Hyde Park Barracks - Macquarie Street

Hyde Park Barracks - Queens Square - Macquarie Street.

Built - 1817 - 1819

Architect - Francis Greenway

Hyde Park Barracks & The Government Horse Stables Located Near Government House On Macquarie Street Were The Two Great Accomplishments Of Francis Greenways Work Under The Authority Of Governor Macqaurie.

When Commissioner Bigge Arrived In Sydney In 1820 To Conduct His Investigation Of Governor Macquarie & What Was Going On With The Emancipast Reform In The Colony. The Two Buildings Which Threw The Most Anger At Colonial Government Decadence Was The Government Horse Stables Which Was Close 






Hyde Park Barracks Is One Of Only 2 World Heritage Sites In Central Sydney. The Hyde Park Barracks Was Built By Convicts, For Convicts.

 It Was Designed & Built By Francis Greenway Who Was Appointed  The Colony's First Civil Architect  By Governor Lachlan Macquarie In 1816. 

It Only Took 2 Years to complete & Became The Centre Of Convict Administration & The Colony's Principal Convict Barracks, With An Estimated 50,000 Prisoners Passing Through It's Gates Between  1819 &  1848

After Transportation Was Abolished in 1848, Hyde Park Barracks Became Sydney's Female Immigration Depot, & Then An Asylum for The Aged & Destitute, & It Provided Shelter For Approx 50,000 Women & Their Children Until 1887. It Then Became A Legal  Hub, Housing Complex Courts & Government Offices. 

The Heritage Value Of Hyde Park Barracks Was Finally Recognised In 1981 With Protection Under The NSW Heritage Act 1977, & in 1984, The Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences Transformed It Into  A Museum. 

Hyde Park Barracks Was Designed By Francis Greenway, & Was The Main Barracks That The Convicts Would be Housed In. 

It Was Officially Ooened On June 4th 1819 By Governor Lachlan Macquarie 

What would Francis Greenway, a perfectionist, have thought of the hideous jumble of buildings that has been allowed to spoil the symmetry of the Barricks now queen square?

If the modern rubbish is ever cleared away from the buildings we shall be able to appreciate the imagination of 18th-century men who could bestow dignity even on a prison.

The male convict Barricks, began in 1817 and finished the following year, would house up to 1000 felons in large dormitories. This was a Macqaurie’s scheme for ridding  the town of gangs of convicts turned loose at night.

After their days labour on government works they slept where they could, an extra ordinary system that led to robbery and violence; Some of the convicts even used hire pistols for a night marauding.

Greenways three stories Barricks are one of his best work. The Sydney Gazette Of the day called it 

“a noble structure executed comfortably with the most elegant proportions of the Greek school”

Macqaurie was so pleased that he gave Greenway His Full pardon. He Arranged for the building to have a handsome clock-since replaced – 

And gave the craftsman that made it a grant of 500 acres.

From the 1840’s to the 1880s the main part of the Barricks with used to lodge newly arrived immigrant women from the British Isles.

A district court was squeezed into one corner, and room was later made for the institution for ageD females. The law officers who finally took over the  building are mainly to blame for its present sorry appearance.

Female immigration depot

Hyde Park barracks, a former convict dormitory, was adapted in 1848 as Sydney’s female immigration depot to, to protect and process women arriving in the colony under various government schemes.

Up until 1886, thousands of impoverished working class women were housed here, some with their children, before starting new lives in Australia.

A contemporary monument in the compound wall commemorates the many Irish immigrants and workhouse girls who came to New South Wales fleeing the Irish famine.

Old Convict Sites

Hyde Park Barracks is a historic site located in Sydney, Australia, and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has a rich history and has served various functions over the years. Here's an overview of the history of Hyde Park Barracks:

Construction and Purpose:

• Hyde Park Barracks was designed by architect Francis Greenway and completed in 1819.
• It was built to accommodate male convicts who were assigned to government labor and needed housing in Sydney.

Convict Accommodation:

• The barracks provided accommodation for convicts who were assigned to various government projects and labor, such as building roads, bridges, and other infrastructure.
• It played a significant role in the convict system of the early colonial period.

