hunterstreet

No actions ,what was the means of this picture?

Philip Street used to be straight from Circular Quay to St James church - it now has a kink at Chifley Square - which is why this view is a bit puzzling. The 1890 map shows this clearly, together with the route of the steam tram line, one of the first in Sydney. www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.map-rm1280-s1-sd&rg...

Charles Bayliss - acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemLarge.aspx?itemID=413452

trove.nla.gov.au/work/247379779 - Trove link to slide at PHM Latest date ca. 1903... Per various digitised newspaper items, the Star Hotel (SW cnr Phillip/Hunter Sts) and the adjoining buildings seen here in Phillip St appear to have been demolished in 1903-04...the Star Hotel appears to have been demolished in ca. April-June 1904...the licensee of the Star Hotel evidently had a lease on the property which evidently delayed its demolition...the Central Police Station was erected on the site in ca. 1905-06... On the other side of Phillip St, the Assembly Hotel (SE cnr Phillip/Hunter Sts) appears to have been demolished in the 1930s...and replaced by a new Assembly Hotel...which remained until ?the early 1960s... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228525417 - the Australian Star, 27th June, 1903...historical item on the buildings being demolished... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/113908249 - Evening News, 11th June, 1904...demolition of the Star Hotel then in progress (see 1st item)... trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126554375 - Sunday Times, 6th May, 1906...police move into the completed Central Police Station... trove.nla.gov.au/work/184464391 - ca. 1927-28 NLA Fairfax pic of the Central Police Station... trove.nla.gov.au/work/184210393 - this ca. 1933 NLA Fairfax aerial pic shows the buildings seen here in the foreground on the rhs of Phillip St still standing...

There is a wealth of information here with all those signs about the Boer War. I think it is October 1899 (at 11:55am according to the clock). It should be relatively easy to date exactly from old Herald (or Mail) headlines. The troops arrived in South Africa on 2 November 1899, presumably leaving Australia a few weeks before. War was declared on 12 October.

Wait up! One of the smaller posters (HERALD) mentions the siege of Ladysmith (started on 2/11/1899), something about Newcastle, and the Melbourne Cup - first Tuesday in November. I can't believe I bothered to look it up, but in 1899 the first Tuesday in November was the 7th. Which dates this picture as 8 (or maybe 9 or 10) November 1899, at 11.55am. Q.E.D. ! Or not?

Not yet. I think that any reference to the Melbourne Cup could also be in the lead up to the race. We may need to see a higher resolution pic of the segment of the photograph that shows the Sydney Morning Herald poster to determine if the day can be narrowed down some more. A viewing of the Sydney Morning Heralds for the period 2 Nov 1899 to 10 Nov 1899 may be reequired to confirm a date in that period for this photograph based uponthe poster information. Regardless, beachcomberaustralia you are doing a great job with your eagle eye.

@ Powerhouse Museum Collection - can you help with image enhancement for that Herald poster, and/or access to 1899 copies of the SMH please? I tried online but I don't think they go back far enough and Fairfax want $$!

Sydney Morning Herald newspapers for 1899 are available for viewing on microfilm at the State Library of New South Wales, amongst other places. I've checked the SMH for the period from Thursday November 2, 1899 to Saturday November 11, 1899. During this period, coverage of "The Transvaal War" as it was described usually began on pages ranging from page 3 to page 9. Amongst none of the sub-headlines on those days are the words "Siege of Ladysmith" used, however there are several sub-headlines during those days referring to Ladysmith. The Melbourne Cup was held on Tuesday November 7, 1899 and in the Sydney Morning Herald of the next day Wednesday November 8, 1899 on page 7 there is the headline "THE TRANSVAAL WAR" and below it the sub-headline "FIGHTING NEAR LADYSMITH" On page 10 of that same issue there is the headline 'VICTORIAN RACING CLUB SPRING MEETING - SECOND (MELBOURNE CUP) DAY - MERRIWEE WINS THE CUP" It then gives the dateline "Melbourne TUESDAY" The only other reference to the Melbourn Cup I read during the relevant period was an advertisement by the Sydney Morning Herald advising readers visiting Melbourne for Melbourne Cup that they could have the Sydney Morning Herald posted to them at any address in Victoria for 9d. The cover price of the Herald at the time was one penny. Beachcomberaustralia - you may well have been correct that this photograph was taken on Wednesday 8 November, 1899.