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115-566: The Macquarie Place Park , also known as the Macquarie Place Precinct , is a heritage-listed small triangular urban park located in the Sydney central business district in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales , Australia . The former town square and milestone and now memorial, public park and monument is situated on the corner of Bridge Street and Loftus Street. It

230-451: A 10-minute walk , provides multiple benefits. A park is an area of open space provided for recreational use, usually owned and maintained by a local government. Grass is typically kept short to discourage insect pests and to allow for the enjoyment of picnics and sporting activities. Trees are chosen for their beauty and to provide shade , with an increasing emphasis on reducing an urban heat island effect. Some early parks include

345-576: A Georgian town with a regular planned layout and elegant buildings, set within picturesque landscaped grounds. The Hyde Park Barracks , St James Church and the First Government House stables (now the Conservatorium) are other rare surviving remnants of Macquarie's Georgian town plan for Sydney. Macquarie Place and the Obelisk therefore provide a rare record of the transition of the early town from

460-637: A book "Gothick Taste in the Colony of NSW" noted: " ...her Gothick buildings were meant to be seen as objects in a great landscape garden, and Lord Bathurst had some justification in resenting the fact that the British Government was footing the bill for these expensive ornaments - especially when the garden was a whole colony ". During the Macquarie era the nature of Sydney changed and elegant structures often with associated courtyards or squares were built, e.g.

575-616: A century or longer, according to different accounts. The iron cannon mounted at Macquarie Place was originally manufactured between 1767 and 1786 at the Calcutts Foundry in Shropshire, England, based on its marking with the cast founder's mark of George Matthews from this foundry, and the Royal cipher of George III whose reign was from 1760 to 1820. The cannon was landed from the Sirius shortly after

690-430: A dwarf stone wall and paling in 1816, indicated that Macquarie Place was a triangular town "square" accessible only to the surrounding and sanctioned residents. The Obelisk constructed in 1817–1819 was primarily ornamental but given a more functional status, provided a decorative centre piece. The water fountain, demolished before it was completed in its first manifestation under Mrs Macquarie's instructions and replaced with

805-436: A large section of its stonework pulled down and rebuilt after its niches were originally omitted. It was "still unroofed" in 1820. Controversy surrounded its erection: Bigge questioned both the contractor and Mrs Macquarie. She sent him haughty replies. Politicians hurled charges of extravagance at Macquarie, with such sarcastic phrases as "temples round pumps". Macquarie defended it vigorously. James Broadbent and Joan Kerr in

920-561: A new site in 1990. The initial designs were by Mortimer Lewis and it was built during 1845 by under the administration of Governor Sir George Gipps . It is also known as Customs House (former) and Site of former Customs House . The site was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004; and to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. Ownership was transferred to

1035-440: A noted wheat breeder whose work had incalculable benefit to the wheat industry, as he selected strains suitable for Australian conditions. A Mayor of Sydney left his memorial with the 1869 stone gate posts facing Bridge Street marked with the words "Walter Renny, Esq., Mayor 1869". In the 1880s large Government buildings (Lands; Education; Chief Secretary 's) were built along Bridge Street. Macquarie Place had become enclosed with

1150-518: A palisade fence. The fountain appears to have been demolished in c. 1887 to make way for the statue of Thomas Sutcliffe Mort . The development of commerce and industry in Sydney is represented in Macquarie Place by an imposing bronze statue of Thomas Sutcliffe Mort, who died in 1878. He was "A pioneer of Australian resources, a founder of Australian industries, one who established our wool market" states

1265-512: A penal settlement. Governor Macquarie defended with indignation the expense and design describing it as a "little unadorned Obelisk... rendered at a trifling expense, somewhat ornamental to the Town..." which did not, in his view, "merit any censure". The erection of features like the Obelisk that were completed before British criticism became too severe are also remnant evidence of the attempts by Governor Macquarie and his wife to construct Sydney City as

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1380-536: A record term of 25 years from 1834 to 1859. Colonel Gibbes persuaded the Governor of New South Wales, Sir George Gipps, to begin construction of the Customs House in 1844 in response to Sydney's growing volume of maritime trade. The building project also doubled as an unemployment relief measure for stonemasons and laborers during an economic depression which was afflicting the colony at the time. The site at Circular Quay

1495-552: A road across the Blue Mountains in 1814–1815. Elizabeth Macquarie advised her husband on creating public spaces – she knew about landscaping country estates – her involvement in creating the setting of her family home, Airds House, in Argyle, Scotland had impressed him. She and Francis Greenway had elaborate visions for Sydney. To achieve a picturesque setting, parks were created and buildings carefully designed and arranged to enhance

1610-401: A rough penal settlement to a planned city under the direction of Governor Macquarie. The Obelisk also demonstrated the potential for success in the Colony and the abundant opportunities even for ex-convicts like Francis Greenway. Francis Greenway was convicted of forgery in 1812 and sentenced to death. This sentence was commuted to transportation to New South Wales for 14 years. In 1816 Greenway

1725-400: A structure to a design by Francis Greenway, stood at the south-west corner outside the Macquarie Place enclosure, providing a publicly-accessible water source as far removed from Government House as possible while providing a suitable ambience to the approach to First Government House from the town. Macquarie Place was the first planned town square in Sydney, as well as the geographic centre of

