Passenger Terminal, is a public passenger terminal servicing cruise ships and ocean liners located in Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia. Whilst commercial shipping operations on and around the site date from 1792, the current primary structure and waterfront promenade date from 1958, with subsequent on-going alterations and land reclamation throughout the latter part of the 20th century. The current design retains the black steel portal frame trusses of the original 1958 structure, with major additions completed in 1988 in the Post-War International Style through the collaboration of Sydney architects Lawrence Nield and Peter Tonkin.

The building's main structure, the two remaining uniquely designed extendable gangways and an interior mural known as Foundations of European Settlement by Australian artist Arthur Murch are all listed as individual items of significance within the State Heritage Inventory by the New South Wales Heritage Office. Since 2006, the building and its surroundings have also been listed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site buffer zone for the Sydney Opera House.

Today, although there are other passenger terminals on Sydney Harbour, the OPT maintains a significant public role as the only major passenger terminal east of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. As such, it has been host to many major international cruise liners which are unable to clear the underside of the bridge, including the largest liner to dock at the OPT to date, the Ovation of the Seas. The OPT promenade and viewing platforms are open to the public when ships are not docked in the terminal and a series of dining and entertainment venues within the building serve as part of the OPT's secondary function.[16]

Address: 10 Circular Quay W, 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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Museum of Contemporary Art

Museum in the Rocks, Australia
wikipedia / Greg O'Beirne / CC BY-SA 3.0

Hip visual arts collection on quayside. The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, located on George Street in Sydney's The Rocks neighbourhood, is solely dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting, and collecting contemporary art, from across Australia and around the world. It is the only contemporary art museum in Australia with a permanent collection. The museum is housed in the Stripped Classical/Art Deco-styled former Maritime Services Board Building on the western side of Circular Quay. A modern wing was added in 2012.

While the museum as an institution was established in 1991, its roots go back a half-century earlier. Expatriate Australian artist JW Power provided for a museum of contemporary art to be established in Sydney in his 1943 will, bequeathing both money and works from his collection to the University of Sydney, his alma mater. The works, along with others acquired with the money, were exhibited mainly as a traveling collection in the decades afterward, stored in two different university buildings, until the MSB building became available.

At its founding, it was called the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. It rapidly outgrew its space and ran into financial difficulties that were alleviated in the early 21st century under new director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, who eliminated regular admission fees and diversified the museum's funding sources. After two proposed expansions failed, a design by local architect Sam Marshall met with sufficient approval to raise money for its construction. From 2010 the building underwent a A$58 million expansion and re-development, reopening in 2012 as the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

Power's original intent was for the museum to exhibit contemporary art from all over the world, with work by Australian artists shown only if it was relevant to the other works, but its focus has since changed primarily to Australian contemporary art. The museum's collection contains over 4,000 works by Australian artists acquired since 1989. They span all art forms with strong holdings in painting, photography, sculpture, works on paper, and moving images, as well as significant representation of works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. The museum runs programs to engage the interest of youth and disabled communities in appreciating and making art.[17]

Address: 140 George St, 2000 The Rocks (Central Business District)

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Darling Harbour

Tourist attraction in Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / Adam.J.W.C. / CC BY-SA 2.5

Celebration space and leisure complex. Darling Harbour is a harbour adjacent to the city centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia that is made up of a large recreational and pedestrian precinct that is situated on western outskirts of the Sydney central business district.

Originally named Long Cove, the locality extends northwards from Chinatown, along both sides of Cockle Bay to King Street Wharf on the east, and to the suburb of Pyrmont on the west. Cockle Bay is just one of the waterways that makes up Darling Harbour, which opens north into the much larger Port Jackson.

