I was a little early for a work appointment the other day.  The sun was shining and I needed to stretch my legs so I found a parking spot five minutes away from my destination and got those legs working and the activity ring on my Apple Watch to close for the day.

This was the view as I took my first jaunty steps.  I’m standing in the carpark at Federal Park looking out towards the ANZAC Bridge.

I could have quite happily stayed there all morning but duty called.

I got distracted again as I walked up Johnston Street.  Firstly by this fine looking fellow on the wall of a terrace house and then by this ….

The Abbey, one of eight houses John Young built in the 1870s to give Rozelle Bay a bit of glamour and glitz to rival Darling Point and the other harbourside suburbs of Sydney.  Of the eight origina houses, six still survive to this day.

The Abbey is described as an “imaginative, romantic house loosely modelled on a Scottish manor”.

The Abbey is part of the National Trust of conserved historical sites in Australia.

The Abbey has had many incarnations over the years.  It was subdivided and used as a place for private school boarders to live at one time.  It was most recently renovated in 2015 and Google tells me it is now a private residence.

Have you ever stumbled on a piece of local history whilst going about your usual, everyday business?