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Sydney Opera House (NSW) – Officially opened by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia on October 20, 1973, the Opera House is now considered one of the world’s most distinctive 20th century buildings. Attracting performers from all over the world, it is home to Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony. www.sydneyoperahouse.com |
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Fort Denison (NSW) - Fort Denison, which sits smack bang in the middle of Sydney Harbour was used in the early days of settlement as a place of punishment and confinement for the convict population. During the mid 19th century a fort was built on the island to protect Sydney Harbour. Now a popular tourist attraction, the fort provides superb views of the city skyline. www.sydney.com.au |
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Sovereign Hill (VIC) - Australia’s foremost outdoor museum, Sovereign Hill recreates Ballarat’s first ten years after the discovery of gold in 1851 when thousands of international fortune-hunters rushed to the Australian goldfields in search of riches. See a spectacular $50,000 gold pour, venture underground on a fully guided gold mine or catch a horse-drawn coach and tour the township. www.sovereignhill.com.au |
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Old Melbourne Gaol Crime & Justice Experience (VIC) - Step back in time and walk the road to the gallows in a 19th century prison, be arrested in a modern-day Police Station or put yourself on trial in court. Once housing Ned Kelly and other notorious bushrangers, the Old Gaol gives you a fascinating insight into Australia’s criminal history. www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au |
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Hermannsburg Historic Precinct (NT) – Hermannsburg was the first central Australian town and location of the Hermannsburg Mission, which became the longest-running Christian mission in Australia that operated as a separate Aboriginal settlement. It reflects the way similarly remote bush missions in central Australia operated and the impact of Luthern missionaries had on the lives of Aborigines. www.environment.gov.au |
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Piners & Miners (TAS) - Explore the history of Tasmania’s miners and Huon piners with an intimate guided day tour for up to eight guests from Strahan Village. Walk through the superb Tasmanian rainforest bordering the quiet reaches of the Bird River down to Kelly Basin, on the shores of Macquarie Harbour, site of the old copper mining port of Pillinger. www.puretasmania.com.au |
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West Coast Wilderness Railway (TAS) - Take a trip back in time to where men laboured through mud, rain and treacherous landscapes to forge a link between the mining town of Queenstown and the port of Strahan. The West Coast Wilderness Railway forms a gateway for visitors to explore Tasmania’s unique rail heritage, discovering the inspiring story of the pioneers who built the railway more than 100 years ago. www.puretasmania.com.au |
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Port Arthur Historic Site (TAS) - At once beautiful and darkly tragic, Tasmania's Port Arthur Historic Site is a place of contradictions so significant that it is now one of the outstanding Australian places in the National Heritage List. Thousands of visitors each year are drawn to experience the paradox of this brutal penal settlement which sits quietly on the Tasman Peninsula surrounded by verdant lawns and English oaks. www.portarthur.org.au |
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Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery (SA) – With over 3,000 items on display in an interactive setting, the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery is considered the largest and most significant collection of Indigenous artefacts and archival material in the world. Visitors gain an invaluable insight into a sophisticated civilization that is considered as diverse as the cultures of Europe. www.samuseum.sa.gov.au |
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Naracoorte Caves (SA) - The importance of the fossil record at Naracoorte Caves was officially recognised in 1994, when the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List. South Australia's only World Heritage Site, Naracoorte Caves National Park provides guided tours to a number of significant fossil deposits. www.parks.sa.gov.au/naracoorte/index.htm |
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Australian War Memorial (ACT) - Both commemorating and furthering our understanding of war, the Australian War Memorial provides a fascinating insight into our nation’s military history. From stunning sound and light shows and the kids Discovery Zone to the beauty of the Hall of Memory, there's an experience for everyone. www.awm.gov.au |
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National Gallery of Australia (ACT) - See more than 100,000 works of art from the gallery’s four main art areas of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; Australian; Asian and International. Be sure to check out Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri’s Warlugulong 1977 — one of the greatest Western Desert paintings ever produced. www.nga.gov.au |
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Gallery of Modern Art (QLD) - The Queensland Art Gallery is Queensland's premier visual arts institution and a leading art museum nationally. The Gallery is also recognised as an international leader in presenting innovative museum-based learning programs for children, which are coordinated through the Children's Art Centre. www.qag.qld.gov.au |
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Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame (QLD) - The Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre is Australia’s premier outback heritage institution. Located in the Queensland central western town of Longreach, the Centre provides visitors with a spectacular insight into rural Australia. www.outbackheritage.com.au |
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Fremantle Prison (NSW) - Situated in the heart of bustling Fremantle, this haunting structure is a lasting monument to Australia’s penal history. Step inside and join experienced guides as they explore Fremantle Prison from its convict origins in the 1850’s until its closure as a maximum-security gaol in 1991. www.fremantleprison.com.au |
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Kalgoorlie (WA) - Kalgoorlie’s collection of historic buildings, character pubs and even its brothels, are remnants of more than a century of gold rush history. The colourful days of the 1890’s are still evident in the character buildings, the museums and the memories of these pioneering gold prospecting days. www.australiasgoldenoutback.com |