FEBRUARY 2026: A historic courtyard in The Rocks has been thoughtfully reworked by one of Australia’s leading landscape designers. With a refreshed planting scheme from internationally renowned Paul Bangay OAM, The Garden reshapes the heritage site into a courtyard defined by colour and seasonal change. Set within sandstone walls dating back to 1881, the public space offers an accessible way to see Bangay’s work in an urban setting, with light food and drink available daily, morning through to the evening.
First launched in April 2025, The Garden has always incorporated planting, but this latest iteration, featuring hundreds of new plants, marks a clear change in direction. Tucked into an easily accessible courtyard of a historic building on Argyle Street, Bangay’s reworking introduces a living garden structured around both permanence and seasonal change. Key plantings remain consistent throughout the year, while layers of seasonal planting are refreshed regularly, ensuring the courtyard shifts subtly over time and gives visitors a reason to return.
“What appealed to me was the long and fascinating history of the space,” says Bangay. “I love working with old buildings in a contemporary way, and the opportunity here was to create a garden that feels alive and changing. Some plants remain as friendly constants, but the overall feeling is one of seasonal shift and nurture — like spending time in a large flowering garden.”
For more than 35 years, Bangay has been one of Australia’s most influential landscape designers. His work spans private estates and public commissions across Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America, and he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to landscape architecture. While widely published and deeply respected, opportunities to experience his work in an urban Sydney setting remain rare.
“The Rocks is already rich with history, so to be able to add something contemporary to that story was incredibly exciting,” says Frank Tucker, CEO of Hunter St. Hospitality. “Paul’s work is so widely respected, and having an internationally renowned designer create a garden that’s open to everyone gives people another reason to explore the neighbourhood.”
Sun-soaked throughout the day, The Garden offers a natural pause point when wandering through The Rocks. It opens at 8am every morning, with coffee and pastries in the morning followed by a lightly refreshed menu from midday. Between 5–7pm daily, happy hour draws people in to linger, with $7 classic cocktails alongside beers, wines and house spirits — an easy window to spend time in the garden as the day winds down.
Within walking distance of the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and the sandstone laneways of The Rocks, The Garden sits comfortably among one of the city’s most visited neighbourhoods. It’s somewhere to drop into between the sights, meet before heading elsewhere, or spend an hour in the courtyard before rejoining the rhythm of the harbour.
