Observatory Hill - Fort Phillip - Sydney Observatory - Sydney - New South Wales

Sydney Observatory - Observatory Hill 

At Governor Debison's Instigation This Building Was Begun In 1857. The First Meridian Observations Commenced In June 1858

This is the sight of Sydney’s first Windmill. Also known as Fort Philip and Flagstaff Hill, eventually became known as Observatory Hill after the building of the sandstone Observatory in 1858.
While the colonies astronomers were making scientific observations from this building, local Sydneysiders knew it best for its timekeeping. Every day at 1 pm the ball on the top of the tower dropped, and a Canon blasters fired to the signal at the correct time. This was especially useful for ships import, enabling the accurate adjustment and calibration of marine chronometers

The Sydney Observatory is a historic astronomical observatory located in Sydney, Australia. Its history goes back to the colonial period and has played a significant role in Australia's scientific and cultural development.

Early Establishment:

• The Sydney Observatory was established in 1858. Its primary purpose was to provide accurate timekeeping and meteorological observations for the colony of New South Wales.

Strategic Location:

• The observatory was strategically positioned on a hill overlooking Sydney Harbor, allowing astronomers to have an unobstructed view of the night sky.
• Its location also facilitated maritime navigation, as ships in the harbor could use the observatory's time signals to set their chronometers.

Instruments and Research:

• The observatory was equipped with a range of astronomical instruments, including telescopes and transit instruments.
• It conducted research on various celestial phenomena, such as comets, planets, stars, and the Moon.

Timekeeping and Signals:

• One of the observatory's key functions was to provide accurate timekeeping for Sydney and beyond. The time ball on top of the observatory's tower would drop daily at 1 p.m., allowing ships and the public to set their timepieces.
• The time signals were essential for coordinating activities, particularly in the days before standardized time zones.

Meteorology and Seismology:

• In addition to astronomy, the observatory collected meteorological data, including temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. This information was crucial for weather forecasting and understanding climate patterns.
• The observatory also played a role in seismology, monitoring and recording earthquakes and tremors.

Public Outreach and Education:

• The Sydney Observatory was not only a scientific institution but also a hub for public education and engagement. It held public lectures, stargazing events, and exhibitions to increase awareness and interest in astronomy and related sciences.

Challenges and Evolution:

• Over the years, the observatory faced challenges such as urban light pollution and encroaching development, which affected its astronomical observations.
• The observatory adapted to changing technologies, transitioning from visual observations to more advanced astronomical techniques.

Heritage and Restoration:

• The Sydney Observatory is recognized as a heritage site and is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register.
• Restoration efforts have been undertaken to preserve its historic instruments, buildings, and artifacts.

Modern Day:

• Today, the Sydney Observatory continues to operate as an educational and cultural institution, offering public programs, guided tours, and interactive exhibits.
• Visitors can learn about astronomy, timekeeping, and the history of the observatory while enjoying stunning views of Sydney Harbor.

The Sydney Observatory stands as a testament to Australia's scientific heritage and its contributions to astronomy, meteorology, and navigation. Its role in timekeeping, navigation, and public engagement has left a lasting impact on the city and the country's cultural and scientific landscape.

Garrison Church - Lower Fort Street - Argyle Street - The Rocks

The Garrison Church
Corner Of Argyle street and Lower Fort street


This was the first official Military Church in NSW & serviced the Military Garrison at Dawes Point. Imagine the spectacle of Red Coats marching up Lower Fort Street from the artillery Barracks to attend morning prayer. 

The holy Trinity Church, designed by E.T Blacket, Was The First Garrison Church In Australia. The foundation stone was laid in 1840.

The Lord Bishop of Australia, assisted by the Reverend William Cowper, senior chaplain of the parish of Saint Philip, perform the ceremony. The service commenced with the 123rd Psalm, the lesson from the first of people to the Corinthians, chapter 3, the collect for Trinity Sunday after which the stone was lowered into place, and which of the following inscription –

This foundation stone of the church in honour of the holy Trinity, erected with the aid of her majesties government by the inhabitants of the parish of Saint Philip was laid by the right Reverend Father in God, William Lord Bishop of Australia, on the 23rd day of June 1840. Philip was laid by the Roman Australia

The location of this foundation stone today is unknown

The Sydney morning Herald on 3 November 1842 said-

The garrison Church of the holy Trinity is of next Gothic order, about 100‘ x 55‘. The height of the walls is about 45 feet. There has been much discussion as to who was responsible for the plans of the garrison church. Morton Herman, architect, wrote in the Blacket –

The architect was Henry Ginn, who had attended the laying of the foundation stone on 23 June 1840. Lack of funds cause a delay which prevented him from getting even a small portion of the nave roof in until 26 May 1844. The small roof portion served until 1855, when Blacket appeared. 