The precinct and its immediate surroundings are administered independently of the local government area of the City of Sydney, by Property NSW.[18]

Address: Darling Dr, 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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Galston Gorge

Road in Dural, Australia
wikipedia / Patrick Begbie (Begbie Images) / CC BY 2.0

Road in Dural, Australia. Galston Gorge is a valley located in the Berowra Valley Regional Park in Sydney, Australia. It separates Galston from Hornsby Heights, and is intersected by Galston Road and the heritage-listed Tunks Creek Bridge at the foot of the valley. Adjacent to Tunks Creek Bridge, there is a second concrete bridge that crosses Berowra Creek. The gorge itself contains many walking tracks, waterfalls and a variety of Australian flora, and is an area frequented by hikers, cyclists and rock climbers.[19]

Address: Galston Rd., Sydney (Hornsby)

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Old Government House

Building
wikipedia / Yewenyi / CC BY-SA 3.0

Building. The Old Government House is a heritage-listed former "country" residence used by ten early governors of New South Wales between 1800 and 1847, located in Parramatta Park in Parramatta, New South Wales, in the greater metropolitan area of Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is considered a property of national and international significance as an archaeological resource. It also serves to demonstrate how the British Empire expanded and Australian society has evolved since 1788.

The poor quality of the original Sydney Government House, as well as crime and unsanitary conditions in the growing Sydney settlement convinced successive Governors of the desirability of a rural residence. In 1799 the second Governor, John Hunter, had the remains of Arthur Phillip's cottage cleared away, and a more permanent building erected on the same site.

Old Government House is furnished in the style of the early 1820s and is open to visitors. It is situated at Parramatta on 110 hectares (260 acres) of parkland overlooking the Parramatta River, and is Australia's oldest public building. The grounds are of particular interest as they are a relatively undisturbed colonial-era reserve surrounded by what is now Australia's largest urban area. The practice of "firestick" land management conducted by the aboriginal Darug tribe, which once dwelt in the area, is evident from certain scars to be seen on trees still standing (their bark being removed to build canoes). Also, shells used to strengthen the mortar used in the House's construction have been found to originate from Aboriginal middens.

In July 2010 Old Government House and Domain was inscribed on the World Heritage List as one of 11 Australian sites with a significant association with convict transportation (i.e. the Australian Convict Sites) which together represent "the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts"

The land the property is situated on is named Darug land, home to the Burramatta tribe. There is evidence of Aboriginal occupation on the site, such as middens.[20]

Address: Cnr Pitt and Macquarie Streets, 2150 Parramatta (Parramatta)

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Centennial Park

Park in Centennial Park, Australia
wikipedia / Sardaka / CC BY-SA 4.0

Park in Centennial Park, Australia. Centennial Park is an urban park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The park is in the City of Randwick local government area and part of the Centennial Parklands area.

The park was inscribed on the Australian National Heritage List on 3 October 2018. The site was listed for its "outstanding heritage value to the nation as the site chosen for the 1901 inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia".

Centennial Park is home to a number of wild animals including a birds, possums, rabbits and foxes. It is also the location of a number of equestrian schools.

The park is open from 6:30am to 5:30pm during the winter months, 6am to 6pm in spring and 6am to 8pm in summer.[21]

Address: Grand Dr., 2021 Centennial Park (Eastern Suburbs)

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ANZAC Memorial

Museum in Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / Dietmar Rabich / Public Domain

Iconic national tribute to the military. The Anzac Memorial is a heritage-listed war memorial, museum and monument located in Hyde Park South near Liverpool Street in the CBD of Sydney, Australia. It is also known as Anzac War Memorial, War Memorial Hyde Park and Hyde Park Memorial. The Art Deco monument was designed by C. Bruce Dellit, with the exterior adorned with monumental figural reliefs and sculptures by Rayner Hoff, and built from 1932 to 1934 by Kell & Rigby. This state-owned property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 23 April 2010.

