The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

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The first tram death

Horse-drawn tram outside General Post Office, Sydney c1865, courtesy National Archives of Australia C4078, N7037 It's long been accepted that the composer Isaac Nathan was the first Australian to be killed by a tram, but thanks to information from a Dictionary…

Faith in Action

Canon Hammond at Liverpool December 1935, courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW hood_12742 / Home and Away 12742 One of the new entries on the Dictionary is a biography of Robert Brodribb Stewart Hammond by Dr Meredith Lake. The well-known rector…

The Great Tribal Chase – Sydney’s amazing race!

  Missing the scavenger hunts of your youth? Pull a tribe together and get yourself down to the Great Tribal Chase. Have a great day out and raise money for those in need. Good Beginnings Australia, a national charity building better outcomes…

New to the Dictionary

Kate Rickards in costume c1888, courtesy Powerhouse Museum, Tyrrell Collection 85/1286-498 With Sydney's St Patrick's Festival now behind us, it's time to look at what else is new to the Dictionary. There are 13 new articles to explore, covering key Sydney…

Celebrating Sydney's Irish heritage: The Dictionary of Sydney goes green

Notice promoting female emigration to New South Wales from Cork, Ireland c1835, courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW a6087008 / D 356/17/8 Who were the first Irish people to see Botany Bay? What do Hyde Park Barracks have to do…

Bennelong at the Opera

Portrait of Bennelong Signed "W.W." , courtesy Dixson Galleries, State Library of NSW a1256013 / DGB 10, f13 On March 24, as part of the Message Sticks Festival at the Sydney Opera House, Dictionary of Sydney authors Keith Vincent Smith &…

The Great Tribal Chase

We're proud to announce that the Dictionary of Sydney is partnering with The Great Tribal Chase, Good Beginnings’ charitable fundraising event. National children's charity Good Beginnings provides free early intervention and practical parenting programs for disadvantaged children and their families. The…

The myth of Sydney's foundational orgy

Sydney Cove, Port Jackson 1788 by William Bradley, courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW (a3461012 / Safe 1/14 opp p 84) Next Wednesday, 6 February 2013, is the 225th anniversary of the coming ashore of the first boatload of convict…

We are hiring - Editorial Coordinator

Do you have a strong editorial eye? Are you web savvy? Do you have a passion for the history of Sydney? Then this part-time role could be for you! The Dictionary of Sydney is seeking a suitably qualified Editorial Coordinator to…

Centennial Park turns 125

Centennial Park was officially dedicated on 26 January 1888, when Sir Henry Parkes declared: "The most distinguishing feature of modern civilisation is the beneficial provision made for the enjoyment and the health of the people, and this great park, which has…