Then incumbent of holy Trinity, the Reverend Wilkinson, had got together sufficient money to roof in the whole nave and this was done two packets design

—————————

When William Grant Broughton, only Bishop of Australia, call the parish meeting in the old Saint Phillips church, on Church Hill, in December 1839 He had a pressing problem.

Phillips was overcrowded; the church must give you a Millers point to take the overflow. The rocks area of the points one for sailors, not a churchgoing agreed

The Bishop had them in mind when you’re dressed as a parish office is the new church holy Trinity wants to be for Mariners.

Primarily a soldiers church. In 1843 service as we can in the part finished building design by Henry Ginn. Regularly attend the morning service.

The holy Trinity was in large to go pick designs by Edmund Blacket. The applicants have been a ramshackle building simulator gift, notably a rich east window, and memorial to the grandparents David Mitchell.

The holy Trinity was in large to go pick designs by Edmund Blacket. The elegance into what has been a ramshackle building stimulated gift, notably a rich east window, and memorial to the grandparents David Scott Mitchell.

The garrison churches to curious features in its history. One is that for 30 years no collection plate was passed around, offerings been taken at the Sure. The other is at the church with never consecrated. Holy Trinity is now circle monument as well as a parish church. It has a regular Sunday congregation and he’s always pack when you anniversary of laying of the foundation stone on 23 June 1840 is commemorated.

This was the first original official Military Church in New South Wales and serviced the Military Garrison at Dawes point.

This was the first original official military church in New South Wales and serviced the military garrison at Dawes point.

Imagine the spectacle of redcoats marching up lower Fort Street from the military Valley Barricks and attending morning prayer.  Although the church was officially called the holy Trinity Church, it continues to not be known as the garrison church. Military flag still doing the churches interior

Argyle Street - Millers Point

This Roadway Was Cut Through Solid Rock in the 1840's To Give Access ToCircular  Quay To millers Point. 

The old people of Millers point, modern community Centre, have a view of something more in keeping with age.

Before then prim as an old-fashioned Posey, exciting Village Green charm, lies the cities last truly picturesque patch of its domestic past.

Actresses in a cottage or two, frames like valentines in the Tory 91 space a tiny part of all trees.

Most of the houses were built in the decade 1814 to 1850. For every century nobody thought much about them. Then in the 1961, two astonishment of the tenants Utan for generations, their landlords, the Maritime Services board, I did buy the National trust, moved in with gallons of tasty cheese and paint.

The colours, with white, the old houses acquired a new status. This, citizens begin to tell one another, was a part of old Sydney but it would be fine to see swept away in the modernising of the area, although there is a touch of irony in preserving anything so girls and respectable is the house is available place is a symbol of the rocks.

Behind them coming down the east first slime , I think Stu with a reputation as evil as it stench . Chanting houses stuff like wasps nests to the rock slopes .

There was no running water, no sanitation. Water had to be stripped out of Roxy peach or bought by the bucket from the visit in contact. That’s one define times; they are more numerous than the rate of children, the outnumbered by rats.

Towards the end of the century. These memories house like a shadow of a Carreon pro across the smiling little square

The old people of Millers point, drafting in front of the hideous modern amenities centre, have a new something more in keeping with the age. Before them, prim as an old-fashioned Posey, excluding Village Green charm lies the cities last truly picturesque patch of its domestic past.

A row of George and type terraces in a cottage or two framed like valentines in Victorian I and lace face a tiny part of all trees.

Most of the houses were built in a decade 1840 to 1850.

For over a century nobody thought much about them. Then in 1961, to the astonishment of the tenants-some families have lived there for four generations, their landlords, the Maritime services board, prodded by the national trust, moved in with gallons of tastefully chosen paint.

This, citizens begin to tell one another, was a part of old Sydney that it would be a crime to see you swept away in the modernising of the area, although there is a touch of irony in preserving anything so Das and respectable is the houses of Argyle Place as a symbol of the rocks.

