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Showing posts with label Bicentenary 1988. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bicentenary 1988. Show all posts

Saturday, October 17, 2026

The Sydney Green Plaques – The 101 Round Green Historical Markers of Old Sydney – Royal Australian Historical Society – 1984 to 1988

Round green Royal Australian Historical Society plaque number 85, The Domain, set in a garden bed
Green Plaque No. 85, The Domain, sitting in a garden bed. Round, green and numbered, it is easy to see why you might call them clocks. Chris.sherlock2, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If you've walked around the old parts of Sydney with your head up, or down, you've probably spotted them. Round green discs, a bit like a clock face, bolted to a wall or set into a footpath, each with a few lines of history and a number. I've always called them the green clocks. Their proper name is the Sydney Green Plaques, and there aren't 100 of them. There are 101.

I first put a bare list of them up on this blog in 2023. This is the fuller story: who put them up, when, what they say, and where to find them, with a link to my own post wherever I've written one up.

What the Green Plaques Are

The Dictionary of Sydney says that between 1984 and 1988 the Royal Australian Historical Society, working with the City of Sydney and the State Bank of New South Wales, produced 101 commemorative plaques. They were put up around the city's CBD on historic sites and buildings to mark the Australian Bicentenary. The Society's own history page puts it simply: in 1985 it worked with the State Bank to pick and place descriptive plaques on 101 historic sites in the Sydney area.

The very first one went up on 15 July 1984, on the site of the old New South Wales Savings Bank at Circular Quay, better known as Campbell's Bank. Its words read that the bank "was opened near this site on 17 July 1819. This marked the beginning of the State Bank of New South Wales". With the State Bank paying for a good part of the scheme, it's no surprise their own beginnings got plaque number one. The plaques were made by a sign company called Arrow Engravings, according to the Dictionary of Sydney.

The Dictionary also notes that a number of the originals have been lost or destroyed over the years, and that a program to replace them had begun. So if you go hunting for all 101, don't be surprised if a few are missing.

History House, a Victorian town house on Macquarie Street, Sydney
History House at 133 Macquarie Street, home of the Royal Australian Historical Society since 1971, and Green Plaque No. 2. Sardaka, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Where the Idea Came From

The Society didn't start with the green ones. An article in the Society's History magazine (No. 117, September 2013) says it was Charles Henry Bertie, the librarian and historian, who first suggested historical plaques for Sydney, inspired by London's Blue Plaques. The first RAHS plaque went up in 1919 to mark the site of the First Government House, and about 35 more followed over the next 40 years.

The Society itself goes back to 15 March 1901, when, on a day of heavy rain, not more than ten people turned up to the first meeting of the Australian Historical Society. It got the right to call itself Royal in 1918, opened its first History House at 8 Young Street in 1941, and moved to the present History House at 133 Macquarie Street in 1971. That building carries Green Plaque No. 2, which says it was designed in 1871 by George Allen Mansfield for George Oakes of Parramatta, pastoralist and politician.

The 101 Green Plaques

Here's the full list. The names come from the Dictionary of Sydney's record of the series. The locations are from my own field list, tidied up, with the Dictionary's details used where it gives them. Where I've written up the place, the last column links to my post.

