Circular Quay 1883

Original Archival

Today (Google)

This is one of Charles Syer's candid snaps. No information exists about this photo, but as an historian we can draw a few clues.

George Street 1883

Original Archival

Today (Google)

South from King Street. Both buildings, on the left and nearest right corners, still exist, though gutted from the originals here.

Glebe 1873

Original Archival

Today (Google)

Cowper Street, still there. Honora took over as licensee after her husband passed, and kept it for a few years.

Bondi 1896

Original Archival

Modern Context (GSV)

O'Brien's Mausoleum, on the estate for the original family who owned Bondi. This was demolished in 1928, with reinterment at Waverley. In the background of the restored pic, the giant sand dune that covered most of the northern side of Bondi is visible. It took decades of sand mining to clear it for real estate.

Bent Street 1858

Original Archival

Today (Google)

West from Phillip Street, on the left is the garden of Campbell House (pre-Union Club), then Bligh St with Creswick Club on the corner, with the larger Australia Club beside it. Straight ahead is the back of the Surveyor-General, and up on the hill is the Observatory. Colorisation can turn up details that are missed in b&w, like here I found that Harrington Street in the Rocks has been demolished and regraded in preparation for becoming an extension of George Street to Argyle, which was never completed.

The Great Fire of Sydney 1890

Original Archival

Today (Google)

Castlereagh Street south of Hunter. The fire took out much of the block of substantial commercial buildings through to Pitt, mostly centred around Hosking Place.

Circular Quay 1842

Original Archival

Modern Street View

My realisation of an old drawing, the view is from the Tank Stream, with Fort Macquarie at centre, now the Opera House, and Government House at right. Like most of Sydney's bays, there were mud-flats at low-tide that are now filled in. The Tank Stream was covered too but still empties into the Harbour here.

George Street 1888

Original Archival

Modern Street View

The Volunteer Artillery Hotel, and Cohen's Jewellers, at #190, near Circular Quay. Taken just a couple of years before the disaster.

Princes Hwy, Tempe 1875

Original Archival

Modern Street View

It got its name because it was such a pretty area. Sadly, the following century wasn't very kind to it. Looking south here, there's a lime kiln on the shore of the Cooks River, and the causeway dam going off to the right. There had been a toll gate there, which was removed not so long before this photo.

Sydney General Post Office 1859

Original Archival

Modern Street View

Barrack St looking east to George St. The GPO was a police building converted in the 1830s, then demolished in the 1860s for the current version. Across the road on the right, the building with columns is the Savings Bank, and on the corner of George St is the original David Jones store, opened in 1838.

Darlinghurst Road 1870

Original Archival

Today (Google)

St John's church school, which was later demolished to make way for a service station. Hynde's windmill at rear, before Nimrod Street was put through, the mill demolished and its stone blocks reused to build Beare's Stairs in Caldwell Street behind it. And at the back of the mill is Craigend, the villa and huge garden of Thomas Mitchell, which are now blocks of flats from the 1920s.

Darlinghurst Road 1873

Original Archival

Today (Google)

Kirkton, a pretty large villa owned by a lawyer called Slade. It was just across the street from St Johns, in the next post below. The terrace houses behind still exist, though with new fronts. 

Wynyard 1905

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Original Archival

Today (Google)

George Street looking south to Martin Place. (Google had no more current view than that, soz.)

Darlinghurst 1859

Original Archival

Modern Context (GSV)

Liverpool Street at Darley, looking south-west, just around the corner from Kirkton in the post below. This is Mr Husband, a lawyer, and family.

Millers Point 1865

Original Archival

Modern Street View

Cuthbert's Boatyard at what is now Barangaroo. The Observatory at top left, the National School at top centre (now the National Trust), and St Phillips at top right are all still there, but that very rocky cliff side was reformed around 1900, and the waterfront made into wharfage.

Edgecliff 1900

New South Head Road, the cable tram terminus through to King Street in the city.

St Mary's Cathedral after the fire 1865

Original Archival

Today (GSV)