Australia Square - 264 George Street - Sydney

Australia Square - 264 George Street - Sydney 

Built - 1961 - 1967

Architect - Harry Seidler - Harry Seidler & Associates




Australia Square Broke New Architectural Ground When It Was Completed In 1967. At 50 Storeys High, It Was Both Sydney's Tallest Building (Until 1976) And The World Tallest Reinforced Concrete Structure, Yet It Occupies Less Than A Quarter Of The Sote, Which Is Shared With A Low Rise Retail Plaza Building.



Australia Square Was Not Only A Building Of International Standing, But A Global Collaboration As Well. Seidler Delivered His Round Tower With The Help Of World Renowned Engineer Pier Luigi Nervi. The Towers Circular Form And Street Setback Helped To Avoid What Seidler Called The "Dark Canyon Effect" Of Conventional Rectangular Towers. Its External Vertical Supports Left Large, Column Free Office Floor Plates. The Dramatic Transparent Lobby Was Designed As A Grand Circualr Promenade, With Glass Walls Open To The Street And Soaring Ceilings On Which Nervi's Interlocking Concrete Ribs Were Exposed.


The Lobby Displayed Artworks By Le Corbusier And Victor Vasarely To The Street; These Tapestries Were Replaced In 2003 (For Fear Of Fading) With A Mural By New York Artist Sol LeWitt. For The Plaza - An "Open But Contained Space" Based On the Medievil City - Seidler Commissioned A Sculpture By Alexander Calder, Crossed Blades.

You Know Its A Very Funny Thing...... 

Well It’s Quite Sad Really... 

But The Beautiful Tank Stream That Once Maintained Life Here When Our Ancestors First Landed On Our Shores

 recess sydneysiders would have no idea about how the Tank Stream made it's way through to Hyde Park from Circular Quay and it wouldn't really be able to get the dimensions of it because 5200 feet of Circular Quay with reclaimed land.

I can remember when the Waterline came to crack the start of Crown Street and you could actually row your boat and more your boat at the start of Crown Street and I have the ability in my memory so that was 150 years ago

"Culwulla Chambers" - 67 Castlereagh Street Cnr King Street - Sydney

"Culwulla Chambers" - 67 Castlereagh Street - Sydney 

Built - 1912

Architect - Spain, Cosh & Minnett

Hailed As Sydney's First Skyscraper When I Was Completed In 1912, The 50 Metre High Culwulla Chambers Building Was Also Roundly Decried In The NSW Parliament As A Brickstack And An Eyesore. 

Some Thought It A Fire Hazard, Becuase Ladders Couldn't Reach Its Upper Limits.  Others Thought It Spelt The Beginning Of The End For Sydney's Colonial Character, And The Start Of A New York Skyline. 4

Designed By Architects Spain, Cosh & Minnett, Culwulla Chambers Is Home To Many Of Sydney's Top Barristers, And Bears Many Of The Federation Free Style Elements. A Striped Brick And Stone Facade, Distorted Classical Features, Sandstone Trim, Bay Windows And Arches, And A Curved Decoratrive Parapet

Despite Costing A Fortune To Build - 100,000 Pounds - And Its Innovations  Such As High Speed elevators, Its Construction Of Masonry And Not Steel Meant That Culwulla Chambers Was Not Strictly Speaking A Skyscraper, But Simply A Tall Building. Even So, The Arguements It Fuelled Beame The Catalyst For The Height Of Buildings Act Of 1912, Which Resttricted New Sydney Buildings to 150 Feet (46 Metres) or Less. The Act Was In Force For 45 Years Before Being Repealed, With The Effect Of Limiting The City's Vertical Growth To That Of A Country Town 

Culwulla Chambers is a historic building located on Macquarie Street in Sydney, Australia. It is a distinctive architectural landmark with a rich history. Here's an overview of the history of Culwulla Chambers:

Construction and Purpose:

• Culwulla Chambers was constructed between 1911 and 1912.
• It was designed by architects Spain and Cosh in the Chicago School architectural style, characterized by its verticality, decorative terra cotta detailing, and large windows.

