New insights from an old photograph

A recent acquisition for the Caroline Simpson Library captures a rare view of the long-demolished southern range of the Hyde Park Barracks.

The Caroline Simpson Library recently acquired a panoramic photograph of the NSW Scottish Rifles Regiment. Originally named the Scottish Volunteer Rifle Corps, the regiment was formed in NSW in 1885 as a volunteer unit composed of part-time soldiers.

What makes this photograph of particular interest to us at Museums of History NSW is the setting. The Hyde Park Barracks was rarely photographed from the south in the 19th century, and there are few known images of the southern range – the perimeter wall and corner pavilions on the south side of the Barracks complex. The photograph also captures the compound of the Colonial Architect’s Office, of which there are almost no images. Both the Colonial Architect’s compound and the southern range of the Barracks were progressively demolished between 1894 and 1910 to allow for the realignment of Prince Albert Road and the construction of the Registrar General’s Building (completed in 1913).

An earlier photograph from around 1870–72, attributed to Charles Pickering, is the only image that shows a similar vantage point to our photograph. It captures the southern wall of the Colonial Architect’s compound, with the south-eastern corner pavilion of the Barracks just visible to the left of the image. Our photograph shows the same wall, but now connected to the pavilion.

A pencil annotation on the back of our photograph gives the year as ‘circa 1900’, but there are several clues that indicate the image dates from at least ten years earlier. The Scottish Rifles were formed in 1885; however, their uniform – including a modified Black Watch tartan kilt – wasn’t confirmed until 1887. This portrait of the group, probably taken after a parade in the Domain, was produced by renowned photographer Charles Bayliss, best known for his work with Beaufoy Merlin at the American and Australasian Photographic Company in the 1870s. Bayliss died in 1897, and very few images by him are known from the 1890s. The date of this photograph is most likely to be late 1880s.

In 1893 the Scottish Rifles set up their headquarters within the Colonial Architect’s compound. They remained there until 1910, when they relocated to Victoria Barracks in Paddington.

The acquisition of this photograph gives us a new view of a part of colonial Sydney long since demolished. It adds to our understanding and knowledge of one of the significant historical sites under our care, and its relationship to the Colonial Architect’s compound.

The image has been digitised and is available to view on the library catalogue.