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Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney
Multimedia
City Railway Terminus 1856

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

City Railway Terminus 1856

By

Samuel Thomas Gill

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

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Appears in

Economy The Railways of Sydney: Shaping the City and its Commerce

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Public building Railway stations Trains

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First city railway terminal

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Gill, Samuel Thomas

National Library of Australia

Economy

With the arrival of Europeans, the traditional economy of Aboriginal clans was disrupted, and gave way to the convict economy of the Commissariat and government stores. But this closed economy was soon opened by free settlement, whaling and sealing, shipping and farming success, making Sydney the port for a vast hinterland. Depressions and booms alternated, bringing poverty and prosperity to the city. Sydney's growth and diversity mean that regional economies now exist within the Sydney region.

The Railways of Sydney: Shaping the City and its Commerce

Across the world, steam railways and electric tramways facilitated the expansion of the small cities of pre-industrial times into vast metropolises. This essay explores the role of railways in shaping the Sydney metropolis we know today.

Public building

Railway stations

Trains

First city railway terminal

full record »

Sydney's first railway terminal which was built on the site of the 'Cleveland Paddock' between Devonshire and Cleveland streets and operated between Sydney and Parramatta. It consisted of a single wooden platform covered by a corrugated iron shed, 100 feet long and 30 feet wide (approximately 30.5 by nine metres). It was commonly referred to as Redfern Station due to its proximity to the suburb.