The Dickerson Gallery is housed in a classic 3-storey Sydney terrace house at 34 Queen St Woollhara. The house has been the residence and studio of the late Robert Dickerson - one of Australia’s most celebrated figurative artists, it is now occupied by Jennifer Dickerson and son and gallery manager Sam Dickerson. It has also been the home of 20thC Australian novelist Eleanor Dark, and her father the NSW politician and writer Dowell O’Reilly.

 

Now an HHA property member, this building and its occupancy history is the subject of a focussed research project.

 

Join Jenny Dickerson, Sam Dickerson, and researcher Catherine Banks in conversation with Ross Heathcote for a lively discussion that promises to tackle the subjects of art, literature, architecture and history..all in the one house!

 

Morning tea will be served

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$35 members / $45 non-members

Join Dr Rachel Franks, in conversation with Ross Heathcote, for an evening all about crime and punishment in colonial New South Wales in the beautiful new venue, Hickson House in The Rocks, Sydney.

Rachel will reveal the story and spaces occupied by the noseless hangman "Nosey Bob"  – the longest-serving executioner for New South Wales. Rachel’s new biography of Nosey Bob is a dramatic tale of life, death and radical social change that is told through the sixty-one men and one woman who met him, under the worst possible circumstances between 1876 and 1904.

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Hickson House is the home of the impressive new distillery, bar and kitchen in the heritage-listed Metcalfe Bond Stores. 

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Ticket holders are welcome to bring their own copy of An Uncommon Hangman: the life and deaths of Robert ‘Nosey Bob’ Howard for signing. Flyers, to order signed copies, will also be available on the night.

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$35 members / $45 non-members

Join local historian Beatrice Scheepers for a walk along the (mostly) shady Long Cove Creek, known as the Hawthorne Canal. This southern tributary of the Parramatta River is a heritage–listed artificial waterway located in the western reaches of Sydney Harbour.

The canal was originally a natural waterway known as Long Cove Creek, that has been straightened and given artificial banks. It is thought that the Creek, during pre-colonial times, formed the natural boundary between the Gadigal and Wangal people, while today, it runs between the suburbs of Leichhardt and Haberfield.

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Come for a walk along its banks and discover the creative arts hubs, heritage infrastructure, engineering marvels, and stories of rebellion. Total distance 4km and finish with a coffee and cake and in Moulin Café cafe in Lewisham.

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$35 members / $45 non-members

Take a unique tour experience of the Mudgee region, featuring ‘behind the scenes' visits to a selection of historic houses, civic buildings and gardens.

From grand rural homesteads and elegant Mudgee town residences - from contemporary solutions for heritage buildings, to an interior tour of Gulgong’s famous opera house - this tour will provide rare opportunities to meet with property owners, hear from architects and historians, and take in stunning heritage streetscapes, all in a relaxed and engaging environment whilst enjoying the delights of this of burgeoning region of NSW.

Fine local fare is on the menu at a variety of splendid dinner and lunch venues, accompanied by wines from Mudgee vineyards. Accommodation is booked at a comfortable 4 star motel in central Mudgee, and transport is via luxury coach.

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Tour Highlights:

• Opening dinner with introduction talk by architect Cam Anderson and HHA General Manager, Ross Heathcote.

• A private tour of Burrendulla Estate by owners, Petrina and Jeremy Cox.

• A guided tour or Gulgong Opera House and town tour. 

• A tailored civic tour of Mudgee led by local historian, Ned Dixon.

• A private tour of the Merotherie property with owners, Jim and Mandy Bowman.

• A feast of dinners and lunches at boutique wineries and restaurants featuring local fare and wine from the region.

• 4-star motel accommodation at The Horatio.

• Free time dotted through the tour to explore the surroundings.

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Book now, limited tickets available

Dr Davina Jackson is an international writer of books and websites on architecture, technology and urban geography themes. She is a councillor of the Royal Society of New South Wales and a visiting scholar with Cambridge’s Department of Architecture.

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She joins us at Lindesay for a coffee morning about her new book, Australian Architecture: A history.

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Released earlier this year, the book explores how early colonial building designers like James Bloodworth, Francis Greenway and John Lee Archer interpreted classical European styles using local stone and timber.

Dr Jackson examines how medieval and Renaissance monuments influenced leading architects during the 19th century, until the fresh winds of modernism and demands for a unique Australian style took over in the 20th century, with environmental challenges and technological innovations driving change in recent years.

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$35 members / $45 non-members