SYDNEY 1848 - JOSEPH FOWLES
The First part came out on July 14th 1848, & was issued from his Harrington Street Address - Twenty Fortnightly parts followed, so the whole run stretched into 1849
He wrotet this book, to correct the Erroneous & Discreditable notions people in England held about Sydney -
- The idea that it was a rough penal colony of mud huts & convicts. His stated aim was to show Sydney as it really was :-
Gaslit Streets, crowded by a thriving population, with Public Buildings & Shops that could hold their own agianst London's. He wanted the Colony to be taken seriously as a place of civilisation, not a dumping ground.
He Dedicated the whole work to Governor Fitzroy, Praising him as a patron of the fine arts, & it was published by Subscription., so he was courting the Colony's elite as nuch as the English Public
Becase this was a city of fifty thousand with gas lamps & stone buildings. He felt England still pictured it as a convict dump, & he wanted to prove otherwise.
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JOSEPH FOWLES
SYDNEY
In 1848:
ILLUSTRATED BY COPPER-PLATE ENGRAVINGS
OF THE
PRINCIPAL STREETS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, CHURCHES, CHAPELS, ETC.,
from Drawings by
JOSEPH FOWLES.
SYDNEY:
PRINTED BY D. WALL, 76 YORK STREET,
& PUBLISHED BY J. FOWLES, 5 HARRINGTON STREET.
INTRODUCTION
The principal object of this Work is to remove the erroneous & discreditable notions current in England concerning this City, in common with every thing else connected with the Colony. We shall endeavour to represent Sydney as it really is--to exhibit its spacious Gas-lit Streets, crowded by an active & thriving Population--its Public Edifices, & its sumptuous Shops, which boldly claim a comparison with those of London itself: & to shew that the Colonists have not been inattentive to matters of higher import, we shall display to our Readers the beautiful & commodious Buildings raised by piety & industry for the use of Religion. It is true, all are not yet in a state of completion; but, be it remembered, that what was done gradually in England, in the course of many ceuturies, has been here effected in the comparatively short period of sixty years. Our object, in setting forth this Work, is one of no mean moment; & we trust that every Australian, whether this be his native or adopted country, will heartily bid us "God speed!"
Sydney, July 14, 1848.
DEDICATION.
TO
HIS EXCELLENCY SIR CHARLES AUGUSTUS FITZROY, K.G.H,
Captain General & Governor-in-Chief of New South Wales
& its Dependencies, etc. etc. etc.
SIR,
When I reflect what a warm friend you have ever shewn yourself to this Colony & its Institutions,-- & how generous a Patron of the Fine Arts--till Your Excellency's arrival, unnoticed & neglected; I may, without suspicion of flattery, confess myself proud in being permitted to inscribe to you this Work: the first whose sole object has been to delineate Sydney as it really is, & not as some of our friends in England evidently imagine it to be. & though I sincerely wish that its merit could be such as might fairly claim the encouragement & support with which Your Excellency has favoured me, I am not yet without hopes, that in accuracy & execution it will not suffer by a comparison with any similar work in the Mother Country; especially when the peculiar disadvantages under which we labor are taken into consideration. Nevertheless, so general is the apathy evinced at the bare mention of publishing in Australia, that I should scarcely have ventured on so perilous an experiment without the sanction of Your Excellency's name, in itself an unquestionable recommendation, enshrined as it is in the unexampled affection & respect of an intelligent people.
& that we may long continue to rejoice under the superintending care of one who participates in our hopes, & sighs over our difficulties & sorrows, is the hearty & unceasing prayer of
SIR,
Your very faithful Servant,
JOSEPH FOWLES.
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LIST OF PLATES
BUILDINGS
Government House, (Frontspiece)
St Phillps Church, Plate 10B
Australian Library, Plate 14A
St Patricks Church, Plate 18A
The Post Office, Plate 24A
St James Church, Plate 28A
Royal Victoria Theatre (interior), Plate 32A
The Free Presbyterian Church Pitt Street, Plate 36A
The Congregational Church Pitt Street, Plate 38A
The Union Bank of australia, Plate 42A
The Royal Hotel, Plate 50A
The Police office, Plate 56B
St Andrews Scots Church, Plate 58A
Wesleyan Centenary Chapel, Plate 62A
The Jews Synagogue, Plate 64A
St Mary's Cathederal, Plate 72A
Supreme Court, Plate 74A
Hyde Park Barracks, Plate 76B
Legislative & Executive Council Chambers, Plate 76B
Museum, Plate 82A
National School, Plate 86A
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STREETSCAPES
[Also see Key to the Street Plates, following this list]
Each plate is given the number of the preceding text page, plus a letter, as 10A, 40A.
There are four lines of drawings on most pages. Number each line consecutively, taking the word SYDNEY as the top of the page. These numbers are given in parentheses after the page numbers, as 40A(1).
'Left to right' or 'right to left' is the direction in which the particular line of drawing should be read to follow the course of the street. The inverted image should be used if necessary to bring the line of drawing upright.
['Letterpress' refers to the pages which have commentary on the plates.]
GEORGE STREET & CHARLOTTE PLACE, Plate 10A
CHARLOTTE PLACE (northern side--right to left)
George Street to Church Hill, Plate 10A (4)
CHARLOTTE PLACE (southern side--left to right)
George Street to Church Hill, Plate 10A (3)
CHARLOTTE PLACE Letterpress p. 11
GEORGE STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Bridge to Hunter Street, 10A (2),
GEORGE STREET (western side--right to left)
Charlotte Place to Jamieson Street, Plate 10A (1)
GEORGE STREET Letterpress pp. 10, 12, 13, 16, 21, 23, 54, 66
GEORGE STREET & BRIDGE STREET, Plate 12A
BRIDGE STREET (northern side--left to right)
George to Pitt Street 12A (3)
BRIDGE STREET (southern side--right to left)
George to Pitt Street 12A (4)
BRIDGE STREET Letterpress p. 13
GEORGE STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Queen's Wharf to Queen's Place 12A (2),
GEORGE STREET (western side--right to left)
Essex Street to Charlotte Place 12A (1)
GEORGE STREET Letterpress pp. 10, 12, 13, 16, 21, 23, 54, 66
LOWER GEORGE STREET, Plate 16A
GEORGE STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Queen's Wharf to Queen's Place 16A (2 & 4)
GEORGE STREET (western side--right to left)
