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Circular Quay

Circular Quay

Locality

Area of Sydney's central business district that surrounds the quays built on reclaimed land from the 1830s.

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Mentioned in

Arabanoo Assassination attempt on Prince Alfred 1868 Bray, James Samuel Busby's Bore Buses Cadman's cottage Cahill Expressway Camellia Cazneaux, Harold Celebrating St Patrick's Day in nineteenth-century Sydney City Underground Cremorne Point Culture and customs Dawes Point Dulwich Hill East Circular Quay Economy Education Department Art Gallery Electrification of the Sydney Suburban Train Network Ferries First Government House General Post Office Goat Island Goldsbrough Mort & Co Greenwich International Eucharistic Congress 1928 Irish in Sydney from First Fleet to Federation Italians King's Dockyard L'Estrange, Henri Lawson, Louisa Lightfoot, Louise Lindsay, Norman Macquarie Place Macquarie lighthouse McKenzie, Violet Milsons Point Moore Steps Moore, Charles Museum of Contemporary Art New Year's Eve North Turramurra Northbridge Planning Plummer, George Public lavatories Q Theatre Reading the roads Second Fleet commemoration plaque, The Rocks Selfe, Norman Shopping Smallpox epidemic 1881 Sydney Sydney Harbour: A Cultural Landscape Sydney Technical College Sydney rock oysters The Biennale of Sydney The Domain The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia The Railways of Sydney: Shaping the City and its Commerce The Rocks The Soldiers Riot of 1916 The Tank Stream The decorated footpath The end of transportation Trams Transport War Memorials to World War II and later conflicts Water Waterloo Tanning School Wyatt, Annie Yarra Bay House

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Locality

Circular Quay 1965

full record »

Contributed By

City of Sydney Archives

[044/044385]

(Len Stone / Vic Solomons Collection: 397)

Customs House, Circular Quay undated

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[hall_34787 / Home and Away 34787]

Sketch of Sydney Cove, Port Jackson in the County of Cumberland New South Wales July 1788, T Medland sculp, coastline by W Dawes, ...

full record »

By

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[Rex Nan Kivell Collection Map NK 2456/124]

(from: Arthur Phillip, Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay ..., London, John Stockdale, 1789)

Sydney - Capital New South Wales c1800

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1528055 / DG 56]

(Dixson Galleries)

Sydney from the western side of the Cove c1803

full record »

By

George William Evans

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1528462 / XV1/1803/1]

(Mitchell Library)

Sydney c1802

full record »

By

Giuseppe Antonelli

Contributed By

Private collection

(from 'Galleria universale di tutti i popoli del mondo'. vol III. Venice, 1838-1842)

The entrance of Port Jackson, and part of the town of Sydney, New South Wales c1821

full record »

By

Major James Taylor

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a2916001 / V1/ca.1821/4]

(Plate 1 of 'Panoramic views of Port Jackson', c1821, drawn by Major James Taylor, engraved by R. Havell & Sons, published in London 1823)

North View of Sydney New South Wales, taken from the North Shore 1822

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a928339 / DG V1 / 78]

(Dixson Galleries)

Circular Quay, 1839.

full record »

By

Frederick Garling

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a128237 / DG V1A/28]

Sydney Cove c1845

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By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a928398 / ML 374]

The Cornstalk Polka 1857

full record »

By

George Thornton

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[nla.mus-an6340858]

(Published Sydney : J.R. Clarke)

Circular Quay, looking west 1859

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By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1621007 / ON 235, 7]

(Mitchell Library)

Circular Quay, looking west 1859

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By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1621008 / ON 235, 8]

(Mitchell Library)

Great Victoria and ferry Waratah at Circular Quay 1866

full record »

Image courtesy of the

State Library of Victoria

Circular Quay on Anniversary Day 1866

full record »

By

John Rider Roberts

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[SV1/HAR/CIRC/4]

Taking Edinburgh by Storm - or the Prince cannonaded by Photographers 1867

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Sydney Punch, October 5, 1867, p 155)

Imports Supplement to the Illustrated Sydney News July 1882

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From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Illustrated Sydney News, July 1882, Mitchell Library)

Wool Stores, Circular Quay c1890s

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By

Contributed By

Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

(Tyrrell Photographic Collection)

