Bookshop at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney
Introduction
In one day in Sydney you can see great art, gardens and electronics. As an example on Saturday 26 March I did just that.
Archibald Prize
Entrants in Australia's most famous art competition, the Archibald Prize, are displayed at the Art Gallery of NSW at this time of year.
The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize, and is the most prominent of all arts prizes, in Australia. It began in 1921 after a bequest from J F Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin, and is awarded annually by the Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales for "the best portrait, preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics, painted by an artist resident in Australasia during the 12 months preceding the date fixed by the Trustees for sending in the pictures."
From: "Archibald Prize", Wikipedia, 23 March 2006
With the Archibald Prize, the fun of is trying to work out who the supposedly famous people in the paintings are and why the usually controversial winner was chosen. Also displayed are the entrants in the Wynne Prize for Australian landscape painting and sculpture, the Sulman Prize for painting.
The 2006 Archibald Prize winner was Marcus Wills for The Paul Juraszek monolith after Marcus Gheeraerts). I prefered Robert Hannaford's Tim Flannery. This year there was also a Photographic Portrait Prize. I found the photographs looked better composed portraits, than the paintings in the Archibald.
The gallery also has an excellent permanent collection, a good bookshop and several good cafes.The outdoor cafe terrace overlooking Garden Island is not to be missed.
Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens at the Domain
Plant Sale at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney
A short walk north of the gallery are the Royal Botanic Gardens in the Domain. It happened to be a day the volunteers of the Friends of The Gardens were having a second hand book and plant sale.
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia, are the largest of three major botanical gardens open to the public in Sydney, along with the Mount Annan Botanic Garden and the Mount Tomah Botanic Garden. The park, managed by the same trust as The Domain adjoining it, is free to access and open every day of the year.
The Botanic Gardens are situated overlooking Farm Cove, directly east of the Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay and Macquarie Street. On the southern edge the Cahill Expressway borders it and on the eastern edge, Art Gallery road.
The 30 hectares of garden, established in 1816 along with the adjoining Domain, were originally designated as the private garden of the Governor of New South Wales, beginning with Governor Captain Arthur Philip; but were made open to the public within fifteen years.
From: "Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney", Wikipedia, 19 February 2006.
Garden Island Naval Base
Most visitors would exit the gardens by the western gates near the Sydney Conservatorium of Music or the Opera House. But if you exit to the east, you walk over a rise to get a view of Garden Island. The warships tide up at the Royal Australian Navy base contrast with the gentrified Finger Wharf apartment complex.
Hyde Park Giant Chess
Giant Chess in Hyde Park Sydney
The Gallery is to the North East of the Sydney CBD. It is a pleasant walk from the city shops through Hyde Park. You can watch the giant chess while having a coffee in the park on the way.
Electronics
Giant Chess in Hyde Park Sydney
So where does electronics fit into this? York Street, behind the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney has one of the main bus stops for the city. It also has several book stores, including Galaxy Bookshop, for science fiction fans. Along from this are four electronics shops in a row, including Jaycar Electronics. Perfect if you need a cable for your camera or laptop.