Queen's Wharf to Essex Street 16A (1 & 3)
GEORGE STREET Letterpress pp. 10, 12, 13, 16, 21, 23, 54, 66
GEORGE STREET & HUNTER STREET, Plate 20A
HUNTER STREET (southern side--right to left)
HUNTER STREET George to Pitt Street 20A (4)
HUNTER STREET (northern side--left to right)
HUNTER STREET George to Pitt Street 20A (3)
HUNTER STREET Letterpress pp. 21, 44
GEORGE STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Bridge to Hunter Street, Plate 20A (1)
GEORGE STREET (western side--right to left)
Jamieson Street to Barrack Wall 20A (2)
GEORGE STREET Letterpress pp. 10, 12, 13, 16, 21, 23, 54, 66
GEORGE STREET, Plate 22A
GEORGE STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Hunter to King Street 22A (4, 3, & 1)
GEORGE STREET (western side--right to left)
Barrack to King Street 22A (2)
GEORGE STREET Letterpress pp. 10, 12, 13, 16, 21, 23, 54, 66
KING STREET, Plate 26A
KING STREET (northern side--left to right)
KING STREET George to Pitt Street 26A (1)
KING STREET (northern side--left to right)
KING STREET Pitt to Castlereagh Street 26A (3)
KING STREET (southern side--right to left)
KING STREET George to Pitt Street 26A (2)
KING STREET (southern side--right to left)
KING STREET Pitt to Castlereagh Street 26A (4)
KING STREET Letterpress p. 28
PITT STREET, Plate 30A
PITT STREET (eastern side--left to right)
King to Market Street 30A (2 & 4)
PITT STREET (western side--right to left)
King to Market Street 30A (1 & 3)
PITT STREET Letterpress pp. 31, 35, 41
PITT STREET, Plate 34A
PITT STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Market to Park Street 34A (2 & 4)
PITT STREET (western side--right to left)
Market to Park Street 34A (1 & 3)
PITT STREET Letterpress pp. 31, 35, 41
PITT STREET & HUNTER STREET, Plate 40A
HUNTER STREET (northern side--left to right)
HUNTER STREET O'Connell to Bligh Street 40A (4)
HUNTER STREET (southern side--right to left)
HUNTER STREET Pitt to Castlereagh Street 40A (3)
HUNTER STREET Letterpress pp. 21, 44
PITT STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Hunter to King Street 40A (1)
PITT STREET (western side--right to left)
Hunter to King Street 40A (2)
PITT STREET Letterpress pp. 31, 35, 41
PITT STREET, Plate 40B
PITT STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Hunter to King Street 40B (3 & 1)
PITT STREET (western side--right to left)
Hunter to King Street 40B (4 & 2)
PITT STREET Letterpress pp. 31, 35, 41
GEORGE STREET, Plate 54A
GEORGE STREET (eastern side--left to right)
King to Market Street 54A (1 & 3)
GEORGE STREET (western side--right to left)
King to Market Street 54A (2 & 4)
GEORGE STREET Letterpress pp. 10, 12, 13, 16, 21, 23, 54, 66
GEORGE STREET, Plate 56A
GEORGE STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Market to Park Street 56A (1 & 3)
GEORGE STREET (western side--right to left)
Market to Druitt Street 56A (2 & 4)
GEORGE STREET Letterpress pp. 10, 12, 13, 16, 21, 23, 54, 66
KING STREET & YORK STREET, Plate 60A
KING STREET (northern side--left to right)
KING STREET York to George Street 60A (2)
KING STREET (southern side--right to left)
KING STREET York to George Street 60A (1)
KING STREET Letterpress p. 28
YORK STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Barrack to King Street 60A (3)
YORK STREET (western side--right to left)
Barrack to King Street 60A (4)
YORK STREET Letterpress pp. 60, 66
YORK STREET, Plate 64B
YORK STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Market to Druitt Street 64B (3 & 1)
YORK STREET (western side--right to left)
Market to Druitt Street 64B (4 & 2)
YORK STREET Letterpress pp. 60, 66
YORK STREET, Plate 66A
YORK STREET (eastern side--left to right)
King to Market Street 66A (1 & 3)
YORK STREET (western side--right to left)
King to Market Street 66A (2 & 4)
YORK STREET Letterpress pp. 60, 66
HYDE PARK & ELIZABETH STREET, Plate 68A
ELIZABETH STREET (western side--right to left)
King to Liverpool Street 68A (4, 3, 2, & 1)
ELIZABETH STREET Letterpress p. 77.
LIVERPOOL STREET (designated 'Hyde Park')
LIVERPOOL STREET (southern side--right to left)
Elizabeth to Oxford Street 68A (1)
HYDE PARK & LYON'S TERRACE & BURDEKIN'S TERRACE, Plate 70A
COLLEGE STREET (designated 'Hyde Park')
COLLEGE STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Between Stanley Street & Liverpool Street 70A (2)
COLLEGE STREET Letterpress p. 70
LIVERPOOL STREET (designated 'Hyde Park')
LIVERPOOL STREET (southern side--right to left)
Elizabeth to Oxford Street 70A (1)
ELIZABETH STREET, Plate 76A
ELIZABETH STREET (western side--right to left)
Hunter to King Street 76A (3 & 1)
ELIZABETH STREET (eastern side--left to right)
Hunter to King Street 76A (4 & 2)
ELIZABETH STREET Letterpress p. 77.
MACQUARIE STREET, Plate 80A
MACQUARIE STREET (western side--right to left)
Near Bridge Street to Bent Street 80A (4)
Bent to Hunter Street 80A (3)
Hunter to King Street 80A (2 & 1)
MACQUARIE STREET Letterpress p. 79
HARRINGTON STREET & JAMIESON STREET, Plate 84A
JAMIESON (NOW JAMISON) STREET (westerly from George Street)
JAMIESON (NOW JAMISON) STREET Northern side--right to left 84A (4)
JAMIESON (NOW JAMISON) STREET (westerly from George Street)
JAMIESON (NOW JAMISON) STREET Southern side--left to right 84A (3)
HARRINGTON STREET (northerly from Charlotte Place)
HARRINGTON STREET Eastern side 84A (2)
HARRINGTON STREETWestern side 84A (1)
KEY TO THE STREET PLATES
Each plate is given the number of the preceding text page, plus a letter, as 10A, 40B.
There are four lines of drawings on most pages. Number each line consecutively, taking the word SYDNEY as the top of the page. These numbers are given in parentheses after the page numbers, as 40A(1).
'Left to right' or 'right to left' is the direction in which the particular line of drawing should be read to follow the course of the street. The inverted image should be used if necessary to bring the line of drawing upright.
['Letterpress' refers to the pages which have commentary on the plates.]
BRIDGE STREET
(northern side--left to right)
George to Pitt Street 12A (3)
(southern side--right to left)
George to Pitt Street 12A (4)
Letterpress p. 13
CHARLOTTE PLACE
(northern side--right to left)
George Street to Church Hill, Plate 10A (4)
(southern side--left to right)
George Street to Church Hill, Plate 10A (3)
Letterpress p. 11
COLLEGE STREET
(designated 'Hyde Park')
(eastern side--left to right)
Between Stanley Street & Liverpool Street 70A (2)
Letterpress p. 70
ELIZABETH STREET
(western side--right to left)
Hunter to King Street 76A (3 & 1)
King to Liverpool Street 68A (4, 3, 2, & 1)
(eastern side--left to right)
Hunter to King Street 76A (4 & 2)
Letterpress p. 77.
