Sydney from Old Point Piper Road

Before anyone called it Jersey Road, this ridge street was Point Piper Road — the bush track Captain John Piper cut so he could drive from the old South Head Road (today’s Oxford Street / Old South Head Road line) out to Henrietta Villa on Eliza Point. He laid the house foundations in 1816; the 190-acre grant was formalised on 10 February 1820; the family moved in around mid-1822. The route ran through what is now Woollahra and Paddington along the line renamed Jersey Road in 1900 (for the Earl of Jersey), then toward Double Bay and the harbour-side roads that folded into the New South Head Road network.

After Piper’s financial collapse the wider Point Piper Estate passed through CooperLevey hands; subdivisions and villa traffic kept the road an eastern-suburbs spine. From 1848 the South Head Roads Trust maintained it with Old and New South Head Roads. Historic “Sydney from Old Point Piper Road” views look back from that ridge toward the town and harbour — road and estate geography, not an unnamed lookout.

Point Piper Road was the nineteenth-century name for the carriage approach Captain John Piper cut through the bush from the old South Head Road (today’s Oxford Street / Old South Head Road line) toward his Henrietta Villa estate on Eliza Point / Point Piper (grant formalised 1820; house foundations from 1816). The route ran through what is now Woollahra and Paddington along the line later called Jersey Road (renamed 1900 for the Earl of Jersey), then toward Double Bay and the harbour-side roads that became part of the New South Head Road network.

From the 1820s the wider Point Piper Estate passed through Cooper–Levey hands after Piper’s financial collapse; subdivisions and villa traffic kept the road a eastern-suburbs spine under the South Head Roads Trust (from 1848), which also maintained Old and New South Head Roads. Historic Sydney from Old Point Piper Road” views look back from that ridge road toward the town and harbour — caption as road and estate geography, not as an unnamed lookout.

Customs House - 31 Alfred Street - Circular Quay - Sydney Cove - New South Wales

Customs House 

Built - 1844 - 1845
Architect - Mortimer Lewis - Colonial Architect 
Additional Architects - 
1887 - James Barnet - Colonial Architect 
1896 - Walter Liberty Vernon - Government Architect
1915  - George Oakeshott

Sydney's Custom House At Circular Quay Occupies A Unique Symbolic Place On The Site Of The Foirst Fleet Landing In 1788. Today Its Location Is A Physical Reminder Of The Importance Of Circular Quay As The Original Maritime Centre Of The Colony, And The Colony's reliance On Trade. Its Renewal Over The Decades Also Emobides The Work Of Three Government Architects

The Customs Service ws Responsible For All Imports And Exports, Excise On Local Goods, Immigration Control, And Control Of Narcotic Substances And Morally Corrupt Goods (Such As Books And Films)
By 1844, With Sydney's Maritime Trade Booming, The Existing Customs Building In The Rocks Was Packed To The Rafters. This Prompted Governor Sir George Gipps To Commission A New 2 Storey Georgian Building, Designed By Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis, With A Facade That Included 13 Large Windows Offering Commanding Views of Shipping Activity In Sydney Cove. 


In 1887, The Building Was Partly Dismantled And Expanded To Three Levels By Colonial Architect James Barnet. It was Further Expanded In 1896 By Government Architect Walter Liberty Vernon, Who Staged Alterations Adding Two New Levels And A Rear Wing In The Courtyard. In 1915, Architect George Oakeshott Add A New Framed Internal Structure That Opened Up The Ground Floor With An Atrium. 

Despite These Later Additions During World War 1, Significant Parts Of The Original Building Remain Today, Having Been In Continuous Use For 145 Years As Headquarters For The Customs House Right Up Until 1990. in 2003 The Historic Building Became The Venue For The City Of Sydney Library, Along With restaurants, Bars And Offices. 

There Is A Scale Model Of Sydney's CBD, Under A Glass Floor In The Ground Floor Foyer. At A Scale Of 1:500, It Covers Around 10 Square Kilometres Of The City And Includes More Than 1000 Detailed Buildings, As Well As 5000 Trees, And People, And Cars And Boats 

The 6 Storey Building Evolved  through Several Phases Of Expansion  Between 1845 & 1917. 

On Loftus Street Alongside Customs House, A Union Jack Flies Permanantly On The Site Where The British Flag Was First Raised On January 26th 1788. For Some Australians, This Is The Site Of The Invasion. 

Customs House in Sydney, Australia, is an iconic heritage building that has played a significant role in the city's history. It has served various functions over the years and stands as a symbol of maritime trade, cultural engagement, and architectural beauty. Here's a comprehensive overview of its history:

Early History:

• The original Customs House on the site was constructed in the early 19th century. It served as a customs and maritime office to regulate trade and collect taxes on imports and exports.

