50 Martin Place - Government Savings Bank Of NSW

50 Martin Place  - Martin Place

Built 1925 - 1928

Architect - HE Ross & H Ruskin Rowe, Ross & Rowe

When 50 Martin Place Opened In 1928 As Head Office for The Government Savings Bank of NSW. It Was The City's Tallest, And Most Expensie Building  With The Worlds Largest Banking Chamber. It Has Since Been Transformed As The Global Headquarters Of Macquarie Group.

From The Street, The Buildings Beaux - Arts Facade Showcases A Solid red Granite Base, Topped with Four Columns And Pilasters, Clad In Pink Glazed Ceramic Tiles. Twelve Storeys In Height, It Was Crowned Originally With A Two Storey Attic, And, intriguinly, A Rooftop Rifle Range.

At Ground Level, The Grand Hall And Banking Chamber Are Lavishly Detailed In The NeoClassical Style, Featuring Marble And Scagliola - A Form Of Plaster - On Massive Stylised Columns.

Inside The Atrium Are Two Futuristic Circular Glass Lifts


An Extraordinary Eight Storey High Installation By Artist Nike Savvas, Colours Are The Country, Can Be Seen During The lift Journey, Straddling The Atium Is A New Steel Framed Glass Dome, Designed As A Fifth Facade To Be Seen From Thwe Neighbouring Builddings As A Shimmering Lantern.


 

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

Martin Place - Sir James Martin - Sydney - New South Wales

Martin Place 

  
Everyone Who Lives In Sydney Knows Martin Place
But As With All Our Australian Heritage No one Can Remember Or Care Why. 
The Story Of Sir James Martin Is Such An Inspiring Story Its  a Real Shame His Story Hasn't Been Told To The Generation Of Today 
Sir James Martin was Born To Poor Parents Who Lives At Parramatta
He Was Very Smart And Was Accepted Into The Sydney School On College Street Which Later Became Sydney Grammar. 
He Walked From Parramatta To School And Back Everyday 



Sir James Martin Was Also The Only Person In Australian History To Be Premier If New South Wales, 3 times in Fact,  Attorney General Of New South Wales, And Chief Justice Of NSW

The G.P.O (General Post Office)

The City Council Had Designed & Planned This Long Pedestrian Thoroughfare as "The Financial & Insurance Centre" Of Sydney. The Widening & Extension Through To Macquarie treet Began In 1923 But Didn't Finish Until 1935.

The initiasl Martin P;lace was the section between George Street and Pitt Street, and it was offically opened in 1892, and was named in honour of Sir James Martin, the three time Premier of New South Waleds, asnf the Chief justice of The Supreme Court of New South Wales. 


Today's Martin Place was built in several stages. Until the 19th Century ponly the section between Pitt Street & Castlereagh Street existed in anything rresembling thre present form, as a short street named Moore Street. Between Pitt Street 7 George Street there wass only a small laneway 
In 1863, construction begabn on the present General Post Office building on the South Side of the Laneway. The bvyuilding was constructed in stages,7 when the design  changed to provide  for a main faczaade on the longer nothern stages , there were commitments  proposals to widen the existing laneway into a street connnected to Moore Street. 



Martin Place has a large collecrtion of buildings in various styles, from neo classical ro contemporary 

The Sydney General post Office - number 1 Martin Place id located at the Western end of Martin Place between george Street 7 Pitt Streets. Designed by thre Architect James Barnet, the building was constructed in stages from 1866 to 18891. 
Barnet's building features Neo- Classical sandstone facade, with a colonade running arou nd the building ast street level,. Above the centre  of the 100 metre Martibn Place Facade is the Clocktower.This building was the Headquarters Of the NSW postal sysrtem until 1996 ,, when it was sold off and refurbuished. 

- the Bank Of Australiadsia Building - Number 2 Martin place - in a RFomanesque building standing on the corner of George Street & Martin Place. This bank merged into ANZ in 1951. 

- Challis House - Number 4 Martin Place - It stands on land bought in 1906 for 500 Pounds per square foot by the University of Syxdney from the University Endowment DFunds. 
The Building was designed by W. L. Vernpon, Government Architect and Robertson 7 Marks, Architects and was completed in 1907. The Building was named after Henry Challis, who in 1880 hasd bequesathed his estate valued at 276,000 Pounds (Over $30 - $50 Million Today) to the university. 

This art deco building is adorned with the Sydney University crest above the doo, and forms one of the most  important parts of the university's property portfolio. 

The Commonwealth Trading Bank Building - Number 5 Martin Place - Is on the Corner of Martin Place & Pitt Street. Built in 1916, this 12 Storey building was designed & project Managed by the Sydney Architectural FirmJ & H Kirkpatrick. The building was the first large scale all steel framed "skyscraper" in Australia. 

known as the "Sydney Bank" within the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, it was built to be the Headquarters of the Commonwealth bank of Australia. 

The MLC Centre - Number 9 Martin Place - It sits upon the Old Site of the Australia Hotel. which wqas demolished tgo make way for this 228 metre reinforced concrete skyscraper, designed by Harry Seidler. At the time when it was opened it was the tallest reinforced concrete officre building in the world, 7 was the tallest building outside North America. 

Construction of the building was controversial bevause it caused the demolityion of several historic landmark buildings. 

The Henry Davis York Building -0 number 38 - 46 Martin Place -  It is an 11 Storey Art Deco builfing on the corner of Castlereagh Street And Martin Place. It was the former Headquarters of MLC, and was taken over by the national Australia bank i n2000. 

The State Savings Bank Building - Number 48 Martin Place - Later also owned by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It was built as the Headquarters of the Government Savings Bank of NSW & was opened in 1928.  the Interior features Large Scagliola Columns, Extensive use of marble and a plaster and pressed metal ceiling. The buildings square Trading Hall was orignally one of the lasrgest in the world. A stately Vault in Housed in the Basement. 

