Previous Events
| For Customs House Square hire enquiries please contact 02 9242 8592 or vmatin@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.
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White Ribbon Day - Boys Day Out Customs House Square, Forecourt & Alfred St Swearing will be the theme of the day on 25 November - White Ribbon Day and UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Head to Customs House Square to swear at the White Ribbon Boys Day Out. There will be pin ball machines and play stations, sports clinics and skills workshops, street artists and more! All with the aim of bringing men and boys together to swear “never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women”. Image: White Ribbon Foundation
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Royal Wedding live site Customs House Square, Forecourt As billions of people across the globe will be glued to their TV screens when Prince William and Kate Middleton marry at London’s Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011, the event will be streamed live from London to Customs House Square. So come down and see the biggest royal wedding since William’s parents Charles and Diana tied the knot in 1981! Image: Nvisage Media
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YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 Customs House Square, Forecourt The YouTube Symphony Orchestra comes to Sydney! You're invited to participate in a celebration of music, creativity, technology and the arts including ensemble concerts, events around Sydney, and an epic, multimedia extravaganza performance accompanied by extraordinary projections on the interior and exterior of Sydney Opera House. The members of YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 will also be putting on live street performances including at Customs House Square. So come and see the free performances between 14 and 18 March during various lunchtimes and afternoons at the square! Image: All About Jazz
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Australian Open 2011 live site 24-30 January 2011 Come down to one of the official Australian Open live sites and watch the tennis action as it happens! And catch competitions, giveaways, and interactive gaming in between the sets. Be part of the world’s biggest stage - the Australian Open. Image: Nvisage Media
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Nagoya Day event Customs House Square, forecourt Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Nagoya-Sydney Sister City Affiliation, Customs House Square will play host to the celebration of Nagoya Day. The day highlights the relationship between Nagoya and Sydney, as well as showcasing the city of Nagoya. Various Japanese performances and art will be on display through the day including a Samurai performance, calligraphy and origami. Image: CBC Creation |
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Golf Australian Masters 2010 live site Customs House Square, forecourt Customs House Square will be host to an official live sites in Sydney for the Australian Masters 2010, the tournament that Greg Norman became synonymous with. The action will be streamed live from Melbourne, and other activities open to the public include a putting green, EA Games and more. Image: Holiday Inn |
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LEGO event Customs House Square forecourt Coinciding with LEGO Duplo’s 40th anniversary in Australia, a LEGO Duplo playzone will be set up at Customs House Square as part of Sydney Architecture Festival 2010. Kids will be able to create Duplo houses, towers and anything else they can imagine! Duplo (bricks double the size of LEGO) were designed for young kids aged 1-5 years to help aid development, spatial awareness, social play and imagination. What if architects today could take inspiration from the minds of kids making houses with Duplo? Image: LEGO |
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Sydney Architecture Festival 2010 Customs House & Customs House Square The Sydney Architecture Festival provides thought provoking new perspectives on Sydney by developing the community's appreciation and enjoyment of architecture and communicating the importance of good design in achieving a sustainable, healthy and culturally rich built environment. The free to the public festival at Customs House will feature talks, exhibitions, installations, and kids activities. Image: Peter Murphy
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Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 live site Customs House Square forecourt Customs House Square will play host to one of the official Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 live sites in Sydney. Live footage will be screened throughout the games, and various activities will be on offer at the square. The live site and all activities will be free and open to the public. Image: Government of Delhi
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The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other Customs House Square forecourt NIDA and Legs on The Wall present The Hour We Knew Nothing Of Each Other by Peter Handke, translated by Meredith Oakes, directed by Patrick Nolan (Legs on the Wall), featuring NIDA Graduating Students. The play is a meditation on a city square, in which we bear witness to the lives of over four hundred characters as they come and go on their daily travels. The forecourt of Customs House was specially chosen for this production as its history, like the play, carries the traces of the rich community of lives that it has seen. For more information, and pre-theatre & supper menus click here. Tickets on sale now through Ticketek - click here to purchase tickets. Tickets only sold through Ticketek. Image: NIDA
