High on the hill inside the old Fort St School (1856), the SH Ervin Gallery, though surrounded by freeway, is a pleasing oasis that exhibits invariably rewarding historical and contemporary Australian art. Annual mainstays include the Salon des Refusés (alternative Archibald Prize entries) and the Portia Geach Memorial Award. There’s a cafe here, too.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Sydney Observatory

0.12 MILES

Built in the 1850s, Sydney’s copper-domed, Italianate sandstone observatory squats atop Observatory Hill, overlooking the harbour. Inside is an intriguing…

2. Observatory Hill

0.15 MILES

Lording it over the Rocks, but strangely tucked away, Observatory Hill is great for a picnic. Studded with huge Moreton Bay fig trees, the grassy hilltop…

3. St Patrick’s Church

0.16 MILES

This Catholic sandstone church (1844) was built on land donated by William Davis, who was transported to Australia from Ireland without trial due to his…

4. The Big Dig

0.16 MILES

Before the outbreak of bubonic plague in the early 20th century and the subsequent slum clearances, this section of the Rocks was a warren of houses…

5. Susannah Place Museum

0.19 MILES

Dating from 1844, this diminutive terrace of four houses and a shop is a fascinating time capsule of life in the Rocks. A personable guide takes you…

6. St Philip’s Church

0.2 MILES

Completed in 1856 by architect Edmund Blacket in High Victorian Gothic style, St Philip’s is the latest incarnation of a line descending from Sydney’s…

7. Argyle Place

0.21 MILES

A quiet, English-style village green lined with terraced houses, Argyle Place offers the sacred appeal of Garrison Church and the more secular delights of…

8. Garrison Church

0.21 MILES

Also known as Holy Trinity (1843), this pretty sandstone Anglican church at the western end of the Argyle Cut was the colony’s first military church…