The Argyle Cut - Argyle Street-Millers Point

THE ARGYLE CUT - THE ROCKS 

Do you go cut is a striking example of conflict public works. It was a colonial effort to overcome a challenging landscape, providing a more level crossing between the rocks and Millers point.

In 1843, convict labour was deployed to cut the roadway through the rocky peninsula. It was completed in 1959 with the use of explosives and council labour. Bridges over the cup were completed later.

The Uncle cup was also taken in the 1920s with the construction of the approaches to the Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Argyle Cut is A striking example of convict Public works. It was a Colonial effort to overcome a challenging Landscape, providing a more level crossing between The Rocks & Millers Point,

In 1843, convict labour was deployed to cut the roadway through the rocky peninsula. It was completed in 1859 with the use of explosives

Whenever I Happen To Pass The ARGYLE CUT I Always Think What An Amazing Piece Of Work It Is. Can You Imagine The Hundreds Of Comvicts All Chained Together In Chain Gangs. With Nothing More Than Blunt Picks Hitting The Sandstone. 

Walking Through The Cut You Just Can't Imagine Gravity Of Human Labour to Cut This Straight Out Of The Rock. 

Also Hard To Imagine The Bits Of Broken Sandstone Being Either Carried By Hand Or Using A Wheelbarrow Style Tool... 

Down To The Coastal Estuary Called Circular Quay And Tipped Into The Tidal Flat. The Reclaimed Land Has Added About 50 Metres To The Quay, And the Semi Circular Walls Were Built. 

When You See The Sandstone Sea Wall That Goes Right Around The Working Harbour From Millers Point, Dawes Point To Circular Quay And What Would Have Been Fort Macqaurie. 

"This Square Forms A Part Of An Area Of Old Sydney Called The Rocks, Once Famous As A Residential District And A Notorius Haunt Of Sailors. Argyle Street Was Named By governor Macquarie In 1810 After His Native Country. 

In The Cut Itself - High On The Wall There Is ThisNotice 

" Chas Moore -Mayor- 1867 - 1868

Above This Spot A Bridge Known AsThe  Princes Street Bridge Spanned The Original  Argyle Cut. As A Memorial Of The Bridge, The Above Stone, Which Formed Part Of It, Is Placed Where The Shadow Of The Bridge 

Francis Greenway’s Residence – George Street, Cnr Argyle Street – The Rocks – Sydney

Corner of George & Argyle Streets, South Western Corner 

Francis Greenway, Pioneer Of ClassicalGeorgian  Architecture in Australia, Was Born At Bristol, England In 1777. 

In 1811 Greenway forged An Endorsement On a Contract In An Attempt To Extract An Extra £250 Off His Client colonel Richard Doolan. He Was Arrested,  Imprisoned In Newgate, Found Guilty And On The 28th March 1812 Sentenced To Be executed. Later His Sentance Was Commuted To Transportation To New South Wales For 14 Years. He Arrived In Port Jackson On The "General Hewitt" On 7th February 1814

Fortunately The Wise Governor Macquarie Realised The Value Of A Trained Architect To Carry Out His Ambitious Building Plans. And In March 1816 Greenway was Appointed Acting Colonial Architect. 

With The Job Went Free Rations, A House, coals, A Convict Servant, A Horse And A Salary Of Three Shillings A day. In June 1819 Greenway Was Granted a Full Pardon to Celebrate The Completion of The Hyde Park Barracks He Was Invited to Dine At Government House. 

Greenway Prospered Until September 1819, When John Thomas Bigge Arrived From England As. A Royal Commissioner  To Investigate Governor Macquaries Administration And To Make Suggestions For Improving The System Of Governing The Colony. Bigge Hated Convicts And Emanciposts, And. A Bad Report From

him Resulted In Greenway Being Saceked In June 1822 

Some of His Well Remembered Buildings were 

- Hyde Park Barracks 

Francis Greenway's residence on George Street in Sydney, Australia, is a historically significant building associated with the renowned colonial architect Francis Greenway. Greenway was a convict architect who played a pivotal role in shaping the architectural landscape of early Sydney. Here's an overview of the history of his residence:

Early Life and Conviction:

• Francis Greenway was born in England in 1777. He trained as an architect and was later convicted of forgery in 1812.

Transportation to Australia:

• Greenway was transported to Australia as a convict in 1814 and arrived in Sydney.
• Due to his architectural skills, Governor Lachlan Macquarie recognized his talents and appointed him as the government architect.

Architectural Contributions:

• As government architect, Greenway designed and oversaw the construction of numerous important buildings in Sydney and beyond.
• His architectural style was characterized by Georgian and neoclassical influences, and his designs had a significant impact on the city's early colonial architecture.

Construction of the Residence:

• Greenway designed and built a residence for himself on George Street in the heart of Sydney.
• The residence showcased his architectural prowess and incorporated neoclassical elements that he favored in his designs.

Design and Features:

• The residence reflected Greenway's architectural principles, featuring symmetry, proportions, and elegant detailing.
• It was a two-story sandstone building with a distinctive facade and ornate wrought ironwork.

Later Years:

• After completing his sentence, Greenway was granted a full pardon in 1817, and he continued his work as an architect.
• He designed and contributed to a range of significant buildings in Sydney, including churches, government offices, and private residences.

Legacy:

• Francis Greenway's residence on George Street is a testament to his architectural legacy and his role in shaping Sydney's early architecture.
• The building's design and historical significance showcase Greenway's enduring influence on the city's architectural heritage.

Preservation and Recognition:

• The building has undergone various changes over the years but remains a recognizable landmark.
• It is recognized as a heritage-listed site and is protected for its historical and architectural value.

Francis Greenway's residence on George Street serves as a reminder of his impact on Sydney's architectural history. As a key figure in the city's colonial development, Greenway's designs continue to influence the way we perceive and appreciate the architectural heritage of early Sydney.

Sydney’s First Post Office – George Street – Isaac Nichols – Sydney – New South Wales

Before there was a grand General Post Office on Martin Place, Sydney’s first official post office was simply the George Street house of emancipist Isaac Nichols. He was appointed Postmaster of New South Wales on 25 April 1809 — during the post–Rum Rebellion interim administration and Governor Macquarie confirmed the appointment in June 1810. The point was order: ships’ mail had been scrambled for on the wharves, with theft and chaos. Nichols was authorised to board arriving vessels, take charge of letters and parcels, and issue them from his premises at fixed rates; he published recipients’ names so mail could be collected in order. On 26 June 1809 he boarded the brig Experiment for the first bag of mail from Britain — often cited as the birth of Australia’s organised postal service.

This was Nichols’s own dwelling on lower George Street in The Rocks (near the Circular Quay end of the street), not a purpose-built GPO. Nichols remained postmaster until his death in 1819. The house photographed in the later nineteenth century was demolished in 1889; later General Post Office buildings on George Street / Martin Place are successors in function, not the same fabric.

Photographs here relate to that early George Street post-office site and its memory.

The First Post Office in Sydney

Lower George Street, The Rocks, near present Circular Quay West

Isaac Nichols Became Australia's First Postmaster On April 25th 1809