Royal Botanic Garden and Hyde Park Barracks

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Nature-Gardens Nature-Park

Royal Botanic Garden and Hyde Park Barracks

Next, head to the Royal Botanic Garden, but take a scenic route via the UNESCO-listed Hyde Park Barracks on Macquarie Street for an insight into New South Wales’ history as a penal colony. This historic building was completed in 1819, and was originally designed to house male convicts. It has since held many different roles, including as an asylum and a courthouse. Hyde Park Barracks is now a living history museum, where visitors can learn about the role Australia played in the convict system, and the lives of convicts in Sydney in the 1800s, through an audio tour, technology-led exhibits, artefacts, and projected imagery. Be aware that the museum is only open Thursdays to Sundays. Continue on to the Royal Botanic Garden, where you’ll find 30 hectares of green space on the edge of Sydney’s urban centre. It’s often described as one of the world’s most important botanical gardens, due to its rich, historical landscape and diverse collection of rare plants. Interestingly, the land on which the Royal Botanic Garden now lies was also where European settlers in Australia cultivated their first farm – you’ll notice that the bay to the southeast is called Farm Cove. Aside from being a beautiful, green location to wander around, events are often held in the gardens, and there are many points of interest to look out for. There’s the Palace Rose Garden with its romantic Pavilion; the Calyx, a modern space for exhibitions; a peaceful fernery; a characterful succulent garden; a lotus pond; and thought-provoking statues such as the “Boy Extracting Thorn”. Image by falco from Pixabay