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Vivid Sydney @ Customs House Vivid Sydney is back to shine light, music and ideas across the city in the biggest festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere - http://www.vividsydney.com Also located at Customs House Square on Alfred Street is one of the Vivid Sydney festival information booths, open nightly during the Vivid festival. Image: Cambridge Events |
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Chongqing photographic exhibition Customs House Square & Media Wall, Ground Floor FREE to the public As part of Chongqing’s presence at this year’s City of Sydney Chinese New Year 2010 festival, Customs House will host the Chongqing photographic exhibition “Experiencing the Bayu Culture of Chongqing, China”. Featured on Customs House Square forecourt the photography display of over 100 stands of approximately 500 images illustrates the breathtaking sceneries and abundant natural resources, the history and culture, as well the industry and technology of the city of Chongqing, China. The exhibition will also feature inside the venue on the Digital Media Wall with spectacular moving images - Ground Floor, Customs House. The exhibition will be launched on Saturday 20 February at 4.30pm, Customs House Square, by the Vice Mayor of Chongqing accompanied by the highly skilled Chinese Chongqing acrobats who will perform excerpts from their Mulan Acrobat Show (two shows only at 3pm and 8pm on Saturday 20 February at the State Theatre - www.mulanacrobaticshow.com. Image: Information Office of Chongqing |
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Australian Open 2010 tennis live site Customs House Square, forecourt FREE to the public Come down to an official Australian Open live site and watch live footage of the tennis action. Relax with a glass of something cool or a coffee, or simply take a seat on the specially built stand. You can be part of the world’s biggest stage - the Australian Open! Image: Momentum Worldwide |
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Ferrero Festival Of Light Customs House Square, forecourt FREE to the public A beautiful visual light show will be projected onto Customs House facade inspired by Ferrero Rocher’s iconic gold pralines. The show will combine dynamic creative with technology able to read the architecture of the building to transform Customs House during the two weeks. The Festival Of Light promises to wow Sydneysiders and add to the festive atmosphere of the season. To view a time-lapse clip of the light show click here. Image: One Green Bean |
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Australian Masters 2009 golf live site Customs House Square, forecourt FREE to the public Customs House Square will be host to one of the official live sites in Sydney for the Australian Masters 2009, the tournament that Greg Norman became synonymous with. The action will be streamed from Melbourne including the world's greatest golfer Tiger Woods and Australian Geoff Ogilvy. The live site will also include a putting green and pampering for the ladies. Image: Holiday Inn |
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Sydney Architecture Festival 2009 Customs House Square forecourt FREE to the public The Sydney Architecture Festival (SAF) 2009 provides thought provoking new perspectives on Sydney by developing the community's appreciation and enjoyment of architecture and communicating the importance of good design in achieving a sustainable, healthy and culturally rich built environment. The third annual SAF is focused on Circular Quay - the Gateway to Sydney. It is held on World Architecture Day and Habitat Day. The festival will feature architectural tours of the city; activities at the World Heritage listed Sydney Opera House; talks, exhibitions, installations, and kids activities at Customs House; and much more. Image: Customs House Management |
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Ultra_FAB Pavilion installation Customs House Square forecourt The Ultra_FAB Pavilion will feature at Customs House Square forecourt for over 1 week during September and October 2009. The Pavillion was originally constructed as part of an intensive educational course in digital design and fabrication techniques by Masters students and staff at the University of Sydney Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning. It serves as seating for the general public, and the design incorporates an interactive lighting system which brings it to life into the evening. Ultra_FAB will be part of Sydney Architecture Festival 2009 and World Architecture Day 2009 on 5 October 2009. Image: University of Sydney |
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Voodoo Lounge Customs House Square forecourt Voodoo will launch a new hosiery range by creating an innovative retreat at Customs House Square forecourt. Visit the Voodoo Lounge to try the new range on, and be pampered with hair and makeup. Image: Maverick Marketing & Communications |
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Art & About – Aboriginal Art Workshops Customs House Square forecourt Learn more about the works of Open Gallery artists of Sydney and bring out your own creativity at these free public workshops. Create a pair of shell-worked slippers with Esme Timbery, famous for her shell Harbour Bridges. Find out more about the Stolen Generation from Elaine Russell as she takes you through her painting and helps you tell your own story through art. Image: City of Sydney