No.PlaqueWhereMy post
1Campbell's BankCircular Quay West 
2History House133 Macquarie StreetRead it
3The Lands DepartmentBridge Street, between Gresham and Loftus StreetsRead it · Marker 3 post
4Treasury & Audit OfficeBridge Street, corner Macquarie StreetRead it
5The First ExecutionCorner Essex and Harrington Streets, The RocksRead it
6St James' ChurchKing Street, near Macquarie StreetRead it
7Tank StreamHunter StreetRead it
8Mort's Wool StoreYoung Street, corner Albert Street 
9Legislative Assembly ChamberParliament House, Macquarie StreetRead it
10The Supreme CourtElizabeth Street, corner King StreetRead it
11General Post OfficeMartin PlaceRead it
12The Strand ArcadeBetween George and Pitt Streets 
13City RailwaySt James station 
14Palace Garden gatesBotanic Gardens entrance, Macquarie StreetRead it
15Bridge Street BridgeBridge Street, corner Pitt Street 
16The ObservatoryObservatory Hill, The RocksRead it
17Horbury TerraceMacquarie Street, near Bent Street 
18Walsh Bay WharvesHickson Road, The RocksRead it
19Redfern Mortuary TerminalRegent Street, south of CentralRead it
20Marcus Clark BuildingRailway Square, George and Pitt StreetsRead it
21Sydney Town HallGeorge StreetRead it
22Marble BarHilton Hotel, between George and Pitt StreetsRead it
23Sydney ExchangeBridge Street, between Pitt and Gresham StreetsRead it
24Mark Foy's Department StoreCastlereagh Street, near Liverpool StreetRead it
25School of ArtsPitt Street, south of the Hilton HotelRead it
26Hydraulic PumphousePier Street, Darling HarbourRead it
27Lieutenant Governor's HouseGeorge Street, corner Grosvenor StreetRead it
28National Trust Centre/Old Fort Street SchoolObservatory Hill, The RocksRead it
29Georgian SchoolElizabeth Street 
30Sydney Trades HallGoulburn Street, near Dixon StreetRead it
31Conservatorium of MusicBetween Macquarie Street and the Botanic GardensRead it
32Judge's HouseKent StreetRead it
33New South Wales ClubBligh StreetRead it
34Old Sydney Burial GroundGeorge Street, Town Hall areaRead it
35York Street SynagogueYork StreetRead it
36St Patrick's Roman Catholic ChurchGrosvenor StreetRead it
37Young Men's Christian AssociationPitt Street, corner Bathurst Street 
38WyomingMacquarie Street, corner Hunter StreetRead it
39Australia HotelCastlereagh StreetRead it
40Tramway DepotBridge Street, corner Phillip Street 
41Lord Nelson HotelKent Street, corner Argyle StreetRead it
42Australian Subscription Library/Former Public LibraryMacquarie Street, corner Bent StreetRead it
43Customs HouseAlfred Street, Circular QuayRead it
44Australian Gas Light CompanyJenkins StreetRead it
45Francis Greenway's HouseGeorge Street, corner Argyle StreetRead it
46The Nightingale WingSydney Hospital, Macquarie StreetRead it
47AWA BuildingYork Street 
48The Lumber YardBridge StreetRead it
49Reading the Riot ActMacquarie Street 
50The Lawsons' HousePhillip Street 
51The MintMacquarie StreetRead it
52'Banjo' Paterson's OfficeBond Street 
53Larry Foley's HotelGeorge Street 
54Boston's WindmillRoyal Botanic Garden 
55Governor's Bathing HouseRoyal Botanic GardenRead it
56Devonshire Street CemeteryElizabeth StreetRead it
57The Carters' BarracksPitt Street, corner Eddy AvenueRead it
58George Allen's HouseElizabeth Street 
59The Outbreak of the PlagueLower Fort Street, corner Ferry LaneRead it
60Semi Circular QuayAlfred StreetRead it
61The Sydney Gazette OfficeGeorge Street, corner Alfred StreetRead it
62Simeon Lord's HouseMacquarie PlaceRead it
63Glover CottagesKent StreetRead it
64Culwulla ChambersCastlereagh Street, corner King StreetRead it
65Fort PhillipObservatory HillRead it
66Jack Lang's BirthplaceGeorge Street 
67St Brigid's Church SchoolKent Street, corner Argyle Street 
68Underwood's ShipyardUnderwood StreetRead it
69Hyde Park BarracksMacquarie StreetRead it
70PowerhouseMary Ann Street, Ultimo 
71First Public Demonstration of WirelessElizabeth Street 
72Sydney Opera HouseBennelong PointRead it
73Site of the First GaolGeorge Street, corner Essex StreetRead it
74Theatre RoyalGeorge StreetRead it
75Queen Victoria Building (Police Office)Queen Victoria Building, Druitt Street sideRead it
76Queen Victoria Building (Markets)Queen Victoria Building, Market Street sideRead it
77The First Traffic LightsKent Street, corner Market Street 
78D'Arcy Wentworth's HouseMacquarie Street, Queens Square 
79Former Supreme Court and Registry OfficeElizabeth Street and St James Road 
80Former Sydney Morning Herald BuildingPitt Street, corner O'Connell Street 
81F Kanematsu's Japanese WarehouseO'Connell Street 
82Mitchell WingMitchell Wing, State Library, Macquarie StreetRead it
83David Jones' First ShopGeorge Street, corner Jamison StreetRead it
84The Macquarie WallRoyal Botanic GardenRead it
85The DomainThe DomainRead it
86Farm CoveFarm Cove, Royal Botanic GardenRead it
87State TheatreMarket StreetRead it
88Henry Parkes' ShopHunter Street 
89The Military BarracksWynyard ParkRead it
90Hyde ParkElizabeth StreetRead it
91Sydney Grammar SchoolCollege StreetRead it
92Water Police CourtCorner Phillip and Alfred StreetsRead it
93Phillip Street Police Station BCorner Phillip and Alfred StreetsRead it
94Police Court CCorner Phillip and Alfred StreetsRead it
95The Tivoli TheatreCastlereagh Street, corner Hay Street 
96A Great Fire in the CityMartin Place 
97Holy Trinity SchoolArgyle Street, The RocksRead it
98The TrocaderoGeorge StreetRead it
99Lyons TerraceLiverpool Street 
100State Bank BuildingMartin Place 
101The Female Immigrants' HomeCorner Bent and Phillip Streets 
Department of Lands building, Bridge Street, Sydney
The Lands Department building in Bridge Street, Green Plaque No. 3. The plaque says James Barnet designed it and it went up in two stages, in 1876 and 1888. sv1ambo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Some of the Ones Worth Stopping For