The memorial is the focus of commemoration ceremonies on Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and other important occasions. It was built as a memorial to the Australian Imperial Force of World War I. Fund raising for a memorial began on 25 April 1916, the first anniversary of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landing at Anzac Cove for the Battle of Gallipoli. It was opened on 24 November 1934 by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. In 2018, refurbishments and a major expansion were completed. The memorial was officially reopened by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.[22]

Address: Hyde Park, 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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Australian National Maritime Museum

Museum in the City of Sydney
wikipedia / Bahnfrend / CC BY-SA 4.0

Museum in the City of Sydney. The Australian National Maritime Museum is a federally operated maritime museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. After considering the idea of establishing a maritime museum, the federal government announced that a national maritime museum would be constructed at Darling Harbour, tied into the New South Wales state government's redevelopment of the area for the Australian bicentenary in 1988. The museum building was designed by Philip Cox, and although an opening date of 1988 was initially set, construction delays, cost overruns, and disagreements between the state and federal governments over funding responsibility pushed the opening to 1991.

One of six museums directly operated by the federal government, the ANMM is the only one located outside of the Australian Capital Territory. The museum is structured around seven main galleries, focusing on the discovery of Australia, the relationships between the Australian Aborigines and the water, travel to Australia by sea, the ocean as a resource, water-based relaxation and entertainment, the naval defence of the nation, and the relationship between the United States of America and Australia. The last gallery was funded by the United States government, and is the only national museum gallery in the world funded by a foreign nation. Four additional gallery spaces are used for temporary exhibits. Three museum ships – the HM Bark Endeavour Replica, the destroyer HMAS Vampire, and the submarine HMAS Onslow – are open to the public, while smaller historical vessels berthed outside can be viewed but not boarded.[23]

Address: 2 Murray St., 2000 Darling Harbour (Central Business District)

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Fort Denison

Island in Australia
wikipedia / Amitch / CC BY-SA 2.5

Island in Australia. Fort Denison, part of the Sydney Harbour National Park, is a protected national park that is a heritage-listed former penal site and defensive facility occupying a small island located north-east of the Royal Botanic Gardens and approximately 1 kilometre east of the Opera House in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. The island is also known as Mattewanye/Muddawahnyuh, in the Eora language, and as Pinchgut Island.

The site contains time gun, navigational aids and tide gauge facilities. Correctional and military facilities were designed by George Barney and built from 1840 to 1862 by William Randle. The property is owned by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. In 1978 the former fortress was listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate, and is currently used as a national park, nature reserve, tourist facility, and as a function space.[24]

Address: Sydney, North of Woolloomooloo

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Castlereagh Street

Street in Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / Adam.J.W.C. / CC BY-SA 2.5

Street in Sydney, Australia. Castlereagh Street is a 1.6-kilometre-long major street located in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. The street runs in a north-to-south, in a one way direction only.[25]

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The Domain

Parking lot in the City of Sydney, Australia
wikipedia / OSX / Public Domain

Parking lot in the City of Sydney, Australia. The Domain is a heritage-listed 34-hectare area of open space located on the eastern fringe of the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Separating the central business district from Woolloomooloo, The Domain adjoins the Royal Botanic Gardens and is managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust, a division of the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. The Domain is a popular venue for outdoor concerts, open-air events, large political gatherings and rallies and is used daily by the people of Sydney for exercise and relaxation. Along with the Royal Botanic Gardens, The Domain was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[26]

Address: The Domain, 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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Rozelle Tram Depot

Rozelle Tram Depot
wikipedia / Adam.J.W.C. / CC BY-SA 2.5

Rozelle Tram Depot is a former tram storage and operations centre that was part of the Sydney tram network. It is the largest remaining tram depot in Sydney. The depot was turned into a food-centric retail complex that opened in September 2016.[27]

Address: The Crescent, 2037 Glebe (Inner West)

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Scenic World

Amusement park
wikipedia / Dietmar Rabich / CC BY-SA 4.0

Unique destination for dramatic views. Scenic World is a private, family-owned tourist attraction located in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia, about 100 kilometres west of Sydney. Scenic World is home to four attractions, the Scenic Railway, the Scenic Skyway, the Scenic Cableway and Scenic Walkway a 2.4 km elevated boardwalk through ancient rainforest. Onsite facilities also include free all-day parking.[28]

