There was art by Australian artists, Aboriginal artists and European artists. There was also a section of art by women artists of Australia. Very unique. We spent a lot of time there. Wonderful.
Ancient trees in the domain.
Next we visited the Hyde Park Barracks Museum.
160,000 convicts were sent to Australia, 50,000 to North America and 9000 to Bermuda. In 1821 ex-cons and children were 85% of the free population: 7556 adults and 5859 children. Racism came in the 1920s prior to that blacks and whites lives in the same town. 1970s social values changed.
Initially the barracks were used by convicts, some their only crime being a small debt (think Dickens books). In 1848-50 over 4K orphan teenage girls from Ireland were shipped to Sidney and other places. They were housed in the barracks and some hired away as servants, some married.
Sometimes there were double the number of prisoners than the capacity so their hammocks were tied above the lower hammocks.
After prisoners were no longer housed there, the barracks were used for poor and ill and homeless women. It is now a World Heritage site along with other Australian convict sites. Then the barracks became the site of public services offices and then was finally restored to be a historic site.
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| Painted Rhinos around city streets for charity |
Afterward we visited the Royal Botanic Gardens until it became too dark and we went back to the hotel to pack for New Zealand tomorrow.
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