The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.
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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…
Balmain Colliery
Coal mine established at Birchgrove in 1897 in an attempt to access the rich vein of coal which ran under Sydney from Newcastle to the Illawarra. It was the deepest ever worked in Australia and later produced methane gas, but was not a commercial success.
Victoria Barracks
Army quarters in Paddington with a range of sandstone buildings dating from 1841 to the Edwardian period, that comprise one of the best groups of colonial buildings in Sydney. The Barracks housed British soldiers until 1870 before occupation by colonial forces and the…
Members' Grandstand
Grandstand erected beside the Royal Agricultural Society parade ring in 1924 to house over 6000 spectators. It was demolished following the relocation of the Royal Easter Show to Sydney Olympic Park in 1997 and only the facade and 53 metre high clock tower now remain.
Ashfield local government area
Area in Sydney's inner west, part of the traditional lands of the Eora people, formerly governed by Ashfield Council until being merged with Leichhardt and Marrickville to form Inner West local government area in 2016. It was home to large Chinese and Italian communities.
Bishopscourt
Gothic Revival style mansion at the core of a large villa estate with a magnificent garden. Built of sandstone around an existing cottage it was substantially enlarged to include a chapel and grand staircase with stained glass windows. It has been home of Sydney's…
Pioneer Memorial Park
Heritage listed area within Botany Cemetery to commemorate interments originally in the Old Burying Ground, George Street Sydney and Old Devonshire Street/Sandhills. It contains memorials of early pioneers and prominent citizens of the colony including Simeon Lord, Mary…
Caraher Stairs
Three flights of steps constructed of Pyrmont sandstone which connected Lower Fort Street in Millers Point to Princes Street North in The Rocks. A large portion of the stairway was demolished for the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Small remnants remain in situ.
Warringah local government area
Area of 152 square kilometres encompassing Sydney's northern beaches between Manly and Pittwater, formerly governed by Warringah Council until being merged with Manly and Pittwater to form Northern Beaches local government area in 2016. Its name came from an Aboriginal word…
South Head
Used by Aboriginal people as a base for settlement, fishing, shellfish collection, art and associated rituals, South Head became the landmark of arrival at Sydney after European settlement. A lookout, signal station, lighthouse and fortifications were built there at different…
Chard's Building
Commercial building at 171-175 William Street, Darlinghurst built for the wool merchant William Henry Chard. In 1916, the Sydney City Council resumed 94 properties on the southern side of William Street for road widening. Chard purchased the allotment on the corner of Forbes…
Simmonds, Isaac
Former convict who joined Sydney's early police force shortly after his arrival in the colony in 1803. Also known as Ikey, or Hikey, Bull, probably due to his size. He had been convicted of robbery in 1799 and He was tried for the murder of fellow officer Joseph Luker in…
The murder of Constable Joseph Luker
Convict Joseph Luker placed his past firmly behind him when he decided to pursue a career as a police constable in colonial Sydney. This transition from law breaker to law enforcer would also see him become the first officer of the…
Hawkesbury local government area
Area in Sydney's north-west, part of the traditional lands of the Darug people, governed by Hawkesbury City Council. Consisting of 80 per cent national park, with a population of 62,353 in 2011, it was formed in 1981 from the amalgamation of Colo Shire and Windsor…
Holroyd local government area
Area in Sydney's west, part of the traditional lands of the Darug people, formerly governed by Holroyd City Council until being merged with parts of Auburn and Parramatta to form Cumberland local government area in 2016. It had an estimated population of 111,100 in 2014.
Waverley local government area
Area of 9 square kilometeres in the eastern suburbs bordered by the ocean, traditional lands of the Eora people, governed by Waverley Council. Its name comes from Barnett Levey's Waverley House (1827), inspired by Sir Walter Scott's 1814 novel. It is a centre of Sydney's…
Artefact Heritage Services
Based in Pyrmont, Artefact Heritage Services is a leading provider of heritage management and archaeological services, including all aspects of Aboriginal and historical cultural heritage management and archaeology. Artefact’s projects span the breadth of New South Wales but…