ATTRACTIONS VAUCLUSE NSW

Houses and their owners have a tendency to be reflections of one another. Vaucluse House presents venerable Gothic Revival façades to Sydney Harbour but the mansion, built in fits and starts between 1805 and the early 1860s, is in a mixture of styles, is unresolved in terms of its layout and lacks the social grace of a formal entrance.

Its builder, William Charles Wentworth (1790-1872) is known today as one of our early colonial statesmen. His sense of his place in societywas undermined by illegitimacy and convict associations. With the rising tide of Victorian morality his wife Sarah was shunned as lacking respectability and the family had to socialise outside of colonial society. Vaucluse House’s lack of cohesion is perhaps a result of Wentworth’s brooding anger at this slight and the house’s slow growth over decades. In contrast with the house, the grounds preserve a remarkably complete 19th century estate plan with stables, rural outbuildings, carriage drives, paddocks, lawns, a serene pleasure garden and recreated Victorian kitchen garden.

One of Sydney’s great coastal walks, the easy Hermitage Foreshore track offers up stunning views of Sydney’s harbour, islands and icons. Be sure to take your camera as there are plenty of photo opportunities along this walk; you’ll be able to see Shark Island, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the grounds of Strickland House along the way. You can start the walk at either Bayview Hill Road or Nielsen Park and whichever way you walk, a stop at Nielsen Park is a way to spend some time. There’s a family friendly beach to enjoy, lots of grass for spreading out a picnic blanket and the Nielsen Park Café that offers coffee, lunch and snacks....