The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

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Artists' camps

Sydney Harbour: A souvenir c1897, National Gallery of Australia (Acc No: 46598) The enthusiasm for painting outdoors, embraced by the Impressionist movement in France, hit Sydney in the 1880s. A handful of artist camps were established around Sydney Harbour in the…

Shipping hazards

wp-image-17470https://home.dictionaryofsydney.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SLNSW-PXC-f10-a709011h.jpgWreck of the 'Edd Lalm' [Edward Lombe] On Middle Head Fort Jackson 1834, by Oswald Walters B Brierly, Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW(PXC 284, f10)500323/> Wreck of the 'Edd Lalm' [Edward Lombe] On Middle Head Fort Jackson 1834, by…

The Satyr and Five Bells

Life's Tragedy: announcement of Joe Lynch's death in Smith's Weekly, 21 May 1927, via Trove Today on 2SER Breakfast, historian Minna Muhlen-Schulte and Tess talked about the story behind Kenneth Slessor's moving and influential poem, Five Bells.  Listen to the…

The island laboratory

  Loir in the laboratory at Rodd Island, Illustrated Sydney News, 21 November 1891, p12 Our picturesque Sydney Harbour has 13 islands, each with its own fascinating history. Cockatoo Island, Garden Island and Fort Denison all come to mind as popular attractions,…

William Castell: ‘professor of dancing’

Advertisement for Mr Cavendish de Castell's Dancing Academy, 9 March 1833, The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, 9 March 1833, p3 One of the many fascinating people on the Dictionary of Sydney is William Castell, ‘professor of dancing’, musician…

Sydney's hydrofoils

Hydrofoil in Sydney Harbour, 1970. Pic: Mark Faviell / Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/markfaviell/5601046844) A couple of weeks ago when I was last in, I commented upon the hydrofoil footage in David Bowie's film clip China Girl and it transpired that…

New tour! Sydney Harbour Islands

Bennelong Point c1804, Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW (a1528483 / V1/1810/1) The Dictionary of Sydney has launched a new tour! Following on from Convict Parramatta, we can now explore Sydney’s harbour islands on our mobile devices, from the Royal Australian…