Riding the new Sydney Metro Line: Art lover’s guide
The new Sydney Metro Line from Chatswood to Sydenham changes the way you experience Sydney, as local travel writer Joanne Karcz discovered when she spent a morning riding the rails and discovering its artworks.
This page contains affiliate links. You can find our full disclosure policy here.
Crows Nest is the first stop on my Sydney Metro discovery journey from Chatswood to Waterloo. It’s a suburb I seldom visit. Public transport has been awkward and it’s difficult to find parking. But not anymore.
As I’m not driving today, but arriving on the new Sydney Metro, I have no parking issues. Being mid-morning, I easily get a seat. It takes 11 minutes from Chatswood Station.
Crows Nest Metro Station
After tapping off with my Opal Card, I take the Clark Street exit.
Stingrays swim across the façade above the lifts. At the top of the escalators, the Ceramic Wall Relief by Esther Stewart reference “North Sydney’s once booming brick and tile industry.” Well, that’s something I didn’t know.
With plenty of cafés and bars to choose from, I’ll now readily meet friends for coffee or a drink in Crows Nest. The independent bookshop, Constant Reader, is another drawcard.
Victoria Cross Station
Only a minute down the tracks is Victoria Cross Station, in the heart of North Sydney. The new Victoria Cross Precinct has plenty of food offerings including Marrickville Pork Roll and a Two Good Coffee Cart, part of a social enterprise that supports women in crisis.
Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden is a short walk down Miller Street off Lavender Street through Clark Park.
With Barangaroo only 3 minutes away and Central 9 minutes, it seems that I spend more time waiting for the metro (never more than 6 minutes) than on it.
Barangaroo Station
Warm tones of Sydney sandstone welcome me to Barangaroo Station. Seven tree sculptures are mounted on the walls. They represent the same species of trees as those found in Barangaroo Reserve.
Wrapped around four station columns, bronze bands are inscribed with the Aboriginal names of other trees from the Sydney Basin.
Exiting the station, my eyes are drawn to Nawi Cove, sparkling in the late winter sun. This is the perfect starting point for a walk around Barangaroo Reserve, Walsh Bay and back to Circular Quay.
The walk will have to wait. I’m on a mission to discover the Metro and my next stop is Martin Place Station, 2 minutes away, in the heart of the city.
Martin Place Station
From Martin Place Station it’s an easy walk to Hyde Park, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Art Gallery of NSW (7-minute walk). In Martin Place itself there’s the old GPO, now the Fullerton Hotel, and to access Angel Place, home of the “Forgotten Songs” sculpture and the Sydney Recital Hall.
Mikala Dwyer’s Continuum is split between the north and south exit of Martin Place Station. The north exit features a shining steel “Möbius” suspended from the ceiling. The brightly coloured ceramic mural on the south exit wall “celebrates the tempo and shape of train travel.”
Birdsong accompanies me as I wander through the passage to Hunter Street. Muru Giligu, Gadigal for “path of light,” is a changing light and soundscape.
I hop back on the Metro for a brief one minute ride to Gadigal Station.
Gadigal Station
Located near Sydney Town Hall, the Galeries and Queen Victoria Building (QVB), Gadigal Station is the perfect place to stop for lunch or a bit of retail therapy.
Visit the nearby Lego Flagship Store in Pitt Street Mall to see the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Australian animals made from Lego.
Callum Morton’s The Underneath consists of two towering murals at the Gadigal Station exits. They reference the Tank Stream that flowed from around here to the harbour.
Central Station
The light rail, metro, suburban and regional trains all stop at Central Station. Looking to surf at Cronulla? Alight here for the train. Perhaps Chinatown or Darling Harbour beckon? Then change here for the light rail.
A giant athletics track ‘mapped out’ on the floor is the work Rose Nolan, titled All Alongside of Each Other. Within the ‘running tracks’, take time out to read some of the meditative phrases.
Behind the escalators exiting the Metro, I discover metal panels with an image of early Sydney etched into them. In one section, holes reveal artefacts uncovered when the station was being built.
Waterloo Station
People who don’t stop at Waterloo station are missing out. Besides the station artworks, there’s nearby South Eveleigh to discover. It’s the site of the former Eveleigh Railway Workshops with its public art and industrial heritage.
Botany Road also has a few surprises in Wild Cockatoo Bakery, Ciccone and Sons Gelato (only open from 1pm) and Atomic Craft Beer. There’s also a mural of Kid Laroi by Scotty Marsh and the Bearded Tit, a neighbourhood queer bar.
Footprints on Gadigal Nura (Country) by Nicole Monks are the result of workshops and collaboration with Aboriginal people who live, work or visit the Redfern-Waterloo area.
What did I think of the Sydney Metro?
The Sydney Metro is impressive. The ride was smooth and fast, and it was easy to navigate the stations. I already have my next trip planned.
I read somewhere that the Sydney Metro Stations could become an Instagram phenomenon.
From the number of people that I saw touring the Sydney Metro with their cameras at the ready, I think it already is.
Got a question? Head over to our Sydney Expert Facebook Group and ask a local.
Need to know
- During the weekday peak, trains depart every five minutes. Weekday off-peak and on weekends, trains run every ten minutes.
- Indicator boards announce when the next train will arrive.
- The Sydney Metro is accessible with lift access to the platforms at all stations and level access onto the train. Carriages have dedicated spaces for wheelchairs.
All images supplied by the author
