Archibald  Fountain

Getty Images/Moment Open


Formal but much-loved Hyde Park has manicured gardens and a tree-formed tunnel running down its spine, which looks particularly pretty at night, illuminated by fairy lights. The park’s northern end is crowned by the richly symbolic art-deco Archibald Memorial Fountain, while at the other end is the Anzac Memorial.

The park was originally the colony's racecourse and cricket ground and took its current form in the 1920s. The statue of Captain Cook in the southern section has been a focus of recent controversy, largely due to the phrase 'Discovered this territory 1770' carved on the plinth.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Australian Museum

0.1 MILES

Closed for renovation at the time of research, this wonderful institution plans to reopen in mid-2020. Australia's first museum was established just 40…

2. Anzac Memorial

0.1 MILES

This dignified art deco memorial commemorates WWI soldiers of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs). The interior dome is studded with 120,000…

3. Great Synagogue

0.15 MILES

The heritage-listed Great Synagogue (1878) is the spiritual home of Sydney’s oldest Jewish congregation, established in 1831. It’s considered the Mother…

4. Archibald Memorial Fountain

0.23 MILES

Hyde Park’s northern end is crowned by this richly symbolic art-deco fountain, featuring Greek mythological figures.

5. St Mary’s Cathedral

0.24 MILES

Sydney has traditionally been quite a Catholic city, and this is the hub of the faith. Built to last, this 106m-long sandstone Gothic Revival–style…

6. St Andrew’s Cathedral

0.28 MILES

Sporting beautiful stained glass and twin spires inspired by England’s York Minster, squat St Andrew’s Anglican is the oldest cathedral in Australia (1868…

7. Sydney Tower Eye

0.28 MILES

The 309m-tall Sydney Tower (still known as Centrepoint by many Sydneysiders) offers unbeatable 360-degree views from the observation level 250m up. The…

8. Sydney Town Hall

0.29 MILES

Mansard roofs, sandstone turrets, wrought-iron trimmings and over-the-top balustrades: the French Second Empire wedding-cake exterior of the Town Hall …