The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.
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Wilson, William Gavin
Boilermaker who enlisted in the 38th Battalion, attached to the Cyclist Company Reinforcements who proceeded to Rouelles, France in August 1917. He was wounded in action in November and reprimanded in July 1918 for neglecting to obey an order. In August he was wounded in…
Bishops Court Randwick
A grand mansion in Randwick that was the official residence of the Anglican Bishop of Sydney. Constructed in 1859 for a total of 7,000 pounds, it was built for Bishop Frederic Barker. The official residence was moved to Bishopscourt, Darling Point in 1911 and the mansion was…
Blenheim House Randwick
The sandstone and cedar two storey house was built by Simeon Pearce on 1.6 hectares of land overlooking what is today Randwick Racecourse. The first Anglican church service was held at Blenheim House during Pearce's residency and it was also allegedly the site for the…
Rozelle - Darling Harbour Goods Line
Freight line that ran from Dulwich Hill to Rozelle and Darling Harbour. The first part of the line between the Sydney yards and Darling Harbour was built in 1855, with extensions built between 1913 and 1922. After many years of disuse, much of the corridor is now used by the…
Juniper Hall
Built as 'the finest house in Sydney' this two storey Georgian home of eight rooms had a cellar, stables and servant's quarters. Known between 1831 and 1945 as Ormond House. By 1852 it was a home for destitute children and then a children's court. Almost demolished in 1921,a…
Cressy, Richard
Sailor who died in the wreck of the Edward Lombe in Sydney Harbour in August 1834. His body was washed up near the wreck, at Mr Bass's shipyard, and was identified at an inquest by Thomas Marshall, the ship's first mate. A stout and athletic man between 40 and 50…
Lynch, Joe
Cartoonist and black & white artist for Smith's Weekly and Melbourne Punch, whose death in Sydney Harbour in 1927 at the age of 29 inspired Kenneth Slessor's poem 'Five Bells'. He was the model for his brother Guy (Frank) Lynch's sculpture 'The Satyr', a bronze casting of…
Lockleys Pylon
Lockleys Pylon, located in Darug country north of Leura, is a rock formation on top of Du Faur Buttress, 600 metres above the floor of the Grose Valley. The 360-degree view from the pylon take in the Illawarra and Sydney, mounts Hay, Banks and Tomah, the Darling Causeway, Hat…
Parramatta
Named for its traditional owners, the Burramattagal, Parramatta was the site of the second European settlement in Sydney, and an early successful farm. Until the 1850s many governors preferred to live in Parramatta Government House. The railway arrived in 1857 and the town…
Wills, Celia
Daughter of Thomas and Mary Reibey who married Thomas Wills. She died a few months after she gave birth to her daughter. The Sydney Gazette reported she had 'caught a violent cold, which fastened on the lungs, and originated a rapid consumption' which suggests she…
Greycliffe House
Two-storey Victorian style sandstone mansion in Vaucluse. John Reeve purchased the land from William Charles Wentworth and commissioned John Hilly to build the property. It was completed at a cost of 5,000 pounds. He and his wife never lived there. In 1897, the property was…
Harvie, James Fraser
Clerk who enlisted in the A Company, 20th Battalion and served in the Gallipoli peninsula in August 1915. His battalion was responsible for the defence of Russell's Top until their withdrawal from the peninsula in December 1915. He arrived in Egypt in January 1916, after…
Dawson, Edward
Initially a stonemason by trade, Edward Dawson became involved in the Wesleyan Church in Sydney shortly after arriving from England, teaching Sunday school in York Street before setting up a drapery business. His business evolved into J and E Dawson which he operated with his…
Eddy, Edward
Chief commissioner of the New South Wales Railways and key figure in the development of the railway in the colony. He wrote: 'I take so much delight in my work, and I can see how, in a country which will owe much to the judicious management and extension of its railways…
Jents, Beril
Fashion designer recognised as 'Australia's first queen of haute couture'. She specialised in evening and bridal wear and first learnt dressmaking by assisting her mother as a young girl, designing and sewing her first gown at age nine. By age 12, she entered…
Commonwealth Engineering
Engineering firm, known as Comeng, in Granville that was responsible for building many of Sydney's buses, trams and trains, including Australia's first stainless steel railcars in 1954. Originally founded as private company Smith & Waddington in Camperdown, the firm moved…
Tebbutt, Henry
Survivor of the wreck of the Edward Lombe in Sydney Harbour in 1834. A passenger on the ship, his older brother was a member of the crew and was killed in the wreck. In the 1870s he described himself as have been 'a mere lad' at the time of the disaster, and…
Institute of Forensic Medicine
Established in 1991, the Institute was formed from the Division of Forensic Medicine. The Institute was formed under the NSW Department of Health, however the agency also reported to the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney. The Institute conducted research into…