The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.
Search the blogs
Women commemorated by Sydney's suburbs
Elizabeth Macquarie c1819, courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW (MIN 237) As an historian, I'm always interested in how we shape our cities and how we get the names we get. Earlier this week I was looking at the city's…
Maintenance
There's some essential maintenance being done on the Dictionary over the Easter long weekend, which might result in some delays or difficulties searching the site. You should still be able to use Browse menus and links within the site to…
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…
History Council of NSW Awards and Prizes - closing soon!
Submissions close for the History Council of NSW's 2018 awards and prizes on 31 March 2018. Students and history professionals are invited to nominate their work for their chance to be a part of the annual awards program, totalling $6,500. Aboriginal History Prize -…
21st Biennale of Sydney
Ai Weiwei, Law of the Journey, 2017 reinforced PVC with aluminium frame, 312 figures 60 x 6 x 3 m Installation view (2018) at Cockatoo Island for the 21st Biennale of Sydney Courtesy the artist and neugerriemschneider, Berlin Presentation at the…
‘The murderous outrage’: Prince Alfred’s visit to Sydney
Attempted assassination of HRH Duke of Edinburgh at Clontarf, by Samuel Calvert , courtesy National Library of Australia (nla.pic-an9542884) It’s been 150 years since Prince Alfred’s tour of Sydney came to an abrupt halt on 12 March 1868 when an attempt…
International Women's Day 2018
Louisa Lawson, aged 50 c1898 courtesy Dixson Library, State Library of NSW (DL PX 158, 24) March 8 is International Women's Day and today Lisa and Nic looked at three very different women who have shaped Sydney's history, culture and society. Listen…
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, 40 years on
It takes balls to be a fairy, Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras 1983, photograph by William Yang, courtesy National Library of Australia (nla.pic-vn3097593) This year is the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and it has…
Mugshots 1920s style
A few weeks ago I talked about the Registry of Flashmen which was compiled by William Miles, a police commissioner who used the latest surveillance techniques of the 1840s to understand the local criminal class. Fast forward 80 years to…
Heroism in the surf
Front page of The Sun, 7 February 1938 Yesterday it was 80 years since the Black Sunday surf rescue at Bondi Beach, which was commemorated on the weekend with a re-enactment featuring 150 lifesavers, complete with period costume and equipment. You can…