Royal Australian Historical Society

The building seen here on the NW corner of Macquarie and King Sts was built in ca. 1889-90 on the site previously occupied by the St James parsonage. Just going on various items I've tracked down in the digitised newspapers, the building was originally known as St James Chambers and the St James Buildings...in the earlier 20th century it appears to have been known as The Towers...from ca. 1916 it was known as the Queen's Club Building...I gather it was a mix of residential apartments and professional suits/offices.

There's very little information on the construction of the building in the digitised newspapers...the site was evidently owned by St James Church...in 1889 the site was leased to the Sydney Permanent, Freehold, Land, and Investment Company, who then demolished the old St James parsonage and erected this building in its place...the building work appears to have been in progress from ca. July 1889 thru to mid/later 1890...the architect was Varney Parkes. The building was acquired by the NSW Government in the mid/later 1930s...I gather it survived until the mid 1970s, when it was demolished to make way for the NSW Supreme Court complex, which occupies the site today...

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16467645 - the building that occupied the site in the 19th century...for most of its life it was the St James parsonage...

Another view of the St James' Buildings
www.flickr.com/photos/193158484@N02/52410408860/

What a SPECTACULAR building! And look! No cars on the streets at all!! WHY?!? Shame it had to go, I guess. I never even got to visit it :(

It was poss taken on a Sunday, and in the morning by the look of the shadow.

Now World Square

Was used by NSW Institute of Technology (now UTS) for business and law school from 1967-1984. in the end It leaked in some of the classrooms when it rained, and had non-functioning lifts in the middle of the staircase. Still good memories of the Brickfield Hill building though.

[watching with interest]

I think this looks like Druitt St, Sydney from Day St. (not Harrington St) - The imposing edifice at far right (with the massive Bushells advert) is like the 1920s Bushells Building in Harrington St.
Comparison: See Street View below and Bushells building (121 Harrington St) in c1970. _
www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/heritage_image_popup.cfm?objectid=133...
The coupe is Vauxhall from about 1946-1949:

hmm It does make sense that the photo was taken near the wharves. But, this road looks wider than Harrington Street, and I spent ages with google maps and the Bushells Building and couldn't match up the older buildings still standing with the photo. Maybe that just says something about my skills. Another thought is whether it was taken somewhere up near Central Station - Harris Street maybe?

RAHS
As you said, Harrington St is a narrow street and the image couldn't match up the older adjacent buildings.
The far right building does bear some resemblance to the Bushells Building (and the the massive Bushells advert on the wall!) - and also some other buildings in Sydney.
I’ve searched some historical photos of Sydney and aerial photos of 1951 (below) and came up with nothing so far. The church steeple in the background, and the cupola in the near building and the shadows would be clues.

Stop Press: (Second Try!): I think the location is Druitt St from Day St former wharves area (see Sussex St intersection in foreground) .
The only remaining building is the cream colour 'look alike Bushells' Building (right centre). All other buildings are gone, and even the road leads to a curve into the Western Dist.. Also the afternoon shadows make sense.
(also see the 1951 aerial photos above).
Street View: www.google.com.au/maps/place/Druitt+St,+Sydney+NSW+2000/@...