Australian National Maritime Museum

The Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour, viewed from King Street Wharf. The museum houses exhibitions that explore Australia's links with the sea and how maritime activities and issues have shaped the lives of people in Australia. Some of the outdoor exhibits can be seen from here such as the HMAS Vampire, the Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse and the Endeavour replica.

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Darlinghurst, Sydney Jewish Museum

The Sydney Jewish Museum is located on the corner of Darlinghurst Road and Burton Street, in the inner city suburb of Darlinghurst. It is housed in the Maccabean Hall, which was built to commemorate Jewish men and women who served in World War One and to honour the memory of those who lost their lives. The museum is dedicated to documenting and teaching the history of the Holocaust so that these events will never be repeated. The building on the left is the NSW Jewish War Memorial Community Centre, with a stylised menorah on the façade.

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Millers Point, Sydney Observatory

Sydney Observatory is located on Observatory Hill at Millers Point. The heritage listed observatory, built in 1858, was essential to shipping, navigation, meteorology, timekeeping and the study of stars seen from the Southern Hemisphere. Government Astronomers worked and lived in the building until 1982, when it became part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. It is now a museum and public observatory with a role in astronomy education and public telescope viewing. These telescope domes protect the optical telescopes and have slits in the roof that can be opened during observing and can be rotated to observe different sections of the night sky. The central tower features a weather vane and a time ball, which signalled the time to ships and to the General Post Office in Martin Place. It is still raised to the top of its post and dropped at exactly 1pm every day.

Ultimo, The Muse

The Muse is an exhibition space at the Sydney Institute of TAFE (Technical and Further Education), in the inner city suburb of Ultimo. It was designed by William Kemp in the American Romanesque and Queen Anne Revival architectural styles and first opened in 1893 as the Technology Museum. It housed the contents of Australia’s first international exhibition of industry from around the world. The contents of this exhibition were later relocated to the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences which is now the Powerhouse Museum. It is best viewed in the winter months when the leaves have fallen off the trees.

Government House

Government House is located alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens, overlooking Sydney Harbour. It was formerly the official residence, and remains the official reception space, of the Governor of New South Wales. It was designed by Edward Blore, in the Gothic revival architectural style. Building commenced in 1837 with Governor George Gipps becoming the first resident in 1845. It is now managed by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales as a museum. A view in the opposite direction can be seen here.

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Museum of Contemporary Art, Vivid Sydney, Interactive Paint Projection

This "Interactive Paint Projection" was displayed on the facade and sign of the Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay, during the Vivid Sydney festival. It has been created by Australia's Spinifex Group, in collaboration with The Electric Canvas and engages the general public. It uses interactive technology that interprets body movements to create colourful splashes, drips and spirals on the exterior of the museum. Two people standing in the foreground, with their shadows seen at the base of the light projection, move their bodies around to create a unique piece of art.

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The Rocks, Cadman's Cottage, Vivid Sydney

Cadman's Cottage, was one of the heritage buildings that was lit up for the Vivid Sydney festival. The colourful and playful display of lights on the exterior of this museum, called "Cadman's Playground", was created by Steve Furzey and Kam Dahtt.

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Hyde Park Barracks

The Hyde Park Barracks are at the southern end of Macquarie Street. It was designed by colonial architect Francis Greenway and constructed by the convict labour between 1818 and 1819. It was the principal barracks for male convicts in the state of New South Wales, providing lodgings for convicts working in government employment around Sydney. From 1848 it was adormitory for newly arrived female immigrants. From 1887 to 1979, state government offices were based here and today it is a museum operated by the Historic Houses Trust.

Australian Museum

The Australian Museum is located at the edge of the city, in the inner city suburb of Darlinghurst. The Barnet Wing was opened in 1868, designed by colonial architect Alexander Dawson in the Neo Classicism architectural style. It features the main entrance of the museum from College Street, opposite Hyde Park. It was an extension of the Lewis Wing built in 1852 in William Street.

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Phillip Street, court house

This former court house is located on the corner of Albert Street and Phillip Street. This sandstone building was designed by colonial architect James Barnet and completed in 1886. It was built for use as a magistrates’ court and then later became a traffic court which remained in use until 1979. It is now part of the Justice and Police Museum along with the police station next door, that I featured yesterday.