Design and Layout:

• The building's design is in the Georgian architectural style and features a long and symmetrical facade.
• It consists of three floors with rooms that were used for sleeping and communal spaces.

Overcrowding and Changes:

• Over the years, the barracks became overcrowded, and the conditions for the convicts were often harsh.
• In the mid-19th century, the building's use shifted to house immigrant women and girls, known as "female immigration depot."

Adaptations and Uses:

• In the late 19th century, the building was used for various purposes, including a courthouse and government offices.
• It was also used as a part of the university and a repository for legal documents.

Preservation and Restoration:

• In the 20th century, efforts were made to preserve Hyde Park Barracks as a historic site.
• The building underwent restoration to bring it closer to its original appearance during the convict era.

World Heritage Status:

• In 2010, Hyde Park Barracks was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Australian Convict Sites" World Heritage property.

Museum and Interpretive Center:

• Today, Hyde Park Barracks operates as a museum and interpretive center that provides insights into the lives of convicts, immigrants, and the building's historical context.
• It offers visitors a chance to learn about the experiences of those who lived and worked within its walls.

Hyde Park Barracks is not only a historic building but also a place of education and reflection, offering a glimpse into Australia's colonial history and the lives of those who shaped the nation's development

Macquarie Street And Associated Landmarks

            In 1792, Governor Arthur Phillip Proclaimed The Open Space Which Became The Botanical Gardens, Domain, Hyde Park, And Macquarie Street For Government Use.

            The Street Itself Was Proclaimed In 1810 By Governor Lachlan Macquarie. At First It Only Ran From Hyde Park To Bent Street, But In 1845 it was Extended In Both Directions.

CENTRE OF SOCIETY –

CENTRE OF MEDICINE – Being Macquarie Street Specialist Became A Prestigious Title

CENTRE OF CEREMONY - Ceremonial=al Tradition Began With The Waterloo Ball Of 1816 (Commemorating Wellington’s Victory Seven Months Late As The Colony Had Only Just Received The News)

1 Hyde Park – Part Of Governor Phillip’s 1792 Common, Renamed Hyde Park By Governor Macquarie. The Archibald Fountain Was Added In The 1920’a

2. Queens Square – The Centerpiece Of The Macquarie Town Plan Prince Albert’s Statue Arrived In 1866

3. Hyde Park Barracks – It Housed Convict Gangs Overnight. Above The Entrance Is The Oldest Clock In Australia. The Barracks Survived Several Plans For Demolition

4. The Mint – Completed in 1816 – As Part Of the Rum Hospital. Restored In the 1970’s

5. Sydney Hospital – 

Known As the Rum Hospital. The Builders Were Paid With 3 Years/45,000 Gallons Of Rum. I 

I Have Read That Francis Greenway i

Didn't Actually Design "THE RUM HOSPITAL"

And That In Actual Fact It Was Lady Macquarie Behind The Design Of The Original Building. In 1810 - 1815 Lady Macquarie And Elizabeth MacArthur Were About The Only Two Ladies That Would've Been Fully Literate In The New Colony. 

One Of The Main Reasons It Would Not Have Been Public Knowledge That Lady Macquarie Designed The Rum Hospital Building Was Tjat It Was Unacceptable For A Female To Do That Sort Of Thing.   

6. Martin Place – Named After the 19^th Century Premier Sir James MARTIN. Most Significant Is The Reserve Bank And Museum If Australian Currency

7. St Stephen’s Church –

8. Parliament House –

9. The State Library –

10. Wyoming – One Of The Sky Scrapers Of Macquarie Street In 1909, It Was Designed By W. Burcham Clamp -

11. Horbury House – These Are Two Survivors Of A Terrace Of Seven Built In 1845 As Gentleman’s’ Residences. Early Occupants Include Robert Lowe (Later Viscount Sherbrooke), Conrad Martens

12. The Royal Botanical Gardens – The First Farm Was Started Here. Later, Governor Bligh’s Daughter, Mary, Had More Success With Gardening. The Initial Collection Was Restricted But The Enlarged Gardens Were Opened To The Public In 1831, And The Basis Of The Present Gardens Established By Charles Moore From 1848 – 1896. The Garden Palace Was In These Grounds.

