EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS

Free Admission -
Customs House exhibitions and events are open to the public and free of charge to attend, unless otherwise indicated.

E-Newsletter -
Discover the latest exhibitions and events at Customs House by subscribing to the City of Sydney What's On e-newsletter, click here.

Please note that exhibition and event timings are subject to change.

Dragon to Dragon
A photographic retrospective of the CNY Parade
by Sharon Hickey

Ground Floor, & Exhibition Space - Level 2
23 January to 1 March 2012

The City of Sydney Chinese New Year (CNY) Parade has crept into Sydney’s heart, and is now the second largest CNY parade outside of China. As part of the Sydney Chinese New Year Festival each year the parade produces spectacular performances, where artists from various provinces in China and the Sydney community share and celebrate the remarkable culture.

Dragon to Dragon looks at the many faces that helped create this much-loved and much-followed festival, which gives birth to new beginnings each year. The images selected capture the vibrant energy of the Parade, highlighting the complexities of makeup and costume, the emotions of behind-the-scenes moments, and the diversity of the crowd and participants. The accompanying video, featured over the Media Wall, documents the growth and development of the Parade since 2000.

Image: Sharon Hickey

The Green Desert
by Peter Elfes

Library & Exhibition Lounge, Level 1
2 February to 27 May 2012

A collection of aerial landscape images from the northwest of New South Wales and Lake Eyre, South Australia.

Over the past four years award winning photographer Peter Elfes has documented the desert region around Australia. The Green Desert exhibition is a journey through time into the ancient world of Australia’s desert interior with its infinite horizons and the ever changing landscape of Lake Eyre in South Australia and the northwest region of New South Wales.

It documents the outback in spectacular colour, featuring low level aerial images with astonishing detail that express the beauty and vastness of this remote, environmentally and culturally significant part of Australia.

Meet the Artist - Talk followed by Q&A
Free entry, no booking required
Friday 24 February at 1pm - Level 2, Customs House Library, Circular Quay, Sydney
Saturday 25 February at 1pm - The Palm House, Botanic Gardens, Sydney

Image: Peter Elfes

Swim Kids Operation 10,000
Royal Life Saving Society Australia & Uncle Tobys

Customs House Square, Forecourt
5-12 February 2012

Royal Life Saving Society Australia (RLSSA) and Uncle Tobys are behind campaign Operation 10,000. Kids and their parents are invited to come down to the Operation 10,000 pool set up at the square where there will be swimming demonstrations, learning about water safety, and Australian sporting identities like Grant Hackett and Eamon Sullivan visiting during the week. For more information & opening hours see www.swimkids.com.au. Please note there will NOT be public swimming permitted in the pool, apologies for any confusion.

Image: Swimkids

CUSTOMS HOUSE LIBRARY has a continuous events programme - click here for events & offers.

For Quay Bar events & offers please click here.

For Cafe Sydney events & offers please click here, then events.

For Young Alfred or Cafe Sydney show plus packages with Sydney Opera House please click here.

FREE Wireless Internet is available at Customs House - bring your own laptop and connect! Customs House Library computers are also available.

For venue hire enquiries please click here.