Atlas of the Suburbs of Sydney - City of Sydney 1889-1894

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By

Higinbotham & Robinson

Contributed By

City of Sydney Archives

Well done NSW, God speed: departure of New South Wales Contingent for Sudan war from Circular Quay 3 March 1885

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From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1528402 / SV/29]

(Mitchell Library)

City of Sydney 1888 (a birdseye view)

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By

Contributed By

City of Sydney Archives

(Historical Atlas of Sydney)

Circular Quay 1892

full record »

Contributed By

Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

Tram to Central Station at Circular Quay c1898

full record »

By

Albert James Perier

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[perier_34450 / Home and Away 34450]

(Mitchell Library)

Horse-drawn omnibus, Circular Quay c1900

full record »

Contributed By

National Archives of Australia

[C4078, N7373]

Man reading newspaper on deck of ferry approaching Circular Quay, 1906

full record »

By

Harold Cazneaux

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

Cazneaux family

[nla.pic-an23242011]

Circular Quay, eastern end c1907-10

full record »

Contributed By

Private collection

Untitled XIX, from the series 'Building the Sydney Harbour Bridge' c1930

full record »

By

Contributed By

Australian Centre for Photography

(Credit line: image courtesy of The Henri Mallard Collection: the Australian Centre for Photography and Paul Mallard)

Circular Quay ferry terminal, looking north to Observatory Hill 1930s

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By

Charles Eden Wellings

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[nla.pic-vn3116559]

Artist's impression in the 1930s of the Lowell delivering ice at Circular Quay in 1855

full record »

By

Edgar A Holloway

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[SPF-Circular Quay, 1855 (5)]

(Mitchell Library)

Morning passengers leave the Manly ferry, Circular Quay, c1946-1949

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a390002 / PXA 907 Box 22, 16]

Circular Quay East towards Bennelong Point 1961

full record »

By

Wolfgang Sievers

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[nla.pic-an14156306-9]

Alfred Street, Circular Quay 1962

full record »

Contributed By

City of Sydney Archives

[NSCA CRS 48/2877]

Town planning model of Circular Quay 1963

full record »

Contributed By

City of Sydney Archives

[SRC4418]

Puppy by Jeff Koons, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Rocks 1996

full record »

By

Jeannie (JIGGS IMAGES) Fletcher

Contributed By

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/41188800@N00/2586369001/]

(JIGGS IMAGES) (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Paving representing the old shoreline of Sydney Cove outside Customs House, c1998

full record »

Contributed By

City of Sydney Archives

[019\019859]

The Rocks and Circular Quay 15 September 2003

full record »

Image courtesy of

[0309-1571-37]

The city to the south 2005

full record »

Image courtesy of

[0510-2713-03]

Circular Quay 2004

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Image courtesy of

[0405-1911-73]

Millers Point and Dawes Point 2008

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Image courtesy of

[0808-2623-93]

Sydney 2008

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Image courtesy of

[0801-1105-21]

Sydney harbour and Museum of Contemporary Art 14 August 2009

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By

Contributed By

[https://www.flickr.com/photos/marksze/3821051378]

((CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

Construction of the AMP Building 1961

full record »

Contributed By

Private collection

Assassination attempt on Prince Alfred 1868

In 1868, Henry O'Farrell tried to shoot the visiting Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria. Although the prince was only slightly wounded, the event set off a rash of anti-Irish feeling in Sydney, and O'Farrell was hanged in record time. Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is a reminder of the event.

Busby's Bore

Part of the new water system designed by John Busby in the 1820s, Busby's Bore was a major piece of engineering infrastructure for the city, and supplied a population of 20,000 with 1.5 million litres of water per day.

Buses

Horse-drawn buses were Sydney's most extensive transport system from the 1860s until the 1890s, when electric trams became more popular. Motor buses expanded their networks between the wars, and electric trolley buses ran on some routes. In the 1950s, trams were phased out, and buses remain Sydney's main road-based public transport.

Cadman's cottage

Possibly designed by Francis Greenway, Cadman's cottage housed John Cadman, government coxswain, from 1827 until 1845. It was subsequently used by the Water Police and the Sydney Sailors' Home, and is now a museum.

Cahill Expressway

Controversial from its inception, the Cahill Expressway seemed necessary in the 1950s to alleviate city traffic congestion. Repeated calls for its demolition have been unsuccessful.