Behind them, tumbling down to the harbour search in spreading East, what’s the colonies first slum, thieves stew with the reputation is evil it’s a stench. Chantey house is stuck like wasps nests to the precipitous rocks

behind them, tumbling down to the harbour surgeon spreading East, what’s the colonies first saw mum, Steve stew with the reputation as evil as it stands. Chantey house are stuck like wasps nests to the precipitous rock slopes. Many were painted with Robin how it’s for the worst element among visiting semen.

There was no running water, no sanitation. Water had to be scooped out of rock seepage or bought by the bucket from a visiting Carter. Goats swarmed with slimy parts; they were more numerous than the ragged children, the outnumbered by rats. Larrikin pushes terrorise the district towards the end of the century.

These memories past like a shadow of a Carreon Crow across the smiling little square.

The Orphan School - George St - Between Falley & Bridge St, Facing Grosvenor St

The Orphan School

George Street, Between Falley And Bridge Street, Facing Grosvenor Street

The female off at school

The female or from school was set up by Governor King in 1801 two houses just a tutte young girls.

It was officially opened on 17 August 1801, housing 31 girls between the ages of seven and 14. x 1829 there were 152 inmates, including some aboriginal girls

It was the first school to be established uaing public funds, and furthermore as a residential school to provide or care for orpahn destitute, neglected and abandoned girls. Theree are no admission registers, school rolls or requests for admission for this period of the Orphan School. 

When a new building was completed near the existing residence, there was room for more girls and on 31st December 1801 49 girls had been received into the Institution.

By 24th Msrch 1803 there were 54 girls. 

By 1806 - 6 Orphanss have been married, and portioned with 10 Pound each; and 11 have been bound Apprentices to Officers Wives. The reference to the 11 gurs who had been apprenticed indictaes a role which the Female Orphan School was to play in the colony. 

The First Gaol – George Street North, The Rocks – Sydney's Log Gaol, Stone Gaol and Gallows – 1797 to 1841

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that some of the early colonial artworks on this page may show people who have died.

The Rocks sits on Gadigal country. The Dictionary of Sydney and other sources describe the Gadigal as the traditional owners of Sydney Cove, and Wikipedia's article on The Rocks says the Cadigal people called this rocky western side of the cove Tallawoladah. Wikipedia's George Street article notes that some historians think the old track that became George Street followed paths the local Aboriginal people were already using.

My Original Notes

Before Darlinghurst’s big sandstone gaol became the prison people mean when they say “the jail,” Sydney kept its prisoners at the corner of George and Essex Streets in The Rocks. Governor John Hunter ordered gaols for Sydney and Parramatta in the mid-1790s. The Sydney timber gaol of about 1797 — cells plus a separate debtors’ building — burned in early 1799. It was rebuilt on the same site in sandstone: the “second” Sydney jail of this post’s title, behind high walls at George and Essex.

That sandstone gaol held men and women awaiting trial or convicted of offences within the colony (it was not mainly a holding pen for new transportees). Public hangings took place in the grounds; the timber gallows rose high enough to be seen from outside the walls and from a hill to the west. By the 1830s the building was overcrowded, insecure and widely regarded as an eyesore on a street turning commercial. Prisoners went to the new Darlinghurst Gaol in 1841, and the George Street gaol was subsequently demolished.

The site was archaeologically investigated in a 1979 rescue excavation before hotel development; the corner is now the Four Seasons Hotel (formerly the Regent). An RAHS Green Plaque later commemorated the site of Sydney’s first gaol.

Sydney Gaol, the white building in the background, as Augustus Earle drew it in 1826. Augustus Earle, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Walking Up George Street North

Next time you're wandering up George Street from Circular Quay towards the Harbour Bridge, stop at the corner of Essex Street. The big hotel tower there is the Four Seasons, and you'd never guess from the glass and the doormen that this was once the grimmest corner in the colony. For more than forty years Sydney's gaol stood here, with its high walls, its crowded wards and its timber gallows standing up above the wall where everyone could see them.

George Street is the oldest street in the city. Wikipedia's George Street article says it started as a track from the convict camp in The Rocks, past the marine barracks and along the Tank Stream to the brick pits out near where Central station is now. Before 1810 most people called it High Street, and the northern end, our end, was sometimes called Sergeant Major's Row, and earlier still Spring Row, because the water carriers wore the path in between the Tank Stream, the military camp and the hospital. Governor Macquarie gave it the name George Street, after King George III, in 1810.