The Australian Provincial Assurance Building - Number 53 - 63 Martin Place - Is A 14 Storey art Deco building on the Corner of Elizabeth Street & Martin Place

The Colonial Building was the headquzaarters of The NSW State Bank - This 1986 post modern Building with its dark glass facade featurres a 36 storey tower atop a 2 storey Atrium.  

The Reserve Bank Of Australia Building - Located beteen Phillip & Macquarie Streets

Its the Headquarters for the Reserve Bank of Australia, Australia's Central bank, including a money museum. 

The Westpac Building - Number 60 Martin Place - Between Phillip & Macquarie street, is iteself a non descript 28 Storey 1960's Office Block but is currently planned to be de,molished to make way for al argew new develop,ment/. 

ADJACENT BUILDINGS 

* At the Macquarie Street End - The Sydney Hospital

* At the George Street End, the historic Westpac Building and the Commercial banking Company of Australia 

* on Elizabeth Stree, The Sun Building was formerlyu the Headquarters Of The sun, The Afternoon paper that ceased publication in the 1980's. This skyscraper Gothic buiklding is one of only three buildings in Sydney in this style 

* On George Street Societe Generale House is American Romanesque in Style and originaally housed the Equitable Life Assurance Sociaety of Americas

OTHER FEATURES OF MARTIN PLACE INCLUDE 

 - The Cenotaph, Located between the GPO and Challis House. It Commemorates the ANZAC forces who served in WW1 and Australians who gave their lives in subsequent conflicts/. 

- A water fountain is located on the East side of Pitt Street, Near the Commonwealth bank Of Australia Building. Behind this foumntain is an Amphoitheatre which featyures a stage that can be mechanically raised when required for perforamcnes. 

- Entrancres to the Underground Railway Station 

- A Commando Memorial is Located in the Centre oif Martin  Place near the Eastern end. 

SOME REGUALR CIVIC EVENTS THAT OCCUR AT MARTIN PLACE. 

- An ANZAC Day Dawn Service is held at the Cenotaph  every year on April 25th 

- Sydney's Largest Christmas tree stands in Martin Place every Year. 

- Martin Place is a major site for the Annual Sydney Festivsl 

- outdoor Concerts are held there throughout the year

The Judges House - Kent Street Sydney

Kent Street - named 6th October 1810

                   - Proclaimed 31st December 1834

First Fleet House, Cathedral Street, East Sydney,

First Fleet House - Cathedral Street, East Sydney 

Proclamation - Sir Richard Bourke - Governor Of New South Wales - Terra Nullius 1835

PROCLAMATION

 By His  Excellency Major-General Sir Richard Bourke, K.C.B. Commanding His Majesties Forces, Captain General And Governor In Chief Of The Territory Of  New South Wales And Its Dependancies,  And Vice Admiral Of  The Same &c &c


Whereas, It Has Been Represented To Me, That Divers Of  His Majesty’s Subjects HaveTaken Poessession Of Vacant Lands Of The Crown, Within The Limits Of This Colony, Under The Pretence Of A Treaty Bargain, Or Contract, For The Purchase Thereof, With The Aboriginal Natives; Therefore, I, The Governor, In Virtue And In Excercise Of The Power And Authority In Me
Vested, Do Hereby Proclaim And Notify To All His Majesty’s Subjects, And Others Whom It May Concern, That Every Such Treaty, Bargain, And Contract With The Aboriginal Natives, As Aforesaid, For The Possession, Title, Claim To Any Lands Lying And Being Within The Limits Of The Government Of The Colony Of New South Wales. As The Same Are Laid Down And Degined By His Majesty’s Commission; That Is To Say, Extending From The Northern Cape Or Extremity Of The Coast Called Cape York, In The Latitude Of Ten Degrees Thirty Seven Minutes South, To The Southern Extremity Of The Said Territory Of New South Wales, Or Wilson’s Promontory, In The Latitude Of Thirty Nine Degrees Twelve Minutes South, And Embracing  All The Country Inland To The Westward, As Far As The One Hundred And Twenty Ninth Degree Of East Longtitude, Reckoning From The Meridian Of Greenwich , Including All The Islands Adjacent, In The Pacific Ocean Within The Latitude Aforesaid, And Including Also Norfolk Island, Is Void, And Of No Effect
,

The First Fleet Piano - The First Piano Brought To Australia

The First Piano To Come To Australia Was Brought Pn Ten First Fleet In 1788, On The HMAS Sirius, By The Ships Surgeon - Thomas Wargan 

Sydney Garden Palace Part 6

Sydney Garden Palace Part 6

L

Birth Of Captain Cook

Born on this day 

Wednesday, October 27, 1728. :   Captain James Cook, who charted Australia's eastern coastline, is born. 

     James Cook was born at Marton in North Yorkshire, on 27 October 1728. He was the son of a farm labourer, and held no great ambitions, being apprenticed in a grocer/haberdashery when he was 16. Lack of aptitude in the trade led his employer to introduce Cook to local shipowners, who took him on as a merchant navy apprentice. Here he was educated in algebra, trigonometry, navigation, and astronomy, which later set Cook up to command his own ship.

After working his way up to positions of greater responsibility and experience, Cook was hired in 1766 by the Royal Society to travel to the Pacific Ocean to observe and record the transit of Venus across the Sun. Following this, Cook's next orders were to search the south Pacific for Terra Australis Incognita, the great southern continent that many believed must extend around the southern pole. He came across New Zealand, which Abel Tasman had discovered in 1642, and spent some months there, charting the coastline. Nearly a year later, Cook set sail west for New Holland, which was later to become Australia

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