DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, THESE TOURS ARE STILL OPERATING, WITH SMALLER (<20) GROUPS
Sydney Heritage Tour - Lower North Shore
Departing from Cammeray Square, on the corner of Miller Streets and Amherst Street in Cammeray (as marked on the map below), this tour goes past historic mansions and cottages (one of which served as a mortuary) and through the oldest, perhaps even the most historically significant, cemetery on the north side of the Harbour - the St Thomas' Anglican Church Cemetery.
The pioneers, for whom much of the North Shore is named,are buried here - the Milsons, Gordons, Pymbles, Berry, Wollestonecraft, the Ives of St Ives, and so forth. It is also the final resting place of the explorers, engineers, soldiers, sailors, doctors, scientists, judges, lawyers, politicians, clergy, farmers and businesspeople, who were largely responsible for not only building the north side of Sydney as it is today, but our country as we know it.
For Adult and Seniors groups - we focus more on the genealogical and humourous aspects of these people's lives, and can tell you the stories that are best kept out of the hearing of immature ears.... There are tales on this tour of grand adventure, love, lust, greed, murder, cannibalism, mayhem and intrigue from our Georgian and Victorian era past . It is likely that you may never look at the north side of the harbour quite the same way again.
The proximity of Cammeray Square ,with its mouth-watering pattisserie, multiple cafes, fast food shops and restaurants, makes this tour a really good start for a great morning or afternoon out.
Tours typically are run during week day morning or afternoon sessions, with prior bookings, for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to two hours depending on questions from the group. They start in the morning at 9.45am with registration at Cammeray Square for a 10.00am tour start, or a 12.45pm for registration, and a 1.00pm tour start in the afternoon, and our tours start on time. Places are limited, and bookings are essential.
The pioneers, for whom much of the North Shore is named,are buried here - the Milsons, Gordons, Pymbles, Berry, Wollestonecraft, the Ives of St Ives, and so forth. It is also the final resting place of the explorers, engineers, soldiers, sailors, doctors, scientists, judges, lawyers, politicians, clergy, farmers and businesspeople, who were largely responsible for not only building the north side of Sydney as it is today, but our country as we know it.
For Adult and Seniors groups - we focus more on the genealogical and humourous aspects of these people's lives, and can tell you the stories that are best kept out of the hearing of immature ears.... There are tales on this tour of grand adventure, love, lust, greed, murder, cannibalism, mayhem and intrigue from our Georgian and Victorian era past . It is likely that you may never look at the north side of the harbour quite the same way again.
The proximity of Cammeray Square ,with its mouth-watering pattisserie, multiple cafes, fast food shops and restaurants, makes this tour a really good start for a great morning or afternoon out.
Tours typically are run during week day morning or afternoon sessions, with prior bookings, for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to two hours depending on questions from the group. They start in the morning at 9.45am with registration at Cammeray Square for a 10.00am tour start, or a 12.45pm for registration, and a 1.00pm tour start in the afternoon, and our tours start on time. Places are limited, and bookings are essential.
please note: we operate specialty tours, often at infrequently available locations, with relatively small groups, in order to provide a more personalised experience. as a result - tickets, once purchased, are non-refundable.
our cancellation policy is that if you notify us in advance you cannot attend, we will issue you with a gift certificate to come at another time, valid for three years. If we have to postpone a tour ( to date we have only ever cancelled for safety reasons involving dangerous weather), we will issue gift certificates for twice the ticket face value, to come at a later time, valid for THREE years.
for further details please visit our terms and conditions page. it is in plain English because we want you to understand it. When you purchase tickets from us, you are agreeing to them.
TO MAKE A BOOKING,
PLEASE CALL 02 8197 0363
Below is a map that shows the starting point for this tour
Sydney Heritage Tour - Middle North Shore
Departing from the centre water feature in the main courtyard of St Leonards Station in St Leonards (as shown by the marker on the map below), this tour focuses on the later Victorian era, into the Edwardian era, and the "Movers and Shakers" of all denominations who built the North Shore.
We start with the forgotten history of the railway itself, then move through the historic sections of the grounds of the Royal North Shore Hospital , then on to one of Sydney's most important heritage cemeteries - Gore Hill Memorial Cemetery.
Moving from premises on Willoughby Road, Crows Nest in the late 19th Century, RNSH was deliberately built next to a cemetery...so if you see RNSH in the news - remember, expectations weren't set very high to start with!!!. We tell the stories of the turn of the 19th to 20th century buildings, and the often heroic efforts of staff and patients of yesteryear, some of whom current staff suspect and feel are still doing their rounds, over a century later.
Then, on to Gore Hill Cemetery, where a veritable "Who's Who" of late Victorian and Edwardian era Sydney were buried alongside the humble, in the first general cemetery on the north shore. Hidden amongst the family crypts and tombstones are stories that would make a Sidney Sheldon novel look very tame.... and the spirits of those taken before their time have reportedly made their presence felt.
For Adult and Seniors groups we focus more on the genealogical and humourous aspects of these people's lives. We can also tell you the stories that are best kept out of the hearing of immature ears....
The proximity to public transport, and the Forum Plaza food court facilities of St Leonards Station, along with multiple cafes available around St Leonards, makes this tour a really good start for a great morning or afternoon out for individuals, couples - or social and seniors groups
Tours typically are run during week day morning or afternoon sessions, with prior bookings, for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to two hours, depending on questions from the group. They start at 9.45am with registration at the St Leonards Station / Forum Plaza water feature, for a 10.00am tour start, or a 12.45pm registration for a 1.00pm tour start in the afternoon, and our tours start on time. Places are limited, and bookings are essential.
We start with the forgotten history of the railway itself, then move through the historic sections of the grounds of the Royal North Shore Hospital , then on to one of Sydney's most important heritage cemeteries - Gore Hill Memorial Cemetery.
Moving from premises on Willoughby Road, Crows Nest in the late 19th Century, RNSH was deliberately built next to a cemetery...so if you see RNSH in the news - remember, expectations weren't set very high to start with!!!. We tell the stories of the turn of the 19th to 20th century buildings, and the often heroic efforts of staff and patients of yesteryear, some of whom current staff suspect and feel are still doing their rounds, over a century later.
Then, on to Gore Hill Cemetery, where a veritable "Who's Who" of late Victorian and Edwardian era Sydney were buried alongside the humble, in the first general cemetery on the north shore. Hidden amongst the family crypts and tombstones are stories that would make a Sidney Sheldon novel look very tame.... and the spirits of those taken before their time have reportedly made their presence felt.
For Adult and Seniors groups we focus more on the genealogical and humourous aspects of these people's lives. We can also tell you the stories that are best kept out of the hearing of immature ears....
The proximity to public transport, and the Forum Plaza food court facilities of St Leonards Station, along with multiple cafes available around St Leonards, makes this tour a really good start for a great morning or afternoon out for individuals, couples - or social and seniors groups
Tours typically are run during week day morning or afternoon sessions, with prior bookings, for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to two hours, depending on questions from the group. They start at 9.45am with registration at the St Leonards Station / Forum Plaza water feature, for a 10.00am tour start, or a 12.45pm registration for a 1.00pm tour start in the afternoon, and our tours start on time. Places are limited, and bookings are essential.
