anthony

The copper on point duty is working hard!

As I am using this photograph as an illustration for an article about redescribing the photographic collections, I wondered why isn't this photograph geotagged. I discovered that among the geotagged pictures from Powerhouse Museum's collection presented here in Commons, there is one (earlier, it seems to me) from almost the same viewpoint, which actually is positioned in a wrong place (at the corner of George Street and Wilmot street), whereas the scene is from the corner of George Street and Liverpool Street. Google's Street View proves it nicely, as the two buildings on the right side of the photograph are still existing.

Great! These discoveries were so exciting to make. Greetings from the other side of the globe.

My advice is that this picture was taken after 1926.

I think the date is exactly 1930, probably late March. The banner on the Central Courthouse Hotel mentions a Fete (see note), and a quick Trove search produced this from the SMH 4/3/1930 with the matching dates and location - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/16630464?searchTerm=mari...

i think the lady in white makes the photo.

rumplestiltskin, she looks wonderful - did you notice she is carrying a child (see Persistent URL)?

"Before" - www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/3023707402/

The same crossing years later: (Discovered it already a year ago, now just wanted to connect the two pictures.)

The parcels Post Office at Railway Square (opened 1913) is under construction - see Persistent URL. Which implies this photo is c.1912. Also the tram pylons in the centre of George Street are no longer there. They were removed in about 1908 to enable wider bodied trams.

The cast-iron awnings on both sides of Brickfield Hill / George Street are amazing in this photo. @ PhMC - Anthony Hordern's New Palace Emporium (1905) was not yet built at the time of this picture (except for an older, smaller store further down the street - see note), but it shows up as "before and after" shots here - www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2667018244/

This is one of several pictures of George Street where the tram pylons and wires are apparent, but no trams. Which might help date the photos to December 1899, just before trams started on this route. Unless the trams were on strike . . .

I recently found out that the iron verandah front on the west / right side of George Street was built in 1885 to hold and hide the telephone cables of the rapidly expanding network. " In 1885 a cable support disguised as an ornamental verandah front was erected along the western side of George Street from the G.P.O. to what is now Railway Square. (ref 3'4'5) This is a distinctive feature which can be seen on many photographs. It became the backbone of the network with pole routes branching off at every cross street. The pole route in this section of George Street was replaced by a smaller one carrying only telegraph wires. The cable support was superseded before 1900 but was not all demolished. Shopkeepers had been allowed to use it to support awnings, and where they had done so it was left in place. " Ref.- www.telephonecollecting.org/lightpoles.htm

The poster for the "Grand Commonwealth Fair" occurs in several pictures of George Street, implying they must be contemporary to the event at the Town Hall in November / December 1899. The trams on this part of George St started in December 1899. See other pictures - www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/2712341239/ and www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/3041763769/

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Sydney's older buildings and structures. , and we'd love to have this added to the group!