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LG Studio Customs House Square, Alfred Street A LG studio will be created on Customs House Square to launch LG's largest online consumer promotion. Finalist on high-rating TV show Masterchef, Justine Schofield, will host live cooking demonstrations from the studio. Image: LG |
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Cosmopolitan Magazine Fashion Café Customs House Square, Alfred Street Cosmopolitan Magazine will create fun, fashion and frivolity at the Cosmo Fashion Café. Event activities include a live fashion shoot, professional hair blow-drying from Toni & Guy, new designs from Williams Shoes, glamorous lingerie range from Crystelle, and fashion parades. Image: 30 Days of Fashion & Beauty
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Kid Zoom art project Customs House Square, Alfred Street An art project will be created by artist Kid Zoom on Customs House Square as part of a Red Bull promotional event. The artwork will be created 3pm to 7pm, then displayed during the rest of the promotion. So come down to Customs House and see art created in front of your eyes! Image: Kid Zoom |
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Australian Engineering Week 2009 Customs House Square As part of Australian Engineering Week 2009, the ACEA Bridge Building Challenge is a competition involving design engineer students constructing a bridge spanning 2.5m with lightweight materials. This competition mimics the challenges facing practicing engineers. This is your chance to see Australia's future engineers! Image: Engineers Australia
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Russell James photography exhibition Customs House Square forecourt Customs House will host a photo gallery of work by Australian born international photographer Russell James for the Australasian launch of his retrospective photography book 'Russell James'. James is known for his work for publications such as Vogue and Victoria's Secret, as well as his personal nomadic work focused on the Aboriginal peoples. This exhibition will feature on Customs House Square forecourt in an erected gallery and will be open to the public on 7 & 8 July. Image: courtesy of Zing
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Australian Open 2009
29 January – 1 February, 11am – late daily Come down to the official Australian Open live site and watch the live footage of the Australian Open action. Relax in Gold Class with a glass of something cool or a coffee, or simply take a seat on the specially built seating structure. When the tennis is not on, there will be a number of classic films showing. So whatever time to you chose to join us, you can be assured that you are part of the world’s biggest stage - the Australian Open. Image: HOST
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Rolex Sydney Hobart Media Launch Customs House Square This event will launch the prestigious Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht race by the media. Sailers and skippers will be part of the excitement at the launch, as well as a 30-foot Maluka boat displayed in Customs Square. Channel 7 will MC the media launch, and the race trophies will be exhibited on stage. Image courtesy of Media Opps.
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City of Sydney Christmas Tree Customs House Square To celebrate the festive season, Customs House will display a Christmas tree in the heart of the Customs House forecourt, by the City of Sydney. This huge display will contribute to creating a lively and colourful atmosphere at Customs House Square during the month of December. Image courtesy of City of Sydney.
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Trees for Children Customs House Square In 2008, the Sydney Children’s Hospital's annual fundraising program expands the campaign so that it can be enjoyed by the wider public. A public street art display will be initiated, exhibiting twelve unique Christmas tree sculptures each painted by an artist in collaboration with a well known Australian from the community. Please contact the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation for details on sculptures still available. Trees for Children fundraising site Image courtesy of Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation. |
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Mirror's Edge Interactive Launch Customs House Square This event will be part of a three city experiential campaign for the global launch of the newest EA games IP – Mirror’s Edge. It has been coined as the most anticipated video game of 2008 internationally. The launch at Customs House will be an interactive game day where patrons of the public can visit and experience many of the first hand elements of the game; playing the game on plasma TV’s, watching the game trailer on LCD big screens, and watching professional parkour demonstrations. To view a Mirror's Edge & parkour running clip click here and go to 'Events'. Image courtesy of Peter Murphy. |
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Bhuja Promotional Show Customs House Square To promote Bhuja indian snacks the celebrated choreographer Adam Williams, who featured in the popular TV show "So you think you can dance?" in 2008, cast a team of dancers and actors to create a show featuring music developed by world renowned DJ and producer Sameer Sengupta. Image courtesy of Peter Murphy.
