sandstone

The Macquarie Watchtower is the earliest known surviving, sandstone tower building in Australia, the oldest surviving building on Botany Bay, and has long been recognised as a picturesque landmark on the headland, particularly popular for wedding photographs. The c. 1820 Macquarie Watchtower is thought to have been commissioned by Governor Macquarie. Not only is it…

Hanging Rock, a large sandstone object hanging out from a sandstone cliff, is one of the most iconic landmarks in the greater Blue Mountains region. It is situated a few moments away from the Baltzer Lookout, from where visitors can enjoy eye-dropping views of the Grose Valley and surrounding escarpments. These two beautiful sights can…

Barrenjoey Lighthouse sits majestically on Sydney’s most northern point – Barrenjoey Head at Palm Beach. Positioned 91m above sea level, the lighthouse can be reached by a couple of walks and offers breathtaking views. It’s an easy day trip from Sydney and a great place to bring overseas visitors – they may recognise the lighthouse…

Throughout the later part of the 19th century and into the 20th century the Hordern Family dominated the Sydney retail trade. Beginning with ‘Mrs Hordern’s’ drapery shop in 1823, Anthony Hordern and Sons soon became the largest department store in Sydney, with businesses in Europe, America and China. By the end of the 19th century…

Dug deep into the sandstone headland in 1908, the Queenscliff tunnel or the Manly wormhole indeed feels like a passage through the unknown. Perhaps that’s why it is called a wormhole. The fishermen who dug it up sure had the best of the Queenscliff rocks and the freshwater beach region connected up easier than clambering…

Busby’s Bore, which runs under Sydney’s streets between Centennial Park and Hyde Park remains as one of the most impressive pieces of convict-built infrastructure in Sydney. In the mid-1820s, Sydney was in the midst of a water crisis.  In the space of 30 years, the European settlers had managed to make their main fresh water…

Callan Park has a storied past. Its sandstone buildings and expansive grounds were originally a mental health facility. The myth that echoed through these halls is that there was an underground tunnel system that transported unsightly patients from ship ports to the Callan Park facility. It’s rumoured that an intricate water tunnel system stretched from…