SYDNEY INSIGHTS #18 - Mrs Macquarie's Chair

Many visitors to Sydney find themselves right here to take the best possible views of Sydney Harbour and its two greatest landmarks.

It is called Mrs Macquarie's Chair and funnily enough, it is located at the end of Mrs Macquarie's Road on a peninsula called Mrs Macquairie's Point.

Some have called it Lady Macquarie's Chair, but this is incorrect so make sure to speak up if you hear it referred to as such.

But is it really a chair?

It is actually a sandstone rock cut into the shape of a bench and was hand carved by convicts in 1810 for the wife of the Governor of New South Wales.

Elizabeth Macquarie was married to Major-General Lachlan Macquarie the Governor of NSW from 1810-1821. The story goes that Mrs Mac used to sit on this sandstone rocky bench and watch for the ships to come sailing in to the harbour from Great Britain. It was her favourite spot on the property and she often enjoyed the panoramic views of the harbour and held exclusive VIP parties every New Years Eve to watch the million dollar fireworks display.

... oh hang on, that's Clover Moore... but back to the chair...

Should you ever wish to visit and take a seat for yourself it is always open to the public 24/7 and is between Garden Island and Bennelong Point. It faces North-East towards Fort Denison and the Pacific Ocean.

It's an extremely popular site these days for all visitors as they can get a photo of the Sydney Opera House with the Harbour Bridge framing it nicely behind it.

This location provides the best angle for it, little did they know back then.

Many brides and grooms also rush to this spot after their ceremony to get some pretty amazing wedding day pictures.



It's a must see location for any visitor and resident of Sydney.

J G S