Mrs Macquarie’s Chair Sydney: Discover the Ultimate Sydney Harbour View

G’day, I’m Matt - a professional tour guide who shows my guests the very best of nature and wildlife in Sydney. But on this blog, I share insider travel tips and local knowledge, one scenic walk at a time.

Today, we’re tackling one of my all-time favourites: Mrs Macquarie’s Chair Sydney.

Get to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair Sydney: A Scenic 30-Minute Walk

The best way to reach this iconic lookout is on foot from the CBD (Central Business District)— just a pleasant 30 - minute stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens. Take your time winding past flowering rock orchids and sculpted sandstone formations. If you’ve packed a picnic, this is the perfect spot to pause among palm fronds and jacaranda blossoms before you hit the shoreline track.

Mrs Macquarie, waiting for the ships from Great Britain

Mrs Macquarie’s Chair Sydney Offers the Ultimate Sydney Harbour View

As you approach the bench carved into the sandstone (by convicts way back in 1810!), you’ll understand why Mrs Macquarie’s Chair Sydney remains legendary. Legend says Governor Macquarie’s wife, Elizabeth, would perch here — glass of sherry in hand — scanning the horizon for ships from Great Britain. Whether that’s folklore or not, the spot affords an unbeatable Sydney Harbour View: the Opera House sails framed by the Harbour Bridge, the navy base at Potts Point, and the glinting tiles of the Andrew “Boyd” Charlton Pool.

We may never know which rock is the true throne, but trust me, both perches offer postcard-perfect photo ops.

Cheers, Matt Tour Director & Wildlife Whisperer Sydney Guided Tours