Administered by the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Domain is a large grassy tract east of Macquarie St, set aside by Governor Phillip in 1788 for public recreation. Phillip’s intent rings true: today’s city workers use the space to work up a sweat or eat their lunch. Large-scale public events are also held here.
Sculptures dot the park, including a reclining Henry Moore figure, and Brett Whiteley’s Almost Once (1991) − two giant matches, one burnt − rising from the ground near the Art Gallery of NSW.
On the lawn in front of the gallery is the Speakers’ Corner.