77-646: Martin Place is a pedestrian mall in the Sydney central business district , New South Wales , Australia . Martin Place has been described as the "civic heart" of Sydney. As home to the Reserve Bank of Australia , the Commonwealth Bank , Macquarie Bank , Westpac and other corporations, it is also a centre of business and finance. The Sydney GPO is also located on Martin Place. Martin Place has become
154-463: A large portion of land for an Anglican Cathedral and laid the foundation stone for the first St Mary's Catholic Cathedral in 1821. St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral , though more modest in size than Macquarie's original vision, later began construction and, after fire and setbacks, the present St Mary's Catholic Cathedral foundation stone was laid in 1868, from which rose a towering gothic-revival landmark. Religious groups were also responsible for many of
231-599: A large television screen during the 2000 Summer Olympics , or the apology to the Stolen Generation in 2008 . An amphitheatre built into the plaza near Pitt Street has hosted music and cultural events, as well as political protests. Some regular civic events now held on Martin Place include: Some events that have occurred in Martin Place include: Film Television Sydney central business district The Sydney central business district ( CBD )
308-613: A mortgage in 2021. Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart Darwin Canberra Martin Place railway station Martin Place railway station is a heritage-listed underground suburban rail and rapid transit station located on the Eastern Suburbs line , serving the Sydney central business district in New South Wales , Australia. Named after Martin Place , it
385-467: A national Australian icon in popular culture for attracting high-end film and television productions and actors to the area. Martin Place runs between George Street and Macquarie Street , and provides entrances to the Martin Place railway station below street level. Other cross streets include Pitt Street , Castlereagh Street , Elizabeth Street and Phillip Street . The initial "Martin Place"
462-643: A number of considerations, partially connected to the railway. It was not clear if the concourse of the railway station would extend beyond the eastern side of Elizabeth Street. Secondly, it was a condition of consent for the MLC Centre , then under construction, that a subway be built under Castlereagh Street to connect the building to the station. Thirdly, the lessee of the old basements of the aborted State Savings Building, Prudential Insurance Company, were reluctant to surrender their lease to Council "The architects were trying to bring all these issues together so that
539-471: A pedestrian area between 1968 and 1978. The final form of the area was determined by prolonged argument and, ultimately, compromise between the City Council, State Government and authorities and private landowners. By the late 1960s, the conversion of Martin Place into a pedestrian plaza had reached as far east as Pitt Street . In mid 1971, a new plan for the long-term development of the city, known as
616-537: A representative of the latest major railway construction undertaken in the State in the eastern suburbs railway line. The whole of the structure being underground is a development of the structures built in the city in the 1930s and represents the latest in technology at the time. Martin Place Railway Station is significant as the only underground railway station constructed in the centre of the city within
693-495: A settlement was established at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. This date later became Australia's national day, Australia Day . The colony was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788 at Sydney. Sydney Cove offered a fresh water supply and Port Jackson a safe harbour, which Phillip described as: "being without exception the finest Harbour in the World". With the expansion of European settlement large amounts of land
770-569: Is 25 Martin Place , designed by Harry Seidler . Martin Place has a large collection of buildings of various styles, from neo-classical to contemporary. Several buildings located at Martin Place have been demolished: Other features of Martin Place include: There are a number of heritage-listed buildings in Martin Place, including: George Street, Elizabeth Street, and Castlereagh Street, which cross Martin Place, are all major bus routes in Sydney's CBD . In addition, Martin Place railway station
847-630: Is Central railway station , which is located to the south of the CBD in Haymarket : it connects services for almost all of the lines in the Sydney Trains network, as well as being the terminus for NSW TrainLink country and inter-urban rail services. From Central, there is a largely-underground CBD rail loop, accessed in both directions via Central, which services five CBD stations ( Town Hall , Wynyard , Circular Quay , St James and Museum ). This