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13. The Royal College Of Physicians – No 145 Was The Home Of John Fairfax.

14. BMA House – The British Medical Association House Was Built In 1929, as Medical Chambers With A Lecture Hall On The Ground Floor.

15. History House (Royal Australian Historical Society) - Another Remnant Of A Gentleman’s Residency. This Was By Architect George Mansfield Housed The 1870’s Reform Club. As The Middle Classes Moved Away From The City It Became A Boarding House And Then Homes And Rooms of Medical Practitioners And Acquired By The RAHS in 1969

16. The Astor – in 1914 John O’Brien Built The Exclusive 13 Storey Astor Apartments Designed With A Basement Restaurant Linked By Service Lifts To Each Apartment, Enabling Dinner Deliveries To Residents. The roof Garden Included A Glasshouse, Fernery And Dance Floor.

17. Chief Secretary’s Building – The Fine Interior Of This French Second Empire Style Government Office Designed By Architect James Barnet .

18. Treasury Building – Now Included In The Intercontinental Hotel This Was Built IN two stages, Beginning With Te Treasury (The Bridge Street Corner) In 1849 In a Classical Revival Style And Bridge Street By W L Vernon To Include The Premier’s Officer

19. Conservatorium Of Music – Beyond The Equestrian statue Of Edward VII This Stable Could Accommodate 30 Horses Plus Servants

20. Government House – Beyond The Gatehouse And Down the Roadway To The North Of The Former Stables In The Gothic Castle Style Government House. Still Used By The State Governor. The house Is Open To Te Public on Certain Days Designed In England By Edward Blore And Constructed Under Mortimer Lewis’s Supervision 1837-45

21. Transport House (1938) and Sir Stamford Hotel (1896)

22. Royal Automobile Club

23. Bennelong Point -

QUOTE

1857 - by John Askew

"Tiers Of Fine Buildings Seem To Rise Once Above The Other, Like The Seats In An Amphitheatre, And Towering Above Them All Is The Tall Spire Of St James Church"

1857 - by John Askew

"The Best Thing In This Neighbourhoods In All It's Glory Is On A Summer's Evening, About An Hour After Sunset, When The Drawing Rooms Are In A Blaze Of Light. Then The Rich Tones Of A Piano Or Some Other Musical Instrument Are Heard Gushing Fourth From The Open Windows, Accompanied By The Sweet Melody Of Female Voices. Beautiful Ladies, Dressed In White May Be Seen Sitting Upon The Verandahs, or Lounging On Magnificent Couches, Partially Concealed By The Folds Of Rich Crimson Curtains."

Queens Square - Macquarie Street 

Queens Square is a small Section at the end of Macquarie Street that was originally intended to be the Civic Square of the City Of Sydney. 

Over the years, the City Of Sydney has outgrown its Civic Square, but the story of this little corner of Colonial Sydney really tells the story of Sydney itself from a Colonial Convict Prison Settlement to a leading City Of The Colonial Era. 

Governor Lachlan Macquarie's arrival in Sydney in 1820 was a real turning point for Sydney. It began to leave behind its Penal Colony past, & look towards the future as a world city.

Governor Macquarie had a clear vision for Sydney's future & wasted no time in making it a reality.

Macquarie began by renaming all the streets, which we nothing but a maze of dirt paths when he arrived, but clearly laid out with a degree of order when he left the colony in 1821. 

in 1788, there was just over 1,100 people living in Sydney Cove, And Governor Arthur Phillip Believed at the time that one street back from the harbour was appropriate for the centre of town. By the time Governor Macquarie arrived 22 years later, the population was estimated to be 11,773, and only a small amount of townsfolk lived around the harbour

Macquarie quickly realised that the town he believed Sydney would become needed a civic centre like all the great cities of Britain and Europe had. Not forgetting that Sydney had its roots on the shores of Sydney Cove, Macquarie acknowledged this by making the site of Governor Phillip's administrative headquarters (today's Macquarie Place) the point from which all distances within the colony of New South Wales - and ultimately the whole of Australia - would be measured. But being the forward thinker he was, Macquarie was not content to re-position the centre of Sydney to where it was when he arrived. He looked further south, to what then were the southern fringes of the settlement, and established it there. Today, in spite of two centuries of growth, the centre of Sydney is still considered to be where Macquarie placed it, and that is what we now call Queens Square. It never became the impressive town square he had envisaged, but it did become - and remains - the heart of the City of Sydney.

