Warehouses (former)

Item details


Name of item:	Warehouses (former)
Other name/s:	Shops/Warehouses
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Commercial
Category:	Other - Commercial
Location:	Lat: -33.8697005489 Long: 151.2035314370
Primary address:	139-153 Sussex Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Parish:	St Andrew
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	Sydney
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Metropolitan

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
PART LOT	101		DP	1009697
PART LOT	102		DP	1009697

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
139-153 Sussex Street	Sydney	Sydney	St Andrew	Cumberland	Primary Address
139-153 Sussex Street	Sydney	Sydney	St Andrew	Cumberland	Duplicate Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
Place Management NSW Housing and Property Group DPIE	State Government

Statement of significance:


	An elegantly proportioned terrace of early Victorian warehouses which makes an important contribution to the significance of the Sussex Street Group. A fine example of the commercial architecture of its period. The Central Warehouses (No. 139-151) together with the Corn Exchange building (No. 173-185) are some of the last remaining remnants of this warehousing and commercial area which serviced Sydney’s developing commercial and trading sector in the mid to later 19th century. They comprise a sample of mid to late 19th century warehouse and commercial buildings, that together with other remaining buildings of this era in Sussex Street comprise a homogenous group with careful attention to design, materials, and workmanship. The Central Warehouse buildings are a good example of a mid 19th century warehouse complex. Their development reflects the essential role that warehouse development has played in the development of Sydney as a commercial and trading centre. The buildings were extensively renovated as part of the Four Points hotel redevelopment in 1985.
	Date significance updated: 30 Apr 02
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the OEH copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Construction years:	1850-
Physical description:	Rendered brickwork warehouses with iron roof built during mid 1850s. Single storey to Sussex Street and three storeys at rear. Simple facade with largely original windows and shopfronts. The design and detailing matches that of 149-153 Sussex Street.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Exteriors appear sound.
	Date condition updated:30 Oct 02
Modifications and dates:	Extensively redeveloped c1985 into the Four Points Hotel.


Current use:	Four Points Hotel
Former use:	Aboriginal land, town lot, Warehouse

History

Historical notes:

The "Eora people" was the name given to the coastal Aborigines around Sydney. Central Sydney is therefore often referred to as "Eora Country". Within the City of Sydney local government area, the traditional owners are the Cadigal and Wangal bands of the Eora. There is no written record of the name of the language spoken and currently there are debates as whether the coastal peoples spoke a separate language "Eora" or whether this was actually a dialect of the Dharug language. Remnant bushland in places like Blackwattle Bay retain elements of traditional plant, bird and animal life, including fish and rock oysters (Anita Heiss, "Aboriginal People and Place", Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani).

With the invasion of the Sydney region, the Cadigal and Wangal people were decimated but there are descendants still living in Sydney today. All cities include many immigrants in their population. Aboriginal people from across the state have been attracted to suburbs such as Pyrmont, Balmain, Rozelle, Glebe and Redfern since the 1930s. Changes in government legislation in the 1960s provided freedom of movement enabling more Aboriginal people to choose to live in Sydney (Anita Heiss, "Aboriginal People and Place", Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani).

Subject Site:
The site was originally warehousing built c1850s, which serviced the coastal and shipping trades. As such they have historical associations with transport, pastoral and trade developments. They reflect the predominant use of the Sussex Street area as storage, warehousing and markets related to the adjacent wharfage in Darling Harbour.

The residents on the site during the 19th and 20th century were mainly produce and commission agents who incorporated auctioneering into their businesses. In the 1890s The Hunter River Farmers & Consumers Co-operative had its warehouse, offices and agents on the site, possibly taking advantage of the Hunter River Steamship Company's transportation and wharfage next door. Gray & Co were long-time residents on the site in the early 20th century with their warehouse and office facilities in the buildings.

The building were extensively redeveloped c1985 into the Four Points Hotel, their faade only remains.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Changing the environment-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Innkeeping-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Storing goods-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Developing local, regional and national economies-National Theme 3
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Transport-Activities associated with the moving of people and goods from one place to another, and systems for the provision of such movements	(none)-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Building settlements, towns and cities-National Theme 4

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The buildings were originally warehousing built c1855, which serviced the coastal and shipping trade. As such they have historical associations with transport, pastoral and trade developments. They reflect the predominate use of the Sussex Street area as storage, warehousing and markets related to the wharfage in Darling Harbour.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	A fine example of the commercial architecture of its period. The elegantly proportioned terrace of early Victorian warehouses which makes an important contribution to the significance of the Sussex Street Group.
Integrity/Intactness:	Exteriors appear sound
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:


	Conservation management plan and archaeological assessment recommended

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act	Record converted from HIS events Refer to standard exemptions gazetted 23 October 1998. Order Under Section 57(2) to exempt the following activities from Section 57(1): change of use; strata subdivision * maintenance of any item (building, works, relics or places) on the site, where maintenance means the continuous protective care of existing fabric. Minor repairs where minor repair means the repair of materials and includes replacement of minor components such as individual bricks, where these have been damaged beyond reasonable repair or are missing. Replacements should be of the same materials, colour, texture, form and design as the original it replaces. alterations to the interior of a building which are of a minor nature and will not adversely affect the significance of the building as an item of the environmental heritage.	Apr 6 1990
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) OF THE HERITAGE ACT 1977 Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977. I, Donald Harwin, the Special Minister of State pursuant to subsection 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales do by this Order, effective 1 December 2020: 1. revoke the order made on 11 July 2008 and published on pages 91177 to 9182 of Government Gazette Number 110 of 5 September 2008 and varied by notice published in the Government Gazette on 5 March 2015; and 2. grant the exemptions from subsection 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977 that are described in the attached Schedule. Donald Harwin Special Minister of State Signed this 9th Day of November 2020. To view the standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977 click on the link below.	Nov 13 2020

Standard exemptions for works requiring Heritage Council approval

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		00413	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - Permanent Conservation Order - former		00413	09 Aug 85	114	4133

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Management Plan			Sands Directories
Management Plan	Register of National Estate Database		Warehouses (former), Darling Harbour NSW

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5045053
File number:	S90/04401 & HC 31211

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