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#1732772504929924-829: Is a large concentration of cultural institutions within the CBD including: the Museum of Sydney , the State Library of New South Wales , the Customs House branch of the City of Sydney Library , the Theatre Royal , the City Recital Hall and the Japan Foundation . There are a total of 19 churches located in the Sydney city centre. Many other cultural institutions are located at the surrounds of
1001-399: Is also home to some of the city's most culturally significant buildings and structures . The Sydney CBD is an area of very densely concentrated skyscrapers and other buildings, interspersed by several parks such as Hyde Park , The Domain , Royal Botanic Garden and Wynyard Park . Geographically, its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in
1078-464: Is known as the City Circle . In addition, a separate underground line to Bondi Junction services an additional underground station, Martin Place . The Inner West Light Rail passes immediately to the south of the CBD, connecting Central to nearby suburbs of Sydney's Inner West . The CBD and South East Light Rail runs north–south through the CBD, connecting Circular Quay with Central and
1155-463: Is located east of the station. A service tunnel extends from Martin Place railway station under Sydney Hospital into The Domain . The tunnel carries air conditioning services from an underground room, which is located beneath two ventilation towers in The Domain, by the side of the road behind Sydney Hospital. As at 6 October 2015, Martin Place underground railway station is significant as
1232-488: Is located underground. Also nearby are St James railway station (near Macquarie Street end) and Wynyard railway station (near George Street end). The new Sydney Metro City & Southwest line includes a Metro station located underneath the existing train station and opened in August 2024. From its origins as a narrow laneway, Martin Place has over time become the "civic heart" of Sydney. Apart from its central location,
1309-448: Is now the centre of the city's official war commemoration ceremonies. The extensions of the street gave it new significance in the civic scheme of the city, forming a broad and open connection between George Street, the original "High Street" and commercial axis, and Macquarie Street, the ceremonial avenue and governmental axis. People still gather on the plaza today to participate in significant events, for example to watch live broadcasts on
1386-581: Is served by Sydney Trains 's T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line services, NSW TrainLink 's South Coast Line services and Sydney Metro 's North West & Bankstown Line services. It was designed by Fowell, Mansfield Jarvis and McLurcan and built from 1973 to 1979. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. Martin Place Station was opened on 23 June 1979 as part of
1463-679: Is the Sydney CBD's main north–south thoroughfare. Bridge Street took its name from the bridge running east–west that once crossed this stream. Martin Place is the financial heart of the CBD whereas Pitt Street is the retail heart of the city andincludes the Pitt Street Mall as well as the Sydney Tower . Macquarie Street is a historic precinct that houses such buildings as the State Parliament House and
1540-462: Is the historical and main commercial centre of Sydney . The CBD is Sydney's city centre , or Sydney City , and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or city centre is often referred to simply as " Town " or " the City ". The Sydney city centre extends southwards for about 3 km (2 mi) from Sydney Cove , the point of first European settlement in which the Sydney region
1617-486: Is usually considered to be an inner western suburb, not a part of the Sydney city centre or CBD. Sydney's history begins in prehistoric times with the occupation of the district by Australian Aboriginals , whose ancestors came to Sydney in the Upper Paleolithic period. Radiocarbon dating suggests that they lived in and around Sydney for at least 30,000 years. Sydney Cove from Port Jackson to Petersham
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#17327725049291694-553: The Commonwealth Bank was constructed on the corner of Moore Street and Pitt Street. In later years, other banks followed with a range of impressive buildings (see " Architecture " below). In 1921, Moore Street was renamed as part of Martin Place. Conscription rallies for World War I took place here. In 1927, a Cenotaph commemorating the WWI dead was erected. Soon after, the Sydney Municipal Council proposed to extend
1771-643: The Governor of New South Wales . The northern wing of Macquarie Street's 's Rum Hospital was requisitioned and converted to accommodate the first Parliament House in 1829, as it was the largest building available in Sydney at the time. In 1840 the Sydney City Council was established. Australia's first parliamentary elections were conducted for the New South Wales Legislative Council in 1843. Macquarie set aside
