Sydney's Iconic Buildings Walking Tour
2 h
By walk
About this activity
When an inscription on a tomb in Scotland describes someone as "The Father of Australia", then we are talking about Major-General Lachlan Macquarie, who served as the fifth and last autocratic Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821. His vision for the colony involved transforming it from a penal convict establishment to a society more reflective of British lifestyles and turned it into a nation. The nationalist school of Australian historians have treated him as a proto-nationalist hero. He first adopted the name “Australia” for the continent, the name earlier proposed by the first circumnavigator of Australia, Matthew Flinders. As well as naming many geographical features after him in his lifetime. Macquarie oversaw the building of government infrastructures, such as the Macquarie Street government precinct, including Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney Hospital (now Sydney Mint and NSW Parliament House) and St James Church, and the Macquarie Lighthouse at the entrance to Sydney Harbour.
Some of the most famous city landmarks were built around that era and you will have the opportunity to see them up close whilst on this tour.
- Stroll around with a local Sydneysider and start your exploration from Hyde Park, an oasis of greenery and tranquillity, in the middle of the urban setting. Learn about our Anzac's contribution to WWI and admire the breathtaking sweep of the arches in Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney’s most visited church, built in a Gothic Revival design and laden with treasures and devotional objects.
- Walk down Macquarie Street, named after the Governor and explore the colony’s beginnings through the historic sandstone buildings which comprise it.
- Follow the footsteps of the convicts and listen to tales and stories of the residents of Hyde Park Barracks, a building designed by Australia’s convict architect Francis Greenway.
- Admire the oldest church in Sydney's inner city region. It is listed on the Register of the National Estate and has been described as one of the world's 80 greatest man-made treasures!
- Visit the "Rum Hospital". and learn how it got its nickname and how it eventually expanded to become the Parliament House for New South Wales.
- End your tour with the “flavours” of Sydney inside the sandstone facades of the Treasury Building, now part of the InterContinental Hotel, with a bespoke High Tea experience.
- Sites covered on “Last Autocratic Governor” Tour:
- Hyde Park
- Saint Mary’s Cathedral
- Hyde Park Barracks Museum
- The oldest church in Sydney's inner city region.
- The Mint
- The “Rum” hospital
- State Library of New South Wales
- Sydney Conservatorium of Music
- Government House
- Royal Botanic Garden
-Sydney Opera House
Make sure to bring your camera as you stop by iconic artworks and sculptures along the way before finishing your tour in Circular Quay.
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Some of the most famous city landmarks were built around that era and you will have the opportunity to see them up close whilst on this tour.
- Stroll around with a local Sydneysider and start your exploration from Hyde Park, an oasis of greenery and tranquillity, in the middle of the urban setting. Learn about our Anzac's contribution to WWI and admire the breathtaking sweep of the arches in Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney’s most visited church, built in a Gothic Revival design and laden with treasures and devotional objects.
- Walk down Macquarie Street, named after the Governor and explore the colony’s beginnings through the historic sandstone buildings which comprise it.
- Follow the footsteps of the convicts and listen to tales and stories of the residents of Hyde Park Barracks, a building designed by Australia’s convict architect Francis Greenway.
- Admire the oldest church in Sydney's inner city region. It is listed on the Register of the National Estate and has been described as one of the world's 80 greatest man-made treasures!
- Visit the "Rum Hospital". and learn how it got its nickname and how it eventually expanded to become the Parliament House for New South Wales.
- End your tour with the “flavours” of Sydney inside the sandstone facades of the Treasury Building, now part of the InterContinental Hotel, with a bespoke High Tea experience.
- Sites covered on “Last Autocratic Governor” Tour:
- Hyde Park
- Saint Mary’s Cathedral
- Hyde Park Barracks Museum
- The oldest church in Sydney's inner city region.
- The Mint
- The “Rum” hospital
- State Library of New South Wales
- Sydney Conservatorium of Music
- Government House
- Royal Botanic Garden
-Sydney Opera House
Make sure to bring your camera as you stop by iconic artworks and sculptures along the way before finishing your tour in Circular Quay.
Features
Tourism
90%
Cultural
75%
Sport
30%
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