Sydney and Surrounds
A Stroke of Genius, created in 1983 to celebrate the 10th birthday of Sydney Opera House uses contemporary interviews and archival footage to retell the story of the House.
AROUND THE CITY
The Gadigal people of the Eora Nation have lived here for thousands of years. Their journeys across the land were marked by natural features and information by changes in weather and seasons, the movements in the night skies and the cycles in ecological habitats. Knowledge came with connection to country, held in trust by elders and passed on through oral tradition and lore.
Sydney Harbour is one of the most famous sights in the world where you can catch a ferry, sail, paddle or cruise around the inlets, bays and look at the harbour-side homes. There is the Opera House, the Bridge, Manly ferry, the Rocks where European settler’s history started, Sydney Cove, Circular Quay, Botanical Gardens, Luna Park and Taronga Zoo.
North Head and South Head headlands at the entrance of Sydney Harbour are about 2 km apart and serve as the gateway from the Pacific Ocean (Tasman Sea) into Port. There is about 317 km of water frontage on the estuary between the two headlands.
One of my favourite memories around Sydney is the 2000 Sydney Olympics that was sent with Dad enjoying the atmosphere and many of the events.
SYDNEY’S CULTURAL HERITAGE NSW National Parks & Wildlife Services
CITY of SYDNEY | Sydney Culture Walks – Art, architecture, history and culture in your pocket
101 FREE THINGS TO DO IN SYDNEY
ART – 2A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art
ART – Sydney’s public art, architecture and history in your pocket
BARANI Sydney’s Aboriginal History
BROADSHEET Through breaking news, features, event guides and insight from industry experts, Broadsheet is the authority on the cultural life of your city. We’re here to keep you across the goings on around town and to cover, analyse and comment on it all with accurate reporting, sharp photography and clear, clean design.
ECOTREASURES specialises in Eco Tourism experiences of the Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Ku-ring-gai Chase & Sydney Harbour National Park in Sydney, and the surround area’s of Sydney.
GREEN PLAQUES between 1984 and 1988, the Royal Australian Historical Society, in partnership with the City of Sydney and the State Bank of New South Wales, produced 101 commemorative plaques that were installed around the city’s CBD on historic sites and buildings to commemorate the Australian Bicentenary. Map with all the Sydney Green Plaques from the Royal Australian Historical Society.
TIME OUT What’s happening in Sydney
WALK SYDNEY STREETS collection of photos
WHAT’S ON Discover the best events that Sydney has to offer.
Take an online tour of the Sydney Opera House | Join our tour guide Declan as he reveals the stories of this iconic building through history, incredible architecture and anecdotes.
ABORIGINAL CULTURAL CRUISE Immerse yourself in our Culture, meet our people and enjoy the sights of Sydney Harbour. Hear stories of the Cadigal, Guringai, Wangal, Gammeraigal and Wallumedegal people of Sydney Harbour and learn the Aboriginal names and meanings of significant Sydney landmarks, before stepping ashore on Be-lang-le-wool (Clark island, National Park).
SYDNEY OPEN | AUDIO TOURS Experience Sydney in new ways with our self-guided audio tours. Look up and spot intriguing moments in art and architecture, wander through urban parks and gardens, and discover the city’s best public spaces – all at your own pace!
VIRTUAL TOURS Go behind the scenes and explore some of the city’s most compelling spaces with our virtual focus tours. Hear rich stories of history and heritage as designers, architects, curators and other expert commentators discuss each space and what makes it unique.
SYDNEY TALKS SydneyTalks is a free service listing interesting talks in Sydney. Our list is updated regularly to ensure you receive the most accurate information entered by the organisers, but we recommend that before attending you confirm details with them.
48 HOURS in SYDNEY Jennifer Ennion dodges the tourist traps and unveils some hidden gems.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT AROUND SYDNEY and SURROUNDS: OPAL CARD
ECO HOPPER FERRY A single ticket on the Eco Hopper ferry lets you stop off at dozens of iconic destinations around Sydney Harbour including Circular Quay, Fort Denison, Taronga Zoo, Darling Harbour, Pyrmont Bay, Watsons Bay and Manly.