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Vice Magazine Art Installation An upcoming issue of Vice Magazine will feature an article that looks into the idea of putting normal or everyday objects in city spaces. Customs Square was one of the Sydney city locations chosen by Vice to set up art installations of these everyday objects for photography and inclusion in the article. Image courtesy of Vice Magazine. |
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Sydney Architecture Festival 2008 Part of World Architecture Day 2008 this festival will include information booths, by organisations such as Architects Without Frontiers, as well as an Eco Lego building marquee in Customs Square. Talks and exhibitions will be held on ground level, and level 1 and 2 at Customs House. Competitions including Scavenger Hunt and Iron Architect will be run on the ground floor. http://www.sydneyarchitecturefestival.org Image courtesy of Peter Murphy.
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Throw Us A Bone - Interactive Big Screen Meet Sydney Dogs and Cats Home's puppy Frankie. He is hungry and waiting on the big screen at Customs Square for you to throw him a bone. Once you throw him a bone he will do a trick for you plus send a special trick to your phone. Proceeds help give abandoned dogs a new home through the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home who rescue and rehome thousands of abandoned animals each year. To share your life with a four-legged friend, visit www.sydneydogsandcatshome.org
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PARK(ing) Day A park springs up at Customs House! Global firm Arup creates a temporary park in Alfred Street - Customs Square - to highlight the importance of green spaces in the city. Organised as part of PARK(ing) Day 2008, an international event in which volunteers transform city parking spaces into parks and draw attention to the need for urban public spaces.
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| Sheraton Global Out of Office Day Global Out of Office Day (GOOD) is an initiative designed to celebrate the way that modern people conduct business and the freedom afforded to them by internet technology. This will demonstrate that successful people can work from anywhere and remain productive.
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Spring Flower Displays The City of Sydney's Living Colour Spring flower displays return to Customs House Square from mid Sept through to the end of October. The theme for this season's display coincides with the City's Plan, Sustainable Sydney 2030. Image courtesy of Peter Murphy. |
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30 Days of Fashion - Neutrogena Fashion Tank This event was part of 30 Days of Fashion & Beauty. The general public was treated to a day of Neutrogena beauty treatments and pampering, with product giveaways offered throughout the day. A Neutrogena fashion tank with swimming models drew large crowds while fashion photography shoots took place! Models included Nikki Phillips, Kristian Schmidt, CLEO Bachelor Jason Dundas, and Kerri-Anne Kennerley. http://www.mediavr.com/cosmo.htm Image courtesy of 30 Days of Fashion.
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A Quay Moment Customs House came alive at Quay Bar's Cointreau cocktail night - A Quay Moment. Teamed with Yakusan, Quay Bar welcomed guests with Parisian inspired cocktails. The perfect atmosphere was set with pianist Steve Clisby's smooth jazz sound playing in the Red Room, and Kush Cabaret made it a memorable event at Customs House, attracting a large number of guests including Shannon Rivkin and Sara Groen. Image courtesy of Peter Murphy.