George Street in The Rocks today, looking along the old Sergeant Major's Row end of the street. Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sergeant Major's Row, the terrace at 33–41 George Street, keeps the old nickname for this end of the street alive. Collywolly, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Log Gaol of 1797

When the First Fleet arrived, nobody built a gaol, because the whole settlement was effectively a prison. John Ramsland, writing on "Prisons to 1920" for the Dictionary of Sydney, explains that it was Governor John Hunter who, in 1796, ordered two gaols "along English lines", one for Sydney and one for Parramatta. They weren't meant for the convicts as they stepped off the ships. They were meant for people who broke the law after they got here. Hunter claimed robberies were happening every day.

The way they were built is a very early-Sydney story. According to Ramsland, every free landholder had to supply ten logs, and settlers who had more than twenty convicts working for them had to bring twenty. The settlers supplied the thatch for the roofs too. So many logs came in that the carpenters couldn't keep up. Ramsland says the Sydney and Parramatta gaols were both finished in June 1797, each with 22 cells. The Dictionary of Sydney's entry on Sydney Gaol adds a thatched roof and a separate brick building for debtors.

An official return of public buildings put up since October 1796, quoted in the State Archives agency record for Sydney Gaol (Research Data Australia), called it "a strong double logged gaol of 80 feet in length, with separate cells for prisoners". It goes on with one of the best lines in early colonial paperwork: it "might have been a durable building, until more permanent one could have been reared; but was afterwards burnt by design, but no discovery of the incendiary".

The man in charge was a First Fleeter, Henry Kable. Ramsland says Kable, who'd been convicted of burglary in Norfolk, was put in charge of the Sydney Gaol as chief constable in 1797. The Australian Dictionary of Biography traces how he went from overseer to constable and nightwatchman and then chief constable, and how he was sacked in 1802 after being convicted of breaking the port regulations and illegally buying pigs from a visiting ship. He went on to make a good living in business.

Henry Kable's grave at St Matthew's, Windsor. Kable ran the Sydney Gaol as chief constable from 1797 until he was dismissed in 1802. Bluedawe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Burnt by Design – the Fire of 1799

The log gaol didn't last. The Dictionary of Sydney's Sydney Gaol entry says it was destroyed by fire in early 1799. Somebody set it alight on purpose and was never caught, according to the official return quoted by the State Archives. Parramatta's gaol went up in flames too. Museums of History NSW gives the date of the Parramatta fire as 28 December 1799.

For a small town of timber and thatch, losing the gaol to an arsonist must have been a bit embarrassing. The answer was to build in stone.

The Stone Gaol

The State Archives record says a permanent gaol was planned in 1799 and built the following year. Free settlers were levied to help pay for it, and the Gaol Committee, William Balmain and Major Joseph Foveaux, put up £714 13s of their own money to keep the work going. In a letter to Governor Hunter on 1 February 1800, they wrote that "nothing is so essentially requisite to the preservation of good order, and punishment of offenders in this settlement, as a proper and secure prison".

The new building got glowing reviews at first. The same official return called it "a handsome and commodious stone gaol at Sydney with separate apartments for the debtors, and six strong and secure cells for condemned felons". Ramsland describes it as being built like an army barracks, with an enclosed parade ground and two big undivided wards, one for men and one for women. Under Governor Philip Gidley King it was paid for out of the import duties on spirits, wine and beer, so in a way Sydney's drinkers kept its prisoners fed.

Philip Gidley King, governor from 1800, in a portrait of about 1798. The stone gaol was run on duties from imported grog in his time. Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It stood behind a high wall on the western side of George Street, on the corner of Essex Street. Ramsland pictures a walker in the 1830s heading south from Kings Wharf along the western side of George Street and coming to "His Majesty's Gaol" on that corner. Prisoners were held there before and after trial. The Dictionary of Sydney and Wikipedia both say it held men and women, and Wikipedia adds that both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal prisoners were locked up there.

Sydney Cove from Dawes Point by Joseph Lycett, around 1818, showing the town on the western side of the cove. Joseph Lycett, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Government House across the cove, attributed to Joseph Lycett, 1819. Joseph Lycett, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Gallows on George Street

This is the part that gives the corner its dark reputation. Hangings took place in the gaol grounds. Wikipedia and the Dictionary of Sydney say the timber gallows stood higher than the gaol walls, so the public could watch from outside, and a hill just to the west gave the best view. Ramsland writes that public hangings "were commonplace outside its walls, attracting a rowdy mob", and that between the 1800s and the 1830s people were executed for the same range of crimes as in England. Some got last-minute reprieves, but there were plenty of gruesome scenes for the crowds.