HARBOUR BEACHES FERRY – week-ends only
OPAL CARD for INTERSTATE SENIORS
GETTING TO and FROM SYDNEY AIRPORT
SYDNEY ARRIVAL TRANSFERS TripAdvisor
TRAILS – Four Sydney Culture Trails: Royal Botanic Gardens & surrounds, The Rocks & surrounds, Darling Harbour & surrounds, Chippendale & surrounds.
TRANSPORT TOOL KIT plan your trip
VEHICULAR FERRIES including Mortlake Ferry
WEEK-END NOTES things to do, events and what’s on in Sydney
CITY of SYDNEY LIBRARIES programs and events
THINGS TO DO AROUND SYDNEY
ART GALLERY of NEW SOUTH WALES
Adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens, visitors enjoy the Gallery’s collection of historical and contemporary Aboriginal, Australian, Asian and Pacific art, displayed alongside art from around the world.
The new Art Gallery building, the North Building has been given the Aboriginal name Naala Badu, meaning ‘seeing waters’.
The original Art Gallery building with its 19th-century sandstone facade facing the Domain parklands and the city beyond has also received a Sydney language name, Naala Nura, meaning ‘seeing Country’.
The Museum is a free public museum located on Gadigal land sharing the University of Sydney’s extensive collections including art, science, ancient cultures and changing exhibitions. Located at the main entrance to the University’s Camperdown campus, on University Avenue, opposite the Quadrangle.
WHITE RABBIT GALLERY Is one of the best places to see Chinese contemporary art. It was opened in Sydney’s Chippendale in 2009 by Judith Neilson (who owns the White Rabbit Collection). Since only a fraction of the collection can fit in the gallery, the exhibition is changed twice every year.
FORGOTTEN SONGS commemorates the songs of fifty birds once heard in central Sydney, before they were gradually forced out by European settlement. The calls, which filter down from the canopy of birdcages suspended above Angel Place, change as day shifts to night; the daytime birds’ songs disappearing with the sun, and those of the nocturnal birds, which inhabited the area, sounding into the evening.
AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM Australia’s first museum, learn about Aboriginal history and culture and with over 10 million objects in the collection including dinosaurs, giant marsupials.
BADU GILI– meaning ‘water light’ in the language of the traditional owners of Bennelong Point, the Gadigal people – is a new daily experience that explores ancient First Nations stories in a spectacular seven-minute projection, illuminating the Opera House’s eastern Bennelong sail year-round at sunset and 9pm.
BEACHES – dotted around the harbour are more than 40 beaches and some less know ones are Store Beach, Milk Beach, Camp Cove, Obelisk Beach. Some secret swimming holes include Redleaf Pool, MacCallum Pool, Wylie’s Baths.
Eastern Beaches
- Bondi
- Bronte
- Clovelly
- Coogee
- Double Bay
- Gordon’s Bay
- Kutti
- Lurline Bay
- Maroubra
- Milk
- Nielsen Bay
- Parsley Bay Reserve
- Tamarama
- Tingara
- Watsons Bay
Northern Beaches
- Avalon
- Balmoral
- Bungan
- Dee Why
- Manly
- Mona Vale
- Newport
- Palm Beach
- Queenscliff
- Shelly
- Turimetta
Middle Harbour
- Castle Rock
Georges River
- Sandy Bay
- Jewfish Bay Baths
Sutherland Shire
- Cronulla
- Royal National Park include Wattamolla, Garie and Burning Palms
BIRD WATCHING The Urban Birdwatchers Guide to Sydney
Here, we’ve put together an urban birdwatchers guide to Sydney for Sydneysiders and visitors alike. Read on for the best spots for spotting birds in the city, the species you might see, tips and tricks for successful birdwatching, great ways to make birdwatching a social activity, and more information on taking part in The Great Aussie Backyard Bird Count.
