From bandages to boxpleats, soldiers cries to children's laughter, the history of this building as military hospital and state school spans over two centuries.
Located on Gadigal Land overlooking the historic Rocks area, Observatory Hill is one of the most important historic sites in Sydney, surviving as a landmark today despite more than two hundred years of European settlement.
Once the highest vantage point in Sydney, Observatory Hill was previously the site of the first government windmill (1796 – c1802) and was used as part of Sydney’s fortifications. It has been a focal point for artistic life as the many topographical drawings, late-nineteenth century photographic panoramas and modernist paintings recording life on the hill can attest.
The National Trust Centre is the head office of the NSW branch of the National Trust. Visitors to the National Trust Centre are unable to tour the building. We invite you to visit the S.H Ervin Gallery next door and enjoy refreshments in the National Trust Café, open Tuesday to Sunday. The Annie Wyatt Room at the National Trust Centre also features small exhibitions. It’s open free to the public in business hours Monday to Friday. Some exclusion times and dates apply. Please call Reception in advance to avoid disappointment.