1840-482: A view could be obtained and could form an element in a vista to draw the eye. It is assumed this one was designed not only to enhance the entrance to Government House but also the vistas from it and the Government Domain / Governor's Pleasure Garden (to the east and south). The scale of Sydney has much changed but the obelisk was once clearly visible from the ridges above Sydney Cove, the front of Government House and

1955-583: Is a heritage-listed museum space, visitor attraction, commercial building and performance space located in the Circular Quay area at 45 Alfred Street , in the Sydney central business district , Australia. The building served as a customs house prior to Federation and then as the head office of New South Wales operations of the Government of Australia agency Department of Trade and Customs (and its successors) until 1988. The customs function relocated to

2070-610: Is also possible the source of the Macquaries' fancy may have been the pair of obelisks in the Passeio Publico overlooking the harbour in Rio de Janeiro , which they visited in August 1809. Governor Macquarie caused the sandstone Obelisk to be erected in the (then) centre of Macquarie Place in 1818 to mark the place from where all public roads were to be measured for the expansion of the colony into

2185-627: Is named in honour of Governor Lachlan Macquarie . The precinct includes The Obelisk or Macquarie Obelisk, the Sirius anchor and gun/cannon, the Statue of Thomas Sutcliffe Mort, the historic Underground Public Conveniences and the Christie Wright Memorial Fountain. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 5 March 2010. Macquarie Place was the first formally laid out public space in Sydney in 1810, functioning as

2300-417: Is possible they formed part of the first fortifications at Dawes Point or Port Phillip (now Sydney Observatory ) where the iron six-pounder cannons were placed in 1788, or later positions established by Governor Hunter and Governor King for the salvaged cannons at Bennelong Point, Garden Island, Windmill Hill, and unidentified positions described by Governor Hunter as "the most commanding eminences which cover

2415-536: Is presumed to be at or near the spot of the landing and official flagraising on the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. This event marked the foundation of the colony of New South Wales. The site has been occupied by buildings ever since. The driving force behind the construction of the later sandstone edifice on Circular Quay was Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes , the Collector of Customs for New South Wales for

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2530-462: Is the oldest surviving milestone built to mark the place from which all public roads in the Colony were to be measured, and is the second oldest known European monument in Australia. The oldest known monument is the 1811 obelisk also erected by Macquarie's Regiment at Watsons Bay to commemorate the completion of construction of the road to South Head . An obelisk could be used to mark a point from which

2645-429: The City of Sydney Council in 1994, when it became a venue for exhibitions and private functions. After being refurbished in 2003, it has also become the new home of the City of Sydney Library . The ground floor of the building houses a 4.2-by-9.5-metre (14 ft × 31 ft) scale model of Sydney's city centre viewed through a glass floor. The model was built by Modelcraft in 1998 and weighs one tonne. Images of

2760-501: The La Alameda de Hércules , in Seville , a promenaded public mall, urban garden and park built in 1574, within the historic center of Seville. The Városliget ( City Park ) in the City of Pest , what is today Budapest, Hungary , was a city property when afforestation started in the middle of the 18th century, from the 1790s with the clear aim to create a public park. Between 1799 and 1805 it

2875-563: The Norfolk Island wreckage of the First Fleet flagship, HMS Sirius , together with a cannon from the ship, were placed in the park. The Great North Walk to Newcastle southern terminus is at the obelisk in Macquarie Place. Many important institutions have had establishments at Macquarie Place. In 1817 Australia's first bank, the Bank of New South Wales opened in Macquarie Place. The State Library of New South Wales briefly had premises in

2990-517: The North Shore . The park in which it was built was divided into segments by paths leading to the sandstone obelisk. A low wall surrounded the reserve. Obelisks originated as Egyptian sacred symbols to sun God, Heliopolis. Pairs flanked temple entrances. Many were transported to Rome by emperors and erected in public squares. Adding a cross on top turned them into Christian symbols. Renaissance designers used them singly to mark particular points, such as

3105-602: The Village of Yorkville Park in Toronto , which won an award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Parks are sometimes made out of oddly shaped areas of land, much like the vacant lots that often become city neighborhood parks. Linked parks may form a greenbelt . There is a form of an urban park in the UK (officially called a "recreation ground", but commonly called a "rec" by

3220-633: The 1860s. Farrer Place dates to 1865 as, first Fountain Street (1871) (suggesting it led to the c. 1820 fountain), Raphael Street (1880) after a Councillor; Raphael Place and Raphael Triangle (1902+). In 1935 the Minister for Agriculture requested that it and the triangular plantation space fronting the building housing the Department of Agriculture (the southern part of today's Education Building) be renamed "Farrer Place". This commemorated William Farrer (1845–1906)

3335-491: The Colony from the early 1800s beyond the current extent of New South Wales. Surveyors measured and laid out the line of many roads. Distances in the County of Cumberland were measured from this Obelisk. Those distances were also recorded at the side of the road on milestones or other distance markers. Road plans prepared by surveyors show these distances as well. Public works officers and workers were responsible for forming and making

