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Parliament House New South Wales

Parliament of New South Wales

Parliament House New South Wales

Completed in 1816 Parliament House in Sydney houses the Government of the state of New South Wales Australia. Originally a hospital, the central section of the façade is a two story Georgian building. When built, no funds were available to Governor Macquarie so he arranged funding via the importation of 60,000 gallons of rum licensed to a group of merchants. In return for the license, they built the hospital.

From 1829, the Legislature occupied the building, which had primarily been used as the residence of the chief surgeon. As the size of the colony of New South Wales expanded, so did the number of parliamentary representatives. As a result, north and south extensions were made for the old Legislative Council (now Legislative Assembly) Chamber in 1843 and the current Legislative Council Chamber in 1856.

Since then numerous additions and modifications have been made to the building. Despite many plans over the years, it remains one of the least grand parliament buildings in Australia, primarily due to its original design as a hospital.

Getting There

Situated in the centre of the Sydney CBD means that getting to Parliament House is quite easy. Several buses stop nearby in Macquarie Street, while the closest station is Martin Place.

We visited during Sydney is Open so access to otherwise closed areas was available. In addition, volunteers were stationed throughout the building answering questions and providing invites into the workings of State Government.

Legislative Assembly

Being modelled on the British Westminster System, the Legislative Assembly is the lower house of government and corresponds to the House of Commons, (or the Australian Federal Government House of Representatives). As such, the colour of the carpet and seats is green.

This chamber of parliament debates legislation before it is sent to the Legislative Council and then the Governor for approval. The Governor is the British Monarch’s representative and is appointed by the NSW Parliament.

Legislative Council

The upper house of the NSW Parliament is the Legislative Council, whose primary colour is red, following the tradition of the British House of Lords.

Legislation passed by the lower house is debated here and either retired to the Legislative Assembly or forwarded to the NSW Governor if approved.

The Library – Now the Jubilee Room

Although now used for meetings and functions, the Jubilee Room holds a significant collection of historical records, along with the only state government archive.

In addition to the amazing collection of books on the shelves, the stained glass ceiling is amazing.

Fountain Courtyard

The Fountain Courtyard is one of the most recent additions to Parliament House, having been added in 1983. Located around the fountain on the surrounding walls is part of the parliamentary art collection as well as temporary displays. A significant portion of the display is by indigenous artists, forming the Reconciliation Wall.

What Did We Think?

This was a great visit because it was a good way to learn about the history of government in NSW as well as seeing both Chambers of Parliament. If you want to see how our government works, there is no better place to visit.

Our photos are available for purchase on

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Boolah-Dillah Track

Start of the track with carvings on either side Boolah-Dillah Track

Boolah-Dillah Track

Located near the New South Wales Mid-north coast Town of Bulahdelah, the Boolah-Dillah Track is an Aboriginal Place of cultural significance. Carved trees decorated with Aboriginal carvings can be found along the track. Historically carved trees were markers for burials, safe travelling paths, boundaries and had an important role in ceremony for the local Worimi People. Predominantly found in NSW, carved trees are rare in the rest of Australia. Scar trees however, which have had a section of bark removed for burial wraps, canoes, coolamons (a traditional carrying vessel), shelters and shields are more common and widespread. Lost due to land clearance for agriculture and forestry carved trees are now extremely rare.

The newly carved trees were created as a result of workshops held by the Karuah Local Aboriginal Land Council and sculptor John Van Der Kolk. Young people and elders developed the designs which tell cultural stories with young people learning skills in carving and reconnecting with traditional skills.

Getting There

Access to the track is via an overpass of the Pacific Highway. This one lane bridge leads to a small parking area on the other side.

Highway overpass to the track start Boolah-Dillah Track
Highway overpass to the track start

The Track

Two carved trees mark the start of the track which leads into the forest. Although flat at first the track soon becomes steep. Despite this, the uphill sections were not too bad, as we took plenty of breaks to admire the forest around us. As well as the trees, the understory is full of ferns and some beautiful grass trees.

After a 1.1 km walk the track ends at the Worimi Cultural Area where the surrounding trees have carvings. As this is an ongoing project, several trees have newly prepared areas while other carvings are yet to be finished.

Past the Cultural Area, the track continues as the Mountain Track, which passes through more forest to a lookout with great views over the surrounding area.

What Did We Think?

At just 2.2 km return, this was a great little walk. The steep sections might be challenging for some, but by resting and taking your time to admire the surroundings, it very enjoyable.

Fish Traps Rozelle Sydney

Fish Traps Title

Fish Traps Rozelle Sydney

Located on the banks of the Parramatta River in Rozelle, Sydney Australia, the Fish Traps sculpture represents the deep spiritual and cultural significance of fishing to the local Gadigal and Wangal clans. It forms part of of the Wayfinding Project, which uses visual artworks to show ongoing presence of Aboriginal Peoples within Sydney’s Inner-West. They represent features and histories of Gadigal Wangal Lands.

Other wayfinding works are in the Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, Steel Park, 531-565 Illawarra Road, Marrickville and Hawthorne Reserve, Darley Road, Leichhardt.

We used the 500X bus which dropped us off only a 10-minute walk away from the sculpture. It’s a easy walk along the banks of the Parramatta, with great views. From here we walked along the shore to the old power station pump house, again an easy 10-minute walk.

Our photos are available for purchase on

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.