GEORGE STREET
(eastern side--left to right)
Queen's Wharf to Queen's Place 12A (2), Queen's Wharf to Queen's Place 16A (2 & 4)
Bridge to Hunter Street, 10A (2), Bridge to Hunter Street, Plate 20A (1)
Hunter to King Street 22A (4, 3, & 1)
King to Market Street 54A (1 & 3)
Market to Park Street 56A (1 & 3)
(western side--right to left)
Queen's Wharf to Essex Street 16A (1 & 3)
Essex Street to Charlotte Place 12A (1)
Charlotte Place to Jamieson Street, Plate 10A (1)
Jamieson Street to Barrack Wall 20A (2)
Barrack to King Street 22A (2)
King to Market Street 54A (2 & 4)
Market to Druitt Street 56A (2 & 4)
Letterpress pp. 10, 12, 13, 16, 21, 23, 54, 66
GROSVENOR STREET
(See Charlotte Place)
HARRINGTON STREET
(northerly from Charlotte Place)
Eastern side 84A (2)
Western side 84A (1)
HUNTER STREET
(northern side--left to right)
George to Pitt Street 20A (3)
O'Connell to Bligh Street 40A (4)
(southern side--right to left)
George to Pitt Street 20A (4)
Pitt to Castlereagh Street 40A (3)
Letterpress pp. 21, 44
HYDE PARK
(See Liverpool Street, College Street)
JAMIESON (NOW JAMISON) STREET
(westerly from George Street)
Northern side--right to left 84A (4)
Southern side--left to right 84A (3)
KING STREET
(northern side--left to right)
York to George Street 60A (2)
George to Pitt Street 26A (1)
Pitt to Castlereagh Street 26A (3)
(southern side--right to left)
York to George Street 60A (1)
George to Pitt Street 26A (2)
Pitt to Castlereagh Street 26A (4)
Letterpress p. 28
LIVERPOOL STREET
(designated 'Hyde Park')
(southern side--right to left)
Elizabeth to Oxford Street 68A (1)
Elizabeth to Oxford Street 70A (1)
MACQUARIE STREET
(western side--right to left)
Near Bridge Street to Bent Street 80A (4)
Bent to Hunter Street 80A (3)
Hunter to King Street 80A (2 & 1)
Letterpress p. 79
PITT STREET
(eastern side--left to right)
Hunter to King Street 40A (1)
Hunter to King Street 40B (3 & 1)
King to Market Street 30A (2 & 4)
Market to Park Street 34A (2 & 4)
(western side--right to left)
Hunter to King Street 40A (2)
Hunter to King Street 40B (4 & 2)
King to Market Street 30A (1 & 3)
Market to Park Street 34A (1 & 3)
Letterpress pp. 31, 35, 41
YORK STREET
(eastern side--left to right)
Barrack to King Street 60A (3)
King to Market Street 66A (1 & 3)
Market to Druitt Street 64B (3 & 1)
(western side--right to left)
Barrack to King Street 60A (4)
King to Market Street 66A (2 & 4)
Market to Druitt Street 64B (4 & 2)
Letterpress pp. 60, 66
SYDNEY.
CHAPTER I.
SITUATION--EXTENT--POPULATION--& GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
Sydney, the capital of New South Wales & Metropolis of Australasia, is situated on the southern shore of Port Jackson, at the distance of seven miles from the Pacific Ocean, in lat. 33° 55' S. & long. 151° 25' E. It is built at the head of the far-famed "Cove;" &, with Darling Harbour as its general boundary to the west, extends, in an unbroken succession of houses, for more than two miles in a southerly direction. As a maritime city its site is unrivalled, possessing at least three miles of water frontage, at any part of which vessels of the heaviest burden can safely approach the wharves. The stratum on which it stands is chiefly sandstone; &, as it enjoys a considerable elevation, it is remarkably healthy & dry. The principal thoroughfares run north & south, parallel to Darling Harbour, & are crossed at right angles by shorter streets. This, at first, gives the place an air of unpleasing sameness & formality, to those accustomed to the winding & romantic streets of an ancient English town; but the eye soon becomes reconciled to the change, & you cease to regret the absence of what is in so many respects undesirable.
Sydney occupies a space of more than two thousand acres; but from this must be deducted fifty-six acres, reserved for recreation & exercise, & known as Hyde Park or the Race Course. By the Census taken in 1846, the number of houses in the city was seven thousand one hundred; there are now, at least, two hundred more. But, independently of the city itself, the suburbs have, during the last few years, steadily increased {page 6} in size & importance. To the eastward is Wooloomooloo; to the southeast, Paddington & Surry Hills; to the south, Redfern & Chippendale; to the south-west, Camperdown, Newtown, & the Glebe; to the west (across Darling Harbour), Balmain; &, to the north, the township of St. Leonard's. All these, except the two last, are more or less connected by streets with the parent city; &, in 1846, contained one thousand seven hundred & fifteen houses: they now probably number two thousand.
Sydney is divided into four Parishes--St. Philip's, St. James', St. Andrew's, & St. Lawrence's; & was, in 1842, incorporated by Act of, Council, & municipally divided into six Wards: viz. Gipps Ward, Bourke Ward, Brisbane Ward, Macquarie Ward, Cook Ward, & Phillip Ward. Each of these divisions is represented by four Councilmen & an Alderman, of whom one retires annually by rotation. The Mayor is chosen from their own number, by the Aldermen & Council.
The Population of the city, in 1846, was 38,358; &, adding the average annual increase, taken from the five years previous to that year, must now be 41,712. The suburbs also, in 1846, returned as 6832, from their very rapid extension may be safely stated at 7500--making a total of 49,212.
The Public Institutions are numerous & flourishing; but as we purpose to describe them at length, as opportunity offers in the course of this Work, we shall content ourselves with briefly enumerating them in the present chapter. There are four Banks of Issue--the Bank of New South Wales, & the Commercial Bank, both Colonial; & the Union Bank of Australia, & the Bank of Australasia, Anglo-Australian. Besides these, there are--the Savings' Bank, the Royal Bank of Australia, the British Colonial Bank & Trust Company, the Scottish Australian Investment Company, the Bank of Australia, & the Loan Company. We have also an Australian Gas Light Company, an Australian Sugar Company, a Sydney Fire Insurance Company, & a Sydney Marine Insurance Company. {page 7} The Literary & Scientific Institutions are--the Australian Subscription Library, the Mechanics' School of Arts, the Australian Museum, the Society for the Promotion of the Fine Arts, & the Floral & Horticultural Society. In connexion with the last-named Institution, it may not be irrelavent to allude to the Botanical Gardens, which are subject to the management of the Government, & are kept up at the public expense. Besides these, there are numerous Lodges of Free Masons & Odd Fellows, & several Religious, Social, & Benefit Societies.
Education, though not regarded with all the attention it demands, is nevertheless not wholly neglected; for we have, in Sydney, a very fair proportion of well frequented Academies, although the majority are of a private nature. Those considered as public, are--the Sydney & Australian Colleges (each a School under the control of a Committee), the Anglican College at Lyndhurst, the St. James' Grammar School, the Archiepiscopal Seminary at St. Mary's, & the Normal Institution. Of Schools, of somewhat humbler pretensions, such are known as Parochial, we have--six Anglican, seven Presbyterian, six Roman Catholic, & one Wesleyan: all of these are assisted by Government. The Independents & Baptists have also their corresponding Schools; but, from conscientious motives, decline any assistance from the State.
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CHAPTER II.
EARLY HISTORY--GOVERNMENT HOUSE--GEORGE STREET.