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Biennale Hub Customs House Square FREE ADMISSION During Closing Week, join us at the Biennale Hub at Customs House Square each day and night to celebrate the 2008 Sydney Biennale. Sunday, 31 August - Huwston Monday, 1 September - Groovescooter DJs Tuesday, 2 September - Mr Chad Thursday, 4 September -
Gordon ‘Savage Gee’ Watson Saturday, 6 September - Special Guest Sunday, 7 September - Man About Town |
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Stuart & Sons Grand Piano A beautifully Australian hand-crafted Stuart and Sons baby grand piano will be placed in Customs House ground floor and will serve as the focal point for mellow jazz piano performances on selected evenings. |
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Xinran Xue China Witness: Customs House, Level 2, Meeting Room Xinran, formerly a successful journalist and radio presenter in China and the author of The Good Women of China, will give her personal testimony of a generation whose stories have not yet been told on her Australian tour in September. |
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Customs House Square Customs House Square has a giant, globe shaped structure called the Telstra Stratosphere, which doubles as a huge sphere shaped screen; this is the first time this structure has ever been seen in Australia.
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Corroboree Corroboree is a unique fusion of traditional Indigenous storytelling and song, mixed with modern rock and jazz influences. Bringing together four song-men from Beswick, Arnhem Land, and some of Australia’s most exciting contemporary musicians, it is a testimony to the remarkable vibrancy and creativity of contemporary Indigenous performance and culture Under the creative direction of Tom E Lewis (actor and creative director), the ensemble has received rave reviews after their performances in Melbourne. There will be four song-men and five accompanying musicians. Street Art for Change Two award winning chalk artists, Anton Pulvirenti & Jenny McCracken, will be creating a chalk mural depicting the Millennium Development Goals. Drawing on the experience of Caritas Australia in working to achieve each of the eight goals, the mural will illustrate how we can achieve justice and peace and eradicate extreme poverty. Each goal will be represented and identified as the mural is created over the week from 14th to 18th July.
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ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS presents ewb elements: A UNIQUE INDIGENOUS ART EXHIBITION May 31-June 8th ewb: elements is a nation-wide touring exhibition of Indigenous art, featuring hundreds of artworks worth over four million dollars. The works were created by well-known Papunya Tula and Utopian artists, contemporary artists and even some rare stock items from deceased artists. Family and close friends of the artists were on-hand to share the stories of the pieces during the exhibition. Proceeds from the exhibition will help fund work that Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is doing with communities around Australia.
For more information: www.ewb.org.au/elements
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PEN LUNCHTIME READING : DEBRA ADELAIDE Customs House Library Debra Adelaide is the author of three novels, The Hotel Albatross and Serpent Dust, and the new release, The Household Guide to Dying. She is the editor of four themed collections of fiction and memoirs, including Acts of Dog.
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Volvo City Chase Participants in the Volvo City Chase urban adventure series will arrive at Customs House to try to score a goal by driving the ball into the net with a Volvo C30. Customs House is just one of twenty ChasePoints located around the city. Come by to cheer on the adventurers!
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CHINESE NEW YEAR 2008 24th January, 2008 Customs House celebrated the incoming Year of the Rat. Huge public crowds gathered in Customs House Square to watch the award winning lion dancers leap across tall stilts and a dragon dart around the square. The dragon wove its way into Customs House followed by the lion, dancing over the city model. Guests were encouraged to view the Chinese-themed exhibits and enjoy the rest of the evening. Image courtesy of Peter Murphy.
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NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE SITE Dec 31, 2007 Customs Square was part of the Circular Quay precincts New Year's Eve celebrations. As a live site, Customs House Square was a popular meeting place for Sydneysiders and visitors to watch the stunning firework display over the iconic Harbour Bridge.
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ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART PREVIEW
Dec 19, 2007 The organisers of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race showcased this famous yacht race and introduced some of the competitors to the public and media. This prestigious yacht race started on 26 December 2007 from Sydney Harbour and attracted huge media and public interest around the world. |
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AUSTRALIAN OPEN NIGHT TIME TENNIS DOME Enter into a giant dome showcasing the features of the new W910i Sony Ericsson phone. Watch the plasma screens showing up and coming events and highlighting the Australian Open night tennis or try out the Blue Tooth Interactive Graffiti wall. This night time ‘interactive experience’ promotes the Australian Open Tennis tournament. |
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SONY BRAVIA COLOUR CAMPAIGN Customs House Square Sony BRAVIA add a splash of colour to the Square, with a New York Subway Train Carriage showcasing their latest technology and launching their colour campaign in Sydney. |
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MCGUIGAN CITY VINEYARD Customs House Square Sydneysiders were able to experience Australia’s first ever ‘city vineyard’. To celebrate their new range, McGuigan Wines transformed the forecourt of Customs House, into a stunning installation of vines, barrels, roses and lush grass. The ‘McGuigan City Vineyard’ featured all the unique elements of a vineyard, including a city cellar door, wine sampling and wine experts were on hand to give tours of the vineyard and provide handy wine hints.
