View of Victoria Park from Sydney Harbour

Circa 1900

This is an interesting photo of Victoria Park and the north end of Sydney, NS, taken from Sydney Harbour. The photo is undated but was probably taken in the late 1800’s or very early 1900’s.

It’s easy to see from this perspective the large open area associated with Victoria Park which was used not only by the military but by the civilian population of Sydney as well, for recreational use such as picnics, parades, special events, etc. The group of three buildings near the centre of the photo are the old barrack buildings built by the British Army in the early to mid 1800’s. They appear to be the only military buildings at the time the photo was taken. The largest building in the photo is the old county court house and jail built in 1868 and was located at the north end of Charlotte Street just inside the perimeter of Victoria Park. The cluster of buildings on the left at water level is where the Sydney Foundry and Machine Works Limited would be built later. The smoke stacks of the steel plant are visible in the background. Note the large tree visible on the left. It appears to be the only tree in the area and shows up in many photos of the time

Photographer:  Unknown
Ref. Number:  0-1 (1-15.2)
Image Information:  Scan of photographic copy of original photo
Source:  Cape Breton Highlanders Museum, Sydney, NS