General Post Office No. 1 Martin Place - Sydney, NSW, Australia. - Australian Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The General Post Office is a landmark building in Sydney, Australia. It is located at the western end of Martin Place (No. 1 Martin Place), between George and Pitt Streets. The main facade stretches some 100 metres down Martin Place. In 1996, as part of the disbursement of Australia Post assets by the Federal Government of Australia, the building was sold to private owners. It was subsequently refurbished and now houses shops, restaurants, the Westin hotel, and the lobby of two adjoining tower blocks. Australia Post maintains a presence in the form of a "Post Shop" at the corner of Martin Place and George Street.

The inscription reads:

"The appearance of this substantial Italian Palazzo style public building was inspired by the colonnaded structures of Renaissance Italy. Designed by NSW Colonial Architect James Barnet in 1865, the first stage of the General Post Office, on George Street, was constructed between 1866 - 1874. Although is was clearly the most impressive structure in Sydney at its opening in 1874, the building attracted early criticism due to the cost of construction and the relatively small internal spaces.
An extension to the GPO, running east to Pitt Street including the clock tower, was completed in 1887. At the turn of the century an additional floor was added to the building.
The first stage of the building was constructed from stone quarried locally at Pyrmont, It was built on a massive base of grey granite from Moruya on the south coast of NSW. The same material, highly polished was also used in the pillars that form the external colonnade.
Today this massive and elaborate structure stands as a monument to the confidence of colonial New South Wales in the late nineteenth century."

Source: Wikipedia (visit link)

Age/Event Date: 1865; 1866-1874; 1887 Type of Historic Marker: If other (please specify) Type of Historic Marker if other: Plaque and building Related Website: [Web Link] Historic Resources.: Not listed

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