Wikipedia, drawing on Charles Bertie's The Story of Old George Street (1920), says that on one day in June 1831 eight men were hanged together, seven for robbery and one for attempted murder. Museums of History NSW lists a surviving record among the colonial papers headed "List of prisoners executed at Sydney Gaol, 1 Feb to 28 May 1828". That gives you some idea of how often the rope was used here.

By 1835, Ramsland says, the gaol was seen as an eyesore, "with its timber gallows towering over its stone walls". George Street had become more respectable by then, with shops, businesses and houses, and the gallows wasn't something the neighbours wanted to look at.

Augustus Earle's view from the Sydney Hotel, about 1826, when George Street was turning into a busy commercial street. Augustus Earle (1793-1838), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A Moral Pestilence – the Gaol Falls Apart

The stone gaol was only "secure" for a little while. Ramsland says that almost as soon as it opened it was plagued by poor security, bad sanitation and overcrowding. In 1826 there were so many prisoners that Governor Ralph Darling used the hulk Phoenix, moored at first in Lavender Bay, to take the overflow.

Governor Ralph Darling, painted by John Linnell in 1825. Darling put the hulk Phoenix to use for George Street's overflow. J. Linnell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The numbers in the reports are hard to take in. Wikipedia, citing Patricia Burritt's report on the 1979 dig, says 326 prisoners were crammed in there in August 1834, and in January 1835 62 women and 8 children were held in one room. Ramsland quotes the High Sheriff, Thomas Macquoid, who reported 110 men sharing a ward 32 by 22 feet, and 40 women and 10 children in another ward 27 by 22 feet.

In 1833 Governor Richard Bourke asked for a new gaol to be built at the colony's expense because the old one was in a "ruinous state". He put it bluntly, as quoted in the State Archives record: "The gaol in its present crowded state, without classification or labour, is a moral pestilence, and from its confined and low situation in the most populous part of the Town, appears likely at any moment to generate a physical one."

Governor Richard Bourke, around 1835. He called the George Street gaol "a moral pestilence". Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Building Darlinghurst

A replacement had been on and off since the early 1820s. Ramsland writes that the foundations, part of the walls and the gatehouse at Darlinghurst were started under Governor Brisbane between 1822 and 1824, then stopped for lack of money. A Select Committee reported to Bourke on 26 August 1836, and the Legislative Council had voted £10,000 towards it in 1835. The new gaol went up on the Woolloomooloo Stockade, out on the windswept sandhills. It was designed by the Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis and Captain George Barney, using Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary as a model, and built from sandstone quarried nearby at Barcom Glen.

Mortimer Lewis, the Colonial Architect who designed Darlinghurst Gaol, pictured around 1830. Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The March to Darlinghurst – 7 June 1841

Ramsland's description of moving day is one of my favourite bits of Sydney history. On the morning of 7 June 1841 a strange procession set off from the old George Street gaol and headed up the hill towards Woolloomooloo. At the front was the bushranger Patrick "Paddy" Curran, weighed down in irons and on remand. Behind the men came about 50 women prisoners, veiled and dressed in black, walking the same route through the city while the crowd jeered and cheered. Curran didn't stay long. Ramsland says he was tried at Berrima that September and hanged at the new Berrima Gaol.

Wikipedia's Darlinghurst Gaol article agrees that the first prisoners moved in on 7 June 1841, some of them brought over from the old Sydney Gaol in George Street. Museums of History NSW also dates the move to June 1841.

Darlinghurst Gaol's north-east corner, photographed by Charles Pickering in 1872. Pickering, Charles Percy (New South Wales. Government Printing Office), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Darlinghurst Gaol in an old photograph, 1930. Adam.J.W.C., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The gallows at Darlinghurst Gaol, from the Illustrated Sydney News of 21 November 1883. After 1841 executions moved up the hill with the prisoners. Unknown author, Illustrated Sydney News, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The old Darlinghurst Gaol walls today, now home to the National Art School. Sardaka, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pulling Down the Old Gaol

Once the prisoners had gone, the George Street buildings were knocked down. The Dictionary of Sydney and Wikipedia both just say "subsequently demolished", and none of the sources I read gives an exact year. The Rocks went on without its gaol. By 1900 the streets around Essex Street were run-down enough for the government to resume them after the plague outbreak, and the Rocks Resumption photographers recorded the area street by street.

