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Built on Wallumedegal land, West Ryde was mostly rural estates until the railway arrived, and with it, subdivision and development, in the 1880s. Housing development was fast and varied, with a commercial centre growing near the railway station. West Ryde has also been…

Named for John Thorn, to whom the land was granted as a reward for capturing bushrangers, Thornleigh became an orchard and dairy district, with a quarry that provided rock for the railway line that went through in the 1880s. Citrus fruit and vegetables grown in Thornleigh…

The Mitchell Library was officially opened on 9 March 1910, three years after the death of its acclaimed benefactor, David Scott Mitchell, on 24 July 1907. Approximately 40,000 volumes were given to the new library along with a large collection of manuscript journals, diaries…

Building on the corner of Phillip and Albert streets at Circular Quay comprising two 19th century courthouses and a former police station. Originally built in the 1850s to house the Water Police Court and Water Police Station, the complex has variously been used by several…

Convicted of a sensational murder by her own confession in 1865, Ruth Kaye started a new life under a new name in Sydney in 1886, after serving her sentence in England. A well-regarded nurse and institutional matron, she kept her past to herself until extreme old age.

Art gallery located inside the War Memorial Arch on the northern side of the Main Quadrangle of the University of Sydney, opposite the Macleay Building on Science Road. It was completed at the end of 1958 and designed by Ingham Ashworth based on aspects of Leslie Wilkinson's…

Soldier who replaced George Barney as Lieutenant-Colonel, commander of the Royal Engineers in 1843. In 1848, Gordon drew up a comprehensive plan for fortifications in Sydney which involved 30 heavy guns located at Inner South Head and Middle Head, nine heavy guns at Sow and…

Dressmaker convicted of stealing hempen yarn from a bleaching factory. After arriving in Sydney, she was sent to Parramatta where she and her husband opened a small shop. In 1794, she escaped the colony and worked as a dressmaker in Plymouth, England and bigamously married…

A new subdivision created in 1924, Bradfield was home to world Scouts, the Royal Australian Air Force, and thousands of new migrants, and relocated inner-city dwellers, before becoming the site of the CSIRO's National Measurement Lab. Unusually among Sydney suburbs, it was re…

Growing out of the Sydney Technical College, the Erskineville Bootmaking School was a specialised trade training school, where the principles of bootmaking, and the maintenance of the machines used to make them, were taught to apprentices and returned servicemen from both…

Commemorative plaque that was installed between 1984 and 1988 as part of the Sydney Green Plaques Bicentennial project on St Brigid's Church in Millers Point. The text on the plaque read 'St. Brigid's Church School. This building, originally designed to the specifications of…

Located in the traditional lands of the Garigal people, Barrenjoey was an important gateway to Broken Bay, the Hawkesbury River and Pittwater when most access to Sydney was by ship. The lighthouse remains a reminder of this important role.

Area in Sydney's south on the western shore of Botany Bay, part of the traditional lands of the Cadigal, Gweagal and Bidjigal peoples, formerly governed by Rockdale City Council until being merged with Botany Bay to form Bayside local government area in 2016. It covered an…

Merchant, publican and local politician who established a Farm Servants' Registry for country clients at his import store in Kent Street north. He exported beef to London in the 1840s and in 1842 was a member of the jury in the trial of the Norfolk Island murders. He was…

Sandstone quarries which have enriched the cultural heritage of the city and built many of Sydney's public buildings, scarring the western side Ultimo from the 1850s. Named Heaven, Hell and Purgatory by Scottish workmen, each quarry produced stone with distinctive…

Originally built as a bazaar or auction room on the corner of George and Campbell streets in Haymarket, it was converted to a concert hall. Seating up to 800 it was Sydney's first true music hall. After it closed it operated as a market or store until 1908 when it was revived…

Convict and saddler who was transported to New South Wales aboard the First Fleet ship, Friendship. He was convicted of highway robbery with violence in 1783 and attempted to escape on a ship for America in 1784. He spent two years on a prison hulk before arriving in Sydney.…

Theatre on the western side of York Street between King and Market Streets on the site of Malcolm's Circus Amphitheatre behind the Adelphi Hotel. Originally known as Our Lyceum, it was converted into the Queen's in October 1873 by actor WB Gill. Samuel Lazar leased it in 1875…

Popular Restoration comedy by Irish dramatist George Farquhar that was first produced in London in  1706 and was performed in Sydney's first theatrical production on 4 June 1789. It was performed by convicts in a 'convict-built hut', in honour of the birthday of King George…

Surgeon who was a passenger on board the Edward Lombe when it was wrecked entering Sydney Harbour on 25 August 1834. He and the ship's second mate George Norman were killed when trying to fix a line from the boat to the shore at Middle Head during the storm. His body…