Why the battle over this Sydney site is more than a war on NIMBYs

February 18, 2026 — 7:30pm

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I am a Sydneysider fortunate enough to have access, albeit infrequently, to what lies on the other side of the grand sandstone walls of Victoria Barracks. Few are as lucky as me because the public, which pays for its upkeep, is almost completely locked out of the 13-hectare Paddington site.

Once a year, just before Christmas, my family visits the barracks (after completing security forms and showing photo ID) to watch our eldest parade with his army cadet unit. To my surprise, it has become one of my favourite end-of-year activities.

Before our teenager joined cadets a few years ago, I had never set foot inside the grounds of Australia’s most historic defence site. I do not come from a military family but in December, as I sat in the sweltering sun swatting away flies, I was struck by just how special it is.

The expansive green grass of the parade ground, the beautiful Georgian-style sandstone buildings from the 1840s. Twelve heritage listings across the grounds, originally built by convicts with local materials including........

© The Sydney Morning Herald