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Hyde Park Barracks Review

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Hyde Park Barracks

Address: Queens Sq., Macquarie St., Macquarie Street, Sydney, New South Wales | Map It
Phone: 02/9223-8922
www.hht.nsw.gov.au

Category: Museums/Galleries, Historic Districts/Sites, Government Buildings
Location: Macquarie Street

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 4.2/5

Fodor's Review:

Before Governor Macquarie arrived, convicts were left to roam freely at night. Macquarie was determined to establish law and order, and in 1819 he commissioned convict-architect Francis Greenway to design this restrained, classically Georgian-style building. Today the Barracks houses compelling exhibits that explore behind the scenes of the prison. For example, a surprising number of relics from this period were preserved by rats, which carried away scraps of clothing and other artifacts for their nests beneath the floorboards. A room on the top floor is strung with hammocks, exactly as it was when the building housed convicts.

Cost: A$10
Open: Daily 9:30-5

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by drkenrich from Los Angeles, CA on 4/6/07
Vising the Barracks give you a sense of the beginning of Sydney and Australia as a penal colony. The exhibits range from overview to specifics and include many personal individual histories and experiences to give a sense of reality to it.
Did you know that England "transported" children as young as 9 (without parents) for stealing a few dollars worth of things? Once there as a "criminal" they have to be dealt with. This is what you learn at Hyde Park Barracks.
It's close to other things and easy to get to. It's a fairly short visit and worth the time and effort to see.
Dr. Ken Rich