SYDNEY LIVING MUSEUMS

Stories from Vaucluse House

Closeup of curtains and small table with chairs

Reviving Vaucluse House

Curator Jo Nicholas writes about two significant projects that have come to fruition at Vaucluse House: The drawing room refurbishment that has drawn upon authentic sources and traditional trades, and the redesigned orientation room, enhancing visitors’ understanding of the site’s complex history.

Black and white photograph of Vaucluse House with large fig tree and vine covered verandah

The leprechaun in the garden

Published for St Patrick’s Day in 1911, ‘The Goblin of Vaucluse’ is an intriguing evocation of the garden at Vaucluse House at the turn of the 20th century.

Photograph of a group of orange, green and white pumpkins on a dark background.

A harvest of melons and pumpkins

This autumn the kitchen garden at Vaucluse House has a bumper harvest of squashes and melons. Learn how to care for your cucurbits with horticulturist Anita Rayner, read about the great watermelon heist of 1811 and discover some forgotten heirloom varieties.

Two children, one seated, at piano in drawing room.

Meet the movie maker

To launch a fundraising campaign to mark the centenary of Vaucluse House as a public museum, Sydney Living Museums worked with Gregory Read from Paperbark Films.

Black and white photograph of people seated and standing with house in background.

Vaucluse House: a centenary

A century after the honorary board of trustees voted to form Vaucluse House as a museum, we celebrate their vision and pay tribute to the role Sydney Living Museums has played in preservation, conservation and interpretation.

image of painting showing a dramatic panoramic view of harbour surrounded by natural bushland with Vaucluse estate in the foreground.

Vaucluse House: a brief history

To visit Vaucluse House is to be immersed in the stories and experiences of the remarkable Wentworth family, whose 'romantically hidden' estate and home shaped much of their lives.