3450-749: The Empire. The statue was erected in this location in 1883. It replaced the earlier Doric Fountain of 1819–1820. Archaeological remains of the fountain may survive below ground beneath the footings of the statue. The Governor's unveiling of the statue was witnessed by hundreds of workers who had voluntarily forfeited a day's pay in order that they might be present for this final tribute to their late employer. Mort (1816–1878) emigrated to NSW in 1838, setting up as an auctioneer in 1843, becoming an innovator in wool sales. His wealth facilitated his considerable horticultural ambitions, realised at Sydney's then-finest garden, Greenoaks (now Bishopscourt ), Darling Point , which set

3565-457: The First Government House and stables, Fort Macquarie and Dawes Point Barracks . With these he envisaged landscaped gardens. Of his vision for Sydney Cove only the stables (now Conservatorium) and this obelisk remain. Convict labour cleared and levelled the site. The roughly triangular area bounded by the Government Domain to its east, the civil officers' houses to the south, the Tank Stream to

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3680-664: The London Plane trees in Macquarie Place were planted in 1954 by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh , during the first visit to Australia by a reigning monarch. These trees commemorate the royal visit, mark the beginning of the Remembrance Driveway to Canberra , and recreate the site's original function of being the starting point for main roads from Sydney. Further 19th and early 20th century public memorials of exceptional quality and design which were relocated or erected in

3795-508: The Macquarie Obelisk. The RTA "ROADLOC" distance measurement system is also measured from this point. The Obelisk was designed by Francis Greenway, one of the most celebrated architects of early NSW with strong influence from Elizabeth Macquarie, and was built by the stonemason Edward Cureton in 1818–20. It was one of the first works of the former convict, Francis Greenway, formed part of a group of civic adornments designed by Greenway, but

3910-474: The Military Barracks (demolished) and Hyde Park Barracks . Macquarie introduced building regulations though they were much ignored. Buildings like the obelisk show attempts to create a Georgian town with elegant buildings and regular layout. Macquarie resigned his post before Bigge arrived but remained in office until 1821. Macquarie Place also retains evidence of the first defences of the Colony taken from

4025-409: The Obelisk formed the main town square of Sydney and both were popular subjects for many artists in the early days of the colony, including Conrad Martens , Joseph Fowles , Thomas Watling and Major James Taylor. This parcel of land was gazetted as Macquarie Place in 1810. The western side of the reserve was available for private purchase, while the south side was occupied by Government buildings and

4140-460: The Obelisk were also constructed at this time. Urban park Depending on size, budget, and land features, which varies considerably among individual parks, common features include playgrounds , gardens , hiking, running, fitness trails or paths, bridle paths , sports fields and courts, public restrooms, boat ramps, performance venues, or BBQ and picnic facilities. Park advocates claim that having parks near urban residents, including within

4255-585: The Piazza in front of St. Peter's, Rome. Gardens such as the Villa Lante, Bagnaia and Pitti Palace, Florence also used them. These inspired many English gentlemen on the "Grand Tour", and were widely published, probably finding their way into private libraries such as those of Elizabeth Macquarie and Francis Greenway. She brought pattern books with her here. He had to sell his library to pay creditors and relied on memory, and her books. Lord Burlington erected an obelisk in

4370-461: The Society's shows and grew an array of plants, including orchids and pursuing the hybridisation of cacti. By the 1890s mature trees dominated: the obelisk was obscured. In c. 1917 a staircase on either side was built; Loftus Street was now higher. By the 1930s it was re-landscaped as an urban park flanked by warehouses and offices. Further schemes occurred in c. 1970 and c. 1980. Around 1910 changes to

4485-565: The Stables (now converted and altered for the Conservatorium of Music), St James Church, Hyde Park Barracks and the Obelisk remain of Greenway's work on implementing Macquarie's vision of the early 1800s for Sydney township. In 1819, Macquarie also commissioned Greenway to design the Doric fountain which was located at the western corner of the park in the location of the present statue of T. S. Mort. It

4600-424: The Sydney and Parramatta Domains in picturesque style, sweeping away Phillip's more utilitarian, straight lined beds and layout of paddocks. Macquarie had unofficially employed convict architect, Francis Greenway from 1814, to inspect works and copy designs from Mrs Macquarie's pattern books; appointing him Acting Government Architect and Assistant Surveyor in 1816. In that year Greenway prepared schemes including

4715-593: The UK, with around 2.6 billion visits to parks each year. Many parks are of cultural and historical interest, with 300 registered by Historic England as of national importance. Most public parks have been provided and run by local authorities over the past hundred and seventy years, but these authorities have no statutory duty to fund or maintain these public parks. In 2016 the Heritage Lottery Fund 's State of UK Public Parks reported that "92 per cent of park managers report their maintenance budgets have reduced in

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4830-515: The United States and the world, though cow grazing did not end until the 1830s. Around the country, the predecessors to urban parks in the United States were generally rural cemeteries . The cemeteries were intended as civic institutions designed for public use. Before the widespread development of public parks, the rural cemetery provided a place for the general public to enjoy outdoor recreation amidst art and sculpture previously available only for