Camellia

Home of the Burramattagal clan, the area that became Camellia was full of game, birds and fish from the Duck River. When the Europeans came, they farmed with mixed success until Silas Sheather set up Camellia Grove nursery in 1852, breeding new varieties. By 1901, when the suburb was named Camellia, the river and railway had brought heavy industry, and suburban houses for workers in the factories. Much of the suburb has since been redeveloped.

Cazneaux, Harold

Born in New Zealand and raised in Adelaide, Harold Cazneaux became one of Sydney's pre-eminent photographers, documenting its changing face and different moods.

Cremorne Point

Once a camping, fishing and ceremonial place for the Cammeraygal people, Cremorne Point was granted to James Robertson in the 1830s and later sold to James Milson. Cremorne pleasure gardens were built there, opening in 1856, with visitors arriving by ferry. From 1903, houses were built, and apartments in the interwar years, as well as guesthouses for holidaymakers. The foreshore was preserved for the public and now has parks, pools and walking tracks.

Culture and customs

Sydney's pre-industrial culture was comprehensive and public, and most European inhabitants were players, performers or spectators. After 1850, distinct but overlapping cultures emerged, imported and adapted from Europe and America. New forms of cultural transmission after World War I enabled the elaboration of new cultures based on ethnicity, age and gender, which have combined to produce Sydney's cultural diversity.

Dawes Point

Known to its Cadigal traditional owners as Ta-Ra, the land that became Dawes Point was Sydney's first observatory and weather station, run by William Dawes. It was fortified to a Greenway design and remained government land. In 1925 part of the fort was demolished for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and most of the land became Dawes Point Park.

Dulwich Hill

Traditionally owned by the Cadigal people, the land that became Dulwich Hill was granted to early colonists Thomas Moore and James Bloodworth in the 1790s. Later owned by Robert Wardell, it was known as Wardell's Bush. By the 1860s Chinese market gardens and orchards, as well as small brickworks and potteries dotted the landscape. Subdivision took place in the 1900s after the railway and electric trams came through, and residential density has continued to rise with the building of units for the suburb's diverse population.

East Circular Quay

Quickly seen as the governor's side of Sydney Cove, the area that is now East Circular Quay, 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.

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.

Ferries

As a harbour and river-based city, Sydney has relied on ferries from the earliest days of the colony's history. In the twentieth century, faster road transport reduced the usage of ferries, but they remain a feature of Sydney life.

First Government House

A two-storey brick house, Government House was the most impressive building in the early colony. It was not well-built however, and required frequent repairs. Plans to replace it were first suggested in 1817, but the new Government House was not completed until 1845.

General Post Office

From convict beginnings, the General Post Office was to re-emerge in the 1860s in Italian Renaissance grandeur when James Barnet created an enduring centrepiece for Sydney.

Goldsbrough Mort & Co

By 1838 wool was Australia's main export, and auctioneer Thomas Mort's wool stores grew rapidly as a major presence in Ultimo and Pyrmont.

Italians

There were Italians in Sydney before the proclamation of Italy in 1861 and stonemasons, fishermen, market gardeners and manufacturers have left their mark on the city. Expanded Italian immigration after World War II brought a strong sense of community and culture that has enriched and enlivened Sydney's cuisine and city life.

King's Dockyard

Built on the western shore of Circular Quay, King's Dockyard was the centre of the boom in boatbuilding between 1803 and 1807 and played its part in the use of native timbers in English naval yards. Its demise after 36 years reflected the end of the era of wooden ships.

Lightfoot, Louise

A trained architect who became a dancer and teacher, Louise Lightfoot made major contributions to two forms of dance, classical ballet and Indian dance. She founded the First Australian Ballet, and later was an advocate, teacher and entrepreneur of Indian dance forms.

Lindsay, Norman

Lured to Sydney by the editor of The Bulletin, Norman Lindsay later found fame as a painter, etcher and writer. His daring images and bohemian reputation made him notable in staid Sydney, and his home at Springwood has, since his death, become one of Australia's most visited house museums.

Macquarie lighthouse

Early colonial Sydney relied on the safe arrival of ships bringing goods and supplies into the harbor and the construction of lighthouses has a long history. Today a Sydney landmark, the Macquarie lighthouse still stands proud and tall against the dramatic beauty of South Head.

