Over two hundred years ago, Major-General Lachlan Macquarie’s second wife Elizabeth would leave her house each day and take a walk along a small peninsula where she would find a ledge to sit and watch for ships sailing into the harbour from Great Britain. By 1810, convicts had hand carved her a chair into the sandstone. It has become a well known meeting spot here in Sydney and a historic marvel.
You can visit Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, often called Lady Macquarie’s Chair, via Sydney’s Domain. It is free. It is usually empty. Why? Well because most tourists get the spot wrong! Every time I visit I find crowds of tourist milling around the Mrs Macquarie’s Point where you have a spectacular view of the harbour bridge and opera house.
Mrs Macquarie’s Chair does not have a view of either of Sydney’s iconic landmarks. It faces north-east with a view of Fort Denision and the harbour looking out to the heads. Back in Elizabeth’s time neither the Harbour Bridge or the Sydney Opera House existed! Just above the chair you will spot a stone inscription which refers to the now non-existent Mrs Macquarie’s Road which once sat between Mrs Macquaire’s Chair and Government House, running over 3 miles in length.
If you want to find the chair you need to walk out to the Mrs Macquarie’s Point and then wind around to the right. You should spot it facing the north east.