Q Station, one of Australia's most compelling and unique heritage retreats is again opening its gates to locals and visitors to Manly for its bi-annual Community Open Day from 10-11th September 2011.

This year, the Open Day is running in conjunction with Q Station's Wedding & Events Open Weekend and History Week 2011.

As part of the Community Open Day, Q Station will play host to a range of activities including free history tours, cooking demonstrations and lectures. A number of food stalls will be providing tasty morsels to satisfy visitors throughout the day.

With free car parking and a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, the Wedding & Events pavilion will be a wash with of soon-to-be-brides and their bridal parties. One of Sydney’s favourite and most sort after  locations for weddings, Q Station is ideally positioned to take in the magnificent vistas of Sydney Harbour; the perfect backdrop for wedding ceremonies, stunning receptions and of course breathtakingly beautiful photography, while remaining gloriously private.

Rooms will be set up to showcase intimate gatherings or grand formal affairs and the Executive Chef will be available to talk through tailor-made menus. Q Station's events coordinator will be on-site talking through themeing, and of course, controlling the all important diary to lock in the most important day in the bride’s calendar!

Boasting elegant, refurbished accommodation, in-keeping with its National Heritage status, Q Station is the ideal venue for a unique and eventful wedding.

The theme for this year's History Week brings to the table the edible, appetising and (sometimes) tasty history of food, so expect a smorgasbord of delights to be on offer at Q Station for "EAT History".

A landmark of significance, Q Station is a fitting venue to be part-taking in History Week 2011. Preserved within 36 hectares of the Sydney Harbour National Park at North Head, Q Station occupies the site of Australia’s first and longest-running quarantine station, a place of confinement for more than 13,000 people over 150 years of operation.

As part of the History Week theme, visitors will explore food traditions introduced by immigrants and staff during Q Station's 150-year history. Chefs will be serving up their take on menus from ships which used to dock at Q Station, as well as dishes from special quarantine cookbooks.

Most of the activities and events during the Community Open Day are free. Part of the proceeds from food stalls will be going to Bear Cottage, a children's hospice in Manly.