Young Street Terraces

Young Street Terraces
The terrace houses pictured in 2019
Location	36-42 Young Street, Sydney central business district, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	33°51′49″S151°12′40″E / 33.8636°S 151.2112°E / -33.8636; 151.2112
Built	1874–1875
Architect	Joseph Paul Walker (attrib.)
Architectural style(s)	Victorian Filigree
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name	Young Street Terraces; Sydney Hospital Nurses Annex; Nurses quarters; Government Offices
Type	State heritage (built)
Designated	2 April 1999
Reference no.	974
Type	Terrace
Category	Government and Administration
Builders	Joseph Paul Walker
Location of Young Street Terraces in Sydney Show map of Sydney Young Street Terraces (Australia) Show map of Australia

The Young Street Terraces are heritage-listed former government offices and nurses' quarters, and now offices, at 36-42 Young Street, in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. Its design and construction was attributed to Joseph Paul Walker and built from 1874 to 1875. It is also known as the Sydney Hospital Nurses Annex; Nurses quarters; or Government Offices. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. ^[1]

History

The land occupied by Young Street Terraces was originally part of the grounds of First Government House. In 1851, the land was granted to Municipal Council of Sydney which subsequently subdivided it for sale. Lots 1 and 2 were sold to O. J. Caraher in 1866, then on to W. Andrews in 1874, and to builder J. W. Walker later that year. Walker built the terrace houses c. 1874-5 and leased them as offices to the Mining Board (Nos. 36, 38 and 40) and the Department of Lands (No. 42). Between 1876–1881, the Department of Mines opened a mining museum in two rooms on the ground floor of No. 38. In 1881, Walker sold the property to J. Robertson. In 1884 the government used the property for Public Works Department offices. Various government departments continued to occupy the terraces until 1936. Between 1937–1982 the terraces provided temporary accommodation for nurses from Sydney Hospital, with the offices converted into living quarters. The rear of the site was converted into a car park in 1961. In 1982, the Sydney Hospital relinquished the building which remained unoccupied after the completion of the Museum of Sydney and associated conservation work on the terraces. In late 1997, the building was refurbished by the Department of Public Works and Services to provide office accommodation for the Sydney Festival and the NSW Historic Houses Trust. The property title was transferred to the Minister for the Arts in 1998. ^{[2] [1]}

Description

The Young Street Terraces are in the northern part of Sydney's central business district (CBD). The terraces are in the Victorian filigree architectural style. The building consists of four units, each of three storeys and a basement, interconnected on all floors. The building is generally constructed of rendered brick with timber floors, while the basements are of sandstone and soft brick with concrete floors. The roof is clad in colourbond corrugated steel. The verandah and balcony balustrades are of cast iron. Internally, the major walls are either of rendered masonry or plaster and lath on stud. The interior detail is largely intact in terms of skirting, architraves, doors, windows and their furniture, staircases and skirtings, architraves, doors, windows and their furniture, staircases and fireplaces, and the timber surrounds with fluted pilasters on the first floor. Some of the original doors have been reused elsewhere in the building. ^{[2] [1]}

Modifications and dates

Some of the unsympathetic additions to the original building e.g., at the rear of the building some bath and kitchen facilities have since been removed. The building has been refurbished and the services upgraded to provide modern office amenities and services to the occupants. ^{[2] [1]}

Heritage listing

As at 8 February 2001, Young Street Terraces are the only buildings that still remain in situ, demonstrating the latter post-Government House phase of development on the First Government House site. They were part of the early development of this area which became the leading government administrative precinct later in the 19th century. Their relative simplicity contrasts with the more opulent public administrative buildings built at the end of the 19th century showing the change in attitude to public buildings. Together with the Phillip Street Terraces, they represent an essentially residential form of building which is now rare in the Sydney CBD. The various adaptations made to the building have been minor and the intention of the residences is still obvious. ^{[2] [1]} Young Street Terraces was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. ^[1]

See also

• Architecture portal

• Australian residential architectural styles

References

1. "Young Street Terraces". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H00974. Retrieved 13 October 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence .
2. NSW Ministry for the Arts, Heritage and Conservation Register, DPWS, 1998

Bibliography

• Heritage Group, Dept of Public Works and Services (1998). NSW Ministry for the Arts Heritage and Conservation Register.

Attribution

This Wikipedia article was originally based on Young Street Terraces , entry number 974 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence , accessed on 13 October 2018.

External links

Media related to Young Street Terraces at Wikimedia Commons