4945-827: The United States are Central Park in New York, Lincoln Park in Chicago, Mission Bay Park in San Diego. In the early 1900s, according to Cranz, U.S. cities built neighborhood parks with swimming pools, playgrounds and civic buildings, with the intention of Americanizing the immigrant residents. In the 1950s, when money became available after World War II , new parks continued to focus on both outdoor and indoor recreation with services, such as sports leagues using their ball fields and gymnasia. These smaller parks were built in residential neighborhoods, and tried to serve all residents with programs for seniors, adults, teens and children. Green space

5060-452: The banks of the Tank Stream , the colony's first water supply, this site is very significant. In 1792 a path continuing Bridge Street and the carriageway to First Government House met in this approximate spot. This was then close to the foreshore. By then the alignment of lots forming its southern boundary was in existence. Macquarie Place is shown from 1792 as a triangular area adjoining

5175-530: The composition and create vistas. This form of landscaping was often used in English gentry country estates of the era. Landscape gardening, in contrast to architecture, was an activity where it was then acceptable for women to participate. Elizabeth was responsible for introducing it into Australia. As the Governor's wife she could and did influence the design of public and military buildings. The Macquaries transformed

5290-490: The confines of a serpentine carriageway, put in place the essential elements of his much-imitated design for Birkenhead Park in Birkenhead . The latter commenced in 1843 with the help of public finance and deployed the ideas which Paxton had pioneered at Princes Park on a more expansive scale. Frederick Law Olmsted visited Birkenhead Park in 1850 and praised its qualities. Indeed, Paxton is widely credited as having been one of

5405-613: The course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. The Sydney Customs House occupies a unique symbolic and physical position on the site of the First Fleet landing. This historical event has enormous significance to the history of Australia. Its location is a physical reminder of the importance of Circular Quay as the original maritime centre for the colony and is a significant symbol of British imperial sovereignty and colonial commercial expansion. The Customs Service

5520-449: The designed landscape as a setting for the suburban domicile (an idea pioneered by John Nash at Regent's Park in London) and re-fashioned it for the provincial town in a most original way. Nash's remodelling of St James's Park from 1827 and the sequence of processional routes he created to link The Mall with Regent's Park completely transformed the appearance of London's West End . With

5635-439: The early Colony, marked by the erection of the Obelisk at the centre of this park in 1818. Macquarie Place was the first formally laid out public space in Sydney and thus in Australia. Governor Macquarie was responsible for its formal layout, befitting its important situation at the centre of the colony. The park and the memorials standing in this park outline the development of Sydney since its foundation. Macquarie Place separated

5750-594: The early history of the building and its occupants. The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. This site has been ranked as extremely significant in its unique reflection of the commercial expansion of the colony and the nationally significant role of the Customs Service. This is especially true for the early phases of the building's evolution. [REDACTED] This Misplaced Pages article contains material from Customs House (former) , entry number 727 in

5865-449: The east by the Governor's Domain. Significant emancipist traders such as Mary Reibey and Simeon Lord bought land on the west and Lord's prominent three-storey mansion occupied the site of today's (1931) Kyle House . Macquarie Place is now the oldest town square in Australia. Together with Hyde Park , it is also the oldest urban park in Australia and has been in continuous operation as a public space for at least 195 years. The Obelisk

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5980-464: The eastern foreshore of Sydney Cove. Macquarie Place separated the town from the Domain, it was the main square at the time and would have been the site for many events. The Inner Domain at the time included Bennelong Point and Sydney Cove down to Loftus Street and south to the intersection of Bent and Macquarie Streets . Elizabeth Macquarie was influmental in the fountain's design and construction, having

6095-494: The establishment of Princes Park in 1842, Joseph Paxton did something similar for the benefit of a provincial town, albeit one of international stature by virtue of its flourishing mercantile sector. Liverpool had a burgeoning presence in global maritime trade before 1800, and during the Victorian era its wealth rivalled that of London itself. The form and layout of Paxton's ornamental grounds, structured about an informal lake within

6210-779: The form of walking, running, horse riding, mountain biking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing; or sedentary activity such as observing nature, bird watching, painting, photography, or picnicking. Limiting park or open space use to passive recreation over all or a portion of the park's area eliminates or reduces the burden of managing active recreation facilities and developed infrastructure. Many ski resorts combine active recreation facilities (ski lifts, gondolas, terrain parks, downhill runs, and lodges) with passive recreation facilities (cross-country ski trails). Many smaller neighborhood parks are receiving increased attention and valuation as significant community assets and places of refuge in heavily populated urban areas. Neighborhood groups around

6325-413: The foundation of the Colony, either in 1788 or 1796 as part of one of two groups of cannons taken from the vessel, and was used on shore for defences and signalling the arrival of vessels to the isolated community. The first group of 10 iron six-pounder cannons (plus 2 brass six-pounders and 4 twelve-pounders) were offloaded from the Sirius in 1788 to defend the new Colony. The second group of 10 cannons

6440-606: The framed core has reinforced concrete two-way slabs. Lift shafts exist on the central axis of the building. The roof is a pitched roof on king-post trusses finished with Marseilles tiles of Australian make. Extensive box-gutters run around the perimeter of the 1903 roofs. Internal walls are finished with lime plaster, repaired with cement render. Some areas have significant plaster mouldings. Ceiling types are mixed. Window joinery, doors and architraves are generally french polished or varnished. Windows are timber, of french door and vertical sliding sash types, where overlooking