Little Essex Street, looking up towards the Ocean Wave Hotel, from the Rocks Resumption photographic survey of 1901. Photographic Collection from Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gloucester Street looking north from Essex Street, photographed for the Rocks Resumption survey on 31 October 1901. Photographic Collection from Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cumberland Street looking north from Essex Street, also from the 1901 Rocks Resumption survey. Photographic Collection from Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The 1979 Dig, the Hotel and the Plaque

The corner had one more surprise. Jane Lydon, writing in Australasian Historical Archaeology, says the "Old Sydney Gaol" site was the very first excavation project in The Rocks. It was a rescue dig in 1979, carried out before the Regent of Sydney hotel was built on the corner of Essex and George Streets. It was paid for by the Heritage Council of NSW, even though the land belonged to the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority. Patricia Burritt's report, Old Sydney Gaol: The 1979 Rescue Excavation, followed in 1980. Wikipedia, citing that report, says not much from the gaol years turned up, but the diggers did find a leg iron.

The Regent is now the Four Seasons Hotel. Between 1984 and 1988 the Royal Australian Historical Society, with the City of Sydney and the bank, put up 101 green plaques around the city for the Bicentenary. According to the Dictionary of Sydney, Green Plaque No. 73, "Site of the First Gaol", was one of them. In 1988, according to the Kable family website and Wikipedia, about 500 of Henry Kable's descendants held a reunion at the Regent on the site of the gaol he once ran. A restaurant there was named "Kables" and given its own plaque, which the family says disappeared in a later refurbishment.

The Four Seasons Hotel, formerly the Regent, now stands on the site of the old gaol at George and Essex Streets. JustARandomEditor123, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

George Street in the Sydney CBD, 2023. -wuppertaler, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Timeline

• 1796 – Governor Hunter orders gaols for Sydney and Parramatta (Ramsland).
• June 1797 – The log gaols are finished, each with 22 cells (Ramsland). Henry Kable takes charge as chief constable.
• Early 1799 – The Sydney log gaol burns down, deliberately lit (Dictionary of Sydney; State Archives).
• 1799–1800 – The stone gaol is planned and built at George and Essex Streets (State Archives; Museums of History NSW).
• 1 February 1800 – The Gaol Committee writes to Hunter about the money it has advanced.
• 1802 – Kable is dismissed.
• 1822–1824 – Work starts at Darlinghurst, then stops.
• 1826 – Overcrowding leads Darling to use the hulk Phoenix.
• June 1831 – Eight men are hanged together (Wikipedia, after Bertie).
• 1833 – Bourke calls the gaol "a moral pestilence".
• August 1834 – 326 prisoners are held.
• 1835 – £10,000 is voted for Darlinghurst.
• 26 August 1836 – The Select Committee reports.
• 7 June 1841 – Prisoners march to Darlinghurst. The old gaol is later demolished.
• 1979 – The rescue dig, before the Regent hotel goes up.
• 1984–1988 – RAHS Green Plaque No. 73, "Site of the First Gaol".
• 1988 – The Kable family reunion on the site.

Where the Sources Disagree

• When it was built. Wikipedia says the gaol was "built in 1796" but its infobox says it opened in 1797. Ramsland and the State Archives say the log gaol was finished in 1797. The 1796 date is when Hunter gave the order.
• When it burned. The Dictionary of Sydney entry says early 1799. Ramsland says the Sydney and Parramatta gaols "were burnt down in the same year" they were finished, which reads as 1797. Museums of History NSW dates the Parramatta fire to 28 December 1799.
• When the stone gaol was built. Wikipedia says it was rebuilt in 1799. The State Archives and Museums of History NSW say it was planned in 1799 and built the following year (1800).
• The overcrowding figures. Wikipedia (after Burritt) gives 326 prisoners in August 1834 and 62 women with 8 children in one room in January 1835. Ramsland quotes Sheriff Macquoid's figures of 110 men in one ward and 40 women with 10 children in the other. They may describe different dates.
• Which plaque. The RAHS green plaque marks the "Site of the First Gaol". The Kable family's restaurant plaque at the Regent was separate, and it's the one that went missing.