No. 5 – The First Execution

At the corner of Essex and Harrington Streets in The Rocks, the plaque reads: "Thomas Barrett, a First Fleet convict, was hanged near this place on 27 February 1788 for stealing provisions and was buried nearby." That's barely a month after the First Fleet arrived. I've written the full story in The First Execution in the Colony.

No. 4 – Treasury and Audit Office

Former Treasury building on the corner of Bridge and Macquarie Streets, Sydney
The old Treasury building, now part of the InterContinental Hotel. The plaque says Mortimer Lewis designed it and it was built in 1849–1851. sv1ambo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The plaque says these offices were designed by Mortimer Lewis, Colonial Architect, and built in 1849–1851, and that "early shipments from the goldfields were stored here". See my post Treasury & Audit Office.

No. 6 – St James' Church

St James Church King Street Sydney, old glass plate photograph
St James' Church, King Street, photographed by Henry King around the turn of the last century. Henry King (1855-1923), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A lovely bit of trivia on this one. The plaque says the church was "intended in 1819 as a court house", was designed by Francis Greenway, and was consecrated by the Rev Samuel Marsden on 11 February 1824. My post: St James Church – 173 King Street.

No. 9 – Legislative Assembly Chamber

Outside Parliament House, the plaque says the chamber "has been occupied by the Lower House of the New South Wales Parliament since the inception of responsible government in 1856". My post: NSW Parliament.

No. 12 – The Strand Arcade

Interior of the Strand Arcade, Sydney, from the top level
Inside the Strand Arcade, looking down from the top level. Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The plaque says the arcade was designed by John Spencer, opened in 1892, and is "the last remaining example of a form of retail shopping once common in Sydney".

No. 16 – The Observatory

Sydney Observatory with its time ball tower
Sydney Observatory on Observatory Hill, with the time ball on top, December 2022. Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The plaque says the building was begun in 1857 and used by the Government Astronomer until 1982, and that it "played a major part in both astronomical and meteorological studies in Australia". My post: Observatory Hill – Fort Phillip – Sydney Observatory.

No. 17 – Horbury Terrace

Horbury Terrace, Macquarie Street, Sydney
What's left of Horbury Terrace on Macquarie Street. Sardaka at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

These houses, the plaque says, were once part of a terrace of eight built in 1842 for Ouseley Condell. The name comes from the second owner, Thomas Holt, who was born in Horbury, Yorkshire.

No. 19 – Redfern Mortuary Terminal

Mortuary railway station, Regent Street, Sydney
Mortuary Station on Regent Street, where the funeral trains left for Rookwood. Sardaka, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

One of the more unusual stories on the list. The plaque says a funeral train service ran from Sydney to the Necropolis (Rookwood Cemetery) from 1867 until 1948, and that this station and a matching "receiving house" at the cemetery were finished in 1869. My post: Mortuary Station – Central – Chippendale.

No. 23 – The Sydney Exchange

The plaque says the Sydney Exchange Company opened a building here on 30 December 1857 as a centre for merchants and for the exchange of commercial information, and that it became the Royal Exchange in 1901. My post: Royal Exchange of Sydney.

No. 26 – The Hydraulic Pumphouse

Hydraulic Pump Station building in Little Pier Street, Haymarket
The old Hydraulic Pump Station at 17 Little Pier Street, Haymarket. Collywolly, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

My post: The Hydraulic Pumphouse – Pier Street.

