Once part of Vaucluse House estate, owned by William Charles Wentworth, in the 1850s John Reeve (son-in-law of William Wentworth) built Greycliffe House on the rise above Shark Beach.

In 1911 the grounds of Greycliffe were returned to the public and named Nielsen park after the then minister for lands, Niels Nielsen. It was about this time that the seawall, the bathing sheds and the kiosk were built, providing the amenities that the locals were to enjoy to this day. In 1975 both the house and park became part of Sydney Harbour National Park.
 

Today you can visit Greycliffe House, go for a swim and a picnic in the park and enjoy the walk on the Hermitage Foreshore Track, which runs from Nielsen Park to Rose Bay. The walks takes approximately an hour. You can also make this the start of your walk, ending up at Watson's Bay, and if you are particularly fit, you can continue on, following the coastline down to Dover Heights, where you are only a skip to North Bondi and Bondi Beach. Check out the Sydney Walks page. You can also do the historic tours, information available by ringing the number below. There are also children’s playgrounds.

There is public transport to the park, Bus 324 or 325 from Circular Quay, parking is very difficult during the holidays and weekends. The park is open from 5 am to 10 pm.

Looking for somewhere to stay in the eastern suburbs, check out our listing of Eastern Sydney accommodation. In addition to our listed online travel guide information, contact the local tourism visitor centre for your destination for more attractions, tours, local maps and other information.