Address: Violet St., 2780 Katoomba

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Sydney Observatory

Observatory in Millers Point, Australia
wikipedia / Greg O'Beirne / CC BY-SA 3.0

Observatory in Millers Point, Australia. The Sydney Observatory is a heritage-listed meteorological station, astronomical observatory, function venue, science museum, and education facility located on Observatory Hill at Upper Fort Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of Millers Point in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by William Weaver and Alexander Dawson and built from 1857 to 1859 by Charles Bingemann & Ebenezer Dewar. It is also known as The Sydney Observatory; Observatory; Fort Phillip; Windmill Hill; and Flagstaff Hill. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 December 2000.

The site was formerly a defence fort, semaphore station, time ball station, meteorological station, observatory and windmills. The site evolved from a fort built on 'Windmill Hill' in the early 19th century to an observatory during the nineteenth century. It is now a working museum where evening visitors can observe the stars and planets through a modern 40-centimetre (16 in) Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and an historic 29-centimetre (11 in) refractor telescope built in 1874, the oldest telescope in Australia in regular use.[29]

Address: Upper Fort St, 2000 Sydney (Central Business District)

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Camperdown Cemetery

Cemetery in Newtown, Australia
wikipedia / TTaylor / CC BY-SA 3.0

Cemetery in Newtown, Australia. Camperdown Cemetery is an historic cemetery located on Church Street in Newtown, an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The cemetery was founded in 1848 and was for twenty years the main general cemetery for Sydney, with the total number of burials being about 18,000. Many people who were important to the early history of colonial Australia are buried there. It is the only one of Sydney's three main early cemeteries that still exists.

As well as historic monuments, the cemetery also preserves important elements of landscape gardening of the mid-19th century, and examples of native flora, which are now rare in the built-up inner city. St Stephen's Anglican Church is located within the present bounds of the cemetery. The site, with St Stephen's Church, is listed by the Heritage Council of New South Wales and the National Register as a site of national importance.

Camperdown Cemetery is associated with numerous sensational stories, several reputed ghosts and a murder. It is used regularly for historical and genealogical research. Because of its historical importance and convenient location, it is also a venue for excursions by schools and historical societies. Camperdown Cemetery is valued by the residents of Newtown as providing a major greenspace located in the immediate vicinity of a busy commercial centre. In a densely populated area of small terrace houses without substantial gardens, the cemetery functions as a recreational area and a venue for many family and social activities.[30]

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Cadman's Cottage

Building in the Rocks, Australia
wikipedia / Public Domain

Building in the Rocks, Australia. Cadmans Cottage or Cadman's Cottage is a heritage-listed former water police station and sailor's home and now visitor attraction located at 110 George Street in the inner city Sydney suburb of The Rocks in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The property is owned by NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Cadmans Cottage is the second-oldest surviving residential building in Sydney, having been built in 1816 for the use of the governmental coxswains and their crews. The building is heavily steeped in the history of Sydney, also claiming the title as the first building to have been built on the shoreline of The Rocks area. It is claimed that during high tide, the water would come within 2.4 metres (8 ft) of Cadmans Cottage; however, due to the reclamation of land during the building of Circular Quay, the waterline has moved about 100 metres (330 ft) away since 1816.

The building has had several different uses in its lifetime; first and foremost as the abode of the four governmental coxswains (from 1816 until 1845), the headquarters of the Sydney Water Police (from 1845 to 1864) and as the Sailor's Home (from 1865 to 1970). Restoration of Cadmans Cottage began in 1972 after it was proclaimed a heritage site under the National Parks and Wildlife Act and control of the site was handed over to the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority. A major archaeological investigation occurred in 1988 (in preparation for the bicentennial redevelopment) and since then, only minor maintenance works have been completed on the building. The building is now used as the home for the Sydney Harbour National Parks Information Centre and can be viewed by the public.[31]

Address: 110 George St., 2000 Circular Quay (Central Business District)

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Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre

Museum in Potts Point, Australia
wikipedia / Nick Dowling / CC BY 3.0

Museum in Potts Point, Australia. The Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre is the maritime museum of the Royal Australian Navy. The centre opened on 4 October 2005 and is located within the Public Access Area on the northern end of the Garden Island naval base in Sydney.

