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| Customs House, Sydney, NSW, is located in the heart of Circular Quay, within
easy access of The Rocks, Sydney Harbour and The Sydney Opera House. |
Customs House, Sydney, is located in the heart of Circular Quay, within easy access of The Rocks, Sydney Harbour and The Sydney Opera House.
Customs House was the entry point for newly arrived goods,
people and ideas flowing into
Sydney.
Today, Customs House, Sydney, is a heritage-listed museum space, visitor attraction, commercial building and performance space. There are
galleries, a museum, bars and cafes.
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Custom House, George-street, Sydney, 1827-1830,
This building was subsequently used as the Post Office, hence the mail couch in the picture, which is
reproduced from an engraving made in 1S33. Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938), Wednesday 19 September 1917
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Designed by
colonial architect Mortimer Lewis, the current Customs House, was built in 1845.
The formation of Circular Quay
was reported in the "Herald" on
September 28, 1840. The construc-
tion was done by convicts, many of
whom laboured in chains. (1,)
From the 1860s, Customs House was surrounded by wool stores, warehouses, inns and the bustling
activities of a busy port.
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| The 'Star of Peace' moored at East Circular Quay, Sydney, NSW, in the 1860s, SLSA |
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| Customs House, Circular Quay, NSW, 1870, SLNSW |
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| Customs House set back off Alfred St...Circular Quay, Sydney...1875-1878 (State Library NSW) |
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| Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Friday 25 May 1894 |
Customs House was enlarged by James Barnet from 1883–1889: A
grander portico entrance, and an extra floor, a clock and two wings along the sides, were added.
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| This horsebus was captured outside Customs House at Circular Quay, Sydney, NSW, in 1900.National Archives of Australia |
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SHIP INN, CIRCULAR QUAY, ABOUT TO BE PULLED DOWN.Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Saturday 21 September 1901 (the original
Ship Inn, which was built about 1860 on reclaimed ground, of which it is said the old ship '' Governor Bligh" formed the foundation) |
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| Circular Quay and Customs House, Sydney, NSW, 1902, Powerhouse |
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| YOUNG-STREET, CUSTOM HOUSECORNER, TERMINUS OP THE NEW TEAM CIRCLE., Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 13 May 1903 |
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| Customs House, Circular Quay, Dated: c.1903, Museums NSW |
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| CIRCULAR QUAY, LOOKING NORTH-WEST FROM THE CUSTOMS HOUSE. Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 13 May 1903 |
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| Panorama of Circular Quay, Sydney, NSW, from a ship's mast, 1903, by Melvin Vaniman, SLNSW |
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| Men looking at vehicles including tram cars and a 1913 Caldwell Vale motorised tractor displayed in Sydney, N.S.W. during 'Manufacturers Day'. According to a researcher, this was probably in preparation for a parade in front of the Customs House and looking towards East Circular Quay. The building at the right is probably the Goldsborough Mort warehouse, which is the site of today's AMP building. |
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| Building : the magazine for the architect, builder, property owner and merchant.Vol. 22, No. 133 (12 Sept., 1918) |
The historic Circular Quay
is not the least of Sydney’s beauty spots,
and all credit is due to the Harbor Trust
in their past efforts to make the structures
on the Quay of utility, artistic as well as
purposeful. In the centre of the picture
there long has stood the dignified and
handsome Customs House, which, in re-
spect to its architecture, stood out in bold
prominence, beautiful to the eye and sub-
stantial as befitted its public purpose.
With such a basis to work on it is incom-
prehensible how any architect could have
produced such an abhorrent, unsightly
excresence as that lately attached to the
Customs House. Building : the magazine for the architect, builder, property owner and merchant.Vol. 22, No. 133 (12 Sept., 1918)
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| CIRCULAR QUAY, SYDNEY, TAKEN From THE AIR. Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 9 September 1922 |
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| Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), Monday 9 November 1931 (During the Great Depression) |
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| 'TOASTRACK' TRAM IN FRONT OF CUSTOMS HOUSE, CIRCULAR QUAY, SYDNEY< NSW, 1941, RAHS |
Using a giant hammer in much the same way as a pile-driver,
workmen are now busy demolishing the air raid shelters outside
the Customs House at Circular Quay.The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Thu 27 Jun 1946
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| Circular Quay, NSW, Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), Wednesday 4 December 1957 |
Around Custom House |
| Customs House, Sydney, NSW |
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| Customs House, Sydney, NSW |
Places To GoCity of Sydney Customs House
31 Alfred Street
Sydney
CONTACTS
9242 8551
General admission is free.
Customs House
History walks