BOTANIC GARDENS, THE ROYAL, these manicured lawns provide an oasis of tranquillity in the middle of the city, the perfect spot for cheese and biscuits with a stunning harbour setting. The Centennial Parklands – just east of the city centre – is another green patch to escape from the urban jungle. Includes the NATIONAL HERBARIUM of NSW, centre for plant research. THE CALYX, WORLD-CLASS HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION SPACE. home to one of the largest green walls in the southern hemisphere. What’s On
CAMPING | THE BEST CAMPING GETAWAYS NEAR SYDNEY
CHINA TOWN
” In Between Two Worlds” by artist Jason Wing, Kimber Lane artwork. The Lane dates back to the 1880s and named after the oyster merchant, Pritchard Kimber.
CHURCHES
- Central Baptist Church, Haymarket
- Christ Church of St Laurence, Haymarket
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Waterloo
- St Andrew’s Catherdral, Sydney
- St Bede’s Church, Pymont
- St Canice Catholic Church, Elizabeth Bay
- St Columbkille’s, Woolloomooloo
- Saint Francis’ Church, Paddington
- St James’ Church, Sydney
- St Joseph’s Church, Edgecliff
- St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney
- St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Sydney
- St Phillip’s Church, Sydney
CINEMAS
- Dendy
- Golden Age Cinema and Bar
- Govindas
- SUMMER OUTDOOR CINEMAS 2017-2018 There are a few visual cues that mark the beginning of summer in Australia. Jacarandas blossoming on suburban streets. Cricket replacing footy on local ovals. Backpackers sunburning on crowded beaches. And big screens popping up in parks and on rooftops around the country, preparing for another summer of outdoor cinema. Because what better way to spend a balmy evening than under the stars watching your favourite flick?
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS in the city: Darling Harbour Christmas Tree, David Jones Christmas Window, Martin Place Christmas Tree, Queen Victoria Building Christmas Tree, St Marys Cathedral Lights, Town Hall Lights, Westfield Sydney, Martin Place & Pitt Street.
COCKATOO ISLAND heritage-listed convict site in the middle of the harbour with overnight camping.
CONTEMPORARY ART A spectacular waterfront location on Sydney Harbour, in The Rocks, dedicated to exhibiting, collecting and interpreting contemporary art. The MCA Collection contains over 4,000 works by Australian and Aboriginal artists. The roof top cafe is well worth a visit for the views across Sydney’s famous harbour.
Taste Cultural Food Tours are the best cross cultural experiences you can have without leaving Sydney! Our unique delicious food tours are offered in some of Sydney’s most vibrant multicultural town centres. Talented local people share mouthwatering treats, local history and their cultural and local stories. You will visit the best places to eat and shop, discovering those hidden gems that only locals know! All our tours are small groups, and all food is included, so you will not leave hungry.
We are a charity and social enterprise aiming to build strong cross-cultural understanding by bringing the wider community together through unique Australian food tours. All our profits are invested into offering training and employment opportunities to refugees, migrants and youth, supporting them into the career of their choice.
CUSTOM HOUSE and a great meeting place
GOVERNMENT HOUSE 1845 Built between 1837 and 1845, Government House was the most sophisticated example of teh Gothic Revival in colonial New South Wales. The State Rooms display an outstanding range of 19th and early 20th century furnishings and decoration, reflecting the changes of style and differing tastes of New South Wales Governors and their wives. The house is sited in an important historic garden, with exotic, trees and shrubs, carriageways, paths and terraces. Unlike other surviving colonial houses in Sydney, Government House has retained its setting and most importantly its relationship to the harbour.
CYCLING
Sydney’s top 5 cycling routes
HIGH TEA suggestions
- Vaucluse House TearoomsWentworth Road, VaucluseSet among 10 hectares of manicured gardens that stretch all the way down to Sydney Harbour, Vaucluse House is a historic sandstone mansion that was built in the 1830s. Added to the building in the 1930s, The Tearooms are art deco in style and overlook the gardens.
- The Tearoom at the QVBQueen Victoria Building, 455 George Street, SydneyCrystal chandeliers hang from the Victorian ceiling of this beautiful tearoom, which was once the QVB’s original Grand Ballroom.
- The Langham Sydney89-113 Kent Street, SydneyThose looking for an opulent high tea experience should head to The Langham for a British-inspired affair of pastries, truffles and macarons made by their in-house patissiere. Set in the hotel’s elegant Palm Court in the grand lobby with pretty harbour views.