1848-482: The Supreme Court of New South Wales . The Geographical Names Board defines the area covering the central business district as the suburb named " Sydney ". The formal boundaries of the suburb "Sydney" covers most of the peninsula formed by Cockle Bay in the west and Woolloomooloo Bay in the east. It extends north to Circular Quay , Bennelong Point and Mrs Macquarie's Chair , east to Woolloomooloo Bay and
1925-711: The ANZ bank, the National Mutual building, and the CML building, were saved from destruction after the NSW Builders Labourers Federation placed green bans to enforce National Trust preservation orders. The closure of the street to traffic was partly timed to coincide with the construction of Martin Place railway station under the eastern section of the street. Martin Place was closed between Macquarie and Phillip Streets from January 1972 to facilitate
2002-719: The CBD, such as: the Sydney Opera House and the Museum of Contemporary Art to the north, the Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of New South Wales to the east, the Powerhouse Museum to the west, White Rabbit Gallery and the Haymarket branch of the City of Sydney Library to the south. The lanes and alleyways of Sydney exhibit the culture and arts of the CBD. Every January during
2079-419: The CBD. It is currently under construction, with a planned completion date of 2024. Construction on a separate rapid transit line to connect the CBD with the secondary centre of Parramatta is also expected to begin in late 2022. Sydney's cultural centre is compacted within its central business district and inner city ring, due to its nightlife, pedestrian traffic and centrality of notable attractions. There
2156-429: The City of Sydney into the "small area" called "The Rocks - Miller's Point - Dawe's Point". The postcode zone 2000 is also roughly correlative with the city centre. The City of Sydney is traditionally the governing authority for Sydney's city centre. However, the boundaries of the City of Sydney have always been larger than the city centre or CBD. For example, Pyrmont has been in the City of Sydney since 1842 but
2233-467: The ESR had been under construction on and off, with meaningful progress made from the early 1970s. The construction of the line was a contentious political issue, not only because of the extended period over which it was undertaken, but also because of the resumptions and demolitions throughout Woolloomooloo that were required to build it. The alignment and profile for the ESR was set in 1926 and construction on
2310-546: The Eastern Suburbs Railway had a different colour to identify it. Bright red was used throughout Martin Place in both glazed tiles for walls and columns and painted cement surfaces. The red was chosen to reflect the banking and finance associations of the area. The design of the ESR underground stations continued the design ideas of the city underground stations of the 1920s, with individual station colours and features. In 2010, work commenced on an upgrade to
2387-540: The Eastern Suburbs. Buses service the CBD along several dozen routes to both inner and more remote suburbs. NightRide is an after-hours bus service that operates between midnight and 5:00 am, with most services running from George Street outside the Sydney Town Hall. Sydney Ferries operate largely from Circular Quay , on the northern edge of the CBD. There are several wharves (directly beneath
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2464-499: The Human Capital category. Approximately 15% of Sydney's total workforce is employed within the CBD. In 2012, the number of workers operating in the city was 226,972. Based on industry mix and relative occupational wage levels it is estimated that economic activity (GDP) generated in the city in 2015/16 was approximately $ 118 billion. Culturally , the city centre is Sydney's focal point for nightlife and entertainment, and
2541-449: The MLC tunnel under Castlereagh Street would connect into a naturally lit shopping arcade in the basements and then join under Elizabeth Street to the railway concourse. If this was realised there would be an undercover connection from the amphitheatre on the western side of Castlereagh Street to the railway concourse". These issues took years to resolve; this section of Martin Place would be
2618-685: The MP for Bligh, even addressed a crowd in Martin Place in 1988 in a futile attempt to save the Regent Theatre from its imminent fate. At the 2021 census , the population of the Sydney CBD was recorded as 16,667. International students account for 32% of Sydney CBD residents. Australia-born individuals make up 22.3% of the CBD's population. The most common countries of birth other than Australia were Indonesia (12.9%), Thailand (12.4%), China (9.7%), India (3.5%) and South Korea (3.1%). Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.3% of