It became necessary, after the rebellion of those Colonies now known as the United States, for Britain to send her convicts elsewhere; & the wide, distant, & almost totally unknown regions of Australia, were adjudged most suitable for the purpose. Accordingly, eleven ships, since {page 8} known in Colonial History as the "First Fleet," sailed for New Holland on the 15th of May, 1787, under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, & arrived in Botany Bay on the 20th day of January in the following year. Finding the spot in many respects unfit for an infant settlement, & but scantily supplied with water, Captain Phillip determined to explore the coast; & proceeded northward, with a few officers & marines, in three open boats. After passing along a rocky & barren line of shore for several miles, they entered Port Jackson, which they supposed to be of no great dimensions, it having been marked in the chart of Captain Cook as a boat harbour. Their astonishment may be easily imagined when they found its waters gradually expand, & the full proportions of that magnificent harbour (capable of containing the whole navy of Britain) burst upon their view. The site of the intended settlement was no longer a matter of doubt; &, after first landing at Manly Beach (so named on account of the behaviour of the natives), they eventually selected a spot on the banks of a small stream of fresh water, falling into a Cove on the southern side of the estuary. Having returned to Botany Bay with the news of their discovery, the whole fleet was soon anchored in this creek, which, in compliment to the Secretary of State, they named Sydney Cove. On the 26th of January (a sufficient space for the military & convicts to encamp upon having been previously cleared) they were all landed, near where the Obelisk now stands, & the National Flag was hoisted. The succeeding days were, of course, spent in active employment; & the woods, soon to be replaced by a large & flourishing city, everywhere resounded to the woodman's axe. Some were clearing the ground for cultivation, some busily erecting the tents & huts, & some engaged in landing the necessary supplies.
The Canvas House of the Governor (Captain Phillip), & the tents of the Officers, were placed on the east of the Tank Stream above-mentioned, with the flag-staff in front of them; & near them were planted the various {page 9} fruit trees procured for this purpose at Rio & the Cape. The marines, & the convicts under their charge, were on the west side of the Cove, on a spot which may now be described as between George-street & Harrington-street, south of the site of the old Gaol; & the hospital for the sick was yet another collection of huts, where the old Custom-house now stands. Such was Sydney in the first year of its existence, sixty years ago.
To detail the hardships & privations of the founders of this Colony, though a task not unworthy of an historian, is not consistent with our present intention. But neither the sterility of the soil, the intense heat, nor drenching rains, could damp the ardour of Captain Phillip & his friends, though these disadvantages temporarily protracted their success. As an instance of what they had to contend against, we may remark that, for the six months after their landing, only four of the Officers had wooden huts; &, when the rest could be provided for, was uncertain. The hard wood of the gum trees blunted the tools of the convicts; & the cabbage palm, they had first availed themselves of, was no longer plentiful.
In July, 1788, the first civil cause was tried, & the Town planned out, &, in the September following, on a census being made, the population was found to consist of 933 persons, of whom a very large proportion were males.
Building went on very slowly, partly for want of mechanics & partly for want of lime, which they could only procure by burning shells. For two years the scarcity of provisions almost amounted to an actual famine, & but for the strict discipline maintained & opportune arrivals from England, the most serious consequences might have supervened. In spite of all difficulties, however, a large brick store was at length built, & the foundation of a Government House laid with all due formality. Though rambling & irregular, the latter was not an unpleasing building, &, with various additions & improvements, served as the Viceregal residence for nearly forty years. It was commenced on the 15th of May, 1788, & {page 10} pulled down on the completion of the present splendid mansion, which is much better adapted to the purposes of its less ambitious predecessor.
Government House (with a view of which we present our readers) is an elegant stone edifice, in the style usually termed Elizabethean or Tudor Gothic. It was designed by E. Blore, Esq., of London, & erected under the careful superintendence of Mr. Lewis, the Colonial Architect. It is about 170 feet long & 40½ feet high, with a large addition at the northern end containing apartments for the domestics. The Halls & State Rooms are spacious & lofty, & of these the Ball Room alone measures 150 feet in length & 28 in width, exclusive of the orchestra. The staircase is formed of highly wrought Australian cedar, & the chimney pieces of Colonial marble. Altogether, it is one of the most imposing buildings we have; & whether viewed from the adjacent Domain, the Harbour, or the City, its tall chimnies of elaborately carved stone, white turrets & numerous windows, render it a conspicuous ornament to our metropolis.
It is interesting to contrast such a building as the above with the poor sheds which appear in Collins' Plates as the nucleus of Sydney. They were chiefly formed of rough boards nailed to a few upright posts, shabbily covered with bark; & are, now, everywhere replaced by unbroken lines of well built houses. In our first engraving of the Streets, we have given an accurate idea of both sides of George Street, from Mr. Lyons' Mart to the entrance of Jamison Street; & the same, also, of Charlotte Place. In this range of buildings, the Bank of Australasia, & the Auction Mart above-mentioned, are equally deserving of notice. The former is a plain but commodious edifice, & consists of two wings & a centre; having fifteen windows & three doorways facing the street. There are six Branch Banks in Australia in connection with this Establishment, which is under the control of a Superintendent, Manager, & Board of Directors. It was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1835, & possesses a capital of one million sterling.
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George Street & Charlotte Place, Plate 10A
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St Phillps Church, Plate 10B
For a long time (as late as 1828) this part of George Street formed the general boundary line of a large garden, which reached back to the summit of the hill;--& on the opposite side, as far down as the Tank Stream, was the Lumber Yard, which was not sold in separate allotments until the year 1830. Charlotte Place was originally the Parade Ground, & the Guard House stood on the site of the present splendid dwelling-house of Mr. Cleeve.
CHAPTER III.
EARLY HISTORY--ST. PHILIP'S CHURCH--GEORGE STREET.
In the early days of the Colony, Divine Service was performed in the open air, soon after sun-rise, wherever a shady tree could be found. Great irregularity was the consequence, & notwithstanding the punishments by which the attendance of the prisoners was enforced, the congregations appear to have been very thin. Those who obstinately persisted in their recusancy were deprived of a portion of their rations. This state of affairs continued until 1793, when a temporary Church was erected at the back of the huts on the east side of the Cove, near to what is now the corner of Hunter & Castlereagh Streets. It was built at the expense of the Chaplain--the Rev. Mr. Johnson--of strong posts, wattles, & plaster, & was finished August 25th, 1793,--enjoying an honourable distinction as the first Christian Church in this portion of the globe. In 1798 it was burnt down--apparently by some incendiary, probably one of those who had been compelled to attend, & who thus hoped to escape the infliction for the future. Such hopes, however, were vain; for the brick store above-mentioned had just been completed, & was immediately fitted up {page 12} as a Church. This building, which appears to have been the first house in the Colony, stood a little behind the site of the present Bank of Australasia. On the completion of the Orphan School (founded October 1st, 1800), the fittings were taken thither, & that building continued to be used for the performance of Divine Service until the removal of Governor Bligh. One consequence of that event was, an entire suspension of Public Worship from January, 1808, until August, 1809.
That part of St. Philip's first built was the clock tower, which was of brick, & finished in 1797; this however having fallen in June, 1806, it was rebuilt of stone in the same year. The Church itself was commenced in 1800, but not ready for use until 1809, when the Rev. W. Cowper officiated therein for the first time. It was completed about a year afterwards, & a handsome Altar Service of silver presented to it by His Majesty King George III. Such is a brief outline of its history. As a building it is confessedly somewhat unecclesiastical, & singular; but has, nevertheless, a sort of traditional claim to our respect, from its connection with so early a period in the annals of the Colony. For nineteen months previous to the opening of St. Philip's Church for Divine Worship, (August, 1809,) there was no minister of the Church of England officiating in the Colony. Since that date, astonishing progress has been made. Sydney now holds the rank of Metropolitan City in the sixth Province of the Anglican Church; having, in connection with it as many as five suffragan bishoprics, while the number of clergymen in this diocese alone amounts at the present time to fifty. Connected with this most gratifying church extension, is a work just commenced, with such energy & zeal as to ensure a speedy attainment of the end in view. This is no other than the erection of a new & magnificent Church for the Anglicans of this Parish, of which the foundation has been laid at the back of the present edifice, on the top of the hill.
