Macquarie Place, Sydney: See the Sirius anchor & Obelisk

Macquarie Place Park in Sydney, Australia, is home to the Obelisk where road distances are traditionally measured from. It’s also where you’ll find the anchor of the Sirius, lead ship in the First Fleet.

Where is Macquarie Place?

Macquarie Place is a small park in Sydney’s Central Business District. This Sydney park is a 220 metre walk along Loftus Street from Circular Quay, from where you can take Sydney Harbour hop-on, hop-off cruises and jet boat adventure rides.

Macquarie Place is easy to miss as it is small, and surrounded by busy streets and high buildings. One of these is the Sydney Harbour Marriott hotel.

13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book

The Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains.

(💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
(Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
(🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.

The Obelisk, Macquarie Place

This easily overlooked triangle of land near Circular Quay is a treasure trove of oddities. First up is the Obelisk, which was constructed in 1818.

The Obelisk in Macquarie Place, Sydney, is engraved with distances to key points elsewhere in New South Wales. These include Bathurst, Liverpool, Windsor and Parramatta.

The Obelisk in Macquarie Place is where road distances in NSW have traditionally been measured from. It is, effectively, Sydney’s true centre.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Skip the queues – and get the best prices – with mobile-friendly advance tickets for these top Sydney attractions.

Taronga Zoo – the zoo with harbour views (and plenty of cute Aussie animals)
Sydney Opera House – official walking tour. See behind the scenes!
Wild Life Sydney – Aussie animal favourites in convenient Darling Harbour location. Perfect if on limited time.
Sydney Cricket Ground – behind the scenes secrets tour.
Sydney Tower Eye – 360 degree views from 250 metres above the city.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Sirius anchor in Macquarie Place Park

Nearby is a big anchor, and closer inspection shows it belongs to the Sirius.

The Sirius was the largest ship in the First Fleet, which brought the first wave of British settlers to Australia in 1788.

The Sirius later got wrecked off Norfolk Island, and the anchor was rescued decades afterwards.

The gun in front of the anchor also belonged to the Sirius. This was later repurposed as the signal gun at Signal Hill near South Head, telling ships they were close to the entrance of Port Jackson.

Historic Sydney walking tours

You can visit (and learn more about) Macquarie Place Park as part of a two hour walking tour which focuses on the Rocks area and Sydney’s convict history. These historian-led walking tours cost $44 at time of writing, and should be booked in advance.