My Sydney Trip

When I left Launceston in early June following my stay in Tasmania, I flew to Sydney for about a week to visit my grandfather and my aunt's family. I had a wonderful time, visited some places I hadn't been to in a long time, and went to see several new places.

Places I Visited

We traveled somewhere nearly every day that I was in Sydney. On the first day, Grandad took me for a drive to Wiseman's Ferry with his little dog Lexi.

There was a lovely view from the lookout near Wiseman's Ferry!

Another day he took me on the train down to Circular Quay, where we caught the ferry to Manly. We walked down The Corso to the beach - it was a very beautiful, sunny day!

Manly Beach

On the ferry on the way back to Circular Quay. Here you can see Fort Dennison in the foreground with Sydney Opera House peeking out from behind, and Sydney Harbour Bridge to the right - Australian icons!

We also drove over to Thirlmere, where we went for a steam train ride and wandered around the NSW Rail Museum.

This was the steam engine that we rode behind - the 3001, built in 1903.

Having a long drink!

A huge garratt locomotive in the museum - twice the height of a man!

For those interested, this is the plaque on the garratt pictured above....

Another day we went on an outing, this time with my aunt and two cousins. First we went to Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta, Australia's oldest homestead, built in 1793 (only 5 years after the First Fleet landed) for John and Elizabeth Macarthur. The house remained in the Macarthur family until 1881, when it was sold. The Swann family owned it until 1968, when it was sold to a trust, and it eventually became a museum in 1984. It is considered an "access-all-areas" museum, with no barriers and the freedom to touch any furnishings in the house (they are all replicas, not originals). It was most fascinating - I love old things and history!

Elizabeth Farm. This house originally stood on about 1000 acres of farmland, but the land has now all been subdivided and developed, and this original house is now on only about 1.2 acres.

I loved this bell system! There were several bell ropes around the house (a few next to fireplaces, one at the front door, etc), obviously connected to these bells with wires through the walls. When I pulled one of the fireplace bell ropes, I could hear the bell ringing in the distance! These bells would have been used to summon the servants - this was just outside the kitchen door.

This isn't a very good photo, but it shows my favourite room in the house - the kitchen! I love this old range....

This video explains about and shows the cooking range better than I can - and also shows the bell system at work!

After we'd wandered around Elizabeth Farm for a while, we went just down the road to Experiment Farm. In 1789, James Ruse was the first convict to be granted land. It was an experiment - Governor Phillip wanted to see how long it would take a for a man to be able to support himself. Mr. Ruse was granted 30 acres of land, but sold it and the house 5 years later to John Harris, who already owned the adjacent property and was the one who built the cottage to be what it is today, in the style of an Indian bungalow with a wrap-around verandah such as on the houses the English built in Bengal, India. The farm stayed in the Harris family until 1921, when the land was subdivided. The house eventually became Australia's first house museum in 1963, and it is now the opposite of easy-going Elizabeth Farm - absolutely no touching here! It is also only a guided tour.

Experiment Farm house.

Convict brick-making tools and bricks.

Look at the intricate woodwork on this sewing box! Each little shape with different coloured woods on the lid has been carefully carved and set into the lid.

James Ruse, the convict who was originally granted the land that Experiment Farm house is standing on, carved his own gravestone. Apparently he was illiterate, although I don't know how he could have written anything if he was illiterate. It does account for the bad spelling though....

One would assume that someone else filled in the dates after he died....

This is what the gravestone reads:

"TO THE MEMeREY

of James Ruse Who

Departed This Life

Sept 5th in The Year of

Houre Lord 1837 Natef

Of cornwell and arived

In This coleney By The

Forst Fleet Aged 77

My Mother Reread Me Tenderley

With Me She Tock Much Paines

And When I arived In This Coelney

I sowd The Forst Grain And Now

With My Hev'nly Father I hope

For Ever To Remain"

The Trip Home

Finally it was time to go home. I booked a train from Sydney to Brisbane - I discovered that this is cheaper than a flight! I left Sydney mid-afternoon and arrived in Brisbane early the next morning. It was very enjoyable and something I would definitely do again!

Not a very good photo due to the reflection on the window and the moving train, but that was my view at one point not long after leaving Sydney - very lovely!

I started out with a fellow passenger in the seat next to me, but about the time that the carriage lights were turned off for the night I was left alone and had the whole two-seat bench all to myself. This made sleeping more comfortable as I could lie down across the two seats rather than having to sleep sitting up! Several other people did the same thing.

In Brisbane I went to my great-aunt's place for a few hours. First I had a shower and a nap - although I did sleep on the train, it wasn't the greatest night....

Then my great-aunt took me for a bit of a drive in Brisbane. First we went to see Mt. Gravatt, then we went over to Mt. Coot-tha.

Somewhere out there you can apparently see the Glasshouse Mountains on a clear day, from Mt. Gravatt.

A view of Brisbane City from Mt. Coot-Tha.

After lunch and a short while relaxing at her place, in the mid-afternoon Aunt Lois drove me back to Roma Street train station, and I caught the train up north to home. The train I took was the Spirit of Queensland, a very spacious and luxurious train (at least, it seemed so to me!). That was another trip I would definitely do again!

It was nice to get home again.... Back to Flopsie and Pip, my duckies, my own bed, Willow Ranch - and lots of work! But it was very nice to have such a lovely break, first in Tasmania, then in Sydney and briefly in Brisbane.