Hey mate, Hobart is the other way!

Kayaker powering into Rushcutters Bay to get up close, and personal with the maxi-yachts. Looming over the between-wars apartment buildings of Elizabeth Bay is Centrepoint Tower, in the centre of the CBD, two ridges further west.

Emphatically speaking

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Elizabeth Bay - The beauty of crumbling age

Elizabeth Bay is like an ageing matron who wastes before one’s eyes. With hay-stalk hair, and sagging bosom, she slashes the lipstick where once fulsome lips puckered. Desperate for that one last fling at the ball, she throws herself at everyone, but only the rapacious are remotely interested.


The footings of each apartment building cling to the rocky outcrops of the ridge that runs down to the Bay. The footings cling, the buildings huddle – and, together, they slowly subside. The suburb is peopled with the ageing bodies of European mid-century devastation. They are the character and the soul of the suburb, but they are rapidly diminishing. It is a suburb of those without dependants – families need space. The pleasures of Elizabeth Bay reside in this very jumbledness. It is a melange of buildings, of styles, of socioeconomics, and of culture. Most emphatically of all, it is NOT boring.

Exquisitely our harbour

McElhone Park in front of Elizabeth Bay house

Using a printed Google map, we weaved our way via lanes and walking paths from Rushcutters Bay to Beare Park and McElhone park in Elizabeth Bay. This entire area is to die for. And talk about secluded ... on the final weekend of winter there were people sunbathing in swimming costumes!

Elizabeth Bay house is the georgian style building with the dome in the centre of this photo taken from a ferry in the harbour

The view back across Elizabeth Bay as I made my way between the apartments up toward McElhone Park

Elizabeth Bay lies between Rushcutters Bay and Wooloomooloo Bay all of which are accessible via walking paths. In the suburb named after the wife of Governor Lachlan Macquarie, Elizabeth Bay house was built in 1837 for Alexander Macleay who was the Surveyor-General of the colony. Is is managed by the Historic Houses Trust and is open to the general public. I did not have enough time to do it justice, so will return next week.

And from the top, looking back over the park to the harbour beyond. Clark Island lies straight ahead

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