Wilkie Collins' sensational novels captivated readers throughout the nineteenth century—including many in colonial Sydney. This walking tour explores locations around Macquarie Street, Hyde Park, Church Hill and The Rocks, revealing surprising connections between Collins' fiction and Sydney's own colourful history. Participants will discover scandals, eccentric personalities and remarkable historical events that mirror the themes found in Collins' novels, bringing literature and local history together in an engaging new way.

DELIVERY MODE

Face to face

COURSE OUTLINE

Meet at the Il Porcellino statue outside Sydney Hospital opposite Martin Place in Macquarie Street 10 minutes before the tour begins.  

• Sydney Hospital
• Mint
• St James Church
• Supreme Court
• Dymocks: Morning tea
• Catch Light Rail from QVB to Bridge St
• Lang Park
• Gallows Hill
• Big Dig
• Lunch
• Suez Canal
• Outside Justice & Police Museum

Lots of walking with 2 or 3 steep hills in The Rocks to climb.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Outline the life of Wilkie Collins.
• Describe the plots of some of Wilkie Collins’ novels.
• Re tell some historical stories from Sydney
• Locate and describe some significant historical sites in Sydney
• Perceive connections between English fiction and Australian history