Following the British pattern of town planning, he established a town common (Hyde Park), with all the key civic elements placed around it. By the end of his tenure, his town centre was in place, though not all the elements were finished. He had laid the foundation stone for an Anglican cathedral opposite the common (the site was later used for St Mary's Cathedral); the Rum Hospital was built on Macquarie Street (part of it later became the seat of Government for New South Wales, something he would have been pleased about); the town school was finished, though the powers-that-be changed it mid-way through construction into a church; the courthouse was in the process of being built behind it, and across the road on a common axis with them both was the barracks that housed the colony's convict workforce, Hyde Park Barracks. Government House, still to be constructed, was allocated a site further along Macquarie Street that was close enough to be considered close, but not too close that it dominated the town, or robbed the Governors of his little privacy and a little aloofness.

n spite of all the elements in Macquarie's dream for a town square - orcircus  as Macquarie would have called it - being in place, why does Queens Square fall well short of Macquarie's dream for it? For starters, someone built a semi circular road around the northern perimeter of Hyde Park, which detracts from the notion that the centre of its arc is the centre of town. Also, after Macquarie left, no one stuck with his vision for the place to ensure it all followed the plan and came to pass. Some, like Governor Ralph Darling, tried to undo all the good work Macquarie did by attempting to drag Sydney back into being a colonial prison, rather than an emerging city. During the post-Darling era, New South Wales experienced the heady days of the goldrush and post-goldrush eras when thre was money to burn and private enterprise practically built what it wanted where it wanted, and it was at that time that Kings Square - renamed Queens Square, when Queen Victoria came to the throne - began to take on the form it takes today.

Its proximity to the Supreme Court in King Street has made the area around Queens Square the legal centre of Sydney. In years gone by Macquarie street was lined with the high class homes of Sydney's professions, predominant among them being the lawyers who worked in the law courts of King Street, and the doctors who place of employment was the Sydney Hospital in Macquarie Street. Today most barristers keep chambers in Phillip Street and around the Law Courts

he statue of the beloved Queen Victoria that gave the square its present name was unveiled by the Governor's wife Lady Carrington on 24th January 1888. It stood right where the people of her day would have wanted it to be, right in the middle of the circle. But within six years, trams were introduced to Macquarie Street and the statue was circled by tram tracks laid for the new Darling Harbour to Edgecliff service. Later, covered waiting sheds were being built in a semi-circle around Queen Victoria for the electric trams which took over in 1905. The tram tracks (and the statue of Queen Victoria) stayed until 1960 when buses replaced trams and the tracks were pulled up. With the tram circle gone and motor traffic increasing year by year, suddenly Queen Victoria was in the way.

The completion of the new Law Courts in 1977 was just the excuse the authorities needed to move the statue out of the way. She and her pedestal were moved to a spot outside the new Law Courts building. Ten years later, the council dug up the pavement again and placed Queen Victoria back where she was previously. Unfortunately the road had been narrowed considerably, and where she was previously was now kerbside. The statue of her beloved consort, Prince Albert, still looks across the square towards her from the opposite corner. Sadly, Queens Square is today just another intersection in the central business district, with most who drive through it oblivious to its historical significance.

The work of British sculptor JEH Boehm, this statue, which is one of two of Queen Victoria in Sydney, stood in the centre of Queens Square when it was unveiled but six years later the statue ended up in the middle of a tram loop and stayed there until 1977 when the Law Courts were built. The bronze statue is mounted on a plinth of Moruya granite.