Fridays at The Mint

Enjoy snacks, rum cocktails and drop-in tours inside the historic Mint building.
Alec Jones
March 07, 2023

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Overview

There's a lot of history packed onto Macquarie Street in the Sydney CBD. At the south end of the road is a stretch of especially historic buildings, including Hyde Park Barracks, NSW Parliament House and The Mint, which is over 200 years old. Despite its age, The Mint can still throw a party.

Each Friday in March, its Bullion Store will transform into a bar after hours. Expect tasty snacks (think wagyu beef burgers, parmesan shoestring fries and sriracha popcorn chicken) and Brix Distillers-made rum cocktails alongside drop-in tours exploring the history of the building.

Here's a quick intro lesson: The Mint started its life as Sydney's first general hospital, built in 1816 for the cost of 45,000 gallons of rum (hence the rum cocktails). Then in 1855, to manage the NSW gold rush, it became the first branch of the Royal Mint bank outside of London.

That's just a sample of the fun facts you can learn. You'll get the full story on one of the drop-in tours — which run at 5.30, 6.30 and 7.30 pm. The doors to the event are open from 5pm to 8pm, giving you plenty of time to snack, sip and study your way through the halls of The Mint.

Fridays at The Mint runs every Friday throughout March, from 5pm to 8pm. Entry is free. For more information, visit the website.

Information

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