Macquarie Place

In the early nineteenth century Macquarie Place was the administrative and business hub of Sydney. Today traces of its long history can be found in the monuments, relics and old trees which still remain.

Milsons Point

Offering some of the most beautiful views of the city, this small enclave, just north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, has a long and intimate link with the Harbour and the ways people have travelled across it.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Housed in an Art Deco building constructed for the Maritime Services Board in the 1940s, the Museum of Contemporary Art is based on the Power collection of contemporary art, gathered by John Power, and maintained at the University of Sydney until premises could be found for it.

Planning

From an accidental city without a plan, Sydney has become a city with many plans. The early town grew without controls, but later governments tried to regulate building and development, and keep up with necessary services and infrastructure. From 1900, resumptions, zoning and regulation were used to shape the city and its suburbs.

Plummer, George

Otherwise unknown, George Plummer owned the name 'Sydney Symphony Orchestra', until the ABC bought it from him in 1937. An earlier group by that name had formed in 1908 and gave performances until 1914.

Public lavatories

Taken for granted in modern cities, public toilets are a relatively recent improvement. From the 1880s, Sydney authorities began to provide public conveniences for men, and later women, in order to improve street cleanliness and behaviour.

Reading the roads

At the beginning of the twentieth century, most of the streets of inner Sydney had been sealed and their hard grey surfaces lay like an empty slate waiting to be written on. Lines to regulate traffic were the first messages to appear on the paving, but traffic authorities are not the only scribes to write on the roadway. Others have left public announcements, private messages, slogans, jokes and artworks.

Shopping

The early colony's closed economy, with limited currency and reliance on government rations, did not foster a retail culture, but it soon developed as the city moved beyond its prison status. At first dealing in necessities of life, Sydney's shops became more elaborate and diverse over time, and as elsewhere, department stores and shopping malls developed new kinds of shopping and consumption.

Smallpox epidemic 1881

Starting with a small Chinese child in The Rocks, the smallpox epidemic of 1881-82 had large consequences for the Chinese community who were further reviled and restricted and for the dozens of Sydneysiders quarantined for months at North Head. Despite the relative mildness of the outbreak, fear was rife, and the epidemic led to an overhaul of the colony's health regulations.

Sydney rock oysters

Gathered by Aboriginal people for thousands of years before the Europeans arrived, Sydney oysters became a farmed product in the 1870s and remain a popular seafood.

The end of transportation

By the late 1840s, a strong political movement to end the convict system had formed in Sydney. Large pastoralists fought to keep their supply of cheap labour, but by 1850 the tide had turned, and no more convicts were transported to Sydney.

The Rocks

Called Tallawoladah by the Cadigal, The Rocks was the convicts' side of town after Europeans arrived, and kept some of its unruly, disreputable air into the twentieth century. Residents' action saved it from destruction in the 1970s, and now a tourist attraction, The Rocks miraculously escaped both high-rise and grid.

Trams

Trams had a rocky start in Sydney, with the first tracks laid upside down, causing many accidents and leading to their removal. The International Exhibition of 1879 brought trams back to Sydney and a network was built that became one of the world's largest at its greatest extent in 1922. Economic and social changes after World War II led to the dismantling of the network, with the last tram running in 1961.

Transport

Sydney's transport has been shaped by the geography of the city, changing economic and social needs, technological limitations and advances, and political considerations. From walking tracks and animal haulage to the commuting city of today, transport has also shaped the city itself, opening up new areas and choking others. Carts, ferries, trains, trams, buses and cars have all figured in Sydney's transport history.

Wyatt, Annie

Wyatt was a tireless advocate for heritage protection and conservation who believed that women could make a difference in community issues. She helped found the National Trust and save some of Sydney's most iconic buildings.

Selfe, Norman

Engineer, naval architect, inventor, urban visionary and advocate of technical education, Norman Selfe was one of Sydney's most energetic and civic-minded citizens. His vision for Sydney included a harbour crossing decades before the Harbour Bridge was built, and an independent system of technical education long before the advent of TAFE. During his lifetime, his efforts were not successful, but many of his innovative ideas were later realised.

Sydney Technical College

From its beginnings as an adjunct to the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, Sydney Technical College provided the technical skills needed for Sydney's industrial development, as well as accessible and affordable higher and further education for Sydney's working people.

The Domain

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.

