Millers Point Conservation Area facts for kids

The Millers Point Conservation Area is a special historic place in Millers Point, Sydney, Australia. It's like a living museum that shows how a port town grew over time. The New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation owns this important area. It was officially added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, meaning it's protected for its historical value.

A Look Back: Millers Point History

First People of Millers Point

Long before Europeans arrived, the Cadigal people lived in the Millers Point area. They were part of the wider Aboriginal community. They fished, hunted, and collected shellfish from the nearby mudflats. They left behind piles of shells called middens. Early Europeans later used these shells to make lime for building. The Cadigal people called this area Coodye.

After Europeans settled in Australia, many Cadigal people got sick from new diseases like smallpox. Their population sadly decreased a lot. They also lost their land and food sources. This made it very hard for them to survive.

Early European Settlement

When the first European settlers arrived in Sydney in 1788, it was hard to explore Millers Point. The area had steep, rocky hills. The settlers first focused on building homes and finding fresh water.

The earliest buildings in Millers Point were for specific uses. In 1797, the first government windmill was built here. This is how the area got its name, as "Jack the Miller" Leighton later operated more windmills nearby.

For defense, Governor King ordered Fort Phillip to be built in 1804. This fort had great views of both land and sea. Later, in 1858, the Observatory was built on the same spot. A military hospital was also built in 1815.

How Millers Point Grew

More buildings and businesses quickly appeared. One important industry was quarrying stone for building houses. This changed the landscape a lot. Another industry was making lime from shells, which was also used for building.

Millers Point was perfect for shipping because it was right by the water. Merchants built private jetties and warehouses. By the 1830s, Millers Point became a busy village. People could get there by climbing rough steps from The Rocks. Wharf owners, workers, and craftspeople lived there.

The village became a key part of trade and shipping. Whaling and other sea businesses made the area rich in the 1830s and 1840s. Millers Point became known for its maritime industries. Rich merchants like Robert Towns and Robert Campbell built fancy homes. Some streets, like Argyle and Lower Fort Streets, were called "Quality Row."

Workers needed to live close to the wharves. Ships arrived at all hours, and goods like wool had to be loaded quickly. This meant many people moved in and out of the area. Millers Point had a lot of rental housing. This was unusual for the time, but it gave workers flexibility.

By the 1840s, Millers Point was like its own small village. It was hard to get to from the rest of Sydney. It was also a multicultural place, with sailors and merchants from all over the world. It had shops, churches, and schools. St Brigid's Church was finished in 1835. The Garrison Church was built in 1840. Many hotels, like the Lord Nelson Hotel and the Hero of Waterloo Hotel, were popular meeting spots. Many of these old hotel buildings are still there today.

To make it easier to get to Millers Point, the Argyle Cut project started in 1843. Convicts first worked on it, then the Sydney City Council finished it. They cut through the rock to create a path. Even with better access, Millers Point kept its unique feel. By the mid-1800s, it was a thriving community. The Fort Street Model School opened in 1850 in the old military hospital building. This showed that Millers Point was a successful area.

The discovery of gold in Bathurst in the 1850s brought many immigrants to New South Wales. This also boosted exports like wool. By the 1860s, larger warehouses and jetties were built. The area became focused on booming export industries. Many skilled workers and merchants moved away. Millers Point became home to a workforce of unskilled and semi-skilled laborers.

In the early 1900s, the government took over the area. It was developed as a "company town" by the port authorities. This meant housing and facilities were built for port workers.

What Millers Point Looks Like Today

Millers Point is special because it's a complete port town. It developed between the 1810s and 1930s and hasn't changed much since. You can still see deep-sea wharves, warehouses, roads, and public housing built for port workers. There are also old private homes, hotels, shops, schools, and churches.

Current Condition

The Millers Point Conservation Area is in good condition. It's a complete government port town that is remarkably well-preserved.

More Information

All the individual heritage sites in Millers Point are part of this larger conservation area. They are all very important to the state. Most of the area is owned by the New South Wales Government. Properties sold to private owners are still protected by heritage listings. The Millers Point Conservation Area is considered very important to both the state and the country.

Why Millers Point is Special

The Millers Point Conservation Area is a very important historic place. It's a well-preserved residential and maritime area. It has buildings and public spaces from the 1830s. It shows how the landscape changed in the 1800s and early 1900s. The area has changed very little since the 1930s.

Millers Point was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register because it meets several important requirements:

• It shows the history of New South Wales.

Millers Point helps us understand how urban life in Australia developed before the mid-1900s. It shows many layers of history. This includes early colonial businesses and later government planning. Its old buildings and the memories of its long-term community make this history very clear. Its public housing program was one of the first in Australia. It has almost untouched residential areas and port works built by the Sydney Harbour Trust from 1900 to 1930. Many important people are linked to Millers Point: * Early millers like John Leighton. * Colonial merchants like the Campbell family. * Later merchants who built big warehouses. * Important Sydney citizens like John Fairfax of the Sydney Morning Herald. * Property investors who built grand terrace houses. * Publicans, who ran local hotels. * The Irish community, many of whom worked on the waterfront. * Famous architects who designed buildings like the Garrison Church and the Observatory. * Engineers who worked on port structures. * Maritime figures like boat builders. * Artists who captured the area's look.

• It shows great design and technical skill.

Millers Point shows the excellent design and technical achievements from 1820 to 1930. This includes wharves, warehouses, public buildings, and landscaping. It clearly shows how a modern shipping port worked in the early 1900s. It was built for new technologies like engine-driven ships and motor trucks. The area has dramatic hillsides by the harbor. It is united by its building materials, shapes, and sizes. The Harbour Bridge and Bradfield Highway clearly define it.

• It has strong ties to a community.

Millers Point has a special connection with its community. Some people living there today are descendants of earlier residents. It has a strong community spirit. It shows what life was like in inner Sydney in the early 1900s. After 1900, it became a place for new public housing and social improvement programs. The Sydney Harbour Trust built homes and services for port workers. It is still mostly a public housing area. It also has important places for education, like Lance Kindergarten and the Fort Street schools. Churches like Holy Trinity and St. Brigid's are central to the community's religious life.

• It can teach us more about history.

The long-term residents of Millers Point have many stories. These stories help us understand the history of the area and the Sydney waterfront. The buildings and archaeological sites have not been disturbed much. This means they can provide valuable information about the past.

• It is a rare and unique place.

Millers Point is probably the rarest and most important historic urban place in Australia. It is unique because of its unity, original buildings, and strong community. The wharves and port structures in Walsh Bay are unique in Australia. The Sydney Observatory is also a very rare example of early colonial architecture.

• It shows important features of cultural places.

Millers Point has great examples of how homes and businesses developed in Australia. It shows a full range of Australian terrace houses, from the 1820s to the 1910s. Each part of the area helps explain its different stages of development.