Architectural Features:

• The building's design features elements such as bay windows, decorative terracotta panels, and a prominent cornice.
• It was one of the first steel-framed buildings in Sydney, allowing for its tall structure.

Name Origin:

• The name "Culwulla" is derived from the name of an Aboriginal clan that once inhabited the area.
• The Chambers part of the name reflects its function as office spaces.

Early Use and Occupants:

• Culwulla Chambers originally housed professional offices and medical practices.
• It attracted a diverse range of tenants, including doctors, dentists, lawyers, and architects.

Modern Amenities:

• At the time of its construction, Culwulla Chambers was equipped with modern amenities such as electricity and elevators, reflecting the technological advancements of the era.

Historical Significance:

• Culwulla Chambers is recognized as a significant example of Chicago School architecture in Sydney.
• It is also one of the few remaining commercial buildings from the early 20th century in the Macquarie Street area.

Heritage Status:

• Culwulla Chambers is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register and the Register of the National Estate due to its architectural and historical significance.

Preservation Efforts:

• In recent years, there has been a focus on preserving and restoring Culwulla Chambers to maintain its historical integrity.

Today, Culwulla Chambers stands as a well-preserved example of early 20th-century architecture and serves as a link to Sydney's history and development. Its distinctive design and historical significance make it a notable landmark along Macquarie Street, contributing to the city's architectural heritage

BMA House - Suite 101 - Level 1 - 135 Macquarie Street - Sydney

BMA House - Suite 101 - Level 1 - 135 Macquarie Street 

Built 1930 

Architect - Joseph Charles Fowell

Additional Arhitects - Kenneth McConnell

BMA House Was One Of The Tallest Buildings In Sydney At The Time It Was Completed In 1930. Designed In The Art Deco Style By Architects Joseph Charles Fowell And Kenneth McConnell, It Was Notable Not Only For Its Stature, But Also The Emblematic Decoration On Its Facade.


The 11th Floor Balconies Are Surmounted By Giant Medievil Koghts Holding Shields Enshrining The BMA Crest. Also Of Interest Are The Giant Granite Koalas And Gargoyles As Well As Tiles Depicting  Native Flora And Fauna, And Medical Symbols.

Inside The Main Entry Has A Ceiling Of Queensland Maple And Marble Flooring With Copper Inlay. The Original Centrepiece Of The Building Was Suite 101.  Designed For The President And Officers Of The BMA, It Housed The  Boardroom, And Was Given Higher Ceilings And Windows Than The Other Suites, Along With Finer Finishes, Including Decorative Wood Inlay.

In 2013, Suite 101 Was Purchased In Poor Condition By Dr Stephen Morris. A Two Year Renovation Saw Partitioning Walls Demolished, Original Timber Floors, Doors And Panelling Renewed, And Importantly A Firewall Added in the 1980's Removed, Reconnecting Suite 101 Directly To The Entry Vestibule And Its Original Flow Of Natural Light.

Government House - Royal Botanical Gardens - Macquarie Street - Sydney

Government House - Royal Botanical Gardens - Macquarie Street - Sydney

By The 1830’s Arthur Phillips Government House Had Well And Truly Passed Its Usefullness As A Government House for the Colony Of Sydney. The First Government House Now Located On Phillip And Bligh Street Was A Two Storey, 6 Room Georgian Colonial Home By Any Standard. 
Plans Were Put In Place After Governor Macquarie Left New South Wales At The End Of 1821, By Governor Sir Ralph Darling. The Design Of The Current Government House Located On Top Of Farm Cove, Was To Be The Centrepiece As Boats Sailed Into The Semi Circular Quay. 

It Was Also Sir Ralph Darling Who Put In Place The Land Resumption And Extension Of Curcular Quay From Bridge Street. 