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George Street & Bridge Street, Plate 12A
Our second Descriptive Engraving represents the continuation of George {page 13} Street northward to Essex Lane or Gaol Hill. The four first houses in the plate, as far as Mr. Dawson's, stand upon what was originally the eastern limit of the Parade Ground before noticed; & near the corner of it was the entrance & eastern end of the Old Government Spirit Store, which extended backwards in an oblique direction towards St. Philip's Church. Of this Store nothing now remains, its site being completely occupied as in the engraving. The houses opposite, from Mr. Gaunson's--formerly the Bank of Australia--to the "Herald Office," are generally known as Underwood's Buildings; having been erected by Mr. James Underwood on his grant of land, which reached from the street in front to the water's edge. It was here that the first Colonial ship, named the King George, was built by that spirited proprietor, & launched on the 19th of April, 1805. The space intervening between the "Herald Office" & Bridge Street, had previously been enclosed as the Garden of the Female Orphan School, which stood nearly in the centre of it. This Garden also fronted that part of Bridge Street, often called the Colonnade, which appears in the lower part of the plate. Bridge Street contains, as may be observed, many respectable buildings, but, from a variety of contingent circumstances, remains as yet in an unfinished state.
There is nothing in this immediate vicinity calling for particular notice, except the Office of the Sydney Morning Herald. This newspaper, the "Times" of Australia, is conducted with much ability, but at the same time with such a careful abstinence from all political & party feeling, that it generally pleases all by displeasing none. In those articles, however, which touch upon religion, it is decidedly, though not violently, Protestant. As a commercial & daily paper, it ranks deservedly very high. It was established in the year 1831, & first came out as a daily paper in October, 1840. Its circulation is 3000; & it furnishes constant employment to nearly sixty men.
CHAPTER IV.
AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY--LOWER GEORGE STREET--EARLY HISTORY, ETC.
At the eastern end of Bent Street; which forms a winding continuation of Bridge Street and Macquarie Place, on an eminence of considerable elevation, stands the Australian Library. The Institution, to which this handsome edifice owes its name and existence, was first established through the exertions of Thomas De La Condamine, Esquire, Private Secretary to Governor Darling, about one-and-twenty years ago. The projector, communicating the object of his honourable ambition to the Reverend Messrs. Cowper and Hill, immediately gained their hearty co-operation--which was also most willingly afforded by the merchants of Sydney and other residents. The Society began its career under the official sanction and patronage of His Excellency the Governor, and has ever since steadily advanced in utility and importance. The first meeting was held at the Sydney Hotel, on February 3rd, 1826, when Alexander M'Leay, Esquire, F.R.S., was elected President, and a subscription list made out. By the judicious arrangements of the Committee--furthered, also, by the liberal donations of Governor Darling and Archdeacon Scott, and a large bequest of books left by the Will of T. Campbell, Esq.--the Library was opened on the 1st October, 1827, at No. 1 Terry's Buildings, Pitt Street. These premises were held conjointly with the Sydney Dispensary, the officer of which served also as a temporary Librarian, daily, from 1 to 4 P.M. Shortly afterwards, it was enriched by Governor Darling's granting to its use some valuable allotments of land:--first, two situated in Hyde Park, on what now lies between the Sydney College and St. Mary's Cathedral, as a site for the Institution; and, secondly, two other pieces of land above {page 15} Rushcutter's Bay, in aid of the Building Fund. The latter were sold by public auction, in the year 1841, for £3384.
Australian Library, Plate 14A
The grant of the allotments in Hyde Park having been cancelled or disallowed by Sir Richard Bourke, a correspondence was entered into with the Government on the subject, and kept up for several years. It resulted in Sir George Gipps granting the site of the present edifice, of which we present our readers with an accurate engraving. The first stone was laid. by the President, A. M'Leay, Esq., on the 14th February, 1843, and it was ready for use in January, 1846. It is built of light-coloured freestone, after the design of Henry Ginn, Esq., and adorned with numerous and well carved pilasters in the composite order of architecture. The Library Room occupies the entire of the eastern side facing Macquarie Street, and is lighted by fifteen windows. Its size is 80 feet by 40, and it is thirty-five feet in height. Though as yet incomplete it is a noble apartment, and is to be surrounded by a gallery, reaching out as far as the pillars, when finished. The Reading Room is of much smaller dimensions, and has a south-western aspect. The cost of the building, in its present state, has been about £5000.
The Society at present consists of Proprietors, who pay £5 as an entrance fee, with an annual subscription of £2;--and Subscribers, who pay £3 a-year and no entrance fee. Honorary Members must be introduced by two Proprietors, whereupon they are admitted to the use of Library and Reading Room for a period of three months, but can have no books issued to them. The admission is by ballot, but its use is not so offensively exclusive as generally imagined. The Library contains 15,000 volumes. About forty periodicals--and newspapers, both British and Colonial, are regularly received. Books are issued from 11 A.M. till 5 P.M., and the Reading Room is open from 9 in the morning till 9 at night.
Retracing our steps toward George Street we come in sight of the Obelisk, erected in 1818 by Governor Macquarie, as a starting point from {page 16} which distance on the roads of the Colony might be calculated. It stands in a small grass plot, in front of Macquarie Place, at the eastern extremity of Bridge Street, but will doubtless be soon swept away by the tide of improvement, which in this as in every other part of the City is beginning to make great alterations. Its very site will soon be a matter for conjecture.
Our third descriptive engraving forms a continuation of the line of George Street northward, from the point where the preceding plate broke off; viz. from Essex Lane to the Queen's Wharf. This portion of the Town bears a strong resemblance to part of a maritime town in England, and swarms with an active and busy population, mostly depending for their subsistence upon the shipping. As one of the most prominent and interesting features of this locality, we must direct attention to Mr. Dawson's Foundry, which is generally considered to be the first in the Colony. It was established in 1833, by the gentleman whose spirited industry and enterprise it is now amply rewarding. As an instance of what can be done in this Colony, it may be mentioned that iron work, of more than four tons weight, has been cast here with success. Mr. Dawson has also, for multifarious uses, an excellent high pressure steam engine, of eight horse power, which has been in constant use for the last eleven years. It was made on the premises, and, it is scarcely necessary to add, is a finished piece of mechanism. In the adjacent houses there is, perhaps, a little less regular uniformity of aspect than is now usual in Sydney, but most of them are of stone and substantially built. The present Shop and Dwelling of Mr. Holmes was originally the Office of the "Sydney Gazette," formerly the principal newspaper in the Colony, and the first daily paper in this part of the world. It is long since defunct. Opposite to the Australian Hotel (a very commodious and respectable Inn), stands the House and Marine Store of Mr. F. Mitchell, and is the oldest establishment in Sydney of the kind. The Shop has been, built for more than twenty years, but the House, which is the oldest in this part of George Street, was erected by a Mr. Redman.
