Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

The Domain

Park in central Sydney which dates from the colony's earliest days.

-33.869690443585, 151.21542587913

Name
Alternate
Sydney Domain
Commemorated by
Property
Part of
Comprises
Type

East Circular Quay

CC BY-SA 2.0
,
2008

The area that is now East Circular Quay was quickly seen as the governor's side of Sydney Cove after colonisation in 1788. The first house built on the point belonged to Bennelong. When the semi-circular quay was constructed from 1837, the eastern side of the bay was used as a quarry. From the 1860s, wool stores and warehouses were built that dominated the landscape until after World War II, when taller buildings were allowed.

Royal Botanic Gardens

CC BY-SA 2.0
,
2008

Planted on land set aside for the governor's demesne, the Botanic Gardens began as kitchen gardens but by the 1840s were already filled with many native and exotic trees and plants for propagation, study and experiment. from the 1850s, the Gardens were laid out according to Victorian principles of garden design, with elements that still give the place a Victorian air.

The Domain

CC BY-SA 2.0
,
2010

Set aside as part of the Governor's demesne by Governor Phillip, the Domain was formalised by Governor Macquarie in 1816, and has been a people's park, cultural precinct and the scene of political action and dissent ever since.