Lady Macquarie's Chair

Lady Macquarie's Chair

Lady Macquarie's Chair is not an actual chair but an open-air rock formation carved into the shape of a bench, featuring three steps. Located in Sydney Harbour, it was reportedly crafted by a stonemason in 1810 to honour Lady Macquarie.

British governor Lachlan Macquarie served as the Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821, and his wife accompanied him to live in Sydney. With her support, the governor achieved great success in his career and was later hailed as the "founder of modern Sydney." Every five years, Governor Macquarie had to return to Britain to report on the colony’s affairs. Due to the long journey and limited transportation at the time, each round trip took 28 months. Lonely and longing for home while awaiting her husband’s return, Lady Macquarie would sit on this rock every day, quietly waiting for the ships to come back and gazing alone at the Sydney Harbour scenery. In response, Governor Macquarie specially instructed the stonemason to carve out this “chair” by the sea for his wife to rest on.

Over time, many began calling this the “Chair of Waiting for One’s Husband” (or “Chair that Brings Good Fortune to One’s Husband”), so visitors to the site often choose to sit on it, hoping to bring some luck to their own husbands.

Mrs Macquarie's Chair

Must-visit reason: Sydney’s most iconic rock bench

Continent: Oceania

Country/Region: Australia

State/Province: New South Wales

City: Sydney