The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.
The Governor's Demesne
![Survey plan showing boundaries of Governor's Demesne 1816](https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/slnsw.dxd.dc.prod.dos.prod.assets/home-dos-files/2016/06/PlanofGovernorsDomain.jpg)
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The Domain was established by Governor Macquarie along with the Botanical Gardens in 1816 when it encompassed a far larger area than we know today. Now only four small precincts, it used to cover the area from Woolloomooloo Bay to Circular Quay and south to Hyde Park. The edges were chipped away by the establishment of cultural institutions like the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the State Library of New South Wales, the Opera House, Government House and the Conservatorium of Music. Later road infrastructure carved out portions with the development of the Harbour Tunnel and ramps for the Cahill Expressway. During the day the Domain has always been characterised by picnics, cricket, public commemorations and weddings. But at night beneath the fig trees and on the lawns, Sydney’s lovers have found an alternate space. As early as 1832 Daniel Delaney was charged with 'making love to a ‘Shelah' in the Domain at the unseasonable hour of 11pm.’ For many of Sydney’s homeless it’s also been place of refuge. During the 1930s as people lost their jobs and failed to make rent, they turned to the Domain. A whole shanty town soon sprang up. At night there were campfires, as people gathered round billies of tea, gossiped and told stories. Perhaps most significantly the Domain represents a space where people can gather to protest, to rant and to rally.![Speakers corner at the Domain, PIX, 18 March 1939, p20](https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/slnsw.dxd.dc.prod.dos.prod.assets/home-dos-files/2019/09/nla.obj-448995111-20-SMLR.jpg)
![Saturday's Demonstration in the Domain, Sydney Mail 15 August 1917, p22](https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/slnsw.dxd.dc.prod.dos.prod.assets/home-dos-files/2017/07/A-large-demonstration-of-women-outside-NSW-Parliament-House-during-the-Great-Strike-of-1917.jpg)
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