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three ways to the south head
the maroo track
followed the ridge from what would become whitlam square up to the first
plateau at George farm then turned to the left leaving the plateau &
following the escarpment along the eastside down to the crossing stones at
rushcutters creek.
1803 john
Harris agrees to build a new south head road suitable for horses which
turned to the right at the plateau around the upper catchment of the
rushcutters creek then to the east along what was to become albion avenue &
diagonally across the future victoria barracks to the point just west of the
paddington town hall.
1811 south
head road carriage way started by governor macquarie continuing the "new
road to south head" straight on after the crest at George farm and crossing
the creek that drained the plateau, this was the route preferred by those on
foot & connecting with the 1803 Harris built road just west of the town hall
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George farm
1794 lieutenant
governor paterson grants to palmer
the area of the
plateau, named george farm & covering 70 acres from the line of the sydney
common in the east (south dowling street) south to Foveaux street then
southwest to riley street & then northeast along the line of the ridge (just
above present day crown street) to the south head road (oxford street) &
back to the line of the sydney common
the northern portion of this land was granted
to robert taylor. after 1828 he then built the second house on oxford street
/ south head road.
the above picture demonstrates the topography of the
Paddington side of taylor square
1828 Governor Ralph Darling ordered the
subdivision of Woolloomooloo Hill into suitable 'town allotments' woolloomooloo
hill becomes Darlinghurst
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courthouse
on 1 January 1835 Mortimer Lewis was appointed Colonial
Architect He was asked by
Governor Bourke to prepare plans for the new Courthouse at Darlinghurst and
devised the politically appropriate method of construction that enabled the
Governor to get approval for sequential packages of work rather than the
large amount necessary to complete the whole project.
an understanding of the local topography can be gained
by observing the rise from the south head road (middle foreground-modern
oxford street) up to the courthouse
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1844
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1860
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trams
September 1880
the first suburban steam tram line opened branching off the elizabeth street
line & following liverpool street & the newly renamed OxfordStreet to the
crest of the hill then turning right at the victoria hotel into the botany
road (flinders street) the per way depot operated from this point there
being water tanks and extra coke for the steam engines journey to randwick
as can be seen to the left behind the victoria hotel
march 1881 a
branch line was built from this junction to ocean street following the line
of the former south head carriageway (afterward being extended to charing
cross via the tea gardens & Bronte road, being referred to as the Waverly
line. after the completion of branch lines from this point to bellevue
hill & bondi beach in 1890's the area referred to as the tea gardens took
the name given it buy the steam tram conductors
"bondi junction"
November 1881
saw the opening of the branch line along queen street to ocean street,
edgecliff from the intersection with oxford street (centennial square). |
oxford street bourke street
flinders street
forbes street
patterson lane
campbell street
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the
original design for the gaol was by Mortimer Lewis
1822
convicts started quarrying stone in barcom glen & construction of the walls
began on what was
referred to as the woolloomooloo stockade
1824
completing the perimeter wall
and remained as such, relatively unfinished due to
a shortage of funds.
1835 the original
plans are changed along the lines of the "new penitentiary" from
Philadelphia using the then radically new concept of the pan-opticon (being
in the shape of a wheel with spokes radiating from the central point) by George barney
who now took over the project, taking nearly 50 years
to complete the scheme
1840 the governors
residence completed & so enters mr Henry Keck as first governor of the new
establishment
june 7th 1841 enough
accommodation was then completed to allow the closure of the old gaol in
George street & the transfer of the convicts to the new scientific
accommodation on darlinghurst hill.
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below looking down forbes street & along the
front of the courthouse complex
above the day before the road closure & the area nearing completion
1905 the
sydney corporations (amendment) act , grants to the council, powers "to improve
localities"
1907 to improve the access to the
intersection of bourke flinders & oxford streets the victoria hotel is
demolished
& all the buildings from oxford street to taylor
street, below is the area in front of the 191 building.
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allen taylor
(b 1864 - d 1940)
lord mayor of
sydney
1905-1906,1909-1912.
![Alderman Allen Arthur Taylor [1902-12, 1915-24] Lord Mayor](http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/ArchivesLib/jpeg/005\005785.jpg)
1908 as recognition
of the work involved in lobbying the state governments to provide the
council with the power
to evict
residents
(from what it
considered sub standard, although solidly built housing)
& to forcibly resume
private property & businesses
(thus allowing the widening of Oxford
Street through the forced resumption and demolition of the entire northern side
of oxford street from the intersection of liverpool street to the city
boundary at great barcom street (barcom avenue) paddington)
the intersection of bourke street flinders street forbes street & oxford
street is named
"taylor square"
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1875 name change gazetted
the old new road to south head becomes
"OXFORD STREET"
looking toward
the city before road widening wiped out all the buildings on the right of the
picture & the victoria hotel (foreground left creating a square with five
roads converging, Oxford, Bourke, Flinders, Forbes & Campbell Streets
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