Sydney Heritage (3)

One of the most interesting features of the Lands Department building is the dome above the small hexagonal room on the room. The dome was built as an observatory, although it was never used as such, and you can still see the fittings in the walls. It is reached by going through an office, up one set of stairs to the hexagonal room which was, and probably still is, used as a meeting room, then up another narrow staircase to the dome. The building is usually open to the public once a year as part of the Historic Houses Trust Sydney Open (this year Sunday, 2 November) which gives the public access to old and new buildings throughout the city. The tour of the Lands building included the observatory dome.