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Mobile FOXTEL from Telstra Launch Customs House Square The Square hosted a futuristic look as Telstra launched the new "Mobile FOXTEL" allowing Telstra consumers to view 33 FOXTEL™ channels on their mobiles. A large LED screen was placed on the forecourt showing a combination of existing FOXTEL™ channels. Passers by were invited to sit back in one of the stylish egg chairs and get interactive as retractable phones hanging from the tops of the chairs allowed them to experience watching Mobile FOXTEL.
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PEN LUNCHTIME READING Level 1, Barnet Long Room Highly acclaimed Australian biographer, filmmaker and journalist, Meg Stewart, gave a free lunchtime reading at Customs House. The talk was part of a series of readings supported by the City of Sydney and run by a worldwide association of writers and supporters - PEN. Meg read from the recently published revised and expanded Autobiography of My Mother, a biography of her artist mother Margaret Coen, originally published in 1985. Her published works include Margaret Coen: A Passion for Painting, a book of her mother's paintings and a best selling biography of Margaret Olley, Far From a Still Life, published in 2005. Meg won the Australian Book Industry Award for Australian Biography 2006. Her work was among those selected for the inaugural Westfield/Waverley Library Alex Buzo Prize and she was shortlisted for the 2007 National Biography Award
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SINGAPORE AIRLINES A380 DISPLAY Customs House Square Vistors were invited to step into the future and experience the dynamic future of air travel in Customs House Square as Singapore Airlines supported the launch of the incredible A380 aeroplane. A large inflatable structure housing examples of the seats and in-flight entertainment offered onboard the A380 was showcased complete with Singapore Airlines cabin crew. |
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HISTORY & CULTURE OF FOOD - SESSION 2 Session 2: Heather Bentley returned to Customs House to give more talks on the history and culture on food, this time focusing on Ancient China & Japan. "It has been thought for many years that history has influenced the development of food, however my talks illustrate how food has influenced history". |
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ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS AUSTRALIA Building into the Future Engineers Without Borders Australia is a not for profit organisation that works with disadvantaged communities to improve their quality of life through education and the implementation of sustainable engineering projects. For four days they displayed some of their projects to assist with raising awareness and funds for the organisation. A main attraction was the three metre wind turbine which is made from 3500 pieces of Lego. They also built a second turbine which the public participated in by donating money for each of the lego blocks added. The money raised goes towards EWB Australia's running costs and to its projects in places such as Nepal and Cambodia. In recent years the group, which has more than 3000 members, has installed lighting systems powered by solar panels for villagers in the Himalayas, and created ceramic water filters to remove contaminants from the water supply in Cambodia. |
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PECHA KUCHA Slide Night Customs Square hosted a Pecha Kucha night on Customs Square. 10 Speakers presented 20 slides for 20 seconds each. From a single event in Tokyo, Pecha Kucha (Japanese for the sound of coversation) has grown into a global slide night network for creative people happening in cities around the world. The presentations showcase fresh work across all creative disciplines. Images were projected from Customs Square on to the Cahill Expressway. www.pecha-kucha.org Presented by DARCH |
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MAHBOBA'S PROMISE Afghani-born Mahboba Rawi spoke about her astonishing life journey from Afghanistan to Australia, as screened on ABC’s “Australian Story”. Her projects are also one of the focus' for the current exhibition 'Without Frontiers' at Customs House. Mahboba has dedicated her life to raising funds for Afghani widows, orphans and land-mine victims. She is the sole fundraiser for Hope House, an orphanage in Baul, and has recently made her literary debut in “Mahboba’s Promise”. Images of Hope House can be viewed as part of the “Without Frontiers” photographic exhibition currently displayed at Customs House, Circular Quay. Mahboba now resides in Australia, but continues her fight for social justice in Afghanistan. Hear her recount her staggering achievements and startling experiences in a one hour talk on |
