The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.
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Barnett Levey's Theatre Royal
The first commercial theatre in Sydney had a shaky start, and its owner Barnett Levey had problems with licensing, financing and bankruptcy. Despite this, it saw the first professional production of Shakespeare in Australia and formed part of the foundation of Sydney's…
Manly courthouse
Opened in 1925, one of the few courthouses built between the wars in Sydney, Manly's courthouse has been a prominent landmark ever since.
Stucco Housing Cooperative
Student cooperative for full time students at the University of Sydney which was constructed from an old glass making factory between 1982 and 1991. The purchase and conversion was funded by the university and the Department of Housing.
Pteropus poliocephalus (grey-headed flying fox)
The grey-headed flying fox is a large native fruit bat that lives in large groups across Sydney and along the eastern coast of Australia. Listed as a vulnerable species as their numbers are declining due to clearing of their habitat.
Henry, Lucien
French artist who arrived in Sydney in 1879 after leaving New Caledonia, where he had been exiled as a Communard. He was instrumental in developing the use of Australian native flora and fauna in the decorative and visual arts.
King Street Courts
Originally designed as school buildings, then adapted for the Supreme Court and added to over nearly two centuries, King Street Courts are the heart of Sydney's legal precinct.
Witton, Vanessa
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…
Morell, Gustavus Alphonse
Prominent architect and civil engineer in Sydney, Morell established a business with John Edward Kemp and designed many buildings incuding The Swifts mansion in Darling Point and Her Majesty's Theatre on Pitt Street which was closed and demolished in 1933.
Kelly, Emily Caroline (Carrie)
Theatre producer and anthropologist who founded the first Sydney company devoted to Australian plays - the Community Playhouse - using the stage name Carrie Tennant (her mother's maiden name). Disheartened by the company's subsequent failure, Kelly abandoned theatre to study…
Trood, Abel Salter
English migrant who, with his wife, opened day and boarding schools in Sydney for boys and for girls. The first school was in Pitt Street, the second, Bellevue Hall School, was on Kent Street from 1834 until July 1838.
Nicolle, Eugene Dominique
Refrigeration engineer who patented and developed his own ice making machine in Sydney in partnership with others. He was a pioneer in domestic devices, refrigerated railway vans and cold stores but unable to translate that to machinery suited to ships.
Jack, Sybil
Professor Sybil Jack is an economic historian who spent over 40 years teaching and researching at the University of Sydney on a wide range of topics including agriculture, forestry and industry, town and country life in Europe and Australasia
Rousel Studios
Signwriting and other graphic design business established by Henry Rousel in 1890. From 1912 to 1974 the business was located at 38 Oxford Street, East Sydney. It also traded as Henry Rousel, Rousel Signs and Rousel Screen Printing.
Lawson, Valerie
Valerie Lawson is an author and journalist. She was the foundation editor of Good Weekend and the arts editor for The Sydney Morning Herald. Valerie writes program articles for many dance companies and launched her website in 2011
Archibald fountain
The result of a bequest in the will of JF Archibald, the Archibald fountain took 13 years to organise and complete. Its French sculptor, François-Léon Sicard, never visited the site, which has become one of Sydney's enduring landmarks.
St Canice's Catholic church Elizabeth Bay
Named by Irish-born Cardinal Patrick Moran, St Canice's maintained its Irish identity well into the twentieth century, and still serves the community of Sydney's Kings Cross.