bridgestreet

Not your run-of-the-mill shop back then - a lot of 'exotic' produce for sale there.

Stuart Bananas, plums, lemons, and another fruit I can't quite identify...

National Library of Ireland on The Commons Navel oranges, I think

It's a pretty good selection considering there's a war on.

Irish Cream Toffee, 3d per slab

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!

Date range: ca. September 1884 - 13th January, 1888 The earliest date has to be ca. September 1884, when the New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Agency Co acquired the former Trebeck wool store and warehouse at the NE corner of Bridge/Loftus Sts... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/163267032 - Sydney Mail, 6th September, 1884...'We beg to notify WOOLGROWERS and FARMERS that we are now taking possession of our NEW WOOL STORES, at the Corner of Bridge and Loftus Streets'...this is the earliest reference I've found to the New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Agency Co occupying the building... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/64034464 - Illustrated Sydney News, 17th March, 1883...sketch of the building then either completed or nearing completion...I gather this sketch was drawn from the plan rather than from the actual building...there are several differences... The latest date: The niche for the statue 'Art' at the Bridge/Phillip St corner of the Colonial Secretary's Building is vacant...'Art' was placed on 13th January, 1888... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13675831 - SMH, 14th January, 1888...brief report on 'Art' being placed in position (see item 2nd highlighted column) The building at the NE corner of Bridge/Young Sts was built for for George Griffiths & Co tea merchants...it was completed in ca. mid 1888...my guess is it would have taken at least 6 months to build...and there's no sign of it here. trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/237215325 - Daily Telegraph, 20th July, 1888...item here on George Griffiths & Co's recently completed building...architect Varney Parkes...for about a decade or so it was known as the Centennial Building...it was later occupied and then acquired by Winchcombe Carson... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/106783547 - Sydney Wool and Stock Journal, 23rd May, 1902...pic of the building here...

AS a starter, this pic is post-1889, when my great-grandfather was killed while working on the extension to the original building.

We can only imagine how difficult and dangerous construction/building work would have been in those days……without all the OH&S regulations we have in place these days.

I am not 100% sure about this, but here goes: The Royal Exchange was known as the Merchants' Exchange before a Royal title from King Edward VII in 1901. That is why it does not show in old Trove searches. On 19/10/1899 they met to discuss alterations and additions to the building ( trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/14228147 ) The additions must have been complete by 31/12/1900 - " On 31 December, 1900, the evening of the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia, the statue of "Commerce", designed by sculptor James White who also created the Statue of Liberty, on top of the building was unveiled. It stood there until 1964 when the building was demolished. It has now been given pride of place outside the refurbished building looking over Pitt Street. " ( www.56pittstreetsydney.com/jd/jadehttp.dll?EbdMulti_www_0... I think these additions are what we see here, dating this photo as early 1900. Maybe?

Royal Exchange / Merchants' Exchange before and after additional floors -

I wonder it the photographer was on the SW corner of the roof of the Customs House, which was also having extra floors added at the time.