lands

Thanks for the note, beachcomberaustralia, it's very useful!

I am amazed at how handsome and well-proportioned this corner of Sydney was at the time.

Nice bit of history here, TS (the statue) is my GGG-Grandfather. This is taken on Macquarie Place looking up to the intersection of Bridge and Gresham, as TS looks west up Bridge St (closest google street view).

The long side of the triangle that forms Macquarie Place was the land side of buildings that sat on the original waterfront facing the mouth of the Tank Stream that widened to form Sydney Cove. Yes, all that land in Pitt Street North, Alfred Street and Circular Quay is land fill. That's why BRIDGE Street had a bridge over what was initially the most northern narrow point, and therefore crossing, of the tank stream.

The Public Service Association of NSW www.psa.asn.au was established in 1899 and had an office in Bridge St. PSA members worked in the Dept of Lands building across the road and PSA members held their meetings in Aaron's Exchange Hotel on Gresham St which was a beautiful old building demolished in 1965. PSA is now celebrating 120 years and is located at 160 Clarence St. PSA has its own library on the 9th floor and every copy of the Public Service Journal from 1900 available to read.

Swimming Pool Plans For Ayr A letter from the Ayr Amateur Swimming club requesting the Council to meet delegates from the club to discuss the offer of a piece of land to Queen Street as a site for an Olympic Swimming Pool caused a lively debate at the Ayr Shire Council's monthly meeting. Cr. Hinkson (Home Hill) said that It was a matter for No. 1 Division (Ayr). He stated that he would not favour No. 2 Division contributing, but said he would not object to No. 1 Division proceeding with a scheme to build the pool. Cr. Dean (Ayr) stated: 'You have baths at Home Hill.' The chairman replied to the remark by Cr. Dean by stating that the Home Hill baths were built by volunteer labour. To this, Cr. Dean remarked that the Ayr Shire Council gave 50 pounds a year towards the Home Hill baths. Cr. Hinkson replied that Home Hill tosses back £200 a year towards the cost of the upkeep of the Ayr Baths. Cr. Woods (Home Hill) said that the Council should advise the club that they were only wasting the Council's time and their own In wanting to pay 2,000 pounds for a block of land that was only a stone's throw from the present pool. Cr. Dean stated that the present pool was only a baby. It was not big enough and was so badly cracked that someday someone would go through one of the big cracks. Cr. Dean stated that they must look to a bigger population and build a bigger pool. Cr. Woods: 'It Is a baby all right. The Council has been carrying it ever since It was born." Cr- Dean: 'And the ratepayers say they are carrying some of the councillors." Cr. Clayton suggested that they should meet delegates from the swimming club. He suggested that cheaper land might be obtainable. Cr. Clayton continued that a lot of people were using the baths, but they should endeavour to find out how many people did. In this way, they could ascertain whether an expense of at least 60,000 pounds in building an Olympic pool was warranted. The Council agreed to meet the delegates of the swimming club at the June meeting. Source: Townsville Daily Bulletin; 26 May 1954 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62514304

Trying to remember what was built there . . . ?

beachcomber australia It was the site of the first Government House. "After Government House was demolished, the site was used variously as a carter's yard, a fruit shop, a confectioner and a tobacco shop, government offices, accommodation for nurses during the Second World War and a car park. At one stage it was to become the site of the city's town hall and later was mooted as the location for a multi-storey office block." www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/first-gov... Now the site of the Historic Houses Trust's Museum of Sydney www.hht.net.au/museums/mos

pellethepoet Thanks, I meant immediately after 1899. I don't recall a photo of this corner pre or post that date. One will turn up when least expected . . .

great shot. those telegraph poles were ugly. looked like a steel tree

Nice to see that, apart from the Metropole, all readily visible buildings in shot still stand, although the trees outside the Public Instruction Office went in 1911.