Construction of the Current Building:

• The present-day Customs House building was constructed between 1844 and 1845, designed by colonial architect Mortimer Lewis in the Neoclassical architectural style.
• The building's design features grand columns, a pediment, and ornate detailing, reflecting the architectural trends of the time.

Function as Customs Office:

• The new Customs House continued to serve as a hub for customs and maritime operations, facilitating trade and overseeing shipping activities in Sydney Harbour.

Expansions and Additions:

• Over the years, Customs House underwent expansions and additions to accommodate its growing functions and staff.
• In the late 19th century, additional wings were added to the building to accommodate increased maritime activity.

Cultural Role and Transformation:

• In the 20th century, as shipping and customs operations moved to other locations, Customs House underwent a transformation into a cultural and public space.
• In 1988, the building was renovated and repurposed as a multi-purpose cultural and educational center.

City of Sydney Library:

• Customs House houses the City of Sydney Library, offering a range of books, resources, and services to the public.
• The library features modern amenities while preserving the building's historical features.

The Sydney Room:

• The Sydney Room within Customs House holds a collection of historical maps, plans, photographs, and documents related to the city's history.

Civic and Cultural Events:

• Customs House is also used as a venue for various civic and cultural events, exhibitions, and lectures.

Lighting of the Dome:

• The dome of Customs House is often lit up with colorful and dynamic light displays to mark special occasions, events, and celebrations.

Heritage Status:

• Customs House is recognized as a heritage-listed building, reflecting its historical, architectural, and cultural significance.

Customs House stands as a reminder of Sydney's maritime heritage and its transition from a functional government building to a dynamic cultural center. Its architectural beauty, versatile functions, and central location have made it a focal point of Sydney's urban landscape and cultural life

St Matthew’s Church, Windsor – Francis Greenway

St Matthew’s Anglican Church on Moses Street, Windsor, is one of Francis Greenway’s finest surviving works — spare Georgian brick, a clean tower, and that quiet authority you only get when a colonial building has been loved carefully for two centuries. Governor Lachlan Macquarie ordered a church for the Hawkesbury township he renamed Windsor in 1810. Greenway’s church rose between 1817 and 1822; the Reverend Samuel Marsden consecrated it on 8 December 1822. Macquarie had to re-lay the foundation stone after the first ceremonial coin was stolen overnight — a story locals still tell with a half-smile.

Convict labour built the church under colonial direction; William Cox is associated with related precinct works. The adjoining rectory and stables (mid-1820s) complete a landmark group above the Hawkesbury floodplain — Heritage NSW lists church, rectory, stables and cemetery together. The south porch, shown on early plans, was added later (1857). The graveyard holds burials connected with early Hawkesbury families and, by local tradition, some First Fleet associations.

Greenway’s massing remains remarkably intact and is often cited among the most beautiful early colonial buildings in the country. The photographs here show the church, precinct and floodplain setting that still make Windsor worth the drive.

St Matthew’s Church, Windsor — historic view of the Georgian brick church.

Government House – “The People’s Domain”

Government House stands on Sydney’s harbour edge beside the Royal Botanic Garden in the Domain. Completed in 1845, it has served as the Governor of New South Wales’s official residence and remains a prominent part of Sydney’s civic landscape.

George Street Looking South and the Royal Hotel

Stand mid-town and look south along George Street — Sydney’s main north–south spine — and you’re walking the Tank Stream valley that Macquarie formally named George Street in 1810 (High Street / Spring Row labels before that). Nineteenth-century looking-south plates show a tight commercial wall: hotels, arcades, shopfronts — the street that sold the colony its boots, books and theatre tickets.

On the eastern side between King and Market sat the Royal Hotel, opened 1829 for Barnett Levey, with an attached theatre that from 1832 staged Sydney’s first regular professional performances. Fire took the complex in 1840; it was rebuilt and stayed a George Street fixture until mid-1920s–early-1930s demolition for the Dymocks Building (The Block) — bookselling had already occupied part of the hotel from 1890. So those “looking south” views aren’t just street furniture: they catch a vanished hotel–theatre at the heart of colonial entertainment and retail.

Don’t confuse this Royal with every other Sydney pub of the same name. Caption by direction and building identity — never label today’s Block as the 1829 hotel.

The Charlotte Medallion

 

From Memory The Charlotte Medallion Came Yo For Auction After 220 Years Around 2014/2o15

Th Australian Government Purchased The Coin For Approx $750,000 - $800,000

The Significance Of The Charlotte Medallion Is That It Was Etched By A Convict, I Forget His Name 2 Days Agter The First Fleet Landed At Sydney Cove In 1788. 

Unfortunately He Was Also the First Convict To Be Hung For Stealjng A Pork Ration And Some Peas. About 2 Weeks After The Fleet Landed 

Arthur Phillip Had Warned Everybody On The 7th Of January 1788 When His Commission From King George III Was Read to All Convicts And Military On The Beach At What Is Now Circular. Quay