- Gunners BarracksEnd of Suakin Drive, Georges HeightsCosy up in the elegant tearoom or take a seat on the enclosed terrace with its stunning harbour views for high tea at Gunners Barracks, a colonial sandstone building built in 1873.
- The Intercontinental Sydney 117 Macquarie Street, SydneySet beneath the atrium and sandstone arches of the Cortile lounge at the Intercontinental Sydney.
HYDE PARK BARRACKS MUSEUM 1819
Designed by convict architect Francis Greenway, the Hyde Park Barracks housed male convicts in government employment between 1819 and 1848. At one time the barracks was home to more than 600 men and boys, who slept in hammocks and worked as slave labour around Sydney. Traces of the broken shells that once covered the grounds around the building can still be found. They were placed there so that anyone trying to walk on them could be heard easily.
Later it became a female Immigration Depot for single women and girls and a Government Asylum for women.
The Historic Houses Trust saved the barracks from destruction, restoring the building and converting it into a museum in the early 1990s.
JUSTICE and POLICE MUSEUM 1856 Originally the Water Police Court (1856), Water Police Station (1858) and Police Court (1886), the Justice & Police Museum features a Magistrates Court; a police charge room; a remand cell; a gallery of mug shots of Sydney’s early criminals; an array of spine chilling weapons; forensic evidence from notorious crimes; displays exploring police history, bushrangers and punishment in society.
LATITUDE 23 GLASSHOUSE Botanical Gardens. Between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn grow rare, spectacular and precious plants. See a rotating display of exotic flowering orchids, hoyas and more.
LIBRARY, STATE LIBRARY of NEW SOUTH WALES One of the great libraries of the world with a history dating back to 1826. With its historic spaces, renowned collection, free exhibitions, dynamic public events and premier Australiana bookshop .
LIVING MUSEUMS, SYDNEY cares for a group of 12 of the most important historic houses, gardens and museums in NSW on behalf of the people of NSW. Our purpose is to enrich and revitalise people’s lives with Sydney’s living history, and to hand the precious places in our care and their collections on to future generations to enjoy.
MARKETS
- BONDI MARKETS: every Saturday, beachside location at the local public school
- CARRIAGEWORKS: every Saturday and walk around the regularly held exhibitions in the adjacent art precinct
- GLEBE MARKETS
- GROWERS MARKETS: first Saturday of the month on the waterfront in Pyrmont
- KINGS CROSS MARKETS: every Saturday till 2pm at Fitzroy Gardens, Macleay St, Potts Point, gourmet food and produce market, specializing in Certified Organic and fresh produce
- THE ROCKS: Foodie Market, 9am – 3pm, Fridays, Jack Mundey Place under the shadows of
- PADDINGTON MARKETS:
- Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Rocks Markets, 10am – 5pm, Saturdays and Sundays, Playfair Street, George Street, Jack Mundey Place
Our fave top 10 Sydney Markets
MUSEUM of SYDNEY: built over and around the remains of Australia’s first Government House, the earliest foundations of British colonisation in Australia. In 1788 Governor Phillip chose this site for his official residence. Today, through a diverse and changing program of exhibitions and events, the Museum of Sydney takes you on a journey exploring Sydney’s people, places and cultures then and now. The remains of the original building can be glimpsed through glass openings in the museum forecourt and foyer.
MCA CAFE and SCULPTURE TERRACE: A great place for a bite to eat with an amazing view over Syndey Harbour.
Sydney’s buried history you’ll never get to see
THE historian Grace Karskens was incredulous. The Museum of Contemporary Art intended marking the nation’s oldest dockyard buried beneath the gallery’s $53 million extension with an arrow pointing to concrete. Admittedly, it was a 2.7 metre arrow, illuminated and by the artist Brook Andrew.
”Why? What’s that got to do with the dockyard?” said Associate Professor Karskens, who thinks it ”a bit mean” to mark the site with a few lines from the artist without explaining what lies below.
