Sydney is Australia’s first colonised city. And the rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney for the most livable city is on going battle. However, Melbourne has held the title for more consequtive wins but… I had to see what Sydney was all about. I decided to go on my own and see what Australia’s first colonised city had to offer.
This will be more of a photo essay and I hope you enjoy the photos!
I started my journey along Darling Harbour. The Welcome Wall recounts the history of the first migrants to the country. Plus, they also had replicas of the first fleet on display. The other notable item, was the wreath that was placed in memoriam of all the people that have lost their lives at sea. The submarine on the other hand – oh my gosh. Those things are massive.
I made my way over the bridge and towards the St. Mary’s Cathedral and managed to enjoy it for all it’s great grandeur. There was a service going on and I didn’t want to intrude by taking photos.
You’ll see the Sydney Tower Eye and the Channel 7 news studio.
Plus the infamous scene from the Matrix where the woman in red is first encountered. Yes. I fan boyed for sure!
Then onto the I’m Free tours in Sydney!
First up the law courts. Interestingly, this was where the main street was and it actually got moved around so that this building could be built. It did remind me of Sim City and how planning could be moved around in an underdeveloped city. Trying to move major roads now with all the established buildings would be a mammoth undertaking.
Onto the Queen Victoria Building.
Things to note in here:
– The dog fountain- Islay – the tribute to Queen Victoria’s dog.
– The clocks on the inside of the mall which symbolises different aspects of the development that takes place. It’s all a tribute to all the royal family.
St Mary’s Cathedral
The Statue – now I cannot quite remember the story behind this statue, but it was because the guy got this done as a memento to what he believes he looks like and not what he really looks like.
You get to see the Queen Victoria and King Phillip facing the opposite directions.
Macquarie House
We also covered the Sydney Tower
The Mint
The Sydney Hospital also known as the old Rum Hospital with the famous statue of the Italian piglet called Il Porcellino.
As cited from Wikipedia,
Il Porcellino (Italian “piglet”) is the local Florentine nickname for the bronze fountain of a boar. The fountain figure was sculpted and cast by Baroque master Pietro Tacca (1577–1640) shortly before 1634,[1] following a marble Italian copy of a Hellenistic marble original, at the time in the Grand Ducal collections and today in display in the classical section of the Uffizi Museum. The original, which was found in Rome and removed to Florence in the mid-16th century by the Medici, was associated from the time of its rediscovery with the Calydonian Boar of Greek myth.[2]
Tacca’s bronze, which has eclipsed the Roman marble that served as model,[3] was originally intended for the Boboli Garden, then moved to the Mercato Nuovo in Florence, Italy; the fountain was placed originally facing east, in via Calimala, in front of the pharmacy that by association gained the name Farmacia del Cinghiale (Italian for “boar”). To gain more space for market traffic it was later moved to the side facing south, where it still stands as one of the most popular features for tourists. The present statue is a modern copy, cast in 1998 by Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry and replaced in 2008, while Tacca’s bronze is sheltered in the new Museo Stefano Bardini in Palazzo Mozzi.[citation needed]
Visitors to Il Porcellino put a coin into the boar’s gaping jaws, with the intent to let it fall through the underlying grating for good luck, and they rub the boar’s snout to ensure a return to Florence, a tradition that the English literary traveller Tobias Smollett already noted in 1766,[4] which has kept the snout in a state of polished sheen while the rest of the boar’s body has patinated to a dull brownish-green.[citation needed]
However in Sydney, the boar’s genatalia is rubbed to bring much needed sexual prowess. Yeah. Sydney.
The Reserve Bank of Australia
Macquarie Place
The caged birds – the idea of nature being caged by concrete jungle.
The classic waiting statue
The first anchor dropped in Sydney along with the only protection – from a singular cannon… oh the hilarity – you need to hear it for yourself.
Then you get to see a model view of Sydney from above and it looks amazing – you need to come back here so you can see everything.
And then the best parts – Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art
The Circular Quay Railway Station
The other parts is the Rocks – there were so many amazing places in here that I will just leave the pictures for you to admire.
When you’re in Sydney, make sure you go on one of these I’m Free tours and to top it off, make sure you also do the Rocks Tour. When I come back, I will definitely be going on this tour. Plus make sure you say hello to Danica, the awesome tour guide!
The Domestic Traveller 