McKenzie, Violet

A pioneer in Australian radio and electrical engineering, Violet McKenzie had a lifetime commitment to technical education and training, especially for women.

The decorated footpath

Paved footpaths are a familiar feature of our urban environment. Whether taking a purposeful walk, a social stroll, or a healthy jog, we expect the footpath to be there, providing a safe and sturdy platform beneath our feet. But pavements should not be dismissed as simply utilitarian.

Lawson, Louisa

Writer, publisher, inventor and activist, Louisa Lawson influenced Sydney life at the turn of the twentieth century in many ways. At her death, she was called 'the mother of womanhood suffrage in New South Wales'.

Arabanoo

One of the first Aboriginal people to meet the Europeans at close quarters, Arabanoo taught them much about the customs and manners of his country, but died in the smallpox epidemic of 1789 which was so deadly to Sydney's first people.

Education Department Art Gallery

Built as part of the Education Department's fine building in Bridge Street during World War I, the gallery hosted Australian artists' work for more than five decades.

North Turramurra

Inhabited by the Terramerragal people until Europeans arrived, the area that became North Turramurra was first called Irish town. Suburban development was slow, because of limited transport and services, until after World War II.

Sydney

Founded by Europeans as a social experiment, Sydney's beginnings brought death and dispossession to the original inhabitants of the place, as well as surprising freedom and prosperity to many of the convicts. Over its history, the city's growth has been shaped by factors that are common to many cities, but also by unique forces. In the twenty-first century, for the first time, the idea of sustainable progress is itself in doubt.

L'Estrange, Henri

Aeronaut and funambulist, L'Estrange was one of the daring performers attempting unheard-of feats in Sydney during the 1870s and 1880s. Though not always successful, his exploits were usually both exciting and spectacular.

Water

Finding and securing enough water for Sydney's needs has been a challenge since the arrival of the Europeans in 1788, and over two centuries water supply has prompted some of the largest engineering schemes undertaken in Sydney.

New Year's Eve

Now one of Sydney's favourite public occasions, New Year's Eve was hardly celebrated before the late nineteenth century, when reliable lighting made outdoor night time revelry safer and more inviting. Sydney's celebrations have moved about the city and taken different forms over time.

Waterloo Tanning School

Set up as part of Sydney Technical College, the Tanning School aimed to raise the skill level of leatherworkers, so that the local industry could compete with higher quality imported goods. In the end the school outlived Sydney's leather industry, and closed in 1999.

Greenwich

From its beginnings as a rural and maritime village built on the traditional lands of the Cammeraygal people, Greenwich developed as roads and water connections improved, into a prosperous, leafy commuter suburb.

Moore, Charles

Irish-born, Charles Moore arrived in Sydney as a draper, and rose to public office as Mayor and a member of parliament.

International Eucharistic Congress 1928

A huge celebration of international Catholicism, the International Eucharistic Congress was held in Sydney in 1928, coinciding with the consecration of the newly finished St Mary's Cathedral. Despite Protestant disquiet and fears of sectarian conflict, the Congress was a peaceful success, with large crowds attending its public events.

Irish in Sydney from First Fleet to Federation

A large part of Sydney's European community from its earliest days, the Irish helped shape the colony and its cultural and religious institutions. While many Irish immigrants, both convict and free, prospered and flourished in Sydney throughout the nineteenth century, they rarely forgot their homeland and its struggles, and remained a community which never thought of England as 'home'.

Celebrating St Patrick's Day in nineteenth-century Sydney

St Patrick's Day has been celebrated in Sydney since the early days of settlement, with observance ranging from horse races and sports, to banquets, boat races and church services. During the 19th century, different groups within Sydney's vibrant Irish community took charge of the day at different times, ensuring it remained part of Sydney's social calendar as the city changed and grew.

Sydney Harbour: A Cultural Landscape

Known worldwide for its beauty, Sydney Harbour has been a source of inspiration for thousands of years. First Aboriginal, then European peoples settled the shores, naming and renaming the coves, headlands and points. Artists and writers have explored the harbour's people, landscape, animals and plants. As Sydney has grown and changed, the harbour surrounding the city has evolved from a working waterway into a one of leisure and entertainment. Parts of the old working waterfront, once dismissed as redundant, have become case studies of adaptive reuse with vibrant cultural precincts emerging along the harbour foreshore.

