National Library of Australia - Gateways

ISSN 1443-0568 | no. 70 | August 2004


PictureAustralia Welcomes City of Sydney Archives

A colour photograph of The Archaeology of Bathing Woolloomooloo Bay. Part of the set of images recording this public art work by Robyn Backen,  on the Sydney Sculpture Walk. City of Sydney Archives

The Archaeology of Bathing, Woolloomooloo Bay
Part of the set of images recording
this public art work by Robyn Backen, 
on the Sydney Sculpture Walk
NSCA CRS 904/B004
City of Sydney Archives

The City of Sydney Archives joined PictureAustralia in June, adding over 19 000 images to the service.

A colour photograph of Pyrmont Bridge, cables and pylons at sunset 1999-2000. City of Sydney Archives
Pyrmont Bridge, cables and
pylons at sunset, 1999-2000

NSCA CRS 904/A070
City of Sydney Archives

The Archives manages a collection of more than 120 000 photographs and other images of Sydney and has so far digitised about 25 000 of them.

Most of the images date from 1900 to the present. Included are photographs taken by Council agencies as part of their business activities, by the Sydney Festival, and photographs donated to the Archives by the public.The archival collections are particularly strong in documenting the built environment and public spaces of the city, the Council's own buildings and activities, and delivery of Council services.

This collection contains many diverse images depicting the transformation of Sydney from a colonial town into an international city. There are images ranging from early 20th century blockboys (junior street cleaners, also known as ‘sparrow starvers’) to the Bradfield Highway under construction, and from retaining walls at Elizabeth Bay to Royal Visits by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1992, and the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1988.

A colour photograph of Chinese cultural day at the Ultimo Community Centre, 6 February 1993. City of Sydney Archives A colour photograph of Carnivale in Chinatown, 1988. Dixon Street, Chinatown. Festival of Sydney 1987/88. City of  Sydney Archives
Chinese cultural day at the Ultimo
Community Centre 6 February 1993

NSCA CRS 904/1327
City of Sydney Archives
Carnivale in Chinatown, 1988
Dixon Street, Chinatown Festival of Sydney, 1987/88

NSCA CRS 981, Sydney Festival Slides, 1977+
City of Sydney Archives

There are 30 photographs of the excavation of the basement of Sydney Town Hall in the early 1990s, which revealed the remains of convicts and a headstone for one Elizabeth Steel. Users can trace the changes over time on Sydney’s streets, searching on ‘Macquarie Street” or ‘George Street’ for example, to see how these streets and the buildings have changed across the years.

There are images from Sydney’s Chinatown, including dragon dancing, theatre and multicultural celebrations. Other images include the bicentennial celebrations in 1988 and Sydney Festivals, including the famous Sydney ferry races on the Harbour, street performers and posters promoting the festivals.

There are also images of public art: sculptures from the Sydney Sculpture Walk and from other sites in the city, such as Martin Place and the Botanic Gardens.

To browse through these new images, log onto <http://www.pictureaustralia.org/> and have a look for yourself.
—Elise Edmonds, Manager, PictureAustralia

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