Victoria Barracks, Sydney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Victoria Barracks |
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| Paddington, Sydney, Australia | |
The main barracks block
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 Victoria Barracks
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| Coordinates | 33°53′09″S 151°13′23″E / 33.885905°S 151.223137°E |
| Type | Barracks |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Department of Defence |
| Controlled by |  Australian Army |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1841–1848 |
| In use | 1848–present |
| Materials | Hawkesbury sandstone |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | Headquarters Forces Command |
| Occupants | Australian Army Band, Sydney |
| Official name | Victoria Barracks Precinct, Oxford St, Paddington, NSW, Australia |
| Designated | 2 June 2004 |
| Reference no. | 105277 |
Victoria Barracks is an important base for the Australian Army in Sydney, New South Wales. It is located in the suburb of Paddington. You can find it between Oxford Street and Moore Park Road. It's also close to the Sydney Cricket Ground.
This historic site is home to the Headquarters Forces Command. It was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List in 2004. This means its buildings are very important to Australia's history. Many of the buildings show a special style called Edwardian architecture.
You can visit the Army Museum of NSW here. It is inside the old military prison, built in 1847. The museum is open on Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. On the first Sunday of each month, you can visit by appointment from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The museum is closed in December and January. You can also take tours of the Barracks on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.
The Australian Army Band Sydney also has its home at Victoria Barracks.
Contents
History of Victoria Barracks
Victoria Barracks has a long and interesting history. The main buildings were constructed a long time ago.
Building the Barracks
The main barracks building was built between 1841 and 1846. It was made from a type of stone called Hawkesbury sandstone. The workers who built it were mostly convicts. These were people sent to Australia as a form of punishment.
The first part to be finished was the Officers' Quarters in 1842. The main Barrack Block was completed in 1846. It was designed to hold 650 soldiers. A bell and clock were added to the building in 1856.
Early Occupants and Use
At first, soldiers from the British Army lived at Victoria Barracks. They left in 1870. For many years, this was the most important military training place in Australia. It stayed that way even after Australia became a federation in 1901.
The bungalow building was built in 1847. It was where the Barrack Master lived. The Garrison Hospital was built in 1845. It could care for 36 patients. In the 1930s, it was changed into a place for officers to eat and relax.
Special Features and Gates
The gate on Oxford Street is called the Queen Victoria Gate. The gate on Moore Park Road is known as the Convict Gate.
There is also a special water tunnel called Busby's Bore. It was Sydney's second water supply. Convicts built it between 1827 and 1837. You can find an access shaft to this tunnel at the museum.
A Temporary College Home
For a short time in the 1930s, Victoria Barracks was home to the Royal Military College, Duntroon. This happened because of the Great Depression. The college had to close its buildings in Canberra and move to Sydney.
Images for kids
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Original Officers' Quarters, Victoria Barracks
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The guard house on Oxford Street, Paddington