2695-629: The Railway's intention to build an entrance to the station in the corner of the Rural Bank Building because there was no room on the footpath. This entrance could be moved into the plaza, if created, a clear incentive for the Rural Bank's co-operation. The design of for the upper two blocks of Martin Place were finalised during 1975. The design of the middle block between Castlereagh and Elizabeth Streets had, meanwhile, been held up by
2772-470: The Strategic Plan, was published. The second of four principles in this plan involved the improvement of 'access and movement within the city', including pedestrian movement. Included among the 'actions', was the extension of Martin Place as a pedestrian plaza through to Macquarie Street . This extension of the closure to Macquarie Street had long been proposed and objected to by various parties, not
2849-564: The Sydney CBD, in styles of concrete and glass structures. Administratively, the Sydney CBD falls under the authority of the local government area of the City of Sydney . The New South Wales state government also has authority over some aspects of the CBD, in particular through Property NSW . In the New South Wales state parliament, the seat of " Sydney " covers the city centre together with inner western, southern and eastern suburbs. Independent Alex Greenwich has represented
2926-471: The Sydney Harbour and Lord Howe Island . Australian Labor Party member Tanya Plibersek has represented the federal seat of Sydney since the 1998 Australian federal election . The Sydney CBD is home to some of the largest Australian companies, as well as serving as an Asia-Pacific headquarters for many large international companies. The financial services industry in particular occupies much of
3003-523: The Sydney district. The name Eora simply means "here" or "from this place", and was used by Local Aboriginal people to describe to the British where they came from. After arriving to Botany Bay , Captain Arthur Phillip decided that the area was not suitable since it had poor soil, no secure anchorage and no reliable water source. Thus, the fleet moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where
3080-508: The Venetian-Italianate-style General Post Office was completed) the widened street was officially opened and named "Martin Place", in honour of New South Wales premier and Chief Justice James Martin. The General Post Office occupied the entire southern frontage of the street. Both Moore Street and Martin Place became prominent centres of business and finance in Sydney. In 1913, the headquarters of
3157-482: The available office space, with companies such as the Westpac , Commonwealth Bank , Citibank , Deutsche Bank , Macquarie Group , AMP , Insurance Australia Group , Aon , Marsh McLennan , Allianz , HSBC , Axa , ABN Amro , Royal Bank of Canada and Bloomsbury Publishing all having offices. Sydney's CBD is serviced by commuter rail , light rail , bus and ferry transport. Sydney's main commuter rail hub
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3234-411: The construction of further electric railways in the City of Sydney, serving the eastern, southern and south-eastern suburbs. This Act amended an earlier scheme proposed by John Bradfield in 1916 which had provided for an eastern suburbs line (via St James Station) and a south-eastern railway. The Act made provision for the construction of 44 miles of new suburban electric railways. Since the late 1940s
3311-478: The death of Private Ernest William Keefe. Eight people sustained injuries. Because this incident occurred in the middle of the Great War the state discouraged media coverage. Only a fifth of the rioters were court-marshalled. These riots spurred the introduction of lockout laws for pubs after 6 pm. This law was only lifted in 1955. The early 1960s onwards saw the construction of new modern high-rise skyscrapers in
3388-591: The eastern boundary of the Domain and Hyde Park, south to Goulburn Street just north of Sydney's Chinatown (Haymarket), and west to cover the Darling Harbour area on the western shore of Cockle Bay. However, it does not include the northwestern portion of the peninsula which includes the Barangaroo , The Rocks, Millers Point , Dawes Point and Walsh Bay area, which are formally separate suburbs grouped by
3465-545: The elevated Circular Quay commuter rail station), with Wharf 3 operating exclusively to Manly . Additionally, the rapid transit line connecting the northwest suburbs with Chatswood is planned to continue to the CBD when the second stage of the Sydney Metro is completed. This rapid transit line is underground in the CBD area and will link the North Shore to Bankstown via a tunnel underneath Sydney Harbour and