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PEN LUNCHTIME READING WITH ANITA HEISS Level 1, Barnet Long Room Dr Anita Heiss read from her novels 'Yirra and her Deadly Dog' and 'Demon and I'm not a Racist, but'. Anita is a member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales and is one of Australia's most prolific and well know Indigenous authors. Anita has performed her works nationally and internationally in various Writer's Festivals and also has been published widely. In recognition of her literary achievements, she was the recipient of the ASA Medal for under 35s for her contribution to Australian community and public life. |
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HERITAGE WEEK March 21, 2007 |
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BREAST FRIENDS’ March 7 - 21, 2007 |
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PEN LUNCHTIME READINGS Feb 6, 2007 Acclaimed writer David Malouf attracted a packed house of over 230 listeners with his reading from his latest book 'Every Move you Make' a collection of tender and unsettlingly intimate short stories of lives played out against the backdrop of the vast Australian continent. He is also the author of 'Dream Stuff' (‘These stories are pearls,’ - Spectator) and of acclaimed novels including 'The Great World' (winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize) and 'Remembering Babylon' (shortlisted for the Booker Prize and winner of the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award). |
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SYDNEY & BEYOND Jan 3 - 22, 2007 Photographs of Sydney and beyond taken by Chinese photographers and were displayed in the level 1 area of library. A successful opening launched the exhibition with attendences from Chinese community leaders and Chinese consular staff. |
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CHRISTMAS & NEW YEARS EVE CELEBRATION Nov 20 - Dec 28, 2006 (Christmas) Customs square was brightly lit with a six metre Christmas tree surrounded by the colourful City of Sydney floral displays of marigold, Celosia and parsley, in the traditional festive christmas colours of red, green and gold. Customs Square was also one the New Year's Eve live site to celebrate 2007. |
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GUEST SPEAKER: KATHERINE THOMSON Dec 7, 2006
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ART & ABOUT Wed 3 Oct - Sun 22 Oct , 2006 The City of Sydney's Visual Art Festival 'Art & About' will be launched at Customs House. For three weeks, the work of renowned and emerging artists will grace the City's streets and public spaces. It’s a spontaneous and vibrant testament to the wonderful City we live in. For further information visit the Art & About website. Image: The Thousand Dollar Bill, Martin Sharp |
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PEN READING - SEPTEMBER Presented in September was PEN author Alison Broinowski, a former Australian diplomat who has written and edited nine books on aspects of the interface between Australia and Asia. She is a member of the Australian Republican Movement, the Asian Studies Association, and the International Advisory Council of the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research. Alison read from her latest book, co-authored with James Wilkinson, 'The Third Try: can the UN work?' |
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LINDA JAIVIN - PEN Readings Bestselling author Linda Jaivin gave the August reading for the PEN lunchtime sessions at Customs House. Linda read from her new book, 'The Infernal Optimist', a humorous and compassionate story about a wise-cracking criminal detained at an Immigration Detention Centre. Linda was a regular visitor to Villawood Detention Centre between November 2001 and June 2005. Linda is the author of three bestselling novels and a novella, all of which have been published internationally, including the comic-erotic cult classic 'Eat Me'. Image: Linda Jaivin |
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WORLD CUP SOCCER Customs Square hosted the World cup soccer live site for the month of June. During the event 'Goal Fest' celebrated the world cup with different cultural performances prior to the game. To view peter's panorama visit his website Image: Peter Murphy. |
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