Brickfield Hill facts for kids

An aerial view of the huge Anthony Hordern & Sons department store on Brickfield Hill in December 1936.

Brickfield Hill is a special area in the heart of Sydney, Australia. It's part of the Sydney central business district, which is like the city's main downtown area. The name "Brickfield Hill" came from a long time ago when this place was important for making bricks. Today, this historic spot is part of the suburb called Surry Hills.

A Look Back in Time

A tram on Goulburn Street, passing the famous Anthony Hordern & Sons department store in 1953.

Early Days and Brick Making

The story of Brickfield Hill goes way back to 1810. That's when Governor Macquarie gave the first piece of land here to a man named Samuel Hockley. This land was located around what is now George Street, between Liverpool and Goulburn Streets. Samuel Hockley started a butchery, which is a shop that sells meat. He lived in Brickfield Hill until he passed away in 1859. People remembered him as one of Sydney's oldest settlers.

For many years, Brickfield Hill was known for making bricks. This was very important because the growing colony of Sydney needed lots of bricks to build houses and other buildings. This is how the area got its name!

From Bricks to Big Stores

By the 1840s, the land in Brickfield Hill became much more valuable. People started building merchant stores, warehouses, and homes instead of making bricks. Even though the area grew, it was still seen as a less wealthy part of the city for a while.

Brickfield Hill was even a postal address in Sydney until 1967, when postcodes (like zip codes) were first used. It covered the area between the Sydney Town Hall and Central Station.

The Famous Anthony Hordern & Sons Store

One of the most famous buildings on Brickfield Hill was the huge department store called Anthony Hordern & Sons. Their original store had burned down in 1901. So, in 1905, they opened a brand new, very grand store called the "Palace Emporium" right here on Brickfield Hill. To build this massive store, several old houses had to be taken down, including the house where Samuel Hordern (one of the family members) was born.

The Anthony Hordern & Sons store was a very important place for shopping in Sydney for many years. After the Hordern family stopped running their retail business, the building was used by the New South Wales Institute of Technology. This was from 1967 to 1984, and the building housed their business and law faculties.

Sadly, the beautiful old building was taken down in 1985 and 1986. Today, the modern World Square development stands in its place.