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Lower George Street, Plate 16A
We must now resume our brief outline of the history of Sydney; tracing, as far as possible, its gradual progress from a humble settlement to a thriving and populous city. That part of it, we have just attempted to describe, was the first built upon; although, for many years, scarcely any thing was to be seen therein at all resembling a regular street. The cottages and huts were but thinly scattered over the hill lying to the north-west of the Cove, the stumps of trees thereon still remaining everywhere visible. It required all the energy of Captain Phillip and his associates to accomplish even this, so harrassing were the difficulties with which they had to contend. Nevertheless, bricks were burnt, stones hewn, timber cut, and houses built, in spite of obstacles which seemed almost insurmountable. The winter rains, it is true, at first increased the hardship of the prisoners, but eventually impelled them to labour for the amelioration of their discomforts. Thus the midwinter of '88 found them busily employed in erecting Barracks for the Marines, building houses for the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor (Major Ross), shingling the Hospital, and erecting an Observatory on the spot now known as Dawes' Battery, at the north-western extremity of the Cove. This last building was soon found insufficient for its immediate object; and being also far too small for the accommodation of the family of Lieutenant Dawes, the Resident Astronomer, the stone-cutters and masons set about erecting another forthwith, nearly in the same spot. The building, however, intended as Barracks for the soldiers, proved far too large for the exclusive occupation of the military, and was accordingly partially used as a store. Great inconvenience was felt from the want of men, of practical knowledge, both in agriculture and building; the majority of the population, both bond and free, being totally unused to any thing of the kind.
In October, 1789, was launched the first boat built in the Colony. It was intended for the conveyance of stores to the agricultural settlement {page 18} of "Rose Hill, now known by the aboriginal name of Parramatta. It was a large unweildy affair, and is described as any thing but a chef d'oeuvre in naval architecture. The convicts ironically termed it the Rose Hill Packet; until finding, by sad experience, how difficult it was to move it at all, they gave it the significant nickname of the "Lump." A Magazine was subsequently erected near the Observatory above-mentioned, and in December the Judge-Advocate's house was built. At the same time, also, the roadways in the settlement were made somewhat more passable, and the first Guard-house built--east of the Cove, not far from the bridge. A Signal-staff was set up at the South Head in the beginning of 1790, by which intelligence of the approach of any vessel could be immediately communicated to those in Sydney.
In consequence of an universal failure of the crops, and no arrivals from England, so great a scarcity prevailed that every man was put upon short allowance; and it was even customary, for those officers and gentlemen who went to dine at Government House, to carry with them their daily ration of bread. In April, 1790, the scarcity increasing, the Governor gave noble instance of self-denial, by placing three hundred pounds of flour, his private property, in the common stock; consenting to receive only the rations of a simple soldier in the ranks:--a rare example of magnanimity, which only those, who have felt what hunger is, can duly appreciate. It cannot be a matter of surprise for us to learn, that sickness, the usual attendant upon famine, made great ravages amongst the soldiers and prisoners. Day after day these unhappy victims of want and disease were borne to their graves, in what we now call the Old Burial Ground, then nearly a mile from the settlement. And when the portable Hospital, brought out from London, was put up in July, nearly five hundred persons were immediately placed under medical treatment, of whom great numbers died. During this year (1790) a fresh Storehouse was finished; and, in December, a Landing-place formed near the site of the present Custom House. {page 19} But, little could be done, because it was impossible to compel those to work who were in actual want of food.
St Patricks Church, Plate 18A
CHAPTER V.
ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH, GUILD, ETC.--GEORGE STREET, HUNTER STREET.
In Charlotte Place, not far from its Anglican sister, stands the Roman Catholic Church of St. Patrick--a fine Gothic structure, in the Decorate style. It is substantially built of well dressed stone, and consists of a nave and chancel, with sixteen side-windows; and another of three lights, over the porch and main door way, facing the street. There is, besides, an oriel at the back of the altar, which, contrary to usual custom, looks toward the north. The principal gables are surmounted by floriated crosses; and, at the southern end are two spiral turrets, topped with well carved finials. Below these, and, beside the main entrance, are two other doors for the aisles, and another in the chancel for the priest. The windows are all filled with mouldings of great elegance and beauty, and most of them richly adorned with painted glass. The corbeils, of fanciful design, are in good keeping with the rest of the building; which, despite of some disadvantages incident to its situation, is one of great architectural merit, and well worthy of the communion to which it belongs. It was built by subscription; assisted, however, by the grant of £1000 from the Colonial Government. Its extreme length, including the chancel, is 126 feet, and its breadth 37; but, at the altar recess, it is not more than 30 feet wide. The first stone was laid on the 25th of August, 1840, by His Grace the Most Reverend the Archbishop; and was, by the same Prelate, dedicated on the 18th of March, 1844. In the interior, as yet not quite {page 20} completed, there is a large gallery. The fittings are of cedar; and it will contain about 700 persons.
Underneath the Church is a large vaulted apartment, lighted by several windows at the side, below the level of the street. It serves as the Head Quarters and Convocation Room of three Societies, whose special objects are religious and social improvement amongst members of the Roman Catholic faith. Of these, the first that claims our attention and approbation is the Guild of Saint Mary and Saint Joseph--an institution which, in its peculiar sphere of usefulness, stands alone. We say this, of course, without directly recognising the expediency of all its minor details; we speak only of its general utility, and may thus be permitted to regret its isolated position. It is a Christian Association or Fellowship, deriving its existence from ecclesiastical authority, in which each member specially binds himself to the performance of certain religious duties prescribed by his Church. Frequent communion, prayer and almsgiving, are the most prominent of these spiritual duties, and the manner of their performance is distinctly expressed and enjoined. Thus it carries the influence of Religion into all the ordinary transactions of life; making provision for the time of sickness, old age, and death, and accomplishing its useful and benevolent purposes with promptness and efficacy. To effect this there are three separate funds:--One, for providing for weekly payments to members during sickness; another, for a permanent annual allowance to members after the 65th year of their age; and a third, for a sum to be paid to the widow or children on the death of a member. The chief officers are a Chaplain, Warden, Bursar, Secretary, and Council or Committee. Its Rules and Financial arrangements evince a carefulness and judgment beyond all praise. The members wear a peculiar dress on official occasions, and are thus sometimes met with in our streets, accompanying some departed brother to his long, last home. We do not envy that man his feelings, who has beheld the sight unmoved. The {page 21} Guild of St. Mary and St. Joseph was established on the 8th of June, 1845, and now numbers 250 members. It may not be uninteresting to the general reader to be informed that it has been honoured by the express approbation of Pope Pius IX, who, through the Archbishop, lately presented to its Warden a large gold medallion of himself, and a curious chain of the same metal.
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George Street and Hunter Street, Plate 20A
Verum haec ipse equidem spatiis exclusus iniquis
Praetereo, atque aliis post me memoranda relinquo.
In connexion with the same edifice, and of prior date, is a Total Abstinence Society, which has upwards of thirteen thousand members on its lists. This Institution, though established by the Roman Catholic Clergy, for the good of their flocks, is not of a sectarian character, but open to every community; and has greatly checked the demoralising and brutal crime of drunkenness, which, before its establishment, was dreadfully prevalent. Its officers are, a President, Treasurer, and Secretary, who are assisted by a Committee of twenty-one persons. The third Institution, whose officers assemble here, is a Benefit Society, at present numbering 140 members, and of which the Reverend John Sumner, the Incumbent, is President. It was established on the 4th of April, 1842.
