Sydney Insiders Blog

This is the great White City Tennis southern stand in Rushcutters Bay. It was constructed in 1922 for the NSW Championships until the Olympic Tennis Stadium and Tennis Centre were built at Homebush. It was also home to the Australian Tennis Museum between 1983 and 2005 before it too was moved to Sydney Olympic Park….

This is what is left of one of Sydney’s first zoos. This is a bear pit within the grounds of Sydney Girls High, at Moore Park. The Moore Park Zoological Gardens opened in 1884. Prior to that, Sydney’s main zoo was positioned in the Botanic Gardens. The Moore Park Zoo was created after the NSW…

That’s right! Sydney has its very own Egyptian Sphinx. It was carved by WWI veteran William Shirley, “The Sphinx” can be found near the entrance to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park at Bobbin Head Road and forms the centerpiece of a WWI war memorial. Private Shirley carved this piece while a patient at the nearby Convalescent…

There is a small chip in the wall outside platform 1 that is what’s left of a little-known event that occurred at Central Station in 1916. On Valentine’s Day in 1916 Australia was fighting in WWI and many army volunteers were stationed at training camps across the country. At 9am at a camp near Liverpool,…

It may be easy to overlook these pyramids around Bayview in Sydney’s north but they are in fact some of the last remaining structures from World War II. From 1941 to 1942, the Federal Government aimed to protect mainland Australia and ensure that they had adequate defenses in place to defend the area from Japanese invasion….

Located within Centennial Park is a sundial among the flower beds and green lawns. Many a local has walked past this small marker without knowing the touching story behind it. This story comes form the Centennial Park Blog. The story behind the origins of the sundial was told to one of the park rangers by…

Many would say, “no,” and, “what was that?”. In 1983, a project began in the cliff tops of Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains. The Orphan Rocker was designed to be Australia’s scariest and most advanced roller coaster, with enough pin-point turns and sudden drops to make your hair turn white from fright. But despite being…

We have all driven along Oxford Street on many occasions, never once giving a thought to the building and surrounding fence.  Hidden beneath the green is a significant piece of Sydney history. Its 9 metres high, 98 metres wide and a massive 158 metres long. It played an important role in the growth of the…

Located at the picturesque Bedlam Point in Gladesville on the Parramatta River you’ll find a small, unassuming stone wall that has a much more significant past. This small wharf structure was part of the Great North Road. It was the first established road connecting Sydney to the Hunter Valley. It was built by over 600…

G’day, mate. You’ll hear that a lot in Sydney. No wonder we have been voted the world’s friendliest city. After you land the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) is a short hop from the international/domestic airport. You can stop in Sydney for a short and sweet visit. Incredibly, it is totally possible to pack in…

Stanhope Gardens 6 Tilbury Avenue: this display is off the charts!   Westleigh 10 Tomah Place: often described as a gingerbread house, this display is said to be seen from outer space!   Kellyville 44 Mawarra Crescent: this house has a gorgeous themed display featuring inflatable decorations and is raising money for the Leukemia Foundation. 17 Womboyne Avenue:…

Australians get into the festive spirit in a variety of ways, but there are some staples of an Aussie Christmas: a non-stop food fest, possibly an outdoor activity and a necessary kip in the afternoon. One senior historian says this style of Christmas has its roots in the mid-1800s, when early settlers longed for home…