The back story
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Neighbourhood guide
The city and Barangaroo
Macquarie Street’s sandstone, the QVB and the arcades, Hyde Park and the new waterfront of Barangaroo.
Neighbourhood guide · Sydney
The city and Barangaroo, sandstone to glass
Macquarie Street, the QVB and the arcades, Hyde Park and the museums, and the new waterfront of Barangaroo.
What's onThis week in Sydney
What to see and do
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UNESCO convict site
Hyde Park Barracks
The convict barracks of 1819 on Macquarie Street, now an immersive museum.
Queens Square, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
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First Government House
Museum of Sydney
A museum built over the remains of Sydney’s first Government House.
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Gothic Revival, 1845
Government House
The governor’s Gothic Revival residence of 1845, above the harbour.
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250 metres up
Sydney Tower Eye
The observation deck 250 metres above the city, and SKYWALK at 268 metres.
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Naala Nura and Naala Badu
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The state’s great collection in two buildings in the Domain; open late on Wednesdays.
Art Gallery Road, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
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Australia’s first museum
Australian Museum
Wildlife, dinosaurs, First Nations and Pasifika cultures, opposite Hyde Park.
1 William Street, Sydney NSW 2010Explore View on map
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The Mitchell reading room
State Library of New South Wales
The state library on Macquarie Street, with the great reading room of the Mitchell wing.
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On Farm Cove
Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
The great garden between the Opera House and the Domain; open daily from 7am to sunset.
Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
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The Archibald Fountain
Hyde Park
The city’s central park, with the Archibald Fountain and St Mary’s beyond.
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A headland remade
Barangaroo Reserve
Six hectares of native planting and sandstone on the former container wharf; open 24 hours.
Where to eat
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Level 26, Crown Sydney
Oncore by Clare Smyth
Clare Smyth’s Sydney restaurant on level 26 of Crown Sydney; tables released monthly on Crown’s site.
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French, below street level
Restaurant Hubert
French cooking in a dining room below the city streets.
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Bars and pubs
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Behind the psychic sign
Employees Only
A semi-hidden basement bar at 9A Barrack Street, from the New York original.
9A Barrack Street, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
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Four floors in a wool store
Hinchcliff House
Four levels of dining and drinking in a heritage wool store at 5–7 Young Street.
5–7 Young Street, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
Shopping
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The galleries on George Street
Queen Victoria Building
Three levels of galleries under a glass roof and domes on George Street.
455 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
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The Victorian arcade
The Strand Arcade
A Victorian arcade between George and Pitt streets, full of Australian designers.
412–414A George Street, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
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The flagship
David Jones Elizabeth Street
The department store’s flagship on Elizabeth Street, facing Hyde Park.
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Under the tower
Westfield Sydney
The shopping centre at the foot of Sydney Tower on Pitt Street Mall.
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Resin and colour
Dinosaur Designs
The Sydney design house of resin homewares and jewellery, in the Strand Arcade and Paddington.
Where to stay
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In the sandstone precinct
Capella Sydney
192 rooms and suites in the former Department of Education building, with Brasserie 1930 and McRae Bar.
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Over the western harbour
Crown Towers Sydney
The tower at Barangaroo, with Oncore by Clare Smyth on level 26 and Crown Spa.
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In the Treasury Building
InterContinental Sydney
Set within the restored Treasury Building of 1851, at the head of Macquarie Street.
Health and wellness
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