6555-414: The garden of the First Government House, near the original foreshore of Circular Quay (then Sydney Cove ) and on the eastern bank of the Tank Stream (when it was an open stream into Sydney Cove). The land of Macquarie Place is represented as such in the 1792 Governor Phillip 's Survey of the settlement in New South Wales and the 1793 Sketch of Sydney by Ferdinand Brambila. The triangular shape responded to

6670-550: The gardens of Chiswick House , London ( c.  1724 ) and they became a very fashionable element, especially after one was erected, with pyramid, in Bath , by Richard (Beau) Nash (1734). Elizabeth Macquarie and Greenway may both have visited, or at least seen drawings of Bath. The obelisk's form seems to be directly influenced by Georgian examples rather than Egyptian: Greenway is reputed to have based his design on that of Nash in Bath. It

6785-420: The initial point of European invasion of the lands of Aboriginal people. The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. Because of the scarcity of documentary evidence about the early stages of construction, the surviving building fabric from these stages constitutes the principal source of additional evidence about

6900-432: The inscription on the plinth. He was one of the first in Australia to make the export of perishable food possible by refrigeration, and to provide docks for the reception of the world's shipping. Mort was also a major founder of the ship building and repair industry in Australia. His statue represents the evolution of a new Sydney – a city conscious of its dignity as the nucleus of a self-supporting and expanding colony within

7015-411: The interior on New South Wales. It was erected near the carriageway into the first Government House. "New South Wales" at the time was mapped as covering two-thirds of the continent, excluding only the territories now known as Western Australia . The distances and other Colonial centres inscribed on the Obelisk show the actual extent of the still tiny colony in 1818 despite its vast extent shown on maps at

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7130-525: The large amount of open space and natural habitat in the former pleasure grounds, they now serve as important wildlife refuges, and often provide the only opportunity for urban residents to hike or picnic in a semi-wild area. However, city managers or politicians can target these parks as sources of free land for other uses. Partly for this reason, some of these large parks have "friends of X park" advisory boards that help protect and maintain their semi-wild nature. There are around estimated 27,000 public parks in

7245-548: The main City of Sydney Library , moved here from Town Hall. The site was refurbished and reopened in June 1997 as a combined commercial, performance, tourism and museum space. The two-storey Georgian structure was designed by Mortimer Lewis and featured thirteen large and expensive windows in the facade to afford a clear view of shipping activity in Sydney Cove . Colonel Gibbes, who dwelt opposite Circular Quay on Kirribilli Point,

7360-508: The main Northern, Southern and Western Roads, undertaking major works such as the Victoria Pass works at Mount Victoria . The distance of these roads laid out by T L Mitchell and other major nineteenth century roads for the expansion of the Colony were measured from the Obelisk. With few exceptions, roads emanating from Sydney, in particular the historic "Great Roads" continue to be measured from

7475-504: The major revenue raiser for the Commonwealth Government. Extensions were timed to coincide with the change in government. More floors were added to cope with new and expanding duties brought about by the massive political change. More revisions were made between 1915 and 1917 to further accommodate these changes and pressures brought about by the war. Few major structural changes have occurred between 1917 and 1995. This reflects

7590-628: The movement of international shipping away from Circular Quay to other areas of the City and the State. From 15 June 1990 operations of the Customs Service were relocated to a new site. Ownership was then transferred from the Australian Government to the City of Sydney Council in 1994. The building underwent several rounds of refurbishment. It was refurbished in 1996-7 to become a venue for exhibitions and private functions. A further round of refurbishment

7705-475: The natural topography of the original shoreline of Sydney Cove and the Tank Stream. The triangular area was formed by the intersection of three early Colonial roads running in direct lines between three important constructions of the colonial period, including the Guard House at the entrance to First Government House at the south-eastern tip of the triangle, the bridge over the Tank Stream at the south-western tip of

7820-567: The need to provide substantial space to congregate, typically involves intensive management, maintenance, and high costs. Passive recreation, also called "low-intensity recreation" is that which emphasizes the open-space aspect of a park and allows for the preservation of natural habitat. It usually involves a low level of development, such as rustic picnic areas, benches, and trails. Passive recreation typically requires little management and can be provided at very low costs. Some open space managers provide nothing other than trails for physical activity in

7935-456: The obelisk before the Department of Lands building is literally the "hub" of NSW, the datum point from which all distances in NSW were measured from Sydney. Its inscriptions record the extent of the road network in 1818. The Obelisk operated as the "zero point" for measuring the distance of roads from Sydney from 1818. It played a central role in the subsequent surveying, mapping and planned expansion of

8050-405: The official gazettal of Macquarie Place, part of the land was leased to Shadrach Shaw. This early lease appears in plans of Sydney of 1800 and 1807 and in no other known plans before or following these years. By 1807 a triangular layout had been formalised (relating to the existing layout of plots) and a guard house had been built next to Government House 's main entrance. In 1810 Macquarie named

