Royal Clock, Sydney, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Royal Clock is an animated clock that hangs from the ceiling inside the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) at 455 George Street, Sydney. Designed by Neil Glasser in 1982, it sends trumpeters out of its turrets and plays scenes from English royal history in its windows. It is one of the best-loved sights in one of Sydney's grandest shopping arcades.

The story behind it

The clock was made by Thwaites and Reed, a firm often described as the oldest clock manufacturer in the world. Its design dates from 1982, and it came to the QVB around the time the building was being brought back to life.

The QVB itself was completed in the 1890s with a fresh produce market in the basement and shops above, in a deliberately opulent style. Over the decades it fell into disrepair, and there were calls to demolish it. Instead it was restored and reopened in 1986. Queen Elizabeth II is said to have written a letter to the people of Sydney for the occasion. It is sealed in a vault, to be opened by the Lord Mayor in the year 2085.

What to look for

• Watch the turrets on the hour, when trumpeters appear and play the Trumpet Voluntary.
• Look at the six windows that show scenes from English royal history, including King John signing the Magna Carta.
• Stay for the execution of King Charles I, which tends to draw gasps or laughs from the crowd gathered below.
• Lift your eyes to the stained glass, the ironwork and the arcade architecture around the clock, which are part of the QVB's Victorian grandeur.

Tips for your visit

• Arrive a few minutes before the hour so you can find a spot with a clear view upwards. Check current times for the clock's performances.
• Allow 20 to 30 minutes if you only want the clock and a look around the arcade, and longer if you plan to browse the shops.
• The clock is inside the building, so you can see it without leaving the shelter of the arcade. Check current opening hours for the QVB before you go.
• The QVB sits on George Street in the heart of the city, so Town Hall and the surrounding streets are an easy walk away.

See it on a quest

You can reach the Royal Clock on foot as one stop of Sydney Shadows: The Ghost of the QVB, a self-guided quest that takes you through the QVB and the streets around it. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look at the clock and the building more closely than you would on a quick pass. You start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join, and one ticket covers the whole group.