University Gate (1890)

 Figure 2. Courtesy of the University of Sydney Archives, 1890 [G3_224_0025]. Entrance To University From City Road. Photograph, https://www.sydney.edu.au/arms/archives/media/me_objects/4119.

Welcome to the University of Sydney Historical Walking Tour. This tour will take you on a photographic journey from the early days of the University of Sydney to the present day.

The aim of this tour is for you to be guided around your campus to significant buildings in order to explore the history and evolution of this place of learning and merge the past with the present reality of university life. You will see photos of these locations from over 100 years ago, curated from the University Archives. Not only will you get an insider’s tour of your campus, but you will also hear some interesting things along the way.

We are building a contemporary archive to continue the traditions of photographers before us and would love for you to participate in this project. At each stop, you can upload your images by clicking on the Archive button. Or you can do this at the end of the tour where you will be given a voucher for a free coffee. So, you can add those filters, pick a border, and choose the best selfie over a hot drink.

Make sure you take photos along the way. See if you can match the angle and location! As you will see, many of these locations used to be standalone buildings, but today are surrounded, or had buildings next to them that have since been demolished. You may need to walk around to match the historical photo. Take your time, take in your surroundings, and imagine what life was like in the early days of the university.

Firstly, before we commence this tour, an acknowledgment of country. We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of this land on which the University of Sydney is built, and to pay my respects to the Elders both past, present, and emerging.[1] We acknowledge the impact colonialism has had on Aboriginal Country and Aboriginal peoples and that this impact continues to be felt today.[2] Was, is, and always will be Aboriginal land.[3]

You are standing at the original city road entrance.[4] You probably noticed that in the photograph taken in 1890 (Fig. 2) that there are two houses. Today, only one house remains.[5] The missing house was the Messenger’s Lodge, which was demolished in 1940.[6] The remaining building was the Gardener’s Lodge and was the home of the university’s many groundskeepers until 1911.[7] Today it operates as a café.[8] To get to stop two, keep walking through the park and stop just before the stairs.

     [1] “Organising a Welcome to Country,” City of Sydney, last modified June 3, 2021, https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/guides/organising-welcome-to-country.

     [2] City of Sydney, “Organising a Welcome to Country.”

     [3] City of Sydney, “Organising a Welcome to Country.”

     [4] “History of Victoria Park,” City of Sydney, last modified March 27, 2013, https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/histories-local-parks-playgrounds/history-victoria-park.

     [5] City of Sydney, “History of Victoria Park.”

     [6] City of Sydney, “History of Victoria Park.”

     [7] City of Sydney, “History of Victoria Park.”

     [8] City of Sydney, “History of Victoria Park.”