THE MINT STORIES FROM THE MINT
The hospital was the first project in Macquarie’s ambitious building program. His plan was for a spacious and elegant hospital for 200 convict patients, but as profits from the rum deal fell, so did the quality of workmanship. When completed in 1816, the hospital formed an imposing group of three buildings – a central building for hospital wards (now demolished), a northern wing (now Parliament House) to house the principal surgeon, and a southern wing (now The Mint) to house his two assistants – but even at the time, it was widely criticised. Convict architect Francis Greenway thought the columns lacked ‘Classical proportion’ and found serious structural faults. Within only a few years the buildings required extensive repairs, while for the convict patients who suffered its poor ventilation, overcrowding and rampant dysentery, it quickly became known as the ‘Sidney Slaughter House’.
NATIONAL PARKS where you can get a free workout. Get your nature fix and save money at the same time! Ditching the gym and finding free local outdoor activities is an absolute no-brainer for your mind (and your wallet). Smashthe kind of workouts your colleagues will actually want to hear about, you’ll even get to see some picturesque Aussie landscapes while you break a sweat!
- Bradleys Head – either the short walk around the headland or longer on to Chowder Bay – deserves to be more popular. Alternative information.
NATIONAL PARKS Top getaways near Sydney
Looking for a break close to Sydney? Escape to Sydney’s majestic Royal National Park and enjoy a stay at the beautifully restored Hilltop Cottage, Reid’s Flat Cottage or Weemalah Cottage. Dreaming of a country getaway? Head to historic Hartley or Jenolan Caves near the Blue Mountains. Or, indulge in a deluxe stay at a colonial heritage cottage in the heart of Sydney Harbour National Park.
High Tea is held every Friday in the Stranger’s Restaurant and provides a rare opportunity for the public to experience a Traditional High Tea served on the Parliamentary Crested Wedgwood plates.
NEW YEARS EVE: Sydney Harbour National Park
NEW YEARS EVE RING IN 2019 IN SYDNEY with YHA Sydney Harbour YHA is the only hostel perched above Sydney’s historic Rocks and boasts quite frankly the greatest view of the harbour you could hope to absorb. Sit from sunrise to sunset, people watching and seeing the city buzz by, explore Circular Quay and all that the city has to offer, then toddle back to the rooftop for an exclusive New Years Eve celebration that you’ll never forget.
OBSERVATORY Is part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. The Sydney Observatory is a heritage-listed meteorological station, astronomical observatory, function venue, science museum, and education facility located on Observatory Hill at Upper Fort Street, in the inner city Sydney suburb of Millers Point in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by William Weaver (plans) and Alexander Dawson (supervision) and built from 1857 to 1859 by Charles Bingemann & Ebenezer Dewar. It is also known as The Sydney Observatory; Observatory; Fort Phillip; Windmill Hill; and Flagstaff Hill. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 December 2000.
OCEAN POOLS
- Bondi Icebergs, Sydney
- Bronte Baths, Sydney
- Bulli Rock Pool, Wollongong
- Coalcliff rock Pool, Wollongong
- Merewether Ocean Baths, Newcastle
- Wylie’s Baths, Sydney
The Sydney Opera House is an extraordinary site in Sydney Harbour at Bennelong Point, an architectural masterpiece, one of the world’s most famous buildings and a World Heritage-listed masterpiece. The building’s organic shape and lack of surface decoration have made it both timeless and ageless.
The area was previously known as Jubgalle and changed by early settlers to Cattle Point because the livestock of the First Fleet landed there. It was later renamed Bennelong Point after the Aboriginal Bennelong whose hut was built there.
An Ambitious state Premier (Joseph J Cahil), a visiting American architect (Eero Saarinen) and a young Dane’s billowy sketches (Joem Utzon) were the key factors which generated the Sydney Opera House and made it one of the world’s most recognised modern buildings. Construction started in 1959 but it was not until 1973 that the Opera House was officially opened by the Queen.
Maths of the Sydney Opera House with superstar maths teacher Eddie Woo
Join award-winning maths teacher, author and Wootube star Eddie Woo on a marvellous adventure around the Opera House uncovering the mathematical concepts behind the construction and design solutions of building the Sydney Opera House. Learn about geometry, infinite numbers, and the importance of creativity in STEM. Each episode features special guests who have consulted on the design of the Opera House and includes a worksheet to support continued learning.
