Bradleys Head Amphitheatre, Photography Location Review

Bradleys Head Amphitheatre, also known as Booraghee Amphitheatre, in Mosman, NSW, is a premier Sydney photography location to visit with your camera. If you feel the weather conditions are primed for an incredible sunset, this would be the go-to place to capture it.

I suggest this because you can capture the sun setting directly behind all of Sydney’s icons from an excellent angle. Combine that with a fantastic sunset, amphitheatre and many other elements at this location, and you have the ingredients of one amazing landscape photo!

At least, I think so. 😉

Best places to photograph when at Bradleys Head

Bradleys Head is brilliant for landscape photographers. Here, you can capture a photo of Sydney that is slightly different from the common ones you might see.

I read that Bradleys Head is also one of Sydney’s best outdoor wedding locations. When you see this location, it is certainly not hard to see why this might be. I have been here while there was a wedding photo shoot taking place, and it looked impressive.

When visiting this location, you might consider photographing several parts of Bradley’s Head.

They include:

This is a photo taken from the top of Bradleys Head Amphitheatre and looking out towards the harbour. In this photo you can see the stairs, with the grass seating rows branching off to the right and leading down towards the stone jetty. (HDR Image | Sunset | June 2014)

Bradleys Head Amphitheater:

The amphitheatre is a grand, old, charismatic outdoor theatre that offers lots of great photos for visiting photographers. The amphitheatre covers a large area and consists of a great mixture of grass and large stone elements, which lead down to a stone jetty and the harbour.

I have struggled to find out what the history of the amphitheatre is… When was it built, for what exact purpose, etc.?

Whatever the reason, it is a unique site that makes you feel like a play of Shakespear would not be out of place here.

Stone Jetty:

The old stone jetty would be part of the amphitheatre, but it makes for some great photos on its own merits. It stretches a good few meters or more out into the water of Sydney Harbour.

I enjoyed capturing the jetty from many angles and filling up the foreground of my photos with it. The sandstone and other materials used to build it provide great textures. These textures also come across nicely in your photos, adding a little extra.

Bradleys Head Lighthouse:

Around the left of the amphitheatre and beach is Bradleys Head Lighthouse, constructed way back in 1905 and is now heritage listed.

This lighthouse is unlike any other I have seen, with it being situated away from the shoreline. It is accessible via a narrow walkway which also looks great when incorporated into your photos.

I have seen many great photos of Bradleys Head Lighthouse but don’t have any myself. I have focused on the amphitheatre and jetty when visiting this location. So I have marked this as a photography location to revisit and capture the lighthouse.

I am very much looking forward to this.

The Mast of HMAS Sydney:

The mast of HMAS Sydney has been erected at this location to commemorate those sailors who gave their lives in protecting Australia.

HMAS Sydney served in the first world war and was engaged in one of the first Royal Australian Navy battles ever recorded.

The Beach:

The reserve also boasts a small, slim beach with some fantastic large moss-covered rocks. It is yet another element that looks great in the foreground of any photos taken here.

Doric stone column:

As if this Bradleys Head couldn’t get any cooler, a doric stone column has been positioned to the left of the amphitheatre.

This stone doric was taken from the old Sydney Post Office before it was demolished. There are five more dorics positioned somewhere around Sydney. That could make for a pretty cool Sydney treasure hunt of sorts.

I love photographing the big stone jetty! The different textures that it contains look amazing in photos. (HDR Image | Sunset | April 2013)

The skyline of Sydney:

Of course, I would be remiss not to include the stunning Sydney skyline in this list. The million-dollar views are the biggest reason to travel to this location. It makes for an outstanding backdrop for each of the features mentioned above.

From the direction you look out towards the city, you have the Sydney Opera House, and Harbour Bridge grouped closely together. To the left of that, you also have Sydney Tower (previously known as Centrepoint Tower) peeking high above the beautiful city skyline.

As strange as it might sound, some of the best Sydney photography locations, in my opinion, don’t contain Sydney Tower. From places like Kirribilli or Mrs Macquaries Chair (to some degree), Sydney Tower is not included in your photos.

So it is nice that it does get included here, as it is undoubtedly an iconic Australian building.

Did you know: Bradleys Head was used in the Mission Impossible 2 movie set with Tom Cruise? A polystyrene house was constructed, used as a prop, and then removed after filming.

The best time to photograph Bradleys Head Amphitheatre

As mentioned, the sun will set across the opposite side of the harbour. This means that the best time to grab your camera and head to this location will be during sunset.

This time of the day will give you the best opportunity to capture dynamic photos of the amphitheatre and Sydney.

Getting to Bradleys Head Amphitheatre

Bradleys Head Amphitheatre is situated in the beautiful suburb of Mosman and within the Sydney Harbour National Park. It is approximately a 25-minute drive from Sydney CBD to this position. You will know when you are getting close when you pass Taronga Zoo on your left.

Just be careful with parking here, as you might get locked in!

The National Park is open between the hours of 8am and 6pm. If you don’t return to your car and exit by the time the gates close, your car could be stuck until the following morning. If you are worried about this, I have found parking at the entry and walking down to work well.

A bus will probably be your best option if you hope to get there via public transport.

My final thoughts regarding the Amphitheatre

Out of 10, I would rate Bradleys Head Amphitheatre a 9. This location is right up there with Mrs Macquaries Chair as one of Sydney’s best sunset photography locations. In fact, I would probably rate it a little higher as this location offers an incredible amount of variety to point your camera at.

Now grab your camera and enjoy this beautiful location.

I hope that this location review has been helpful.