Sydney G.P.O. - General Post Office - Martin Place - Sydney - NSW

The Sydney G.P.O. (General Post Office) - Martin Place - Sydney - NSW

The General Post Office (GPO) at Martin Place in Sydney, Australia, holds a significant place in the city's history. It has evolved from being a central postal hub to a symbol of architectural grandeur and civic importance. Here's an overview of the history of the Sydney GPO at Martin Place:

Early Postal Services:

• In the early years of the colony, postal services were informal and operated from various locations.
• As Sydney grew, there was a need for a centralized and efficient postal system.

Construction and Design:

• The construction of the Sydney GPO building began in 1866. The design was influenced by the Renaissance Revival architectural style, which was popular during the 19th century.
• The design was a collaborative effort, with several architects contributing to different aspects of the building. James Barnet, the Colonial Architect of New South Wales, played a significant role in its design.

Opening and Operation:

• The Sydney GPO was officially opened on September 1, 1874. It was intended to serve as a central post office for the city, housing not only postal services but also telecommunications facilities.
• The building's interior featured a grand hall, marble columns, and ornate detailing, reflecting the architectural preferences of the time.

Central Location:

• The GPO's location at Martin Place made it easily accessible to both the general public and businesses in the heart of Sydney's central business district.

Expansion and Adaptations:

• Over the years, the GPO underwent several modifications and expansions to accommodate the changing needs of postal and telecommunication services.
• As technology advanced, telecommunications became increasingly important, and the GPO played a role in facilitating communication throughout the country.

Cultural and Civic Significance:

• The Sydney GPO was not only a functional facility but also a cultural and civic landmark. It served as a central point for the exchange of mail and information.
• The clock tower, added in the early 20th century, became an iconic feature of the building and an important timekeeping element in the city.

Modern Transition:

• With the decline in traditional postal services and the rise of digital communication, the need for the GPO's original functions diminished.
• In 1996, the Sydney GPO ceased its role as a working post office and underwent a transformation to accommodate a mix of retail, commercial, and cultural spaces.

Heritage and Restoration:

• The Sydney GPO is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, recognizing its architectural and historical significance.
• Restoration efforts were undertaken to preserve and restore the building's original features, ensuring that its historical charm remains intact.

Today, the Sydney GPO at Martin Place stands as a beautiful architectural testament to Sydney's past and a reminder of the role that postal and communication services played in shaping the city's growth and development. It continues to be a hub of activity, housing a range of businesses and cultural spaces within its historic walls.

In September 1864 "The Illustrated News" Announced That The Colonial Architect, Mr Barnet Had Been Instructed Had  Been Instructed To Prepare Plans For A New Post Office. A New Street a Would Be Cut Between The Pitt & George Streets. 

It Was Constructed In Stages From 1866 - 1891. It is The Most Notable Work In The City By Colonial Architect James Barnet. The Realistic Carvings Facing Pitt Street & Martin Place By Italian Sculptor Tommaso Sani, Caused A Public Scandal. They Were Viciously Attacked By The Press & Parliament As Being Hideous In Form & Expression & Attempts Were Made To Force Barnet To Remove Them. 

John Frazer Fountain – Hyde Park Sydney

Opposite Grammar on College Street, the little Gothic sandstone canopy is easy to walk past if you are heading for the Archibald Fountain — don’t. That’s Frazer, with a z. The Frazer Fountain in Hyde Park South is a Gothic-style Pyrmont sandstone drinking fountain presented to the citizens of Sydney by merchant, philanthropist and MLC John Frazer. City Architect Thomas M. Sapsford designed the canopy; Mittagong sculptor Lawrence Beveridge carved the stonework. It was the first of two Frazer fountains — this Gothic example for Hyde Park (inscriptions and City of Sydney date it to the 1881–82 mayoralty of John Hardie) and an Italian Renaissance twin erected in 1884 on St Mary’s / Prince Albert Road near the Domain.

Originally it sat at the south-east of Hyde Park (near today’s Whitlam Square / Emden Gun site). The fountain was moved in 1917 to make way for the Emden Gun, then moved again in 1934 to its present position opposite Sydney Grammar School on College Street. During the 1934 relocation the original taps and communal drinking cups were replaced with a bubbler. Inscriptions record Frazer’s gift and credit Sapsford and Beveridge.

