Sydney Customs House: Historic Guardian of Sydney's Harbour Gateway
The historic Sydney Customs House is smack in the middle of Circular Quay, directly opposite the ferry terminal. Initially built between 1844-1845, the building served as the headquarters of the Customs Service right up until 1990, when it was finally shifted to Sydney International Airport. Throughout the 19th century and much of the 20th century, when ships were the primary means of global trade and transport, Sydney Customs House played an important role as the principal trade gateway for goods and people flowing into Sydney and Australia.
Today Customs House still stands proudly and is used as a venue for arts and cultural exhibitions and private functions. The top floor of Customs House is also home to one of Sydney’s most distinguished fine dining restaurants, Café Sydney.
Customs House is one of the most impressive buildings on the waterfront, designed by Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis in an elegantly restrained Georgian style. It was later expanded from two stories to three in 1844, and by 1903 two new floors were added to cope with Sydney Harbour’s growing significance as a global trading port. In 1999 the entire building underwent a massive restoration project by the City of Sydney Council in preparation for the Sydney Olympic Games.
The ground floor is an open meeting place, a sort of free urban lounge with comfy seating, free Wi-Fi, a TV wall screening international news channels, and a laidback harbourfront bar and café. Be sure to check out the amazing 1:5000 scale model of Sydney CBD, imbedded beneath a glass floor that lets you literally walk on the roof of the city.
The upper levels house an exhibition room, private function spaces and perhaps Sydney’s most stunningly located reading room and library, set over three levels with sweeping views of the harbour and city skyline.
Sydney Customs House is located on a significant site where the local Eora people are said to have watched the ships of First Fleet land. The Aboriginal flag is now permanently flown from the building.
Posted on Feb 16, 2011 by Fiona Davies