Our Fourth Descriptive Engraving represents, first, the continuation of George-street toward the South, from Jamieson Street to Hunter Street; and secondly, Hunter Street itself. This locality has long been built upon; and a corresponding line of road may be traced in some of the oldest charts of Sydney. It contains, however, little deserving notice, except perhaps the quondam Bank of Australia, an establishment which was first founded in 1826, recognised in 1833, and closed as a Bank in February 1843. Hunter Street, delineated in the latter part of the plate, is pleasantly situated on a gentle ascent, meeting George Street at right angles. It contains many excellent shops, and that part of it called Regent's Terrace is no disgrace to its name. These and all the other {page 22} houses on the southern side of the street have been erected within the last eight years. Behind Mr. Solomon's Stores is the site of the Pavilion Theatre, the ephemeral existence of which is now well nigh forgotten.
CHAPTER VI.
GEORGE STREET--PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS--POST OFFICE.
That part of George Street facing the eastern wall of the Barrack Square comprises some of the best built houses in Sydney. Our fifth Descriptive Engraving represents this portion of the City, which forms the continuation of George Street, southerly, from Hunter Street to the Post Office. It is chiefly occupied by wealthy tradesmen, whose stores and shops are fully equal to those of a principal street in an English city. More than this we cannot say; where so much spirited enterprise and improvement is visible, it would be invidious to praise a few. In this quarter land has of late years sold for a very high price, and often found ready purchasers at £20 per foot. Yet, within the memory of man it had scarcely a nominal value; we are even assured that the site of several houses near the Bank of New South Wales was exchanged for a bottle of rum within the last thirty years! So rapidly has our metropolis advanced in spite of every discouragement and difficulty.
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George Street, Plate 22A
Proceeding along George Street in a southerly direction, and passing Hunter Street, which abuts on it on our left, we have on the opposite side for some hundred yards a blank wall, at present enclosing the Barrack Square. The extensive quarters provided for the military in the early formation of the colony, at that time bounded the town, and, by their vicinity and commanding position, afforded the protection called for by the peculiar {page 23} nature of its population: having, however, been gradually surrounded by buildings till they occupied the centre of the city, the valuable locale could ill be spared from the space required for the increasing population, and it was found necessary to make provision for the accommodation of the troops in the outskirts of the town. Commodious buildings having been erected at Darlinghurst, the head quarters have been removed thither; and we trust soon to see the straggling and dilapidated erections of the primitive colony replaced by elegant and useful edifices adapted to civil purposes, and the site pierced by the thoroughfares so much required for the circulating current of commercial activity Returning to the corner of Hunter Street we find upon our left hand, or upon the eastern side of George Street, a block of buildings with some architectural pretensions, substantially constructed of brick with stone dressings--the angle occupied by Mr. Skinner's commodious Tavern. Amid a row of elegant and well-stored shops is the office of the Australian General Insurance Company, and at a short distance the massive and old-fashioned stone house occupied by the Bank of New South Wales--the oldest institution of that description in the colony, and a strictly colonial undertaking, established in 1817, with a capital of £400,000. We must not leave unnoticed the office of the Atlas, weekly journal;--originally projected with a view of advocating the pastoral interests of the colony, and at one time powerfully supported by numerous and able contributors. The editorial department has undergone numerous changes, but has always been remarkable for the warmth of style which it has employed in giving expression to its views. The typographical portion, under the able management of Mr. Welch, the proprietor, has all through been remarkable for its excellence.
A short distance further southward are the offices where the business of the now defunct "Church of England Lay Association" was conducted. It is needless, however, to enter into detail upon the objects of an institution no longer in existence. In the same building remains the "Sydney Choral Society," {page 24} founded in March, 1845, with a view to improve the state of choral music in the city, to provide volunteer choirs for the parish churches, and to encourage the practice of music in general. To these objects it has already largely contributed, and promises to diffuse an extensive and cultivated taste for sacred music. At the same office is transacted the business of the "Church of England Cemetery Company," formed in consequence of some objections raised to the consecration of any part of the General Cemetery provided by the Act of the Legislature in the Session of 1847; certain clauses of which were, by the high church party considered objectionable. Here is also the "Australian Benefit Investment and Building Society," yet in its infancy, but having for its object the introduction of a principle which has been found to work beneficially in England.
We now arrive before one of the most important buildings of the colony, not merely as regards the structure, but as being the centre and focus, the heart, as it may be termed, from which the pulse of civilization throbs to the remotest extremity of the land. We mean the Post Office. The projected improvements, commenced last year, in which is contemplated the re-edification of the whole building on a scale commensurate with the growing wants of the community, have not yet progressed beyond the erection of a handsome portico. Six Doric columns support an appropriate entablature and pediment, with the royal arms (executed by Mr. Abraham, an able sculptor resident in the colony,) in the centre of the tympanum. The whole effect is chaste and severe, and much more befitting the aspect of a place of business than a more ornamental and gaudy design would be. When the Barracks are removed the portico will afford a noble termination to the street which will be opened forming a vista in the front of the building. The accompanying engraving, however, will enable our readers to form a better idea of it than a verbal description can by any possibility convey.
The Post Office, Plate 24A
In the earlier days of the Colony, the Settlers were necessarily left dependent upon chance opportunities of conveyance, for the interchange of the scanty correspondence which sufficed for the primitive nature of their commercial transactions--direct barter being, for many years, almost the only mode of trade. It was not therefore until 1828, forty years after the first formation of the Colony, that its growing wants required the aid of a Post Office, which, from the modest extent originally given to it, has expanded into the important and daily increasing Establishment, over which Mr. James Raymond so ably presides as Postmaster General. At the outset, daily Mails were despatched only to Parramatta and Liverpool; twice a-week to Windsor, Campbelltown, and Penrith; once a-week to Bathurst; while one solitary sailing vessel formed the medium of communication between Sydney and Newcastle, which now affords full occupation for so many splendid Steamers. The entire distance annually traversed by the Mails amounted to 40,500 miles, exclusive of the water carriage. Since that period the number of the Post Offices has been augmented from 8 to 102; the distance travelled over to nearly 600,000 miles, besides water carriage. The communication now comprehends a Mail twice a-week to Melbourne, a distance of nearly 600 miles; once a-week to Adelaide, almost double the distance; while, to the northward, it reaches Moreton Bay, and in a westerly direction extends beyond Wellington, comprising a journey of upwards of 260 miles towards the interior of this vast island-continent.
Continuing our walk southward, we pass the handsome Offices of the Commercial Banking Company, lately reorganised; a new Company having been formed, with a capital of £120,000 in 4,800 shares, upon the winding up of the old Company, in consequence of the effluxion of the time of the partnership licensed by the original Deed of Settlement.
We now arrive at the corner of King Street, which, running from east to west, from the Government Domain to the shores of Darling {page 26} Harbour, completely intersects the City. Having reached the centre of the town, let us pause for a moment and look around us. Few strangers, we imagine, could do so on their first arrival in the metropolis of New South Wales, without the most lively emotions of surprise. In place of a paltry town, which many of them are led to expect, they find shops and warehouses which would do credit to an European capital, offering for their convenience every article of comfort and luxury; while, in every direction, are to be seen unequivocal indications of progress and improvement. 'The handsome equipages that dash past, the elegantly clad females, and the stylish groups of gentlemen, point out the seat of amusement and gaiety. The heavily laden wains--the crowds that sweep past, in every direction--the hasty step of some, the thoughtful brow of others, betokening the purpose of intense occupation--all speak of extensive trade and untiring commercial activity.
