Mrs Macquaries Chair - The Governor's Wife's View
Photo: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
A stop on Sydney Harbour: Rocks to Opera House, a free self-guided tour.
The bench carved into the sandstone here is Mrs Macquarie's Chair, cut by convicts for Elizabeth Macquarie, wife of Governor Lachlan Macquarie, and traditionally dated to 1810. The Gadigal call this headland Yurong Point. Story has it that Elizabeth would sit here watching for ships arriving from Britain with news from home. Whether or not she did, you can see why she might: the view takes in the whole harbour.
Above the chair, a carved inscription records the road her husband built around the point for her, finished in June 1816. The Macquaries were a remarkable pair; Elizabeth had a strong interest in architecture and landscape and helped shape the look of the young town.
Out in the water to the northeast is Fort Denison, on a small island the Gadigal knew long before it became a harsh punishment site for convicts and later a fort. This is where the tour ends. To return, walk back through the garden to Circular Quay in about 20 minutes.
Getting here: Follow the seawall path around Farm Cove and out to the tip of the headland, about 10 minutes.
Did you know?: On New Year's Eve this headland is one of the most sought-after places in Sydney to watch the harbour fireworks.
Photo op: Stand to the left of the chair for the postcard view: the Opera House lined up in front of the Harbour Bridge across the water.
More on Wikipedia: Mrs Macquarie's Chair · Elizabeth Macquarie · Fort Denison
Stops on this tour
- Circular Quay - Where the First Fleet Landed
- Museum of Contemporary Art - Art Deco on the Quay
- Cadmans Cottage - The Coxswain's House
- The Rocks Laneways - Convict Town Saved
- Observatory Hill - Time Ball over the Harbour
- Harbour Bridge Walkway - Across the Coathanger
- Campbells Cove - Merchant Stores and Cruise Ships
- Sydney Opera House - Sails on Bennelong Point
- Government House - A Gothic Castle for Governors
- Royal Botanic Garden - From Failed Farm to Garden
- Mrs Macquaries Chair - The Governor's Wife's View