Search our website and collections

Go direct to State Archives online indexesGo direct to State Archives catalogue

Public buildings in NSW

Architecture around NSW

This photo album (NRS-4346) of public buildings in New South Wales dates from c1880 to c1940. It was created by the Government Architect's office and includes a diverse array of important public and institutional structures such as:

  • Departmental buildings, for example the Lands Office in Sydney and Government House
  • Court houses
  • General hospitals and state hospitals
  • Post and telegraph offices
  • Police stations and barracks
  • Psychiatric hospitals
  • Mothers and babies welfare centres
  • Government shipbuilding yards, Newcastle
Browse all photos in the catalogue

Each of these types of buildings serves a crucial role in public administration, health, and safety, reflecting the Government Architect's office's broad mandate to design and oversee the construction of essential infrastructure.

Related

4335_a120_001738.jpg

Plans of public buildings

A sample of digitised building plans showing gaols, hospitals, pilot stations, post and telegraph offices, schools and tramways

Published on 

Architecture & design

Browse all
Phyllis Murphy in her East Malvern apartment, Melbourne, c1950
Wallpaper

Beyond the wallpaper: the life and work of Phyllis and John Murphy

A significant donation of more than 3,000 wallpaper samples to the Caroline Simpson Library reflects just one facet of the remarkable careers of Phyllis and John Murphy, partners in life, architecture and heritage conservation

Exterior of the engine room at The Mint at the completion of the adaptive reuse project, the wall stabilised and now protected by the new structure

The Mint project: Sydney’s adaptive reuse triumph

Sydney’s urban landscape is a testament to both the city’s rich history and examples of forward-thinking vision. Among the most compelling examples of this fusion of past and future is the revitalisation of the Mint complex

Cartoon drawing of Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright

The Wasmuth Portfolio

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Wasmuth Portfolio, is regarded as one of the most influential architectural treatises of the 20th century

View of the Australian Ballet 'The sleeping beauty (detail)' [right] and the Opera Australia 'Mariana Hong in Falstaff (detail) ' and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra 'People's choice concert (detail) [left] stairwell banners - The People's House marketing & installation photoshoot

Sydney Opera House: inspired design

Kieran Larkin, Senior 3D Designer at Museums of History NSW, talked to us about some of the highlights and challenges of designing the landmark exhibition The People’s House: Sydney Opera House at 50, on display at the Museum of Sydney until March 2024

Photo collections

Browse all
Muswellbrook Power Station Carl Street Apprentices For 1982 Annual Report

Electricity Commission

These photos record the power generation and transmission assets of the organisation and document the working conditions and social events of its employees

'Lady Hopetoun' docked at Commissioners Steps in front of the Sydney Harbour Trust building

Maritime Services Board

A sample of the 4000+ digitised glass plate negatives from the Maritime Services Board

Naval cadets from N.S.S. 'Sobraon' receiving swimming instruction

Government Printing Office Glass Negatives

From the late 19th century into the 20th century, photography played a significant role at the Government Printing Office, leading to a rich and varied collection of images depicting life in New South Wales

Onlookers stand behind barriers watching the streets being cleaned with fire hoses. Policemen stand on the road in front of the crowds

Purging pestilence – plague!

The Bubonic Plague hit Sydney in January 1900. Spreading from the waterfront, the rats carried the plague throughout the city. Within eight months 303 cases were reported and 103 people were dead

A Sundowner, Riverina District, c.1908

Lantern slides shown at the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition

Part of this collection of lantern slides was shown at the Franco-British Exhibition in London, 1908. Many of the slides are of typical country scenes such as saw mills, dairy farms, mining, and timber felling and hauling

Sydney Harbour Bridge construction. Preparing iron bark track timbers, 4 Oct 1931

Sydney Harbour Bridge

This photo series captures the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, from turning the first sod to completion, including the official opening and its initial use by the public

A beach scene at Wattamolla, Royal National Park, no date.

Royal National Park

Many of the photos in this series depict recreational activities around Audley, showcasing people boating, playing sports, bushwalking, picnicking, and taking part in ceremonies

Group of boys feeding calves at Scheyville Training Farm, c1926

Scheyville Training Farm

Scheyville was a training farm for young men selected from the Sydney area and those arriving under various British immigration schemes

Interior archway of concourse in Central Railway Station, 1906

Photos from the railways

With around 30,000 photos from various series, you can delve into a visual history of the railways, the workers, and the stunning landscapes of Sydney and New South Wales

WWI: Sydney Harbour Trust remembers

A photo series of portraits of Sydney Harbour Trust employees who died while on active military service with the AIF during World War I