The Domain is 34 hectares of open space in Sydney, Australia, situated on the eastern edge of Sydney’s central business district, near the vowel-rich Woolloomooloo. It is part of the Sydney Gardens complex which includes the Royal Botanic Gardens, Mount Annan, Mount Tomah and the National Herbarium.
The Domain is a very popular venue for large open-air events, including musical happenings such as Opera in the Park which is held every year during “The Festival of Sydney” and “Carols by Candlelight”. This lush expanse of green with its sports fields and large open spaces is also in daily use as exercise and relaxation areas for the city’s locals. The Domain’s rim houses the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Pavilion on the Park Restaurant, serving refreshments on its outdoor terrace and deck area. Mrs Macquarie's Point with its famed “Mrs Macquarie's Chair”, hand-carved from sandstone in 1810 for Governor Macquarie's wife Elizabeth, is an easy 20-minute walk away.
The Domain can be accessed by many modes of Sydney’s public transport. Train stations St James, Martin Place or Circular Quay all serve the area. There are also regular services supplied by ferries, Sydney Explorer buses and car parking is available.
In 1816 Governor Macquarie inaugurated both the Domain and the Royal Botanic Gardens, sharing the view with other early governors that important cultural building should be built there. The Art Gallery of New South Wales, State Library of New South Wales, Government House, the Opera House and Conservatorium of Music were built in the Governor Macquarie’s old stables to added to this vision.