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Phillip Street, water police station

This sandstone building in Phillip Street was originally designed for the Water Police as a station and lock-up. It was designed by Alexander Dawson and built in 1858. It remained in continuous use for police purposes until 1985. It is now part of the Justice and Police Museum along with the court house next door, which I'll show tomorrow.

Powerhouse Museum, The 80s Are Back

An interactive, electronic, giant Rubik's Cube.

'The 80s Are Back' is an exhibition currently on display at the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo. This exhibition, which explores Australian life and culture in the 1980s, has been one of the most popular and longest running in the museum's history. The fascination for this decade remains with a revival of much of its culture in recent years, that has lasted longer than the decade itself. It was a great nostalgic trip, revisiting styles and trends from the 1980s and their effect on music, film, television, fashion and design.

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Hyde Park Barracks Museum, Lights of Christmas

Hyde Park Barracks Museum on Macquarie Street is currently featuring Lights of Christmas, a light projection show running from 8th December to 25th December. The show which celebrates Christmas is designed to complement the building’s historic sandstone canvas, with designs inspired by its architecture and showcasing its features.

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Darling Harbour, Cape Bowling Green lighthouse

The Cape Bowling Green lighthouse is located at the Australian National Maritime Museum, at Darling Harbour. It was originally built in 1874 at Cape Bowling Green, a low sandy spit 70 kilometres south of Townsville, Queensland. It was one of 22 identical lighthouses built on the North Queensland coast to guide vessels around the Great Barrier Reef, where many ships had run aground. The frame of this 22 metre high lighthouse was built from local hardwood and clad with iron plates from Britain. It was staffed by a keeper and three assistants and moved twice, in 1878 and 1908, when threatened by the sea. In 1913, an incandescent mantle was installed, fuelled by vapourised kerosene. It was destaffed in 1920 when an automatic acetylene light was installed, operated by a sun valve. It was replaced by a modern tower in 1987 and then transported to the north wharf of the maritime museum in Sydney in 1994.

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Australian National Maritime Museum

The Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour, viewed from the boardwalk beside Pyrmont Bay. The Australian National Maritime Museum was designed by Phillip Cox and opened in 1991. The museum houses exhibitions that explore Australia's links with the sea and how maritime activities and issues have shaped the lives of people in Australia. The Pyrmont Bay ferry wharf, the museum's Welcome Wall and the Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse can be seen from here.

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Darling Harbour, Vernon Mooring Anchors

This Vernon Mooring Anchors stand as a monument outside the Australian National Maritime Museum, near the Pyrmont Bridge. They are a memorial to seafarers lost at sea in wartime and in peace. These Admiralty-pattern anchors were originally from the 1839 wooden sailing ship, NSS Vernon. After 1867, the Vernon was converted into a nautical school ship and permanently moored off Cockatoo Island. The anchors were installed here in 1992.

Pyrmont Bay, ferry wharf

The Pyrmont Bay Wharf is located beside the Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour. The Charlotte is a First Fleet Class ferry acquired in 1985, which is part of the Sydney Ferries fleet that operates on the Inner Harbour. It was named Charlotte, after one of eleven ships of the First Fleet that sailed to Australia in 1787.

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Darling Harbour, Welcome Wall

The Welcome Wall, a memorial which honours immigrants to Australia, is located outside the Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour. The Welcome Wall is a 100 metre long bronze wall, inscribed with names of immigrants, their arrival dates and the place they came from. It is located near Pyrmont docks, where millions of new settlers first stepped ashore in Australia. Over the years, more than six million people have crossed the world to settle in Australia.

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Museum of Contemporary Art, Biennale, Neuron

The 17th Biennale of Sydney was an exhibition of contemporary art which ran from the 17th May to 1st August 2010. Biennale is an Italian word 'for every second year', which in this case is the art event that happens every two years in Sydney. The theme of this biennale was 'The Beauty of Distance: Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age', featuring works by artists from all over the world. Neuron, a sculpture in stainless steel by artist Roxy Paine, was installed on the lawn in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art, near Circular Quay.