Title

North view of Sydney, New South Wales.

Author

Author not identified

Source

[Not applicable]

Publication date

1825

Type

About the work

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

North view of Sydney, New South Wales.

THIS Town, which is the seat of Government, was begun to be built during the governorship of Captain PHILLIPS, who was appointed to the situation of Governor of the Colony of New South Wales, and its Dependencies, in the year 1788. SYDNEY is situated about eight miles (by water) from the main Ocean, and is approached by a very fine River, or Gulf, which, in some places, is two miles wide, and, is of sufficient depth to sustain vessels of the largest size. The Town is built upon the extremity of a Cove, or Harbour, which is considered to be one of the safest in the world, being completely sheltered from winds, and so deep that ships of the greatest burthen anchor close up to the King's Wharf. There are now numerous habitations of various descriptions, some excellently built with stone, two stories in height, and many very good brick-built houses. The public Buildings were all erected during the governorship of Major-General MACQUARRIE, by whose active zeal and sound judgment the whole Colony, and Sydney in particular, was improved with a rapidity truly surprising. Among other erections which arose under his vigilant superintendance, must be particularly noticed the King's Stores, Commissariat Offices and Stores, the Guard-house, two Courts of Justice, the General Hospital, the Military Hospital, the Military Barracks, the Governor's Stables, the new Fort at the mouth of the Harbour, Dawes' Battery, New Church, Prisoners' Barracks, Dragoons' Stable and Barracks, the Market-house, Judges' Houses, Secretary's Offices and Dwelling, Offices and House of the principal Magistrate of Police, Governor's Guard-house, and General Guard-house. All these various Buildings are planned with great ability, and are exceedingly appropriate to their several purposes and uses. Many of these are very handsome large stone Buildings; others are of brick, but they are all very commodious.

The Country immediately adjoining Sydney is extremely barren, owing to its rocky or sandy soil; but, notwithstanding its sterility, it is not entirely destitute of natural beauty. Eastward of the Town, and very near it, is an excellent Promenade, more than three miles and a half in circumference, called the Governor's Domain. It was laid out and planted under the direction of Mrs. MACQUARIE, the Lady of Governor Macquarie, whose fine taste has been wonderfully displayed, and very generalLy admired, in the various parts of the Colony, but more particularly at the Government House and Gardens at Paramatta, where the present Governor, Sir THOMAS BRISBANE, chiefly resides. In the Domain the walks are excellently made, well gravelLed, and fenced with posts and rails. The River forms a most delightful object from this spot, and is seen to very great advantage from several particular parts of the ground, looking down towards South-Head.

The principal street in the town of Sydney is called George-street; it is about a mile and a half long, very wide, well gravelled, and constantly kept in good repair. There are also several other very good streets, including Pitt-street, Castlereagh-street, Hunter-street, Macquarie-street, &c. &c.

At the southern extremity of the Town is a very pleasant and spacious piece of land, called Hyde Park, appropriated to the military as an exercising-ground, but which, once a-year, is turned into a race-course, where many well-contested races and matches have taken places which would not have disgraced Newmarket. There is a most excellent gravelled road from Sydney to South-Head, a distance of about eight miles, which is one of the most pleasant walks or rides in the country. The road itself runs through a completely sterile part of the Colony, having been originally a portion of the Wild Bush, never abounding with wood, and the little that ever grew there having been cut down for the purpose of supplying Sydney with fuel. The road-side, however, is adorned with the richest profusion of the most beautiful flowers and shrubs. On the left-hand side of the road, looking direct south, BOTANY BAY appears to the greatest advantage. Further up the coast, the heads of Fort Hacking, &c. are visible in the distance; and rather more to the right (south-west) the Crow Pastures, celebrated as the resort of the wild Cattle.

Looking over the Town of Sydney to the west, in the extreme distance are seen, on a clear day, the long range of mountains called the Blue Mountains; and, looking over the River to the right, the high, barren, and rocky hilts of the north shore appear, covered in some parts with the different species of the Eucalyptus, Casurina, Mimosa, &c. &c. Near the road-side, in every direction, are scattered immense quantities of the Epacris of various species, and the Lambertia, Boronea, Banksia, Gravelia, &c. &c.; with a vast number of other flowering Shrubs, besides an endless variety of small Plants, of extremely brilliant colours, producing altogether the most pleasing effect to the eye of the passing traveller.

Accompanying text, 1825.