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A prominent 1885 seminary for Catholic priests was the setting forThomas Keneally’s novel Three Cheers for the Paraclete . It is now a college of hospitality and tourism.

Since opening in 1998 these studios have created Moulin Rouge , The Matrix series, Mission Impossible II and Star Wars: Episode II . The massive entertainment complex houses 15 restaurants, bars and cafés serving everything from Asian to Mediterranean fare. For the kids there’s mini golf, cinemas, bungy trampolines, seasonal ice skating, an interactive TV studio, an indoor playgound, bowling and electronic games. There are also four live performance venues and numerous shopping options. The Farmers Market offers gourmet delights from the country, and the Weekend Market has gifts, clothes, movie memorabilia and crafts.

Every Saturday from 10am– 4pm, the grounds of Glebe Public School are used by market stalls selling new and second-hand clothes, records and bric-a-brac. A great source for flares, leather jackets and sunglasses, Glebe Market offers great bargains.

Glebe came about as a series of land grants to wealthy free settlers. Two remaining Regency villas, Toxteth Park and Lyndhurst, were designed by celebrated Colonial architect John Verge. Today it is a hippie enclave characterized by New Age and health food shops and laidback locals. Leafy and settled into hills with harbour views, the area has a village atmosphere. Glebe Point Road runs through the centre, from Broadway up to the water at Jubilee Point, and is lined with shops and cafés. To experience Glebe’s bohemian side, watch an arthouse film at Valhalla Cinema, then pop into Sappho bookshop and café for a latte.

Northeast of Balmain, Goat Island was one of Bennelong’s (see Sydney Opera House) favourite picnic spots. In the 1830s it was used as a gunpowder magazine and convict barracks. One prisoner, Charles “Bony” Anderson, tried numerous times to escape, receiving 1,200 lashes for his troubles. He was chained to a sandstone “couch” for two years. The island later became a base for the Water Police and Fire Brigade, and in 1925 shipyards were built on its western side. In the 1990s it was the film set for the TV series Water Rats . Boasting fantastic views of Sydney Harbour, the island and its tours are both managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (see Sydney Harbour National Park).

While there are many Greek businesses in Marrickville and it’s fun to browse the many shops on Marrickville Road, the best Greek restaurants are spread further out. For wonderful modern food, visit Perama. Steki Taverna is more traditional, plate-smashing included.

After WC Wentworth’s (see Wentworth, Blaxland & Lawson) daughter was married, her husband commissioned the architect John Hilly to construct this Gothic residence. However, the couple left for England before its 1851 completion. It later became a home for mothers and babies, before the NSW government purchased the property in 1911. The ground floor is now open to the public, while the NPWS (see The Islands) occupies the rest of the building.