IN-PERSON TICKETS BOOKED OUT. TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE TO JOIN ONLINE.

City of Sydney Library Lunchtime Conversations is a series of free talks with authors, artists and experts.

With travel plans disrupted over the last year, many people are rediscovering and exploring their local area. This first talk of our 2-part series offers a deep dive into an alternate view of Sydney.

Imagine you are a bird, flying over Sydney. What might you see and how different would the city look from above? Join City of Sydney curator Margaret Betteridge as she takes you on a guided tour using historical aerial views of Sydney from our archives and collection.

In this 1-hour talk, Margaret will showcase the architecture, history and unique stories of Sydney as viewed from the air. Her presentation will be followed by a short Q&A session.

Margaret Betteridge

Margaret is the curator of the City of Sydney’s civic collection. She enjoys sharing special stories about Sydney through some of the City of Sydney’s fascinating and intriguing objects and archives.

This is a free event however bookings are essential. You can join the event in person at our Darling Square Library or online.

Booking options

Attend the event at Darling Square Library - Covid safety

To join the session in person, choose this option when you book. This is a Covid-safe event. Please read your booking confirmation carefully for instructions on how to join the event according to our Covid-19 safety plan

Please note that the venue has a reduced capacity and bookings are limited to 30 people. If you book a ticket and can’t attend for any reason, please let us know as soon as possible.

Attend the event online

To join the session live on Zoom, choose this option when you book. Please read your booking confirmation carefully for instructions on how to join the event on Zoom. You’ll need to install the free Zoom software on your own computer or device to participate.

This event will be Auslan interpreted. To access the Auslan interpreting, you will need to use Zoom on a computer for this event.

Where: Darling Square Library
Levels 1 and 2, The Exchange, 1 Little Pier Street, Haymarket NSW 2000

When: Wednesday 17 March from 1pm to 2pm

Cost: Free but you can book tickets through the website

Explore the Justice & Police Museum, Museum of Sydney and Hyde Park Barracks during Culture Up Late with extended evening opening hours from 5pm-8pm every Thursday evening and FREE entry.

The historic buildings that make up the Justice & Police Museum once hosted infamous criminals like bushranger Captain Moonlite and sly-grog queen Kate Leigh, as Sydney's police and magistrates kept law and order.

Walk the corridor of cells and check out the chilling collection of criminal weapons and hundreds of photos from the forensic archives. Visit can also enjoy the Murder in the Museum talk (adults only), a drink from our speakeasy piano bar and on 18 and 25 March an escape room-style expedrience.

Sydney Living Museums are joining other major arts and cultural institutions for Culture Up Late, a NSW Government initiative aimed at revitalizing Sydney’s cultural life.

Culture Up Late at the Justice & Police Museum will run until the end of March 2021.

This initiative is part of the Summer in the City program proudly funded by the NSW Government in association with the City of Sydney. We’re working together to revitalise the city centre.

Covid-safe information

All Sydney Living Museums properties observe physical distancing and hygiene measures to protect the health of visitors and staff and minimise the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Please read our COVID-19 Conditions of Entry for more information.

Where: Justice & Police Museum
4/8 Phillip Street, Sydney NSW 2000

When: Thursdays, 12am to 4am
Now until Thursday 25 March

Cost: Adult: $7.50
Concession: $6.00
Child: $6.00
Book tickets through the website

Learn tips to stay safe at the beach from Surf Life Saving Australia.

Surf Life Saving Australia is Australia's major water safety, drowning prevention and rescue organisation.

Our primary role is to save lives on the beach and our 129 Surf Life Saving Clubs and more than 77,000 members in NSW, makes us one of the largest volunteer movements in Australia.

Surf Life Saving is an inclusive and uniquely Australian movement that offers people young and old, the opportunity to make a difference, make friends and maybe save a life.

The workshop will be held online via Zoom. Tickets are free but registration is essential. Please note that spots are limited so only register if you are able to make the event.

This workshop is an associated program of the Lord Mayor’s Welcome for International Students 2021.

Where: Online
See event description for details on how to connect.

When: Tuesday 16 March from 4:30pm to 5:30pm

Cost: Free
You can book tickets through the website

Air Water Love is a contemporary art exhibition presented by the China Cultural Centre Sydney in support of International Women's Day, which is a creative dialogue between Australian Chinese women artists and Australian women artist that reflect the cultural diversity of our contemporary community.

It is the second series exhibition held by the China Cultural Centre Sydney, following the successful WHOSE STORY IS THIS?…anyway! in 2020 that makes a strong commitment to celebrating and valuing women’s voices in contemporary art and to the significance of how women perceive and see the world around themselves, including the influential Australian Chinese Artist Lindy Lee.

Today the greatest challenge confronting humanity, and the future of this world, this planet that we live on, is how we collectively consider our environment. This exhibition privileges cross-cultural women’s perspective on the crisis of climate change, and how we develop our understandings for an ecologically sustainable future.

Air Water Love examines the fragility of our natural environment and reminds us that we need to listen to and increase our awareness of the planet’s warnings regarding the precariousness of our environment, and the need to change the ways we live in this world.

International Women’s Day is a platform for women, across cultures, Chinese and Australian, coming together to express their concerns about climate change, the environment, and the need to deal with these issues differently. With the power of love if we are to continue to breathe the clean air, and drink the clean water that sustains life.

Curator: Nicholas Tsoutas

Artists: Bingbing Chen, Cindy Yuen-Zhe Chen, Maddison Gibbs, Anne Graham, Hong Li, Noelene Lucas, Pamela See, Anne Zahalka.

Covid-safe information

Covid-Safe guidelines

China Cultural Centre in Sydney is registered Covid-19 Safe. We have a Covid-19 safety plan and are committed to keeping you safe.

Hygiene procedure, registration, and temperature measurement will be taken upon arrival.

The social distance of 1.5 meters will be maintained at all times.

Wearing a mask is highly recommended during visiting.

Where: China Cultural Centre (Sydney)
Level 1, 151 Castlereagh Street, Sydney

When: Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm until 29 April

Cost: Free

Book tickets through website

Come and visit a micro-forest in the heart of Haymarket, made of native species including the critically endangered eastern suburbs banksia scrub and beehives containing sugarbag stingless native bees.

Collaborative group the Dirt Witches campaign for environmental justice and action on climate change. The micro-forest creates the layers of a natural ecosystem in the middle of our urban environment.

At the entrance is a changing message board where you can read and share knowledge and information on the project, environmental statistics, plant varieties, upcoming events on site, and the ongoing maintenance program.

This is part of the City of Sydney's temporary laneway art program.

Want to know more? To celebrate the new laneway artwork commissions, the City of Sydney is offering free City Art guided walking tours of public art, led by local artists. You can see this artwork, along with Rochelle Haley's Ever Sun, on the Chinatown at Night Walking Tour. For more information and to book tickets, visit City Art, City of Sydney on Eventbrite.

How to find the artwork: On Barlow Street. Outside 6 Oz Coffee. Between Parker Lane and George Street.

Where: Barlow St
Haymarket, Sydney

When: Every day, all day
Now until Sunday 11 July

Cost: Free