The Top 12 Landmarks in Sydney, Australia

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is not only a distinctive Sydney landmark but has also become an iconic symbol of the city itself.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge, together with the Sydney Opera House, has become a most recognizable symbol of the city. ​

Sydney Observatory

Located on Observatory Hill in Sydney's Rocks area, the Sydney Observatory is not only a distinctive Sydney landmark but also an astronomical center. It is an adjunct of the Powerhouse Museum on Darling Harbour.

Museum of Contemporary Art Australia

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia is housed in an art deco building and its modern annex within walking distance of Sydney's Circular Quay, a familiar landmark on West Circular Quay at the southern end of the Rocks district.

Art Gallery of New South Wales

In Sydney's Domain east of Hyde Park is located Sydney's Art Gallery of New South Wales, a treasure house of various types of art in permanent and temporary visiting collections.

The Domain is a large grassy area set aside for public recreation by founding New South Wales Governor Arthur Phillip in 1788. The Domain, separated from the Royal Botanic Gardens by Cahill Expressway, was also the site of Australia's first farm.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales houses extensive art collections including Australian art from the colonial period, Asian and European art, and an extensive Aboriginal collection in the Yiribana Gallery.

The Art Gallery is normally open from 9am to 5pm daily. Entry and scheduled tours are free to the public. Some exhibitions charge an entry fee.

Hyde Park Barracks

Hyde Park Barracks at the corner of Macquarie St and Prince Albert Rd on Hyde Park North was built in 1819 to house, clothe and feed convict men and boys, later becoming a dormitory for newly arrived immigrant women. It is today a museum depicting facets of its own history.

Hyde Park Barracks is one of 11 sites comprising the United Nations-listed Australian World Heritage Convict Sites.

It is open from 9.30am to 5pm daily except on Good Friday and Christmas Day. An admission fee is charged.

Sydney Tower Eye

Right in the heart of the city, Sydney Tower Eye is an unmissable landmark and home to an observation deck, a Skywalk, and a 4D Cinema.

Previously known as Sydney Tower, it appended Eye to its name in September 2011.

Sydney Town Hall

Located on George St in the heart of the city, Sydney Town Hall is a favorite meeting place of locals and visitors alike. It is home to Sydney City Council and a venue for the arts.

Queen Victoria Building

You won't miss Queen Victoria Building with its distinctive domes just north of Sydney Town Hall. It houses specialty shops and is a mecca for shoppers.

St Mary's Cathedral

A distinctive landmark just east of Sydney's Hyde Park in the heart of the city is St Mary's Cathedral, the mother church of Australian Catholicism.

Central Railway Station

At the southern end of Sydney's central business district, Central Railway Station (called Central, for short) is a transport hub for trains — interstate, country and suburban — trams and buses. Its clock tower is quite easily recognizable and visible from a number of areas around it.

Anzac Bridge

Anzac Bridge, spanning Johnstons Bay at Glebe, is one of Sydney's most recognizable landmarks, together with its commemorative Digger statue.

It was opened in December 1995, replacing the adjacent old Glebe Island Bridge, and named Anzac Bridge on Armistice Day (November 11), 1998, as a memorial to the Anzacs, soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps in World War I.

Anzac Bridge has a main span of 345 meters and a total length of more than 800 meters. From two 120-meter-high towers, 128 stay cables support the reinforced concrete deck. It is the longest cable-stayed span bridge in Australia and among the longest concrete cable-stayed span bridges in the world.

The bridge is a key link between the Sydney city center and the suburbs to the west.