The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.
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Mackellar, Keith Kinnaird
Keith Kinnaird Mackellar was an older brother to poet Dorothea Mackellar, and was the only Australian soldier whose remains were brought back to Australia of over one thousand men who lost their lives in the Boer War.
La Perouse
Traditionally owned by the Kameygal, whose descendants still maintain their connection with the land, La Perouse has a history of both invasion and survival. Unwanted by the early colonists who thought it unhealthy, the area was an Aboriginal camp throughout the nineteenth…
Industry in the Cooks River valley
As industry took hold in Cooks River valley, pollution and drainage became entrenched problems accompanied by flooding and public health concerns.
West Pennant Hills
Built on Dharug land, West Pennant Hills was an early timber-getting district, later covered with orchards and dairy and poultry farms.
Darlinghurst Gaol
Planned from the 1820s, Darlinghurst Gaol was built in stages to designs that shifted with penal theories and government budgets. From 1841 prisoners were kept there, in increasingly overcrowded and unpleasant conditions. After Long Bay prison was opened in 1914 the buildings…
XV Independent Group of Artists
Disillusioned with the existing art societies, 15 dissident artists formed themselves into a group promoting 'some intelligible message and a sound craftsmanship with which to express it'.
Goldsbrough Mort & Co
By 1838 wool was Australia's main export, and auctioneer Thomas Mort's wool stores grew rapidly as a major presence in Ultimo and Pyrmont.
Hunters Hill
Originally home to the Wallumategal people, Hunters Hill has long been considered a retreat from the city. While the tension between conservation and development has been played out many times, it remains an outstanding garden suburb with many old and architecturally…
Hyde Park racecourse
Though it existed for only 15 years, Hyde Park racecourse was to set at least one standard for racing in New South Wales.
Socialist Opposition to World War I
Most socialist organisations opposed World War I from the beginning, the militant vigour of their opposition fiercely suppressed through government censure and legislation. Their message - that the working classes were mere cannon fodder for the imperialist war machine from…
The Wharfies' Film Unit
In the 1950s, workers rights extended beyond wages and conditions to include cultural events and creative activities. The Waterside Workers' Federation Film Unit set about documenting the lives of workers and their families, their communities and organisations. From 1953–58,…