3542-587: The inauguration of the Eastern Suburbs Railway (ESR) line. The station had been constructed using an open-cut excavation. A line to the eastern suburbs had been part of the wider rail plan for Sydney since the late 1890s, with provisions made for the eventuality during the construction of the City Circle underground stations in the 1920s, although work never proceeded past the planning phase at this time. The City and Suburban Electric Railways (Amendment) Act, Act No. 13 of 1947, made provision for
3619-464: The introduction of green bans in the 1970s and the increasing need for office or living space. Since then, a number of prominent buildings in the CBD have been lost: Anthony Hordern & Sons on George Street, the Regent Theatre also on George Street, Commercial Travelers' Club and Hotel Australia at Martin Place all attracted the ire of Sydneysiders–Sydney Mayor Clover Moore, then
3696-487: The last fifty years. It is a good example of a Late Twentieth-Century International style structure which is highly intact with many of its original materials and finishes still in place. Its design by architects Fowell Mansfield Jarvis & Maclurcan Pty Ltd was awarded a public buildings merit award by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 1979. Martin Place railway station was listed on
3773-453: The last to be built. The Eastern Suburbs Railway line officially opened in 1979. Although originally proposed to extend southwards into Randwick, the line was only built to Bondi Junction. The shopping arcade and connection to the railway station was not made until 1982. The design by Fowell Mansfield Jarvis & Maclurcan Pty Ltd was awarded a public buildings merit award by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 1979. Each station on
3850-585: The latter consisting predominantly of apartments. It is also home to the Australia Square tower building on George Street, which was the city's tallest building until 1976. As of 2017, the tallest structure is Sydney Tower at 309 m (1,014 ft) which has dominated the city skyline since it was topped out in 1981. In 2016, height limits for buildings were lifted from 235 m (771 ft) to 310 m (1,017 ft). Heritage conservation has been an ongoing issue for Sydney's city centre since
3927-582: The least of whom were the affected property owners. The design of Martin Place Railway Station played an important role in promoting the extension of Martin Place to Macquarie Street and in determining the design of the easternmost end of the plaza. In 1967, the State Government awarded the contract for the civil and structural design of the line to the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority. The section of
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#17327725049294004-423: The line near Macquarie Street was 30 metres below ground level; the main concourse for the proposed Martin Place Station were thus below street level and extended from under Phillip Street as far as Macquarie Street. It was proposed to construct entrances, with escalator access, down to the concourse from both streets. Concurrent to the development of the station, there were proposals to provide underground access from
4081-548: The philanthropic activities in Sydney. One of these was the Sydney Female Refuge Society set up to care for prostitutes in 1848. An academy of art formed in 1870 and the present Art Gallery of New South Wales building began construction in 1896. Inspired by the works of French impressionism , artists camps formed around the foreshores of Sydney Harbour in the 1880s. The Romanesque landmark Queen Victoria Building (QVB), designed by George McRae ,
4158-410: The population. Culturally, residents in the CBD have diverse ancestries, with Chinese, Thai, English, Indonesian, and Korean being the most common. Religious affiliations are equally diverse, with the largest group reporting 'No Religion' (36.1%), followed by Buddhism (21.4%) and Catholicism (13.7%). 99.2% of dwellings were flats or apartments. 72.0% were rented and 24.2% were owned outright or with
4235-501: The presence of the General Post Office and its attached telegraph office meant that this was the location where important news first arrived in the city. As a result, in earlier decades this was a focal point for gatherings to await or celebrate significant events. The cenotaph was sited on Martin Place outside the General Post Office because this was where crowds gathered in the city at the end of World War I . Martin Place
4312-611: The railway concourse, under Elizabeth Street, to connect with a retail arcade within the Prudential Building on the southern side of Martin Place. The area beneath the roadway between Elizabeth and Castlereagh Streets consisted of basements, owned by the council, which had been constructed for an aborted State Savings Bank building. Above ground, the design of the Pitt Street-Castlereagh Street block of Martin Place took shape. Taking advantage of