Built - 1836 - 1845
Architect - Edward Blore

One Of The Finest Examples Of Gothic Revival Architecture In Sydney, Complete With Towers And Castellation, Government House, Sydney Is The Official Residence And Office Of The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret'd), 38th Governor Of New South Wales,

The Building Was Designed In England By Edward Blore (Architect To William IV And Queen Victoria), Modified By The Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis To Suit It's Sydney Location, And Constructed Between 1836 And 1845

Over The Years The Building Has Been Extended, Refurbished And Modernised To Suit The Tastes And Needs Of Successive Governors. Visitors Will Be Able To View The Restored Grand Historic Interiors, Replete With Exquisite Hand Stencilled Original Ceilings. The House Also Showcases A Significant Collection Of Portraits, Furniture, Decorative Arts And Gubermatorial (Governor Related) Memorabillia, Many Produced in New South Wales And Of Heritage Significance


Government House Sydney Is A Busy Working House Which Is Hot To Many Vice Regal And Charitable Events, Royal Visitors And State Function During The Year. Set In Beautiful Landscaped Garden, With Views Over Farm Cove And The Harbour And An Unusual Perspective Of The Opera House,

Its Hard To Imagine the Original Shoreline Starting At Bridge Street. During The Low Tide It Was A Swampy Outcrop From The Tank Stream Which Wound its Way Through The Centre Of Sydney From The Top At Hyde Park. 

Unfortunately For Us, We Have No Concept Of What Sydney Was Like Originally. The Amount

Of Hard Labour; The Blood And The Sweat And The Tears And Death That It Took To Fill In The 150 Metre Stretch From Bridge Street To Where The Current Circular Quay Stands

today. 

The Main Quarry For The Circular Quay Land

resumption Came From That Stretch Of Sandstone That We See Today From The Start Of Macquarie Street. That Was Called The “Tarpien Way” It Is Only One Of Two Remaining Relics Of The Very Beginnings Of Put Great Nation. 

The Only Original Thing From

Bennelong Point Is The “Man O’ War” Steps Which Is Located At The Southern Side Of The Opera House , Which From A Heritage And Historical Viewpoint

Should Never Have Been Built

On The Bennelong Point Site. 

Old Convict Sites

City Of Sydney Fire Station - 213 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW

City Of Sydney Fire Station

Built In 1888, It Was Designed by James Barnet, The Colonial Architect of the Time.

In 2017, The City Of Sydney Fire Station Marks 130 Years Of Uninterrupted Operation.


The Original Building Was Designed By James Barnet,


The Victorian Free Classical Style Of the Original 1887 Building Was based On The Operational Experience Of The London Metropolitan Fire Brigade, And Considered Innovative For Its Time

In The Rear Courtyard, Behind Three Engine Bays With Direct Access To the Street, Was A Small Stable. Harness And Sway Bars For The Horses Were Suspended Over Each Horse By Weights Running Into Tubes, These Were Tripped When the Collar Was Snapped To, And The Horses Moved Into The Engine Bay.


From Dusk Till Dawn, Junior Firefighters Spent Three Hours At A time Fire Spotting Duty On A 20 Metre Tower (Called The Pigeon box)

In 1907 The Building Was Extended  Along Castlereagh Street North. In 1923 The Old Boot Factory Next Door Was Converted into A Gym, Carpentry Workshop And Dormitory. In The Same Year, As Sydney Boomed In The Roaring 20's The Ground Floor Was Converted With Two New Engine Bays To house A Magnificent Chromed Fleet Of New Motorised Fire Engines.


Despite Urgent Calls in 1934 For A Bigger Fire Station, It Wasn't Until 1999, That An Application Was Finally Approved To Refurbish And Re Use This Site.  By 2003, The New Station Was Completed, But The Planned Full Conservation And Restoration Of It’s 1887 Presecessor Was Not.

In May 2017, Funds Were Finally Allocated For The Completion If The Conservation And Restoration Works. This Will Take Place Over 3 Years, Beginning In Late 2017