The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.
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Women’s Sydney
Five women in Hyde Park c1939. 1933 - 1943 By Hood, Sam. From the collection of the State Library of New South Wales, a368031 / PXE 789 (v.38) , 112, Mitchell Library What was life like for women living in Sydney…
Contribute to the Dictionary
Download our Guide to writing for contributors here. Convicts letter writing at Cockatoo Island 1849. By Vidors, Phillipe de. From the collection of the State Library of New South Wales A928881/SSV/39, Mitchell Library…
Tourist Sydney
Sir Joseph Banks Hotel, Botany Bay 1857. By Mason, Walter G. Contributed by National Library of Australia, nla.pic-an8021430 It’s summertime in Sydney and with tourists swarming to popular attractions I thought I’d explore the history of tourism in Sydney. Tourism emerged in…
Parramatta Gaol
Parramatta prison 2009. Image courtesy of Airview, 0905-1317-85 Continuing our focus on this year’s Sydney Festival, there’s an array of music, dance, circus and theatre showing outside the CBD, with Parramatta Gaol being turned into a venue. So today I thought…
Circus in Sydney
James Ashton, Ashton's Amphitheatre, 1855. From the collection of the State Library of New South Wales, TN115, Illustrated Sydney News, 2 June 1855 With the Sydney Festival kicking off today I’m sure there are plenty of revellers looking forward to the…
New Year celebrations
Crowd in the Strand Arcade on New Years Eve, 31 December 1901, Australian Town and Country Journal, 11 January 1902 p 21 Sydney is a bit of a party town. Over the years we have celebrated the new year in a…
Summer reading
Caroline Ford, Sydney Beaches: A History, NewSouth books Well, it's almost a wrap for the Dictionary for 2014 and what a year it has been! We've moved office, upgraded and transferred our IT systems, created our first walking app and published…
Me-mel or Goat Island
Goat Island - Place of punishment for prisoners 1841. By Garling, Frederick. From the collection of the State Library of New South Wales a352003/DG*D14, f3, Dixson Galleries One of the things that Sydneysiders have traditionally done over the summer period, and…
The Sydney Punchbowl
Chinese export ware punchbowl depicting Sydney Cove before 1820, courtesy Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales a281002 / XR 10 Nothing says Christmas like punch and last week Lisa and Mitch looked at a very rare artefact held in…
Sydney Culture Walks nominated for FBi SMAC Awards!
Vote for the City of Sydney Culture Walks in FBI's SMAC Awards! Congratulations to the City of Sydney History team whose Sydney Culture Walks app has been nominated for an FBi Radio Sydney Music Arts & Culture (SMAC) Awards in the…