8165-459: The original design of the building. As trade increased, so did pressures on space within the Customs House and two new wings were constructed between 1883 and 1889. These wings provided accommodation for the Shipping Office and Maritime Board. The Customs House opened for business in 1845 and replaced cramped premises at The Rocks . It was partially dismantled and expanded to three levels under

8280-463: The original maritime centre for the colony. The Customs House contains parts of the oldest surviving building of its type in Australia, used continuously for 145 years. It is a physical record of the history of the Customs Service and its importance in the history of Australia. The Customs House embodies the work of three successive and individually distinguished government architects: Mortimer Lewis, James Barnet and Walter Liberty Vernon . Because of

8395-480: The park included an 1857 drinking fountain (relocated to this position in the 1970s) and the 1908 domed lavatory (now partly an archaeological site). In 1960, a small bronze fountain was added to the park designed by the renowned sculptor Gerald Lewers, in remembrance of an Australian sculptor, Lieutenant John Christie Wright , who was killed at age 28 during service in France in 1917. The current wall and steps surrounding

8510-399: The park included removal of an enclosing wrought iron fence and reduction in the number of fig trees from fifteen to four. During World War I the area around the obelisk was altered. The level of Loftus Street appears to have been raised at this time and a new staircase and retaining wall were built adjacent to the Obelisk. Gravel was installed between the outer fence and the Obelisk. Two of

8625-404: The park was built was purchased by Richard Vaughan Yates, an iron merchant and philanthropist, in 1841 for £50,000. The creation of Princes Park showed great foresight and introduced a number of highly influential ideas. First and foremost was the provision of open space for the benefit of townspeople and local residents within an area that was being rapidly built up. Secondly it took the concept of

8740-420: The past three years and 95 per cent expect their funding will continue to reduce". Parks can be divided into active and passive recreation areas. Active recreation is that which has an urban character and requires intensive development. It often involves cooperative or team activity, including playgrounds , ball fields, swimming pools, gymnasiums, and skateparks . Active recreation such as team sports, due to

8855-421: The perimeter of the building and the steel-framed structure in the core are fairly readily separable in the upper reaches of the building, though the edges of concrete floors do bear on the earlier masonry at the perimeter of the framed structure of the core. The panel walls contained in the 1917 frame are of brick. Floors in the perimeter building are generally suspended timber, joisted with added steel beams, while

8970-539: The place during the 1830s. Opposite the place in Bridge Street is the original Department of Lands building , which was the department responsible for surveying and mapping New South Wales. In 1883, a statue of early Australian industrialist Thomas Mort was unveiled in the park. In 1954, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh marked the beginning of the Remembrance Driveway by planting two plane trees in Macquarie Place. Originally swampy mangrove land on

9085-452: The principal influences on Olmsted and Calvert's design for New York's Central Park of 1857. Another early public park, the Peel Park, Salford , England, opened on 22 August 1846. Boston Common was purchased for public use grazing cows and as a military parade ground and dump in 1634. It first started to get recreational elements in 1728, arguably making it the first municipal park in

9200-439: The principal roads in Sydney town, envisaging a regular grid, and set aside Macquarie Place as public ground. Roads to Liverpool and Windsor were completed and toll gates built. During his term (1810–1821) a network of surveyed new towns (the five Hawkesbury towns , Liverpool, Campbelltown ) and roads pushed into the interior, well past the 64 kilometres (40 mi) possible on his arrival. Bathurst Plains were opened up with

9315-433: The public.) and some EU states that have mostly recreation grounds for kids to play within a park, but may also have a duck pond, large grassy zones not meant exclusively for sports, many trees, and several bushy places. When it occurs as a separate facility on its own, without any parkland, at a street corner or by a shop, the play facility is called a playground . Customs House, Sydney Customs House, Sydney

9430-463: The recommendations of Commissioner Bigge additional surveyors and draftsmen were appointed in an attempt to overcome the arrears of survey work in the colony. In very many instances land had been occupied without any proper survey having been carried out. T L Mitchell was the Surveyor-General from 1828 to 1855, and was also responsible in the early 1830s for road building. In that role, he laid out

9545-484: The roads, but it was the surveyors who laid them out, thus providing a direct link to the Macquarie Place Obelisk. The early surveyors of the Colony at the time of the erection of the Obelisk for this purpose included John Oxley , who was appointed by Governor Macquarie as Surveyor General in 1812, and James Meehan, who was appointed by Governor Macquarie as Deputy Surveyor General from 1812 to 1822. Much of

9660-426: The scarcity of documentary evidence about the early stages of construction, the surviving building fabric from these stages constitutes the principal source of additional evidence about the early history of the building and its occupants. Customs House, Sydney was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating

9775-477: The street. Recent conservation measures have returned the building to excellent physical condition. The archaeological potential is medium. On 22 June 2004, the building was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List . The Sydney Customs House occupies a unique symbolic and physical position on the site of the First Fleet Landing. Its location is a physical reminder of the importance of Circular Quay as

9890-445: The supervision of the then Colonial Architect, James Barnet , in 1887. Various additions were made over the next century, particularly during the period of World War I , but some significant vestiges of the original Gibbes-Lewis building remain. These demands increased again with the approach of Federation . Custom's roles of immigration control and administration of tariffs were major reasons for Federation. They became, at this time,

