Queen Victoria Statue, Sydney, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

The Queen Victoria Statue stands outside the Queen Victoria Building on Druitt Street in Sydney, Australia. This bronze figure of the monarch was made by sculptor John Hughes for Dublin, where it was unveiled in 1908, and it came to the City of Sydney as a gift from Ireland in 1987. Few statues in the city have a longer or stranger journey behind them.

The story behind it

John Hughes created the statue for a public spot in Dublin, at a time when all of Ireland was under British rule. In the 1920s, during the years of Irish struggle for independence, it became a source of controversy, and it was taken down in 1948. It then spent decades out of its original setting before the people of Ireland offered it to Sydney, and it was installed beside the Queen Victoria Building in 1987.

The building behind it has its own tales. The QVB opened in the late 1890s, and one of its best-known early tenants was Mei Quong Tart, a Chinese-born businessman who ran popular teahouses around Sydney, including a famous one here. In 1902 he was attacked in his office with an iron bar, and he died the following year. Legend says his ghost still wanders the building, tipping his hat to people before vanishing down a corridor. That is a ghost story, not a documented fact, but it is part of the building's folklore.

What to look for

• The bronze figure of Queen Victoria herself, seated and crowned, which looks out over the busy street and is a good place to ask how a statue from Dublin ended up in Sydney.
• The small wishing well nearby with a bronze dog, Islay, a pet of Queen Victoria.
• The sandstone walls, domes and detailing of the Queen Victoria Building rising directly behind the statue.
• Sydney Town Hall close by on George Street, which gives you a sense of how much Victorian-era architecture still surrounds this corner of the city.

Tips for your visit

• The statue is outdoors on a public street, so you can see it at any time. Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty for the statue and the wishing well.
• Go early in the day if you want clear photos before the pavements fill with shoppers and office workers.
• The Queen Victoria Building is open to visitors as a shopping centre. Check current opening hours if you want to walk through the interior.
• Town Hall station, Sydney Town Hall and St Andrew's Cathedral are all within a short walk, so it combines easily with a wider stroll of the CBD.

See it on a quest

You can reach the statue on foot as one stop of Sydney Shadows: The Ghost of the QVB, a self-guided ghost-themed walk through the area. 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 details rather than just walking past. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever suits you, with no guide and no group to join.