Conservatorium of Music

Private tour followed by

chamber music concert

The Sydney Conservatorium of Music is a vibrant hub for music education, performance, and research, located in the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens. A part of the University of Sydney it ranks number 1 in Australia for Performing Arts. It offers world-class facilities in a historic building, originally designed by Francis Greenway, blending heritage architecture with cutting-edge learning spaces.

The Conservatorium supports over 1,300 undergraduate and postgraduate scholars from classical and jazz to contemporary music, music theatre, digital media. The Con proudly nurtures creative artists who are destined to make meaningful contributions to communities across Australia and beyond.

The link below gives options for public transport and nearby parking stations. Please note there is no parking available at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

https://openacademy.sydney.edu.au/site/220

We will meet at the Conservatorium entrance on Macquarie Street (at the top of Bridge Street) at 11.30 am. The tour will commence at 11.45 followed by a 45-minute concert at 12.30.

There is no charge for the tour and concert. Lunch will be available in the Conservatorium café at 1.15 pm. Order and pay individually.

Maximum on tour is 18

Quarantine Station Story Tour

1. For over 150 years, from the 1830s, the Quarantine Station was for many, the beginning of a new life in Australia after making the arduous & lengthy journey from their homelands. Ships suspected of harbouring people infected with contagious disease such as Spanish Influenza, Smallpox or Bubonic Plague were quarantined here so that these deadly diseases would not reach the general population in Sydney.  Ultimately a success story for the growing Sydney population, it did however leave an indelible mark on those that were quarantined; tales of love and loss play out alongside themes of cultural and social change, medical history and progress.

​This tour is a 90-minute guided tour of the various buildings and archeological sites that comprise the quarantine station precinct.  Walking is required inside and outdoors, sometimes on sloping or uneven surfaces. Please take appropriate clothing for outside weather conditions, and closed walking shoes for uneven surfaces.

After the tour a light lunch will be provided. Weather permitting, this can be eaten outside, taking in the spectacular harbour view.

We will meet at the Q Station Reception Centre.  This is at the end of North Head Scenic Drive.  There is plentiful car parking there. 

Because bus transfers are required to the quarantine station precinct, we will meet at 9.30am for the tour commencing at 10.00am. 

The cost is $60 per person which includes lunch at the tour's conclusion.

Contact on the day:  Bob Eckstein

An exploration of the historic house and gardens of Lindesay

A hidden gem overlooking Sydney harbour, Lindesay is an atmospheric 19th century mansion with restored Georgian interiors and a glorious garden to explore. Now administered by the National Trust, Lindesay was built in 1834 on Gadigal land.  It was the first house in Darling Point and the first in Australia to be designed in the Gothic Revival style.

We will take a guided tour and discover the fascinating history of this elegant mansion. The tour will explore the house's original rooms decorated with English and colonial furniture, the statue-filled parterre garden, and the downstairs servants’ quarters with stone kitchen and freshwater well.

The tour allows for strolling through the gardens with its magnificent views of Sydney Harbour.

The guided tour duration is for up to one hour, with the opportunity to wander through the gardens afterwards. Up to three guides will be available.

The entrance is at the Lindsay Ave Gate.  The gate opens at 10.00 am. Please aim to be there at 9.50am. 

Getting there:

If using public transport:

Local buses service the Darling Point area.  The 328 bus travels from Edgecliff Station to Thornton St opp Bennett Ave, Darling Point, from where there is a short 5 minute stroll down Darling Point Rd to the entrance on Lindsay Ave.

The closest ferry wharf is Darling Point, which is a 15-minute walk to Lindesay.

By car: There is no on-site parking, however surrounding street parking is available, and generally not difficult to find.

The cost is $25 per person.

Contact person on the day:  Bob Eckstein