Sydney Garden Palace Part 6

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The Size of The Sydney Garden Palace is hard to imagine, and the fact that it was the length of two football fields and in the Botanical Gardens of all place. 

It was responsible for bringing the world to Sydney at a time when the colony was prosperous, growing and full of potential. It boosted the economy and ecouraged authorities to improve the ciyy's Services and facilities. 

The International Exhibition was Groundbreakinhg in so far as it waas the first of its kind in rhe Southern Hemisphere. 

The feel of the city wouldvre been similar to that of the Sydney Olympics in 2000. It was a very positive thing for Sydney, & an even to be celebrated. The city would've been buzzing and a hive of activity. 

For seven months more than a million peopole poured into the sprawling complex to marvel and the colony's Prosperity. 

About 2o Hectares of the Botanical Gardens became a fairground filled with Bandstands, stalls, entertainment, eateries and smaller exhibition buildings. 

The Graden Palace was the centrepiece and inside all manner of inventions, technology, art and ideologies were displayed by local and international exhibitors

Sydney had pulled out all stops to build the palace and had raced against time to beat Melbourne. whjich was also staging an exhibitoin. 

Up to 2000 Men worked on the site night and day, using electric light for the first time, to complete the building in eight months. 

the city ewas plagued by insercurities in the lead up to the event, with concerns whether its public transport, accomodation and water supply would be adequate for all the visitors travelling to the city. 

It was forced to instll a line for a steam tram, a first in Sydney and abn unpopuolar idea at the time, after previous tram eforts resulted in the death of a prominant musician in 1864. 

A Steam powerred tramway was installed to transport exhibition goers around the city aftert the exhibition. The tramway Network was expanded and by 1906 the trams were converted to electrcitiy. 

Despite several accidents it was a great success and the system expanded rapidly through the city. 

After The Exhibition the palace continued to play a central roole in Sydney's Social Life. Balls, Lectures, Exhibitions and Entertainers were hosted in its Auditorium, an art gallery and the first Technological Museum. 

Government Departments also set up poffice and important records were stored in the basement, 

While arson is generally suspected, the cause of the fire was never determined and still remains a mystery