10005-524: The surrounding area is also the site of the first constructed defences of Sydney Cove when the First Redoubt was built near its northern end as the first fortification of Sydney from 1788 to 1791. A redoubt is a temporary, stand-alone, fully enclosed fortification, generally constructed of earth walls. The 1788 redoubt at Sydney Cove was square in shape. Two cannons taken from the Sirius in 1788 were located at this Redoubt from 1788 to 1791, however, they were

10120-405: The time of John Oxley was devoted to journeys of exploration into the interior of the colony rather than in ordinary survey work. The duties of surveying land were largely performed by James Meehan, who produced the 1807 Plan of the Town of Sydney. In addition to his surveying duties, Meehan carried out considerable journeys of exploration, a matter largely ignored by his predecessors. As a result of

10235-512: The time which considered NSW to be a gaol outpost of the British Empire, and as such did not warrant the substantial public buildings, monuments and public investment by Macquarie. This was embodied in the reaction of Commissioner Bigge to the Obelisk when he travelled from England to investigate the Colonial management and convey this British view. Bigge found even this simple monument too grand for

10350-473: The time. Mileage is given only for Bathurst, Windsor, Parramatta, Liverpool, South Head and the North Head of Botany Bay . This was nevertheless the first major expansion of Sydney town into the interior of New South Wales, compared to when Macquarie first became Governor when he described the poor state of the colony, noting that the roads only penetrated forty miles into the interior. Built between 1816 and 1818,

10465-490: The tone for villas in this fashionable Sydney resort. He employed gardeners Michael Guilfoyle, Michael Bell and George Mortimore, creating a celebrated landscape garden. President of the NSW Horticultural Society in from 1862 to 1878, he maintained enthusiasm for horticulture over 30 years, first as an exhibitor and top prize winner in the Society's shows, and later as an administrator. At Greenoaks he hosted some of

10580-572: The town from the Governor 's private domain, including the First Government House and its grounds extending into and including the present day Domain. Macquarie Place thus marked the boundary between the grounds of Government House and the surrounding residential allotments owned by the elite and leading Colonial officials of the early colony, including the Colonial Judge's residence and offices, Colonial Secretary's residence and offices, Simeon Lord , Andrew Thompson and Mary Reibey . The park containing

10695-418: The town of Sydney". It is known that after 1810 the subject cannon was stationed at the Macquarie lighthouse at South Head as a signal gun by Governor Macquarie, together with three other salvaged cannons. The cannon was moved to Macquarie Place in the 1880s. In 1905 the anchor of the Sirius was salvaged from the wreck and mounted in this location with the cannon at Macquarie Place in 1907. Macquarie Place and

10810-478: The town square. Along with Hyde Park , it is the oldest public park in Australia. Its size has been greatly reduced since colonial days. An obelisk from 1818 and designed by the New South Wales Government Architect , Francis Greenway , is located in the park and records the distance to various locations in New South Wales along the earliest roads developed in the colony. Later an anchor from

10925-601: The triangle, and the 1788 fortifications (replaced by the Dry Store in 1791) beside the Government Wharf at the northern tip of the triangle. Macquarie Place may have operated as a public place of gathering for the early settlement from as early as 1791 alongside the Dry Store, located in the approximate present-day location of Customs House . At least half of the population still depended upon this Dry Store for collecting their food rations by 1801. During this early period before

11040-454: The two brass cannons, and therefore not the existing iron cannon. Macquarie Place took on its current size during the 1830s. During the 1830s, the relocation of Government House and extension of Castlereagh Street (now Loftus Street) through the original extent of Macquarie Place reduced the park to its present size from a public square to a small park, with the Obelisk situated near the boundary of Loftus Street. The park around Macquarie Place

11155-469: The various versions of the building across its history are also displayed on the ground floor. People of the Eora tribe are said to have witnessed from the site, in 1788, the landing of the First Fleet . Convict David O'Connor was hanged on the site in 1790 and it is said that his ghost haunts the Customs House to this day, offering people rum. The first Customs house in Sydney was built in 1800. Its location

11270-620: The warship of the First Fleet . The salvaged anchor and canon of the Sirius are still mounted in Macquarie Place. The Sirius was the man-of-war flagship which escorted the First Fleet to Australia. The Sirius sailed from England with the First Fleet on 13 May 1787, arrived in Botany Bay on 20 January 1788, and anchored at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. The Sirius was wrecked on the coast of Norfolk Island in 1790. The Sirius cannon and anchor have been mounted at Macquarie Place for nearly

11385-485: The wealthy. In The Politics of Park Design: A History of Urban Parks in America, (Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1982), Professor Galen Cranz identifies four phases of park design in the U.S. In the late 19th century, city governments purchased large tracts of land on the outskirts of cities to form "pleasure grounds": semi-open, charmingly landscaped areas whose primary purpose was to allow city residents, especially

11500-488: The west and the houses of Messrs. Lord, Thompson and Reibey on its north was to be cleared of buildings and enclosures and made into an open area to be named "Macquarie Place". There was no reference to access for the inhabitants of the town and its very naming implied possession. Although it was not enunciated in 1810, Macquarie's immediate moves to replace the guard house to the west of First Government, to construct new residences for officials and to enclose Macquarie Place with

