George Street 1884 at Hunter Street

Original

Today (Google)

In the 1880s, Sydney noticeably started changing from colonial backwater to established city. Wealth from agriculture, gold, and immigration had reached levels where now significant Victorian architecture was commonly replacing the rudimentary buildings that lined most of the thoroughfares. Here, the sign on the corner announces the new bank premises coming, seen below in 1961.

 

This new building lasted 80 years until it was replaced by a modernist insurance office block in 1963. And that one lasted less than 60 years until it too was replaced in 2020 by a post-modern block.

Going up in '63

Coming down in '17