The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.
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Welcome
Welcome to the new look Dictionary of Sydney Trust page and the new home for our blog Looking Up. The new site incorporates the Dictionary of Sydney’s organisational information, access to the Dictionary’s resources, information on our projects, and tips on…
Hellenic Sydney
One of our new articles is about Sydney's Greek communities, one of the largest and oldest groups in the city, with a venerable tradition and great pride. Evzones (Greek soldiers) who led the Greek Day march in Sydney, 28 February 1941,…
Messing about in boats
The tug Hero towing Pamir to Sydney Heads, 1947 photograph by Max Dupain, National Library of Australia nla.pic-an21125310 The Dictionary never forgets that Sydney is a maritime city, and two articles in the latest batch tell stories about the ships that…
Art for art's sake
Photograph by Jill Lummis of the stained glass window in St Paul's Anglican church, Cobbitty 2011 Sydney's always been an arty place, from the carvings and dances of the traditional owners, and the sketchbooks and pianos of the early settlers, to…
From water to ice
The story of Sydney's water supply is an epic, now told by Maclaren North in the Dictionary's new article on Water. From the Tank Stream, and the Botany swamps, through Busby's bore and Centennial Park, to the Nepean Tunnel and…
Party like it's 1899
Sydneysiders love a party. Especially in summer. In recent years, New Year's Eve has become a huge celebration, complete with a theme, massive fireworks, music, and even an iPhone App. But this is not new. Hannah Forsyth's article, newly published…
The Yanks are coming
Life with the American Squadron, by Harry V Ingham, courtesy of the National Library of Australia nla.mus-an6964576 The first Americans arrived in Sydney with the First Fleet. They've been here ever since, as Margaret Park outlines in her new article on Americans,…
Walking a tightrope
One of the Dictionary's colourful characters is Henri L'Estrange, showman, aeronaut and funambulist, who brought spectacle, danger and daring to Sydney on several occasions in the 1870s and 1880s. Mark Dunn, whose writing for the Dictionary is supported by the Sydney…
Shop until you drop
Christmas shopping crowd on Park St 1959, National Archives of Australia A1200, L29751 It's that time of year, and the streets outside our office near Sydney Town Hall are thronged with shoppers trying to find the perfect present. New to the Dictionary…
The Trials of Thomas Muir
Tune into ABC Radio National’s Hindsight Program this Sunday afternoon at 2 (or download the podcast) to hear Dictionary of Sydney author Dr Beverley Sherry talking about the life, letters and trial of Scottish political prisoner Thomas Muir with other…