I’m in Sydney & the surrounding area for the week, visiting the wonderful Theresa, having a much-needed mini-holiday with Mr D, and, most importantly, speaking in conjunction with the ‘Tales from the East: India & New South Wales‘ exhibition at Old Government House, Parramatta, Sydney. I was incredibly excited about getting the opportunity to visit Old Government House.  It’s the oldest public building in Australia and one of the few authentic examples of Georgian architectures in the Antipodes.  It’s also an extremely important structure from a historical standpoint.  It’s strongly linked to both Australia’s convict and colonial history, and to Governor Lachlan Macquarie.  Macquarie is sometimes called the ‘Father of Australia’.  While his legacy is chequered, he was undeniably central to shaping Sydney & New South Wales general trajectory in its formative years as a colony. He and his wife Elizabeth were also responsible for expanding Old Government House to its current structure.  The house is furnished as it would have been under their residence, in the style of the 1820s. Theresa and I were …