Glebe Society Guided Walks 2025

Dorothy Davis and Katherine Vernon, 2025, updated monthly

Upcoming Walks 

Please book all Walks through the Glebe Society’s page on Eventbrite.

When	Walk	Details	Leader(s)	Meeting place	Cost
Wednesday 5 November, 11 am–1 pm WAITING LIST ONLY	Explore Camperdown Cemetery	Following the popular Rookwood Cemetery Walk, we're delighted that Max Solling will be guiding another visit, this time to the Camperdown Cemetery at St Stephen's Anglican Church in Newtown, designed by Sir Edmund Blacket. Admire the church's architecture, note significant graves (eg Major Thomas Mitchell and those lost in the wreck of the Dunbar) and wonder at the fate of the original 'Miss Havisham'. Excellent coffee and lunch options on King Street for refreshment afterwards (not included in the walk cost).	Max Solling	The St Stephen's church gates on Church Street, Newtown. (370 bus takes you close)	$20 (Glebe Society Members), $25 (non-members)
Sunday 16 November, 2 pm–4 pm	Discovering Ultimo	A repeat of a popular walk in 2024 exploring the industrial past of Ultimo: source of power, quarried stone and electrified transport; the last remaining or re-purposed huge wool stores; and the area’s revitalisation as a hub for inner city residential and office accommodation as well as education and culture. So much rich and hidden history in our neighbouring precinct. We will finish at the Lord Wolseley Hotel for a drink.	Patricia Hale	Bus stop on Broadway outside UTS.	$20 (members), $25 (non-members)

 

Past Walks this year

Annandale's grand streets, grand houses and grand pianos: October	In this walk, led by Jenny Broe and Katharine Vernon, we explored Annandale’s distinctive character that was shaped by its colonial farming estate history and planned transformation into a ‘gentleman’s suburb’ designed for the middle class. We learnt about the enterprising Colonel Johnston and his Annandale farming estate; the master builder and property speculator John Young and his ‘witches houses’; and the amazing Octavius Beale and his piano manufacturing enterprise, the largest in the British Empire.
Toxteth Park (House) and the Toxteth Estate: September	Max Solling took us on a brief tour of some of the outstanding houses in the Toxteth Estate before introducing us to the grand Toxteth House in front of St Scholastica’s College. This was an opportunity to see inside Toxteth House built by well-known colonial architect John Verge in 1831. Max’s deep interest in and knowledge of the history of Toxteth House was complemented by access to the historical records of Toxteth House explained to us by Archivist, Johanna Mead.
Highlights of the Maritime Museum: August	The visit included a Behind the Scenes guided tour, to see some of the 150,000 objects in the museum's collection that are not normally accessible to the public. Also a visit to the workshops and conservation laboratory, the Secret Strike - War on our Shores exhibtiion about the Japanese submarine attack on Sydney Harbour in 1942, and the international Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.
A Bus Trip to Rookwood Cemetery visiting the burial sites of some famous Sydney families and Glebe identities: June	A repeat of the popular visit to Rookwood Cemetery in 2024. Max Solling lead us through the different denominational sections of the Cemetery and across the extensive parklands identifying monuments, headstones and inscriptions of interest and relevance to Glebe. It was a fascinating and enjoyable event; we saw the burial sites of famous – and infamous – residents of Glebe-Forest Lodge. This includes Lady of the Lake publican Robert Hancock – rumoured to have kept his ‘lunatic’ wife in a tower – whose Rookwood burial site is marked by a life-sized, heroic statue of himself and his dog.
Three of the best: an afternoon sojourn amongst Glebe’s treasured heritage: March	An event honouring Ian Stephenson, our former President. Talks by three experts all of whom have studied aspects of the outstanding significance of Glebe’s ecclesiastical heritage. Features of the event included the beautiful stained glass windows of St James, insights into the architectural heritage of St John’s, and a recital on the St John’s historic organ. Memories of Ian were shared.