No. 31 – Conservatorium of Music

Sydney Conservatorium of Music castellated building
The Conservatorium of Music, built as the Government House stables. sv1ambo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

OpenPlaques records the wording of this one: the building was designed by Francis Greenway and begun in 1817 as stables and servants' quarters for Government House, and after a good deal of alteration it became the Conservatorium of Music in 1915. My post: Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

No. 41 – Lord Nelson Hotel

Lord Nelson Hotel sandstone pub, Millers Point
The Lord Nelson Hotel on the corner of Kent and Argyle Streets, Millers Point. sv1ambo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The plaque says the hotel was first licensed in 1841 when the landlord was William Wells, a former convict, and that "it is believed to be the oldest existing hotel building in Sydney". My post: Lord Nelson Hotel – The Rocks.

No. 43 – Customs House

Customs House sandstone building at Circular Quay
Customs House, Circular Quay. Photograph by Greg O'Beirne, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

The plaque says the first Collector of Customs was appointed in 1827, the department had been on this site since 1845, and after Federation customs duties passed from State to Federal control. My post: Customs House – 31 Alfred Street.

No. 51 – The Mint

Sydney Mint building Macquarie Street 1870 albumen print
The Royal Mint's Sydney branch on Macquarie Street in 1870, attributed to Charles Pickering. attributed to Charles Pickering, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Mint Building, Macquarie Street, Sydney
The Mint building on Macquarie Street today. Sardaka at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

My post: The Sydney Mint – Macquarie Street.

No. 59 – The Outbreak of the Plague

Down on Lower Fort Street the plaque tells a grim one: "In 1900 bubonic plague broke out in Sydney. Arthur Payne, a lorry driver at the wharves who lived in a house near this site, was the first person to contract the disease." It goes on to say that much run-down housing in this part of The Rocks was knocked down during the clean-up. My post: Sydney and Bubonic Plague – Rats.

No. 67 – St Brigid's Church School

St Brigid's Catholic Church School, Millers Point
St Brigid's Church School on Kent Street, Millers Point. sv1ambo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The plaque says the building was designed to the specifications of Dr W.B. Ullathorne, Vicar-General, and opened in 1835 as a school and "occasional chapel", and that it had kept serving both purposes ever since.

No. 69 – Hyde Park Barracks

Hyde Park Barracks brick building, Sydney
Hyde Park Barracks on Macquarie Street. Kanzcech, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

My post: Hyde Park Barracks – Macquarie Street.

No. 71 – First Public Demonstration of Wireless

The Dictionary of Sydney says this plaque marks the Royal Society of NSW's lecture room at 5 Elizabeth Street North. On 13 August 1919 Fisk had a gramophone record of the national anthem played in the Amalgamated Wireless office at 97 Clarence Street and sent across by wireless to the lecture he was giving here.

No. 72 – Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House viewed from the Harbour Bridge
The Opera House from the Harbour Bridge, 2008. Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The plaque says the Opera House was begun in 1957 and officially opened on 20 October 1973, and that the site had earlier held Fort Macquarie, finished in 1821, and a tram depot opened in 1903. My post: The Sydney Opera House.

No. 73 – Site of the First Gaol

On George Street at the corner of Essex Street. I've written this one up in full in The First Gaol – George Street North.

Nos. 75 and 76 – The Queen Victoria Building

Queen Victoria Building, George Street, Sydney
The Queen Victoria Building, which carries two green plaques. Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The QVB carries two plaques. No. 75 marks the old Central Police Station and Court House. No. 76 says the building first opened on 21 July 1898 and was brought back into commercial use in 1986 after a big renovation, and that an earlier market house designed by Francis Greenway was used from 1827 until 1892 as the Central Police Court. My posts: The Queen Victoria Building and The Police Offices – George Street.

No. 82 – Mitchell Wing

Mitchell Library building under construction 1907
The Mitchell Library under construction in 1907. Federated Builders' Association of Australia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This plaque sits on a stone balustrade facing Shakespeare Place, west of the Mitchell Wing steps. It says the wing opened in 1910 and "houses the priceless Australian and Pacific collection bequeathed to the people of this State by David Scott Mitchell". My post: State Library of NSW – Mitchell Wing.

No. 84 – The Macquarie Wall

Remaining section of the Macquarie Wall in the Royal Botanic Garden
The surviving piece of the Macquarie Wall in the Royal Botanic Garden. Sardaka, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

"In 1810, at the instigation of Governor Macquarie, work began on a wall 950 feet long to separate the government domain from the town. Only this small portion of that wall now remains." My post: The Macquarie Wall.

No. 85 – The Domain

This is the one in the photo at the top. Going by the photographer's notes on Wikimedia Commons, it reads: "The government domain was set aside in 1788 for the private use of the Governor of New South Wales. It first opened to the people in 1816 and later became a place for public recreation." My post: The Government Domain.

