International Women’s Day Walking Tour of Castlecrag

Delivered with support from the Walter Burley Griffin Society, this guided walking tour of the suburb of Castlecrag, on Sydney’s lower north shore, will explore the rich lives of Mahony Griffin, Lucas and Buhrich, as well as their enduring influence on the ‘Sydney School’ style of architecture. Visitors will also be given the rare opportunity to visit some of the private houses and public spaces that the women designed.

Members get more: Access an exclusive experience with our CEO Annette Pittman joining the 10am tour. Plus get priority presale and 20% off tickets.

Tour route

Tour starts 136 Edinburgh Road, Castlecrag

The tour will begin outside GSDA No 1 Dwelling, a demonstration home designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin to serve as a model for the intended Castlecrag Estate.

Visitors will meander down the nature pathways that connect the suburb, alongside the Cheong House, a house designed by Walter Burley Griffin in 1922 with a later addition by Hugh and Eva Buhrich. Visitors will see the landscape that inspired Mahony Griffin and learn about her life as an artist and architect.

Stop 1 Duncan House

Duncan House is a Griffin–designed house that incorporates an extension designed by Eva Buhrich in 1941. Here, visitors will explore the house and learn about Buhrich’s experience as an immigrant woman working in Australia’s architectural industry in the 1940s. This part of the tour will be joined by Annette Pitman, CEO of Museums of History NSW and custodian of Duncan House, who will share her own experience of the Griffin and Buhrich legacies.

Stop 2 ‘Glass House’

Visitors will then proceed to the ‘Glass House’, designed by architects WE (Bill) and Ruth Lucas as their own home in 1957. The tour will be joined by Marika Perrow, the house’s current owner, and two of Bill and Ruth’s children, Anne and Christine Lucas. Visitors will get a glimpse of current family life in the house, and learn about Ruth Lucas’s contributions to architecture, education and community development.

Stop 3 Haven Amphitheatre

The tour will conclude at the Haven Amphitheatre (originally the Haven Valley Scenic Theatre) which was created in the early 1930s by Mahony Griffin and a team of local residents, who terraced the valley with stone seating for cultural events and social activities. Here, visitors will learn of Mahony Griffin’s passions for community and the preservation of the natural landscape.

Note: This is a 2 - 2.5-hour walking tour with undulating terrain. Visitors will need a certain level of fitness and should expect to walk up and down steep roads and narrow pathways. They will be walking on road, grass, stone paths and uneven steps. In the event of rain on the day or on the previous day, the tour may need to be rescheduled.