Sydney’s main railway station was built in 1906 on top of an old convent and cemetery (watch out for ghosts). The 75m Gothic clock tower was added 15 years later. The main sandstone concourse has an impressive vaulted roof and is the terminus for intercity and country trains.

Suburban trains chug into the outdoor platforms downstairs on the Surry Hills side. The station is also a key interchange for bus and light-rail services. A new main entrance, underground concourse and platforms for the upcoming Sydney Metro are under construction.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Christ Church St Laurence

0.12 MILES

Step off Sydney’s main drag into this calming 1845 sandstone church. The rather charming neo-Gothic interior is atmospheric, with dark wooden fittings and…

2. Golden Water Mouth

0.24 MILES

On Chinatown's Hay St, the surreal Golden Water Mouth sculpture drips with gilt and water. Formed from a eucalyptus trunk from Condobolin, the destination…

3. Dr Chau Chak Wing Building

0.32 MILES

Opened in 2015, this university business school was donated by the father of an alumnus and designed by Frank Gehry. It's a striking sight, all windows…

4. Chinatown

0.33 MILES

Dixon St is the heart of Chinatown: a narrow, shady pedestrian mall with a string of restaurants and insistent spruikers. The ornate dragon gates (paifang…

5. Central Park

0.37 MILES

Occupying the site of an old brewery, this major residential and shopping development is a striking sight. Most impressive is Jean Nouvel's award-winning,…

6. Mortuary Station

0.37 MILES

This ornate disused Victorian sandstone station used to be the departure point for funeral trains out to the Rookwood cemetery in Sydney's west. It's a…

7. White Rabbit

0.45 MILES

In many ways Sydney's best contemporary-art gallery, White Rabbit is tucked away behind the Central Park development in Chippendale. It's the project of…

8. Surry Hills Library

0.48 MILES

This beautiful modern library and community centre is sustainably built and on a busy Surry Hills corner. Libraries are cool again and locals have taken…