Macquarie Street, Sydney
Macquarie Street | |
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Central section of Macquarie Street, looking south (2011) | |
Coordinates |
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General information | |
Type | Street |
Length | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
Major junctions | |
Northern end | No through road Bennelong Point, Sydney |
Southern end | Prince Albert Road St James Road Sydney CBD |
Location(s) | |
LGA(s) | City of Sydney |
Major suburbs | Sydney CBD |
Macquarie Street is a street in the central business district of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Street extends from Hyde Park at its southern end to the Sydney Opera House at its northern end. Apart from connecting these two major landmarks, the key government institutions of the state of New South Wales are all located on this street.
History
Macquarie Street is named after
Among the public buildings commissioned by Macquarie, Hyde Park Barracks and St James' Church are two examples largely preserved from that era. The two buildings face each other across Queen's Square, at the southern end of Macquarie Street.
Upon laying out the street in 1810, Governor Macquarie also carved out land from the Domain for the building of Sydney Hospital, with its frontage on Macquarie Street. Due to the reluctance of the
After Macquarie, subsequent governors and (after the establishment of
Burdekin House, built in 1842 and described as the finest private residence in Sydney, was located on Macquarie Street. Its demolition became an early rallying point for the conservation movement in Sydney. St Stephen's Presbyterian Church was built in 1934 on the site of Burdekin House, after an earlier St Stephen's in
The Garden Palace, a grand building constructed for the Sydney International Exhibition in 1879, was located on Macquarie Street, but was destroyed by fire only a few years later.[6]
The northern section of Macquarie Street was initially a path through the Governor's Domain leading to Bennelong Point. After Government House was moved further up the hill, the path was widened and became part of Macquarie Street, leading to land to the west of the street being sold off for commercial development in the 1840s-1850s. Today, this northern section of Macquarie Street runs along the eastern side of Circular Quay. To the east of this northern section is the Royal Botanic Gardens, while to the west of the street, the historic sandstone Moore Stairs, built in 1868 leads to the waterfront.[7] In the past, this area was lined by warehouses and other shipping-related facilities focusing on the wool trade, leading to this section being called the "wool stores" end. In 1868 Moore Stairs were built to provide access between these stores down to East Circular Quay.[8] At the end of the street was Bennelong Point. From 1821 this was the site of Fort Macquarie, which in 1901 was demolished to make way for the Fort Macquarie Tram Depot, which was eventually demolished in 1958 to make way for the Sydney Opera House.
The warehouses and wharf facilities near the Opera House were progressively removed in the mid-20th century and replaced by modernist office blocks. In 1998, the Bennelong Apartments, a complex of contemporary buildings nicknamed "the Toaster", replaced the modernist office blocks. The complex includes private apartments, retail outlets, restaurants, the Pullman Quay Grand Hotel and a cinema.
"Harley Street of Sydney"
Because of the proliferation of medical chambers and surgeries, and the presence of a number of medical professional institutions, Macquarie Street was widely known as the Harley Street of Sydney from the late 19th century until recent decades. The Royal Australian College of Physicians Building[9] at 145 Macquarie Street was the Georgian residence of John Fairfax until 1848. The British Medical Association's 1920s BMA House[10] at 135–137 Macquarie Street still houses medical chambers and a lecture hall.
Government and public buildings
Macquarie Street is the location of the main
Institutions of the
Macquarie Street is also the location of Sydney Hospital, the Hyde Park Barracks and St. James' Church, which were all built during Governor Macquarie's tenure. The historic Sydney Mint building, along with the entrance building to Parliament House, are preserved remnants of the original Sydney Hospital.
The
Notable past residents
- 123–125 Macquarie Street (The Astor): Dame Eadith Walker DBE; David Wilson KC; Hugh D. McIntosh; Portia Geach; S. H. Ervin; Barry Humphries; Cecil Purser; Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton; Mark Bouris
- 127 Macquarie Street: John Fairfax
- 147 Macquarie Street: Sir Herbert Maitland
- William Scott Fell
Cross streets and transportation
The southern end of Macquarie Street terminates at the northern edge of
Architectural gallery
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No. 193: Hengrove Hall (office building, mainly barristers' chambers and surgeries, completed 1928): façade detail
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No. 121:Chief Secretary's building(completed 1881)
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No. 135–137: British Medical Association building (completed 1930): façade detail
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Sydney Mint building (completed 1816)
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No. 117–119: oldTreasury building(now part of InterContinental Hotel, completed 1899)
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Near Martin Place: Sydney Hospital (side wing) (rebuilt 1894)
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Queens Square / Macquarie Street: Hyde Park Barracks (completed 1819)
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State Library of New South Wales (completed 1910)
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No. 133: History House, a surviving residential building used by the Royal Australian Historical Society (completed c.1872)
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Near Bridge Street: Sydney Conservatorium of Music (built as Government House stables, completed 1815)
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The houses on Macquarie Street, between Bent Street and Phillip Lane, Sydney 1910–1920
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The houses at 133–139 Macquarie Street, Sydney ca. 1925–1930
See also
References
- ^ Munro, C. (15 September 2007). "Forever elegant on the street Lachlan built". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ "Macquarie Street". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^ "Rum Hospital 1811 - 1854". The Mint. Historic Houses Trust. Archived from the original on 27 April 2006. Retrieved 17 August 2006.
- ^ Dictionary of Sydney. "Macquarie Street". Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^ Mark Dunn (2008). "St Stephen's Presbyterian church Macquarie Street". Dictionary of Sydney. Dictionary of Sydney Trust. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Garden Palace". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^ Moore Stairs
- ^ Preston, Jennifer (2018). "Moore Stairs". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Royal Australian College of Physicians Building (Place ID 1832)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government.
- ^ "BMA House (Place ID 1831)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government.