The People Who Shaped the Opera House
PICNIC SPOTS
Summer suggestions for in and around Sydney
- BASIN PICNIC AREA take the ferry across Pittwater to Ku-ring-gal Chase National Park and spark up a barbecue
- BICENTENNIAL PARK, Sydney Olympic Park
- BOTNAY BAY NATIONAL PARK La Perouse and Kurnell
- CARTER CREEK shaded picnic tables and gas barbecues by the river
- CENTENNIAL PARK Paddington
- CHIPPING NORTON LAKES Chipping Norton and is a part of the Georges River system
- CLARK ISLAND in Sydney Harbour
- GARIE BEACH in Royal National Park, an hour south of Sydney
- RESOLUTE PICNIC GROUND Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, West Head, Hawkesbury River
- LEURA CASCADES looking across the Jamieson Valley in the Blue Mountains
- LOBSTER BEACH in Bouddi National Park on the Central Coast with sheltered beach fringed with national bushland
- NIELSEN PARK positioned at Vaucluse in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, harbourside cafe
- PICNIC POINT Beorges river
- SHARK ISLAND in Sydney Harbour
- THE SUGARLOAF Harold Reid Reserve, Middle Cove
- WATTAMOLLA is popular for swimming, fishing, snorkelling and bushwalking
- WENTWORTH FALLS, Blue Mountains National Park
From open grassy spaces to beachside locations, national parks in and around Sydney have plenty to offer for everyone. For Sydney Harbour views, pack a picnic and go swimming at Shark or Clark Island. Just north of the city in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, you’ll find tranquil waterside picnic areas at Bobbin Head and The Basin. And if you’re in the mood for a day trip with friends or family, Blue Mountains and Bouddi national parks are popular hotspots for a lazy picnic.
Sydney’s national parks for a picnic under the sun from open grassy spaces to beachside locations, national parks in and around Sydney have plenty to offer for everyone. For Sydney Harbour views, pack a picnic and visit Shark or Clark Island. Just north of the city in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, you’ll find tranquil waterside picnic areas at Bobbin Head and The Basin. And if you’re in the mood for a day trip with friends or family, Blue Mountains and Bouddi national parks are popular hotspots for a lazy picnic.
THE EIGHT BEST PICNIC SPOTS NEAR SYDNEY
POLLINATION at THE CALYX Botanical Gardens. In the plant world, colour is the essential ingredient for pollination. Watch as The Calyx is transformed into an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colour in the new, free floral display Pollination. Curated by the horticultural team at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, the display features a collection of plants and flowers showcasing the role colour plays in natures magnificent act of pollination. Garden beds of vibrant coloured orchids, daisies, gardenias and lilies are set against the backdrop of the display hero -the green wall. The wall, the largest of its kind in Australia, standing at 6 metres high and spanning 50 metres, showcases the Pollination theme with Dichondra, Syngonium and Heuchera.
Pollination at The Calyx is open 15 September 2017– 29 July 2018
10:00 am – 4:00 pm daily.
POWER HOUSE MUSEUM Part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Science. Explores how art and science intersect with our everyday lives.
Exploring Sydney’s abandoned rail tunnels
STEPS and STAIRS
Before the advent of motor transport, the majority of people walked from place to place so it is not surprising that there are some 14 sets of finely crafted stone stairs in the inner Sydney area which give access up and over the high ridges which surround Sydney Cove, with many more to be found in and around the city’s older suburbs. The inner city pedestrian network of lanes and stairs made of local sandstone wasn’t planned, it just grew out of the need to get from one part of town to another as quickly as possible. Motorised transport has not made these lanes and stairs obsolete and using them is still the quickest way to get around.
ART – Sculpture Walk at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Aboriginal Heritage Sydney Walking Tour
Sydney Culture Walks City of Sydney Self-guided tours. Set your own pace as you take in Sydney’s sights. Complete a walk in full or only do part. Find over 400 places or be guided on these walking tours curated by the City of Sydney.
Sydney Culture Walk Immerse yourself in the soul of Sydney’s CBD on a journey to iconic cultural institutions – where art, history and architecture come alive in every stop, and every moment tells a story.
15 Best Walks in Sydney (From Bush to Coast)
21 of the Best Sydney Walks for 2021
Therese O'Leary 
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