Goat Island

Goat Island stands tall and proud in the centre of Sydney Harbour. It has many traces of heritage left over from the convict and industrial past.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia

Since opening in the old Maritime Services Board building at Sydney Cove in 1991, the Museum of Contemporary Art has taken its place among other Sydney's icons. Located on one of Sydney's, and indeed Australia's, most historically laden sites, the MCA brought contemporary art to the city at a moment when Sydney saw that the living dreams of present-day artists were part of its busy life.

The Biennale of Sydney

Spanning multiple venues from the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cockatoo Island and the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Biennale of Sydney embraces the city as physical space and cultural landscape. As sites to be celebrated, explored and culturally excavated, the exhibitions have become as much a celebration of how visitors experience Sydney as how audiences experience art.

Yarra Bay House

Yarra Bay House, originally built at La Perouse as a cable station, served as a NSW Government children's home from around 1917 until the 1980s. Since 1984 it has been owned by the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council and has been the hub of the La Perouse Aboriginal community.

Q Theatre

The Q Theatre began in 1963, in the theatrette of the AMP Building at Circular Quay. Its philosophy of bringing theatre to the people, with adventurous productions and training, was inspired by English theatrical traditions. The Q found a permanent home in Penrith in 1975 and has introduced generations of Sydney and western suburbs audiences to challenging international and local theatre, while supporting and training playwrights, directors and actors.

War Memorials to World War II and later conflicts

While memorials honouring the dead of the Great War were adapted to mark the sacrifice of those lost in World War II, the losses of a new generation led to innovations in memorialisation. Those who died on active service in Sydney, and those lost in conflicts Malaya, Korea, Borneo and Vietnam are remembered in new memorials in the city and suburbs, and along the road to Canberra. Women, prisoners-of-war and recipients of the Victoria Cross are also memorialised in Sydney.

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.

The Tank Stream

The Tank Stream, Australia's first water supply, was a series of tanks cut into the sandstone along the sides of a freshwater stream in Sydney Cove. Although abandoned as a water source by 1826, the technology of the Tank Stream and its name were shaped by the experience of British officers in India.

Northbridge

Northbridge, a suburb of Willoughby City Council that borders Middle Harbour on Sydney's north shore, is named for its suspension bridge, Long Gully Bridge, which was first opened in 1892. This article outlines the history of its development.

Second Fleet commemoration plaque, The Rocks

A small plaque near Cadman's Cottage in The Rocks is the only Sydney memorial to the arrival of the second group of colonists to enter Port Jackson.

The Soldiers Riot of 1916

On 14 February 1916 soldiers based in the Australian Imperial Force training camps at Casula and Liverpool rioted, first in Liverpool, then at Central Station and in the city. The riot caused widespread damage, the death of one soldier-recruit, injuries to seven, multiple military and criminal convictions and contributed to the introduction of six o'clock closing across New South Wales.

Electrification of the Sydney Suburban Train Network

By the turn of the twentieth century, Sydney’s train network was under increasing pressure from an expanding suburbia, growing patronage, slow trains and a central terminal that was isolated from the city centre that it served. To revitalise the network and meet the needs of the growing city the railway needed to be extended through the city; the central terminal had to be relocated; and the entire network electrified. This work was the single most significant event in the history of the Sydney rail system, transforming the commuter experience and changing the face of the city.

Bray, James Samuel

A local character for nearly 50 years, James Samuel Bray was an amateur naturalist, prolific author and erratic entrepreneur in late-colonial Sydney. Despite representing the colony at exhibitions as far afield as Melbourne and Calcutta, Bray perennially skirted the edges of scientific and social respectability. Often ostracised in life, and soon forgotten after his death, he nevertheless embodied the 'antiquarian imagination' that took root in the Australian colonies from the 1870s until World War I.

City Underground

The creation of a city railway was a central concern for town planners in Sydney from almost the moment that the first railway was opened in 1855. Initially the main terminus was in Cleveland Paddocks on the outskirts of the city, meaning commuters coming into town were required to alight from the train and transfer to trams, hansom cabs or omnibuses to continue into the city. The underground City Circle, and the city as we know it, took one hundred years to be completed.

Moore Steps

The design of Moore Steps that we see today follows a drawing signed by the City Engineer, Edward Bell, in 1868 but it was not the first design undertaken for this stairway.

Transport hubs

Wharves