of drug overdose deaths in Australia. Officials at Uniting Sydney MSIC said the place was also chosen because the local community was very supportive of trialling the initiative in their area.

A visit to MSIC reveals the benefits for the local Kings Cross community are obvious. At one time the whole place used to remain occupied with people injecting drugs, openly.

Today the place is clean and calm. In 1990’s there were increasing number of businesses in Kings Cross illegally renting rooms for purpose of injecting illicit drugs. In 1999, it reported the highest concentration of people dying from drug overdose in Australia.

After recommendations and surveys, New South Wales Government invited Uniting Church in Australia to apply for licence to operate supervised injecting centre. There was an agreement that everyonewas then let to an American tenant, Robert Parsons, in 1970. Parsons sank a fortune into the place and rebuilt and remodelled extensively.

In recent years the Trust have taken management of the property again and have opened it to the public.

The gardens are extensive and for the most part presented in an informal, semi-wild style, with swathes of wild plants dominating the steep banks. There is a more formal, walled garden next to the house presented in an italian style. A small lake below the house is a perfect wildlife habitat and a small, recently discovered summerhouse must have been a perfect viewing station.

On the day of our visit much of the house was given over to an exhibition of art. A bit of a disappointment to me