The need for such a facility was first recognised in 1922, by Vice Admiral Sir William Creswell who suggested the building of a museum to permanently display the Australian Navy's already rich and unique heritage. Since then, there have been several attempts to establish an international-standard naval museum.

The origins of the RANHC date from 2001, when the then Chief of the Navy commissioned a Naval Heritage Management Study to examine in detail how the RAN's past might best be used to support the present Navy's goals. One of the most important recommendations was the creation of a facility for the public display of the Naval Heritage Collection (NHC). Once approval for funding was received, a RANHC Project Board was formed and the project began on 24 May 2004. The NHC contains more than 250,000 individual items, and the mission of the RANHC is to display those objects of museum standard to the public, and through these displays capture something of the Australian naval experience.[32]

Address: Garden Island, 2000 Sydney (Eastern Suburbs)

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Featherdale Wildlife Park

Zoo in Doonside, Australia
wikipedia / May Wong / CC BY 2.0

Destination with many animals and a cafe. Featherdale Wildlife Park is a zoo located in Doonside, Sydney, Australia. The park is located in Sydney's south-west, approximately 40 km from Sydney's CBD. The park contains various species native to Australia, and is known to be one of the world's largest collections of Australian fauna. The facility provides displays, events and interactive experiences. The site covers 3.29 hectares, ranging from animal enclosures and display areas to visitor facilities, including picnic spaces, shops and basic amenities. It specialises in Australian native wildlife and birds, as well as reptiles and marsupials. The premises is accredited by the Zoo Aquarium Association Australia.[33]

Address: 217 Kildare Rd, 2767 Doonside (Blacktown)

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Raging Waters Sydney

Water park in Prospect, Australia
wikipedia / Mary and Andrew / CC BY 2.0

Water park in Prospect, Australia. Raging Waters Sydney, formerly Wet'n'Wild Sydney, is a water park in the greater western Sydney suburb of Prospect, New South Wales, Australia, that opened on 12 December 2013. The park was announced on 11 September 2010 and was the third Wet'n'Wild water park operated by Village Roadshow Theme Parks, after locations on the Gold Coast and Las Vegas. On 2 July 2018, it was announced that the park had been acquired by Parques Reunidos who renamed the park Raging Waters Sydney for the 2019 season. It is the only attraction outside the United States owned by Palace Entertainment.[34]

Address: 427 Reservoir Rd, 2148 Prospect (Blacktown)

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International Convention Centre Sydney

International Convention Centre Sydney
wikipedia / Philip Terry Graham / CC BY 2.0

The International Convention Centre Sydney is an exhibition and convention centre which opened in December 2016, in Sydney, Australia. ICC Sydney is Australia's second largest fully integrated convention, exhibition and entertainment centre, behind Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Created as a multipurpose event space, ICC Sydney has over 70 meeting rooms, three theatres and two formal ballrooms.

ICC Sydney includes convention spaces for 2,500, 1,000 and 750 people. It also includes a flexible space of 2,500 square metres (27,000 sq ft) and the largest ballroom in Sydney, able to accommodate 2,000 people. ICC Sydney is within walking distance to over half of Sydney's 33,000 hotel rooms and is just 8 km (5 mi) from the Sydney International Airport. The ICC Exhibition Centre and Entertainment Centre includes 33,000 square metres (360,000 sq ft) of exhibition space, which can be divided into smaller spaces according to requirements. The first major event held at the newly developed centre was RTX Sydney hosted by Rooster Teeth Productions on 4–5 February 2017.

The ICC Sydney, part of Darling Harbour Live, was developed by a consortium comprising AEG Ogden (now ASM Global) Lend Lease, Capella Capital and Spotless, with AEG Ogden playing the role of venue operator.[35]

Address: 14 Darling Dr, Sydney (Central Business District)

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