Why hundreds of Aussies are flocking to this Sydney street

For 11 months of the year, Mcdougall street Kirribilli is a quiet Sydney suburban street. But in November, the Jacarandas hit full bloom and the tourists come pouring in.

Jacarandas line both sides of McDougall Street, creating a famous “purple tunnel”. 

In some years the crowds have been so thick, that police have stationed themselves in the street to maintain order.

While the coronavirus border closures have reduced the number of international tourists flocking to McDougall Street, plenty of Australians are still turning up to snap a picture of the purple haze.

Parking in the street is difficult. If you want to see the bloom before it fades, it may be better to catch public transport and walk.

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Purple rain

Mcdougall street Kirribilli may be an Instagrammer’s dream, but it isn’t the only place that you can see Jacarandas in bloom in Australia.

You can see jacaranda trees in the Royal Botanic Gardens, plus a few trees around Circular Quay and the Rocks. 

The back streets of Paddington and outside the Victoria Barracks on Oxford Street have equally stunning purple displays.

In Vaucluse you can photograph Jacarandas with harbour views.

The best blooms  in the inner west can be found on the University of Sydney campus and through the back streets of Glebe and Erskinville.

Camden in South West Sydney has an incredible display of 39 Jacaranda trees, planted in the town centre sometime in the 1920s.

Best regional Jacaranda spots

Outside of Sydney, Grafton on the NSW mid-north coast is know as the Jacaranda capital.

Every year the regional city hosts the Jacaranda Festival between October 27 and November 4.

In Perth, WA, Jacaranda trees start to flower in November and peak in December.

Head to Applecross to see WA’s best Jacaranda tunnel.

Jacaranda origins

Jacaranda trees are native to Brazil. 

According to Sydney Living Museums no one is quite sure how so many of the trees were planted in Sydney.

One story credits a hospital matron who allegedly sent newborns home with a Jacaranda seedling.

However, the trees were popular a popular choice with councils attempting beautification programs from the early 20th century through to the end of the 1960s.