My Earlier Posts

• The First Public Gallows – The Barley Mow Hotel
• Hangings at Darlinghurst Gaol – The Executions and Famous Prisoners
• Darlinghurst Gaol & Darlinghurst Court – Forbes Street & Taylor Square
• Darlinghurst Gaol – Taylor Square – Bourke Street – Forbes Street
• Cadman's Cottage – The Coxswains' Barracks, just down the hill from the gaol site

Cadman's Cottage, a short walk down from the old gaol corner. Julioenrekei, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

• John Ramsland, "Prisons to 1920", Dictionary of Sydney, 2011 – dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/prisons_to_1920
• "Sydney Gaol", Dictionary of Sydney – dictionaryofsydney.org/place/sydney_gaol
• "Royal Australian Historical Society Green Plaque 73. Site of the First Gaol", Dictionary of Sydney – dictionaryofsydney.org
• "AGY-405 Sydney Gaol", State Archives agency record via Research Data Australia – researchdata.edu.au/sydney-gaol/164515
• "Convicts: gaol records", Museums of History NSW – mhnsw.au/guides/convicts-gaol-records
• "Sydney Gaol", Wikipedia – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Gaol
• "Darlinghurst Gaol", Wikipedia – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlinghurst_Gaol
• "George Street, Sydney", Wikipedia – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Street,_Sydney
• "The Rocks, New South Wales", Wikipedia – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rocks,_New_South_Wales
• "Gadigal", Wikipedia – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadigal
• D. R. Hainsworth, "Kable, Henry (1763–1846)", Australian Dictionary of Biography – adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kable-henry-2285
• "Henry Kable", Wikipedia – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Kable
• "13 February 1988 Sydney CBD", Henry Kable – Susannah Holmes family site – henrykable-susannahholmes.com
• Jane Lydon, "From Old Sydney Gaol to Mrs Lewis' Boarding-house", Australasian Historical Archaeology 11 – asha.org.au (PDF)
• Patricia E. Burritt, Old Sydney Gaol: The 1979 Rescue Excavation, 1980 – University of Sydney Library
• Images from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.

Sydney’s First Newspaper - The Sydney Gazette - George St Near Alfred St - Circular Quay

Australia's First Newspaper

George Street, Eastern Side, Near Alfred Street, Curcular Quay 

The First Jssue Of "The Gazette" Was Piblished On March 5th 1803.

Captain David Collins Wrote  "In November, 1795, A Small Printing Press Which Had Been Brought Into The Settlement By Mr Phillip (Governor Phillip) .. Was Found Very Useful

The "Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser" holds the distinction of being Australia's first newspaper. Its establishment and subsequent history provide a glimpse into the early colonial period of New South Wales.

Establishment and First Issue:

• The "Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser" was first published on March 5, 1803.
• It was established by George Howe, who arrived in Australia as a convict and became the colony's first printer.

Purpose and Content:

• The newspaper served as a vital communication tool in the early colony, providing news, information, and announcements to the residents of New South Wales.
• The content of the Sydney Gazette included local and international news, official government announcements, shipping information, advertisements, and commentary.

Role in the Colony:

• In addition to disseminating news, the Sydney Gazette also played a role in shaping public opinion and conveying government policies and decrees.
• It was seen as a vehicle for disseminating information that would aid in the administration of the colony.

Government Influence:

• Given the newspaper's role and the early colonial context, it had close ties to the colonial administration.
• George Howe was officially appointed as the government printer, and the newspaper received financial support from the colonial government.

Expansion and Change:

• Over time, the Sydney Gazette expanded its coverage to include various topics, such as cultural events, literature, and societal issues.
• It also covered the challenges and developments of the early colony, including issues related to transportation, convicts, and exploration.

Competing Newspapers:

• While the Sydney Gazette held the distinction of being the first newspaper in Australia, it faced competition as other newspapers were established in the colony.
• The early colonial period saw the emergence of several other newspapers, each with its own editorial stance and readership.

Legacy and Influence:

• The Sydney Gazette holds immense historical significance as a primary source of information about the early colonial period of Australia.
• Its publications provide insights into the social, political, economic, and cultural landscape of the time.

Cessation:

• The Sydney Gazette continued to be published under various names and with different ownerships for many years.
• The newspaper ceased publication in 1842, marking the end of an era in Australian journalism.

The Sydney Gazette's role as Australia's first newspaper and its coverage of the early colonial period make it an invaluable resource for historians and researchers interested in understanding the origins of Australian media, society, and government.