4389-428: The railway concourse. This vital link was opposed for sometime and would be the last element in the overall plan to be constructed (see below). Varied uses for the plaza above were proposed. The short block between Castlereagh and Elizabeth Street was considered suitable for markets and the area between Elizabeth and Phillip Street was to be a quiet landscaped haven. The final section, between Phillip and Macquarie Streets,
4466-588: The railway was started by the NSW Department of Railways. In 1952, the project was abandoned until the mid 1960s. In 1967 the NSW Department of Railways engaged the Snowy Mountains Authority (SMA) to prepare and develop documents for the city tunnels and stations, Kings Cross tunnel and stations, and Rushcutters Bay viaduct and various other associated works. Martin Place was created in stages between 1860 and 1935 and transformed into
4543-606: The same time as the station and leading to adjacent office and retail plazas. The ceiling of the public concourse above the platforms is raked following the topography of the street above and the supporting concrete beams are painted red to match the feature ceramic wall tiling, also in red. The station consists of an island platform with two faces serving an Up and Down line. The platform is accessed via two sets of three escalators. The station and platforms are constructed of reinforced concrete finished with pre-cast white terrazzo panels, and red glazed ceramic wall tiles. A turnback siding
4620-541: The six-metre height difference between the two streets, a raised terrace, overlooking the existing plaza area of Martin Place to the west, was proposed for the Pitt Street end of the block. At the Castlereagh Street end, it was proposed to build a sunken amphitheatre for civic and public performances, from which access under Castlereagh Street would lead via a shopping arcade into the City owned basements to
4697-434: The south side of the laneway. The building was constructed in stages, and when the design changed to provide for a main façade on the longer north side (instead of facing George Street to the west), there were concomitant proposals to widen the existing laneway into a street connected to Moore Street. A fire which destroyed properties to the north of the laneway provided the impetus for the construction, and in 1892 (a year after
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#17327725049294774-510: The south. Its east–west axis runs from a chain of parkland that includes Hyde Park , The Domain , Royal Botanic Garden and Farm Cove on Sydney Harbour in the east; to Darling Harbour and the Western Distributor in the west. The CBD runs along two ridge lines below Macquarie Street and York Streets. Between these ridges is Pitt Street, running close to the course of the original Tank Stream (now tunneled). George Street
4851-485: The state seat of Sydney since the 2012 by-election , triggered by the resignation of previous independent Clover Moore , who was the Lord Mayor of Sydney , due to introduced state laws preventing dual membership of state parliament and local council. In the federal parliament, the seat of " Sydney " covers the city centre together with a larger set of inner western, southern and eastern suburbs, as well as islands in
4928-538: The station's construction. The station opened in 1979. Leo Port , the Lord Mayor of Sydney was an advocate of civic design, and was partly responsible for the pedestrianisation of Martin Place and Sydney Square. In May 1980, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh made a royal tour through Martin Place. A number of the street's older buildings were demolished in this period to make way for modernist buildings. The most prominent of these
5005-524: The station, consisting of two lifts and an accessible toilet. The upgrade was completed in April 2011. As part of the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project a further two platforms have opened in August 2024. The station complex is below ground with access via stairs from Martin Place and then banks of three escalators to the concourse level. Pedestrian access is via arcades constructed at
5082-434: The street further east towards Macquarie Street . However, the plan was delayed by concerted opposition from landowners of the buildings that would have to be demolished to make way for the extension. One of the buildings demolished to make way for the extended Martin Place was St Stephen's Presbyterian Church, on the east side of Phillip Street, which was replaced by the present church on Macquarie Street in 1935. The extension
5159-520: The summer, the city celebrates with the Sydney Festival . Australian and International theatre during the month is also featured, including Aboriginal , and Contemporary. The Sydney Film Festival is an international event organised every year in June at various venues across the CBD. The festival opened on 11 June 1954 and was held over four days, with screenings at Sydney University. Attendance
