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Category: Sydney

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Sawmillers Reserve on Sydney Harbour

Wrecked Barge at Sawmillers Reserve

Sawmillers Reserve on Sydney Harbour

Located in the Sydney suburb of Waverley, Sawmillers Reserve is a beautiful park with an industrial heritage. For 100 years from 1880, the area housed a sawmill, but is now a leafy park on Sydney Harbour. Not only are remnants of the sawmill visible, but a ship wreck sits on the harbour foreshore.

Getting There

Public transport is a great option when visiting here, because parking is limited. We used the train, getting off at North Sydney Station before walking ten minutes to the reserve. On the way we stopped at a little coffee shop, before continuing.

Alternatively, it’s only a 10-minute walk from McMahons Point Ferry Wharf, giving another easy way to get here.

Ruins at Sawmillers Reserve

The reserve contains the remains of the sawmill, which have been placed together by artist Jane Gillings. The ruins draw attention to the changing use of the site from industrial, to open public space.

Remains of the Timber Yard at Sawmillers Reserve
Remains of the Timber Yard

Ship Wreck

The wreck of a Marine Service Board Hopper Barge lies just offshore, making an excellent backdrop to Sydney Harbour. Now slowly rusting away, the barge broke its moorings in the 1960s, before grounding in Berrys Bay off Sawmillers Reserve. This barge was used to carry dredged material out to the spoil dumping grounds off Sydney, but is now a heritage listed wreck.

Wrecked Barge at Sawmillers Reserve
Wrecked Barge on the Foreshore

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

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Monet and Friends Impressionists in Sydney

Monet and Friends

Monet and Friends

Monet and Friends is an art show unlike any other we have visited. Instead of paintings hung on gallery walls, huge projection screens display the art works. With over 20 screens, 3,000 pictures and surround sound it was a truly immersive experience.

The Royal Hall of Industries in Moore Park, Sydney, is a great venue and very easy to get to. We used public transport, catching the light rail from Central Station to Moore Park. Those who chose to drive parked in the car park near Fox Studios.

We arrived early, so bought a coffee in the entertainment quarter and relaxed before we went in.

The Entrance

The exhibition started before entering, as the entryway was a series of picture frames, along with Monet’s paintings. Inside, another huge frame was used as a stage for a ballerina performing in front of another painting.

Entrance
Entrance to the Exhibition
Monet and Friends
Ballerina on Monet’s Bridge

Monet and Friends Exhibition

Running on a 45 minute loop, the exhibition could be entered at any time, which was great so that you didn’t have to wait for it to finish before you entered. The auditorium was large and you were able to walk around to experience it from different perspectives.

The exhibition started with an introduction to impressionism and the important artists. We found this very interesting, because we only had a basic understanding of it. It went through the changes in painting style and the types of paints used. This was presented as a mixture of paintings, real life photos and audio explanations which made it very interesting.

Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Monet and Friends
The Huge Projection Screens
Monet and Friends
Pissarro
Monet and Friends
Cezanne

The Paintings

The wonderful paintings composed the largest part of the display. Being able to see them at such a huge scale was great. The immersive effect was very enjoyable, because the art completely surrounded you.

Monet and Friends
Monet and Friends
Monet and Friends
Monet and Friends
Monet and Friends
Monet and Friends
Monet and Friends
Monet and Friends

What Did We Think?

We spent over an hour immersed in art while leaning about impressionism. This was a great way to see Monet and the other impressionists, while being educated and entertained.

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Government House Sydney

Front of Government House

Government House

Located next to the Royal Botanic Garden on Sydney Harbour, Government House is the official residence of the Governor of New South Wales. Completed in 1845, the building is an example of the Gothic Revival style which is characterized by the towers and other medieval features.

The Governor is appointed by the Sovereign and is her representative in New South Wales. As the formal head of state in New South Wales the Governor has an important constitutional, ceremonial and community role  In respect of constitutional matters, the Governor acts on the advice of his/her Ministers.

Getting There

We chose public transport, because it is easy and convenient. Only a ten-minute walk from Central Quay, it’s easily accessible using ferries, trains, light rail or buses.

Walking through the Botanic Gardens, we only noticed it was open when we saw people wandering through the gardens. On walking up to the front gates, we saw the open times and decided to take the opportunity to go inside.

Outside and Gardens

Entry to the gardens is free and you are able to walk through them during opening hours. With views over Sydney Harbour, they are great to wander around and admire. At the same time, the outside of the building and it castle-like appearance look great surrounded by trees.

  • Front of Government House
    Front of Government House
  • Entrance
    Entrance
  • Fig Tree From the Entrance
    Fig Tree From the Entrance
  • Colonnade
    Colonnade
  • Decorative Ceiling Inside the Colonnade
    Decorative Ceiling Inside the Colonnade
  • Colonnade
    Colonnade
  • View Over the Gardens
    View Over the Gardens
  • Some of the Gardens at Government House
    Some of the Gardens at Government House
  • Stained Glass Windows
    Stained Glass Windows

Interior Tour

To go on the guided tour inside the building, you need to sign in at the gate house. Identification is required and bags must be left in the cloak room.

With tours run every 30 minutes, they are convenient and regular. The first starts at 10.30am and the last at 3.00pm. The gardens and guided tours are free of charge, which is great.

Photography is not permitted inside the house. This is a pity because the interior decorations and artwork are amazing.

The tour takes you through the public rooms, where the guide explains the significance of the decorations and the house’s history. We learnt a lot about the Governor’s role and how it has changed since the early days of the NSW colony. Originally the Sovereign’s representative, in charge of running the colony, they are now responsible for ceremonial duties, while the Premier and their Ministers run the state.

If you are able to go on the tour, we really recommend it, as we found it very interesting.

What did We Think?

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