Robertsons Lighthouse and Cremorne Reserve

Cremorne Reserve is quiet park in Sydney with views of the harbour and a delightful little lighthouse. It has some very underrated photography spots that make it worth visiting for a sunset or sunrise. It has 3km of shoreline with coastal bushland, lawns and gardens. I came here for the first time yesterday and was surprised at how nice it is. Dogs are allowed here! There’s a garden upheld by local residents called the Lex and Ruby Graham garden. It’s listed on the National Trust which means its a prime example of Australia’s British history. It was an overcast day so my photos here will be moody and dark – I think this place would be pretty in any weather.

From Cremorne Reserve you can easily see Sydney Opera House and the city skyline. The view of the harbour bridge is slightly covered by buildings though. It’s an interesting outlook of the city, especially with Fort Denison in the foreground. Fort Denison is an old site that was once used as a prison for convicts. I visited it back in primary school when we were learning about convicts. A cannon was fired every day from 1906 to 1942, to help sailors set their ship chronometers. How cool is that old sailing boat next to the fort?

Along the walk through the reserve there are informational signs about Sydney’s history from Aboriginal times through to the First Fleet and right up to WW2. This viewpoint would have been a great place to see Sydney’s history unfold.

Robertson’s Lighthouse

The main reason I came to Cremorne Reserve was to finish my 11 Lighthouses Near Sydney list. Robertson’s Lighthouse is the sister lighthouse to Bradley’s Head Light. It has a similar design and can be viewed from many different angles. We met another photographer from Melbourne who was preparing for sunset.

My favourite angle of the lighthouse were from up on the track. The tree branches frame it nicely, whilst cutting out the ugly barrier gate. Another perspective to try is from down on the rocks by the water. There’s a ladder to the right of the track that goes down the headland. Here I took some photos using a mat-rush plant for framing.

Getting Here

Cremorne Reserve is easy to get to by Ferry and Bus, stopping at Cremorne Wharf. There’s also street parking available.

Bonus! A Classic Fiat 500

Check out this car I found outside the reserve – it’s so small that it makes me look tall!