Destination's Journey

Tag: Building

  • State Library of New South Wales

    State Library of New South Wales

    State Library of New South Wales

    Located at 1 Shakespeare Place in the centre of Sydney, the State Library of New South Wales is the oldest library in Australia. Established in 1826, it moved to the current building in 1910. Designed by Walter Liberty Vernon, the heritage listed building has been expanded over the years as its collection has grown.

    Outside the Library

    The magnificent library building has several interesting statues on its grounds, which are worth looking for. To the right of the main entrance is a statue of Lieutenant General Sir Richard Bourke. Erected by the people of New South Wales, the statue commemorates Sir Richard Bourke’s governorship and administration. This was the first monument erected in Australia.

    Across the road from the entrance, is the Shakespeare Memorial, with figures representing Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Portia and Falstaff on the lower level, with Shakespeare standing above them. Located on a traffic island in the middle of a busy road, you need to be careful if getting close, because there is no pedestrian crossing to it.

    • State Library of New South Wales
      State Library of New South Wales Mitchell Building and Façade
    • Lieutenant General Sir Richard Bourke
      Lieutenant General Sir Richard Bourke
    • Shakespeare Memorial
      Shakespeare Memorial

    Matthew Flinders

    A statue of Matthew Flinders, the first person to circumnavigate Australia sits outside the Mitchell Library on Macquarie Street.

    Statue of Matthew Flinders State Library of New South Wales
    Statue of Matthew Flinders – With the cat statue behind him on the window sill

    Flinders’ Cat

    Trim was a ship’s cat who accompanied Matthew Flinders on his voyages to circumnavigate and map the coastline of Australia in 1801–03. It sits on a window ledge of the Mitchell Library on Macquarie Street, directly behind a statue of his owner. The plaque near the statue reads:


    TO THE MEMORY OF
    TRIM
    The best and most illustrious of his race.
    The most affectionate of friends,
    faithful of servants,
    and best of creatures.
    He made the tour of the globe, and a voyage to Australia,
    which he circumnavigated, and was ever the
    delight and pleasure of his fellow voyagers. 
    Written by Matthew Flinders in memory of his cat.
    Memorial donated by the North Shore Historical Society.

    Matthew Flinders’ Cat

    Vestibule

    The library’s vestibule contains a huge copy of the map of Australia made by Abel Tasman in the 1640’s. The original of this historical document is held in the library’s collection.

    • Tasman's Map of Australia
      Tasman’s Map of Australia

    The Library

    The main collection and reading room, the Mitchell Library Reading Room is adjacent to the vestibule. Being large and spacious with beautiful stain glass windows makes it an excellent place for quiet study.

    • Main Hall and Study Room State Library of New South Wales
      Mitchell Library Reading Room
    • Main Hall and Study Room State Library of New South Wales
      Mitchell Library Reading Room
    • Stain Glass Windows State Library of New South Wales
      Stain Glass Windows

    State Library of New South Wales Galleries

    Located on the upper floors of the gallery are several galleries. These contain an excellent collection of paintings and we spent some time wandering around.

    • Paintings in the Gallery
      Paintings in the Gallery
    • Paintings in the Gallery
      Paintings in the Gallery
    • Paintings in the Gallery

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

  • Grossmann House Maitland

    Grossmann House Maitland

    Grossmann House Maitland

    Located in Maitland opposite St Mary’s Anglican Church, Grossmann House is a heritage-listed former residence and Maitland Girls’ High School premises and now house museum. Built in 1870 by local businessman Isaac Beckett, the house represents the success of his business with Samuel Owen. The adjacent Brough House built by Owen is an identical but mirror image design.

    In 1893 the first Maitland Girls’ high School was established when both Brough and Grossmann House were purchased and converted to a school. The name is derived from the first headmistress, Jeanette Grossmann who was principal at the school from 1890-1913.

    Managed by the National Trust since the mid-1960s and decorated with artefacts from the 1860s.

    With the interior restored to 1870s Victorian Grossmann House is open for tours on Sundays, with tickets available online.

    We enjoyed our tour, finding the guides friendly and very knowledgeable on the house, which was great when we asked questions.

    Hallway

    Decorated with period furniture, the hallway leads to the main living area of the house, but its most interesting feature is the restored gas lights. Although stored to working order, they were not operating during our visit.

    • Hallway
      Hallway
    • Gas Light Chandelier
      Gas Light Chandelier
    • Internal Staircase
      Internal Staircase

    Dining Room

    Furnished with a set-dining table, the dining room looks just like it would in the 1870s. The decorations are great, although the portraits on the walls are not of the original owners, but contemporary paintings.

    • Dining Room Grossman House
      Dining Room
    • Dining Table
      Dining Table

    Wallpaper

    As part of the restoration undertaken by the National Trust, the original wallpaper was recreated from fragments discovered in the house. This has added to the presentation of the house, as it looks authentic.

    Reproduced Wallpaper
    Reproduced Wallpaper

    Ladies’ Sewing Room

    Containing the furnishings expected in a ladies’ drawing room, the windows overlook the garden, giving the room a relaxed atmosphere. The wallpaper here is also recreated from fragments found during the restoration.

    • Chair With Footstool and Window View
      Chair With Footstool and Window View
    • Sofa in the Ladies Room Grossman House
      Sofa in the Ladies Room

    Georgian Crystal Exhibition

    Several rooms had an exhibition of Georgian crystal, which although not related to the house, made an interesting addition to the tour.

    • Georgian Crystal Display
      Georgian Crystal Display
    • Georgian Crystal Display
      Georgian Crystal Display

    Old School Room

    One room was furnished as an old school room to show how the building looked during this period. The photo on the wall is of Jeanette Grossmann the first headmistress.

    • Old School Room Grossman House
      Old School Room

    Kitchen

    The kitchen contains an old oven and other nineteenth century fittings, which suit the age of the house.

    The Oven
    The Oven

    Grossmann House Garden

    Wet weather during our visit prevented a good look around the gardens, but they look nice and would be great to walk around, if it wasn’t raining.

    Grossmann House Back Garden and Laundry Building
    Back Garden and Laundry Building

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