One of the least known landmarks in Sydney (but one of my favourite) is to be found in the grounds of Old Government House in Parramatta.
Built around 200 years ago in the colonial style, OGH is a pleasant enough place in itself - but not the subject of this discussion.
A hundred yards or so from the main building is a construction which 99,999 out of 100,000 people would consider to be a gazebo. Six or eight sided (I forget which), it consists of a roof, supporting posts, rails and a mortar over stone floor - about 20 feet across. A gazebo right? Wrong - here's the clue: the margin of the floor is raised a couple of inches, so the whole thing is like a very shallow bowl........
Modelled upon Roman structures, the construction is a
vomitarium!! To be used by the amici after a convivia or a comissatio.
stales
Post Edit: Just found a pic on the web of the Parramatta vomitarium!! http://www.parramatta.net/parra3.htm Note that it's now referred to as "The Governor's Bath House". Yeah Right!! Why would the Queen's representative in Australia have an open air bath house so far from the main building in the prudish Victorian times? The Guide on the tour I went on years ago were quite adamant it was a vomitarium. Believe what you will.
