Cultural Sydney
The hubbub and business-centric bustle of Sydney hides a great deal of historical and cultural gems. As one of Australia’s most famous cities, Sydney draws millions of visitors a year and has a lot on offer for them. The usual landmarks are definitely worth a visit (Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Luna Park etc etc), but for an experience that really taps into the heart of Sydney’s origins and its cultural life, the best places to explore are the city’s museums, its galleries, its historical suburbs and its parks.
Sydney is notorious for being the first British colony in Australia. Here is where British prisoners were sent to help empty Britain’s gaols, here is the first landing place for gentry and hopeful labourers seeking opportunity, and here is where a great number of immigrants have entered the country, contributing to Australia’s motley history. Unsurprising, then, to find inner city districts kept as monuments and memorials to Sydney’s colonial days. The Rocks, with its many museums, distinct local architecture and now superb location in the bay (back in the colonial times, the Rocks were one of the worst areas for disease and filth, mitigated by the closeness to the water), is an absorbing blast to the past. Explore the narrow streets and gaze at the restored old houses. Browse the markets and the art galleries, and find one of the many museums highlighting different aspects of the Rocks’ and Sydney’s history. The Rocks Discovery Museum, the Argyle Gallery and the Susannah Place Museum are all excellent and enlightening.
Further into the heart of the city is the Museum of Sydney, which delves into a more general overview of the political past of the city. Set in the remnants of the first Governor-General’s house, the museum’s building is as interesting as the information within it. Also worth checking out for its social and political notetaking is the Sydney Jewish Museum; this museum taps into one of the many ethnic cultures in the city and is utterly fascinating. Other museums to watch out for are the Australian National Maritime Museum, the Powerhouse Museum and the White Rabbit Museum: one details the coming and goings of the bay, another displays alternative art at its best and the last is a compendium of Chinese art.
Interspersed between these museums are plenty of other cultural hotspots. Browse the shops in the magnificent Queen Victoria’s Building. Discover a hidden cafe tucked away amongst the skyscrapers of the central business district. Stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens and Potts Point for a relaxing return to nature. Admire the grand Conservatorium of Music. Become lost in Paddy’s Markets, near Chinatown. Taste authentic cuisines from around the world, as a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and cultures make up the local Sydney community and contribute to the cosmopolitan atmosphere. Find local food and flea markets and grab a bargain. Catch a theatre show. Whatever the interest, whatever the budget, and whatever the person, Sydney has it and more to offer.


28. Jun, 2011 
