governmentbuildings

I think this photo is much earlier than 1896, and shows the original James Barnet designed building under construction in the late 1870s. See the scaffolding going through the windows, and the lack of statues. The building was completed in 1880, so imho this is before 1880. See - www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/07_subnav_04_2.cfm?itemid=5045423 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Secretary's_Building . Barnet's design was based on the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. There are heaps of photos of this building in State Records at various stages of additions. This one is the earliest, then in chronological order (I hope) - Original James Barnet Building (c.1880) - investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... Walter Liberty Vernon additions - Phillip St extension, mansard roof and dome (c.1895) - investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... With electric street lamp (post 1904) - almost identical - investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp...

Charles Bayliss photographed the completed (outside) building in 1879 for a Sydney Exhibition Album from the same position on the Government House gatehouse.


So this photo is well before 1879

beachcomber australia A pretty compelling argument especially when you compare the other images you've linked to titled as "construction of the dome" which show the statues in place and scaffolding only on the roof of the building. The surrounding landscape is also significantly different. There are footpaths, tram lines and the background is a lot more built up in investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/asp/photosearch/photo.asp... as compared to this image. -AG

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/51979177@N02] Good find.

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/51979177@N02] Phew! There's enough for a thesis there. Winter 1877 is looking good, particularly from the long midday shadow of the Treasury Building on the right.

According to this the date should be 26th July at the earliest.

Sharon Corbet Well spotted Sharon!

At first sight, I thought the Georgian doorways behind do not look fancy enough for this to be Merrion Street, but looking at Streetview, I think those buildings have been redeveloped, and the fancy Georgian doorays there now are fakes.

Irish times has a piece about this visit on Wednesday 30th July, so perhaps the visit was on the 29th. National Library of Ireland on The Commons Mary can you get the full story from the IT archive?

Devoy had a big reputation as evidenced by the latter quote from [www.jamesdurney.com/john-devoy-forgotten-hero-unrepentant...] The Times of London, the voice of the British establishment, unwittingly saluted John Devoy by saying he was ‘the most bitter and persistent, as well as the most dangerous, enemy of this country which Ireland has produced since Wolfe Tone’.

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Historic Sydney, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

love this pic. Sydneys tallest buildign far left being Australia Hotel.

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