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King Street, Plate 26A
A swarm of calumnious libellers have lately found it a profitable speculation, at least so it may be inferred from the assiduity with which they persevere in their vocation, to propagate the most abominable falsehoods respecting the state of society in New South Wales, especially in Sydney. Some person of the name of Byrne in a publication which has lately appeared in London, has however excelled most of his predecessors in fertile powers of unblushing and inventive mendacity. We cannot pass over these systematic attacks upon the fair fame of our adopted land without expressing the indignation they excite, as well as our surprise that the British public should be so far imposed upon as to tolerate and encourage such masses of absurd falsehoods. We can only account for the fact that such books have purchasers, by supposing that it proceeds from the same depravation of public taste that finds greedy readers for highly wrought details of crime and murder, and the extent of credulity for which John Bull is so famous, and which readily gives credence to any thing, however monstrous, which comes from {page 27} a distance. We will not rely upon our own flat contradiction of such malevolent and baseless effusions: we will quote a few lines from an impartial witness, a distinguished foreigner, Count P. E. De Strzelecki, whose valuable work on New South Wales is too profound and scientific to obtain the circulating library notoriety of the mendacious babblers to which we allude. Count Strzelecki wrote in Sydney, under the fresh impression of surprise at the scene which surrounded him, having been deluded into the belief that he could scarcely disembark in Sydney with any degree of safety: he quotes his memorandum, made at the time, in a note upon the introduction of his book:
"Let the authors of these epithets on New South Wales congratulate and applaud themselves; my mystification was complete...I found, however, in the streets of Sydney a decency and a quiet which I have never witnessed in any other of the ports of the United Kingdom. No drunkenness, no sailors' quarrels, no appearances of prostitution. George Street, the Regent Street of Sydney, presented houses and shops modelled after those of London; but nowhere did its lamps and the numerous lights in its windows, reflected upon the crowd, betray those signs of a corrupt society common to the streets of other capitals."--P. 2 Introduction.
We wish our space allowed us to quote more largely from the repeated testimony in favour of the general morality and hospitality prevailing throughout the Colony, borne by one whose minute enquiries and extensive opportunities of observation render it of so much value, while at the same time he may fairly be considered to have written without prejudice or bias. Another foreign gentleman, who enjoyed the best opportunities of becoming acquainted with the state of society amongst us, M. Delessert, has published a pleasing sketch of his rambles in the Colony, in which he records his grateful sense of the kindness and hospitality which greeted him everywhere, and the highly favourable ideas which he formed of the manners and morals of the Colonists. Is it {page 28} not scandalous that we should be compelled to appeal to foreigners against the calumnies heaped on us by our own countrymen?
CHAPTER VII.
ST JAMES CHURCH--KING STREET
The intersecting lines of George Street and King Street--the former from north to south, the latter from east to west--divide the City into four parts; the divisions of the streets, at this point, being designated by the points of the compass. Turning to the left, from George Street, we proceed up King Street East, a portion of which is shown in our Descriptive Engraving--a line of thriving shops, some of them of considerable importance. Passing Pitt Street, Castlereagh Street, and Elizabeth Street on our right and left, we reach a group of public buildings. On the right hand, the Supreme Court of the Colony, and St. James's Church, a view of which is annexed: in front, the pile of building called Hyde Park Barracks, formerly tenanted by the convicts in Government service. Although none of these edifices have much architectural pretension, being constructed entirely of brick and devoid of ornament, yet, the proportions being good, the masses broad, and the lines bold and unbroken, they form an imposing and dignified whole.
St James Church, Plate 28A
St. James's Church is a building of considerable dimensions, the foundation of which was laid on the 7th October, 1819. The spire, surmounting the brick tower at the west end, not only takes away from the heaviness of the edifice, but also forms a conspicuous object from every part of the City and its neighbourhood. The interior, which is commodiously fitted up, received considerable improvements about two years ago; the galleries were altered and enlarged, and the Church now affords sittings for 1500 persons. There is a well toned and powerful organ, and an excellent choir {page 29} under the direction of Mr. James Johnson, to whom the Colony is indebted for the first introduction of this branch of music. The Choral Society, mentioned above, owes its origin to the meetings originally held for practice for the service of this Church. St. James's, although not the oldest, may, probably, be considered the principal Church of the City. Situated near Government House, in the centre of the most fashionable part of the metropolis, the congregation usually includes the family of the Governor, and a large proportion of the leading members of society. It is also decidedly the favourite resort for the more aristocratical among the votaries of Hymen. Divine Service is performed three times on Sunday, every Friday and Holy Day, and Prayers are read every morning at nine. The present Incumbent is the Rev. Robert Allwood, M. A., the learned President of the Theological College at Lyndhurst, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Priddle and the Rev. Mr. Macarthur; the latter gentleman (a native of the Colony) is a younger member of the respected family whose name is so inseparably connected with the early annals of the Colony.
Opposite the north-eastern angle of St. James's Church is the Office of the Bishop's Registrar, the vicinity probably of which, combined with the advantages of locality, and the superior accommodations of the building, renders St. James's, although not the Diocesan Church, the seat of the most important transactions connected with the Church of England. It may not be out of place here to mention that the present Lord Bishop of Sydney, the Right Reverend William Grant Broughton, D. D., is the first Prelate who presided over an episcopal see in this Colony. His Lordship first arrived on the 13th September, 1829, as Archdeacon; New South Wales being then nominally attached to the see of Calcutta, although the distance and unfrequency of communication precluded, of course, any interference on the part of the titular head of our Church. He returned by the Camden, from a visit to England, on the 2nd June, 1836, with the title and authority of Bishop of Australia, and was installed the same day {page 30} in St. James's Church; the ecclesiastical importance of the Colony having been at length considered sufficient to entitle it to release from the imaginary dependence in which it had previously been held. In its connexion with the English Church, Australia is comprehended in the Archepiscopal jurisdiction of Canterbury. Rather more than two years since, his Lordship announced that, having for some time past considered the diocese (including as it did the country from Moreton Bay, to Portland Bay) too extensive to be properly superintended by one Bishop, he had determined on requesting the Government to appoint another. Fearing, however, that objections on the score of expense would be raised to his proposal, he met them in anticipation by the munificent and singularly disinterested offer to sacrifice half his professional income (then £2,500 per annum) as an endowment for the second see:--an instance of self-devotion to which, perhaps, it would be difficult to find a parallel. The Home Government, however, did not think itself justified in taking advantage of this liberality to its full extent; but complied with the suggestion of the Bishop so far as to deduct the sum of £500 per annum from the resources of the Bishopric of Australia, and to sub-divide it into three; Sydney having a metropolitan superiority over the other two, Newcastle and Melbourne. It is almost presumption in us to offer an opinion on the merits of this eminent Prelate; but we cannot refrain from making use of the opportunity now afforded us of recording the humble tribute of our admiration of them. Those who know the many difficulties he has had to contend against can alone appreciate the skill with which he has conducted the affairs of the Church: his zeal for its prosperity is sufficiently demonstrated by the action we have just related. During the already lengthened period of his residence in New South Wales his friends and hearers have gained ample demonstrations of his exalted piety, his profound learning, and his eloquence, clear and simple in its style, and at the same time both commanding and convincing in its earnestness.
Governmmmment House
