Things to do

Arts and culture Sydney

Map

Gallery

Events

Attractions

History of Sydney

The Rocks art gallery

Must do

The Rocks person moving through art gallery

Highlights

Chill out in Sydney

With its stunning natural beauty, meandering waterways and mild climate, Sydney is an easy city to relax in. Wander along the beach at Manly or Bondi, follow a coastal trail such as the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk or catch ferry across the harbour and explore Sydney Harbour National Park. You don't have to head indoors to chill out in Sydney.  

Sydney heritage and history

Before the arrival of Europeans, New South Wales had been inhabited for many thousands of years by Aboriginal people. Aboriginal Australia comprises up to 300 Aboriginal nation-states, speaking more than 250 languages and many more dialects. As hunter-gatherers, Aboriginal people developed a profound relationship with the land they inhabited, and a unique knowledge of its plants and animals.  By the time the British arrived in Sydney in January 1788, there were more than 1500 Aboriginal people belonging to many clans living in the area from Botany Bay to Broken Bay and as far west as Parramatta.

Europeans settled after Sydney was chosen as a penal colony for prisoners shipped out from the overflowing jails of England. Two decades later, Governor Lachlan Macquarie charted a new course for New South Wales, the first state of Australia, as a society of free men and women. At about the same time, it was discovered that the broad plains of New South Wales were eminently suitable for the production of fine merino wool, and the country’s economic future was assured.


Over the past half century, Sydney’s character has been transformed from a predominantly Anglo-Irish population to one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities with more than 180 nationalities calling Sydney home. Find out more about Sydney's history and heritage at the State Library of New South Wales in Macquarie Street in the city centre.

  1 2 3  

Don't miss these arts,culture and heritage experiences in Sydney

  • Capitol Theatre Auditorium Capitol Theatre Sydney City, Sydney, City Centre

    Don't just go for the show, visit the Capitol Theatre for a great and total night out! Arrive early and savour a relaxing drink with friends befor...

    www.capitoltheatre.com.au
    Additional Information
    View details
  • St Johns Cathedral St Johns Cathedral Sydney West, Sydney, Parramatta

    St. John's Anglican Cathedral is a rather unusual church with twin spires. The site on which the church stands has been used continuously for a house...

    www.stjohnscathedral.org.
    Additional Information
    View details
  • Visitors at Elizabeth Farm Elizabeth Farm Sydney West, Sydney, Parramatta

    Commenced in 1793, Elizabeth Farm contains the oldest surviving European building in Australia. Once home to Elizabeth and John Macarthur, pioneers of...

    www.hht.net.au/museums/el
    Additional Information
    View details
  • state theatre State Theatre Sydney City, Sydney, City Centre

    The State Theatre is without doubt a truly magnificent and unique building. The palatial interiors feature artworks and fixtures of rare significance....

    www.statetheatre.com.au
    Additional Information
    View details
  • The Rocks Discovery Museum The Rocks Discovery Museum Sydney City, Sydney, The Rocks

    The Rocks Discovery Museum, housed in a restored 1850s sandstone warehouse, tells the story of The Rocks from pre-European days to the present. Home t...

    www.therocks.com
    Additional Information
    View details
  • La Perouse Museum La Perouse Museum Sydney East, Sydney, Surrounds

    Located within the Botany Bay National Park, the La Perouse Museum and Visitors Centre stands on the site of the first landing of the First Fleet in J...

    Additional Information
    View details
  • Museum of Contemporary Art Australia Museum of Contemporary Art Australia - MCA Sydney City, Sydney, The Rocks

    The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) is Australia's leading museum dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting and collecting contemporary art fro...

    www.mca.com.au
    Additional Information
    View details
Displaying 21 - 27 of 27
  1 2 3  
Top