5236-597: Was at full capacity with 1,200 tickets sold at one guinea each. Sydney boasts a lively café culture, as well as a club and bar scene distributed throughout the CBD and concentrated in a couple of locations such as Darling Harbour . Although Kings Cross is not technically located within the Sydney CBD, it is accessible via William Street, which runs through Hyde Park and is part of the inner-city region. Oxford Street hosts Sydney's gay scene. The Sydney CBD contains many of Australia's tallest skyscrapers, including Governor Phillip Tower , 25 Martin Place and World Tower ,
5313-433: Was built in several phases. Until the late 19th century, only the section between Pitt Street and Castlereagh Street existed in anything resembling the present form, as a short street named Moore Street . Between Pitt Street and George Street there was only a small laneway (similar to nearby surviving laneways such as Angel Place or Hosking Place). In 1863, construction began on the present General Post Office Building on
5390-530: Was cleared for farming, which resulted in the destruction of Aboriginal food sources. This, combined with the introduction of new diseases such as smallpox , caused resentment within the Aboriginal clans against the British and resulted in violent confrontations. The oldest legislative body in Australia, the New South Wales Legislative Council , was created in Sydney in 1825 as an appointed body to advise
5467-680: Was completed in 1898 on the site of the old Sydney markets. In the midst of World War I , on Valentine's Day, riots racked the CBD, in what has come to be known as the Central Station Riots of 1916. A substantial segment of the violence was concentrated in the Central area. These riots involved five thousand military recruits who refused to comply with extraneous parade orders. During the riots, they caused significant damage to buildings. People with "foreign" names were especially targeted. The recruits clashed with soldiers, resulting in
5544-425: Was finally completed in 1935, resulting in the Martin Place stretching from George Street to Macquarie Street seen today. The increasingly important role of Martin Place as the "heart" or "town square" of Sydney (see " Events " below) led to calls for the street to be pedestrianised. This was done progressively from 1971 until 1979, when the whole street became a pedestrian mall . During this period three properties,
5621-467: Was inhabited by the Cadigal clan. The principal language groups were Darug , Guringai , and Dharawal . The modern history of the city began with the arrival of a First Fleet of British ships in 1788 and the foundation of a penal colony by Great Britain. The area surrounding Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) was home to several Aboriginal tribes. The " Eora people" are the coastal Aboriginal people of
5698-470: Was initially established. The Sydney CBD is Australia's main financial and economic centre, as well as a leading hub of economic activity for the Asia Pacific region. 40.7 % of businesses in the CBD fall within the ‘Finance and Financial Services’ or ‘Professional and Business services’ category. It is ranked overall #16 in the 2024 Oxford's Global Cities Index and amongst the top 10 cities in
5775-501: Was the Chairman of the Rural Bank, who used his high level contacts to ensure that the plaza, as first gazetted, extended only as far as Elizabeth Street, stopping short of the Rural Bank (1973). In reality, the upper two blocks were closed for a number of years to through traffic to allow railway construction, ultimately paving the way for permanent closure. The objections of the Rural Bank were finally overcome in 1974. It had always been
5852-472: Was the section between George Street and Pitt Street, officially opened 1892, and was named in honour of Sir James Martin , the three time Premier of New South Wales and Chief Justice of Supreme Court of New South Wales . Closed to traffic in stages from 1971, Martin Place is surrounded by many heritage buildings and features the 1927 World War I Sydney Cenotaph , water fountain, entertainment area, railway access and pedestrian seating. Today's Martin Place
5929-593: Was to be an important place of arrival in the city centre. A large fountain was proposed to provide a focal point for the vista towards Sydney Hospital and it was envisaged that outdoor café seating would make this area a good waiting area near the railway entrance. The Minister for Lands gave notice of the closure of Martin Place from the eastern side of Pitt Street to the western side of Macquarie Street, exclusive of cross streets, on 24 November 1972. Almost every Government Agency and owner objected, resulting in prolonged negotiations. The objector who could not be satisfied
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