I’m closing out my series on our Australian Trek really missing Australia. This country that takes up an entire continent was amazing and I long to go back.
During these last days, we watched from the harbor while Bob and Bonnie climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge. There was no way I was putting on overalls hooking myself to steel girders and climbing to the top of that bridge! I’ll leave that to braver souls than myself!
Instead, Jim and I took a walk through the Royal Botanical Gardens. We are addicted to gardens and they called to us like a siren song! The Botanical Garden was established in 1816 and is the oldest botanical garden and scientific institution in Australia. It is home to an outstanding collection of plants from around the world with a focus on Australia and the South Pacific and the green rolling lawns, dotted with statuary roll out before you with curving paths to take you wandering through the garden. We were awed at some the strange and interesting trees and plants, many of which we had never seen before.
OK I’m also a House Museum addict so Bonnie and I visited the Van Cluse House! This historic house was built in fits and starts from 1809 through the early 1860’s and is considered to be lacking in cohesion and grace and is a mix of styles. That said, I thought it was fanciful and uniquely Australian in design and the grounds were a well-planned Victorian design with fountains, rolling lawns and a pleasure garden.
As befitting this quirky home’s style, its builder, William Charles Wentworth (1790-1872) is known today as one of the early colonial statesmen in Sydney. Unfortunately, his sense of his place in society was 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 socialize outside of colonial society.
As befitting this quirky home’s style, its builder, William Charles Wentworth (1790-1872) is known today as one of the early colonial statesmen in Sydney. Unfortunately, his sense of his place in society was 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 socialize outside of colonial society.
The rest of our last day was spent wandering downtown Sydney, savoring our last hours in Australia and I leave you with a few of those wonderful photos.
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