The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.
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Beaumont, Armes
Tenor who made his first operatic appearance in Sydney in November 1863 and subsequently joined Fred Lyster's opera company. He joined WS Lyster's opera company in 1870.
Upper Nepean Scheme
Dams and canals constructed on the Nepean and Cataract Rivers after a Royal Commission in 1867 sought a solution to Sydney's water shortages. The scheme remains in use today.
Northcott Disability Services
Charity established by the Rotary Club of Sydney in response to the growing number of children left with disabilities caused by illnesses such as polio and tuberculosis.
Poor Man's Orange
Sequel to Ruth Park's 'The Harp in the South' about the Darcy family growing up in a Sydney slum in the years immediately following the Second World War.
MacKenzie Hatton, Elizabeth
Missionary who worked with Pacific Islanders and Aborigines in Queensland before she was invited to help with Aboriginal children in Sydney, establishing a home for girls at Homebush.
Brooks, Richard 1765-1833
Mariner, merchant and settler who became a successful shipping agent before moving to western Sydney to manage his extensive pastoral portfolio in the Illawarra and Lake George districts.
Gough, Hugh Rowlands
Anglican bishop who was elected Archbishop of Sydney and also served as Primate of the Church of England in Australia between 1959 and 1966, when he resigned.
Moriarty, Edward Orpen
Engineer and surveyor who became engineer of Sydney's water supply in 1877 in addition to his duties across the state in road design, harbours and river navigation.
Wardell, William Wilkinson
Architect and public servant responsible for many public buildings in Melbourne and Sydney, whilst in private practice he designed many Gothic Revival churches including St Mary's Cathedral.
Bodgie Styles for Spring 1951
Almost-deserted Sydney beach (except for pretty, dark-haired Joan Francis) was chosen by bodgie David Roper, 17, to air leopard-skin trunks, with tail.
Preston, Jennifer
Dr Jennifer Preston is a registered architect in both New South Wales and Victoria and a member of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. She has taught in the Architecture Faculty at the University of Technology Sydney, been a guest lecturer in accessible design at…
Holden, George Kenyon
Lawyer, reformer and stalwart of the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, George Kenyon Holden presided over its reinvention in the 1860s.
Herman, Morton Earle (Mick)
Architect, historian and author who, after working with the Allied Works Council during World War II, established his own architectural practice and taught at Sydney Technical College.
'Government House' in the days of Governor Phillip, 1864
This engraving, published in the Illustrated Sydney News in 1864, shows a recently demolished cottage in Pitt Street, erroneously titled ''Government House' in the days of Phillip'. This was incorrect, and the building never functioned as Government House.
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.
Royal Australian Historical Society
The Royal Australian Historical Society (RAHS), Australia's oldest historical organisation founded in Sydney in 1901, exists to encourage the study of and interest in Australian history.
Miles Franklin
The life of Miles Franklin is a vital chapter in the story of Australian literature. While always a girl from the bush, for much of her life she called Sydney home.
Nicol, John
Scottish sailor whose autobiography published in 1822 recorded his circumnavigation of the globe, involvement in the American War of Independence, his life on a whaling vessel and that on a convict transport. On the voyage aboard Lady Juliana he partnered with Sarah Whitlam…
Gray, Dorothy
Older woman who arrived in Sydney as a convict on the Lady Penrhyn with the First Fleet in 1788 after being found of guilty of perjury in 1785. Bowes-Smyth estimated her age at about 82, but it is more likely that she was about 60. She spent seven years in Sydney before…
Grose Farm
Farm granted to Lieutenant Governor Francis Grose in 1792, which gave its name to the larger area set aside for the University of Sydney in the 1850s.