No. 91 – Sydney Grammar School

Sydney Grammar School College Street old photograph
Sydney Grammar School on College Street, from the Tyrrell Collection. Tyrrell Photographic Collection, Powerhouse Museum, No known restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

The plaque says the building was finished in 1835 and used by the Sydney College until 1850, that Sydney Grammar School has been there since 1857, and that the University of Sydney was inaugurated here in 1852. My post: Sydney Grammar School.

Nos. 92, 93 and 94 – The Phillip Street Police Precinct

Justice and Police Museum sandstone buildings on Phillip Street
The Justice and Police Museum, the old Water Police Court buildings on Phillip Street. sv1ambo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Phillip Street Police Station, Sydney
The old Phillip Street Police Station. Sardaka at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Three plaques in a row on one corner: the Water Police Court (92), the Phillip Street Police Station (93) and the Police Court (94). My posts: The Water Police Court, Historical Marker 93 and Historical Marker 94.

No. 95 – The Tivoli Theatre

The plaque says the theatre opened as the Adelphi in 1911, later became the Grand Opera House, was renamed the New Tivoli in 1932, and stood on the site until 1969. "It was famous as the home of vaudeville in Sydney."

No. 97 – Holy Trinity School

Holy Trinity Garrison Church, Millers Point
Holy Trinity, the Garrison Church, at Millers Point. sv1ambo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

My post on the church next door: Garrison Church.

No. 101 – The Female Immigrants' Home

The last of the set, in Bent Street. "Caroline Chisholm, 'the emigrant's friend', opened the Female Immigrants' Home on this site in 1841. During a major period of free migration Mrs Chisholm worked to improve conditions for women migrants on their arrival in the colony."

Sydney Town Hall exterior
Sydney Town Hall, Green Plaque No. 21. JustARandomEditor123, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lord Nelson Hotel, Millers Point, side view
Another view of the Lord Nelson, No. 41. sv1ambo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Justice and Police Museum Phillip Street, another view
The Phillip Street buildings from another angle, home to plaques 92, 93 and 94. sv1ambo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Timeline

  • 15 March 1901 – The Australian Historical Society holds its first meeting.
  • 1918 – The Society is allowed to add "Royal" to its name.
  • 1919 – The first RAHS plaque marks the site of the First Government House.
  • 1919–1959 – About 35 more RAHS plaques go up.
  • 1941 – The first History House opens at 8 Young Street.
  • 1971 – The Society moves to History House, 133 Macquarie Street.
  • 15 July 1984 – Green Plaque No. 1 goes up at the site of Campbell's Bank, Circular Quay.
  • 1985 – Many of the early numbers go up, including History House, the Lands Department, the Treasury, the First Execution, St James', Parliament and the Strand Arcade.
  • 1984–1988 – All 101 plaques are installed for the Bicentenary.
  • September 2013 – History magazine No. 117 runs an article on the green plaques scheme.
  • 2015 – I post Historical Markers 3, 93 and 94.
  • 2021 – The Dictionary of Sydney is archived. Its record says a replacement program for lost plaques had begun.
  • August 2023 – I post my first list of all 101.

Where the Sources Disagree

  • When they went up. The Dictionary of Sydney says 1984 to 1988, with No. 1 going up on 15 July 1984. The RAHS history page gives 1985. The 2013 History magazine abstract says the program was launched in 1988. They probably went up over the four years, with 1988 as the Bicentenary year.
  • Which bank. The Dictionary of Sydney's main entry and the RAHS both name the State Bank of New South Wales. The Dictionary's entries for single plaques, and OpenPlaques, list the Rural Bank of New South Wales as a creator.
  • 100 or 101. I remembered there being 100 of them. Every source I found says 101.
  • Blue or green. The photo of No. 85 on Wikimedia Commons is titled a "blue plaque", but the plaque in the picture is clearly green.
  • No. 13. My list called it St James Railway Station. The Dictionary of Sydney names the plaque "City Railway" and says it is outside St James station.
  • No. 20. My list put it at Railway Square. The Dictionary of Sydney gives 814 George Street, near Pitt Street.
  • Nos. 93 and 94. My list put them at Phillip and Alfred Streets, but my 2015 post on No. 93 says Phillip and Albert Streets.
  • Lord Nelson licence. Plaque No. 41 says the hotel was first licensed in 1841. The Commons photo description says the licence was issued in 1842.

My Earlier Posts

Sources