11615-495: The work of three successive and individually distinguished official architects of New South Wales. Although Walter Liberty Vernon and James Barnet greatly altered the work of Mortimer Lewis, they did so using similar external materials and proportions so as to generate an overall unity of construction. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The site has significance as

11730-484: The workers, to relax in nature. As time passed and the urban area grew around the parks, land in these parks was used for other purposes, such as zoos, golf courses and museums. These parks continue to draw visitors from around the region and are considered regional parks , because they require a higher level of management than smaller local parks. According to the Trust for Public Land , the three most visited municipal parks in

11845-524: The world are joining together to support local parks that have suffered from urban decay and government neglect. A linear park is a park that has a much greater length than width. A typical example of a linear park is a section of a former railway that has been converted into a park called a rail trail or greenway (i.e. the tracks removed, vegetation allowed to grow back). Some examples of linear parks in North America include New York's High Line and

11960-439: Was able to watch progress on the Customs House's construction from the verandah of his private residence, Wotonga House (now Admiralty House ). The building is a composite load-bearing and framed structure. The external masonry walls range from 680 to 750 millimetres (27 to 30 in) thick, with internal walls approximately 200 millimetres (7.9 in). Internal beams vary in fabric from wood to steel. The load-bearing masonry on

12075-587: Was appointed by Governor Macquarie to the position of the first Colonial Architect and became one of the most important architects of the colonial period. As the Colonial Architect from 1816, Greenway prepared elaborate schemes for Sydney Cove including a series of castellated buildings, Government House, Government House Stables, Fort Macquarie and the Dawes Point Barracks , plus landscaped gardens and an Egyptian styled monument on Garden Island . Only

12190-463: Was chosen in 1843 to house the Customs Service for the rapidly growing colony. They were responsible for all imports and exports, excise on locally manufactured goods, immigration control, control of narcotic substances and morally corrupt goods such as books and films. During the war years this included items of enemy origin, or having socialistic or communistic tendencies. Accordingly, areas for storage, administration and public business were included in

12305-520: Was completed in 1999, converting the building into the "tourism gateway" to Sydney ahead of the 2000 Summer Olympics . The building contained galleries, a museum, bars, cafes and a restaurant, as well as performance and exhibition space. The City of Sydney's planning scale model of the City was also moved here from the Town Hall offices . After the Olympics, the building was further refurbished in 2003 to house

12420-400: Was constructed of ashlar blocks of sandstone because, despite the availability of a convict labour force, the technology for excavating a single block of sandstone was not available in colonial Sydney at the time. Macquarie Place and the Obelisk provide evidence of Governor Macquarie's vision for the planning of the Colony and its future. This far exceeded the views of the British Government at

12535-525: Was of secondary importance. As urban land prices climbed, new urban parks in the 1960s and after have been mainly pocket parks . One example of a pocket park is Chess Park in Glendale, California. The American Society of Landscape Architects gave this park a General Design Award of Honor in 2006. These small parks provide greenery, a place to sit outdoors, and often a playground for children. All four types of park continue to exist in urban areas. Because of

12650-444: Was outside the fenced triangle so that the general public could have access and at the furthest point from Government House. Macquarie Place today is approximately half its original size. A path system was developed to encircle the park and these paths led to the central obelisk, as seen in 'Harper's Plan of Sydney, 1822'. The public were not allowed into the Governor's Domain, however they were permitted to promenade in front of it, along

12765-412: Was reduced between 1836 and 1843 and Loftus Street was created. This may have coincided with constructing Semi-Circular Quay, the Customs House and Alfred Street in the 1850s. Joseph Fowles in 1848 made drawings of Sydney's highlights including this obelisk and fountain. Warehouses were built facing Loftus Street. The park contains many mature trees with fig trees remnant of the street planting scheme of

12880-537: Was rented out to the Batthyány family to carry out such a project but the city had eventually taken back control and in 1813 announced a design competition to finally finish the park; works started in 1816. An early purpose-built public park, although financed privately, was Princes Park in the Liverpool suburb of Toxteth . This was laid out to the designs of Joseph Paxton from 1842 and opened in 1843. The land on which

12995-469: Was salvaged from the wreck of the Sirius in 1791–1796 under the direction of Governor Hunter when he was concerned for the security and defences of the Colony against a rebellion by Irish convicts and attack by the French or Spanish warships. Most historical records indicate that the subject cannon formed one of these 10 salvaged cannons. The location of the subject cannon before 1810 is not known, although it

13110-579: Was the only one built due to the intervention of Commissioner Bigge. Greenway is reputed to have based his design on the influential 1734 Georgian Obelisk erected by Richard (Beau) Nash in Bath, England, more so than the Egyptian prototypes. While the stone used to construct the Obelisk would have been quarried locally near Sydney Cove, the exact location of the quarry is not known. There are no other structures in Sydney that are built from this particular fine grained white sandstone. Unusually for obelisks, this needle

13225-441: Was the only revenue collector in an outpost of Empire struggling for economic survival. It later became a watchdog over ideas, people and goods coming into the country. The internal and external growth and change of the building reflect these changes in use. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. The Custom's House embodies

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