Keep the spelling Frazer — and keep this Gothic Hyde Park fountain distinct from the 1884 Renaissance twin.

The john Frazer Fountain - Hyde Park - Sydney - NSW

Central is the station everyone knows — the big sandstone terminus that officially opened on 4 August 1906 (passengers from 5 August), to designs associated with Government Architect Walter Liberty Vernon. The clock tower and great façade face Eddy Avenue, formed by realigning the earlier Garden Road when the new station pushed one block closer to the city than the old Devonshire Street terminus.

What most people don’t clock while they sprint for the Country Link gates is what sat under their feet. The station block was resumed from a dense layer of earlier uses. Most famously it occupies much of the former Devonshire Street Cemetery (the Sandhills Cemetery) — Sydney’s main burial ground from the 1820s until Rookwood took over in the 1860s. In 1901–02 remains and monuments were exhumed — claimed burials to metropolitan cemeteries, unclaimed largely to Bunnerong/Botany — so the railway works could proceed. Other resumed sites on the block included successors to Carters’ Barracks (police barracks, convent, female refuge), the Benevolent Asylum, Christ Church parsonage and related institutions.

Photographs here show Central’s Eddy Avenue frontage — a civic face built over one of colonial Sydney’s most consequential land clearances.

Central railway station is Sydney’s principal terminus, officially opened on 4 August 1906 (passengers from 5 August) to designs associated with Government Architect Walter Liberty Vernon. The great sandstone façade and clock tower face Eddy Avenue, which was formed by realigning the earlier Garden Road when the new station pushed one block closer to the city than the previous Devonshire Street terminus.

The station block was resumed from a dense layer of earlier uses. Most famously it occupies much of the former Devonshire Street Cemetery (also called the Sandhills Cemetery), Sydney’s main burial ground from the 1820s until Rookwood took over in the 1860s. In 1901–02 remains and monuments were exhumed — claimed burials to metropolitan cemeteries, unclaimed largely to Bunnerong/Botany — so railway works could proceed. Other resumed sites on the block included Carters’ Barracks successors (police barracks, convent, female refuge), the Benevolent Asylum, Christ Church parsonage and related institutions.

Photographs here show Central’s Eddy Avenue frontage — a civic face built over one of colonial Sydney’s most consequential land clearances.

Central Station opened in 1906 on the site of the former Devonshire Street Cemetery, and it remains Sydney’s principal railway hub. Its sandstone façade and grand clock tower face Eddy Avenue, while the station connects suburban, intercity and regional services.

Central Station And Eddy Avenue - Built On The Grounds Of The Devonshire Street Cemetery Known As The Sandhills Cemetery. After 1903

Cadman's Cottage
Circular Quay West, Facing George Street North

Cadman’s Cottage looks almost shy against Circular Quay West — two storeys of sandstone that used to sit a short splash above high water, before the quay was filled and seawalled and the harbour stepped back. Built in 1815–16 as the government coxswain’s barracks beside the Government Dockyard and Commissariat Stores, it’s still among the oldest surviving residential buildings in Sydney.

It takes its popular name from John Cadman, the longest-serving government coxswain — not the first person through the door. Transported for horse theft on the Barwell (arrived 1798), he worked the government boats from about 1806, got a free pardon in 1821, and held the coxswain’s post from 1827 until 1845, when the office was abolished after he retired. From here he and his family oversaw the boats that shifted stores and produce around Port Jackson. Earlier coxswains occupied the building after it opened; Cadman simply stayed the longest.

After 1845 the cottage housed Sydney’s Water Police (with a southern extension for offices and cells), then from the 1860s folded into the Sydney Sailors’ Home precinct next door. Since 1976 NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has managed it as Cadmans Cottage Historic Site / a harbour information point. People still murmur “Francis Greenway” — Heritage NSW and conservation research leave that attribution unproven. The photographs here show the cottage, its garden setting, and the Circular Quay West / George Street North frame that replaced the old foreshore.

Sydney Sailors’ Home, Circular Quay West, c.1880 — Cadman’s Cottage sat in this same foreshore precinct a short walk away.