Sydney Town Hall: Victorian-Era Elegance in A Modern City

Almost smack in the middle of the Central Business District, directly above Town Hall train station, Sydney Town Hall is one of the city’s most significant landmarks, and one its most magnificent examples of Victorian architecture. The Sydney Town Hall steps are a favoured meeting place for Sydneysiders, looking out, as they do, over the city’s longest and liveliest street, George Street.

Brimming with lavishly ornate detail and constructed from distinctive Sydney sandstone, Sydney Town Hall was built (on the site of an old cemetery) in two stages. The first, between 1868 and 1884, saw the completion of the vestibule, the councilor’s offices, the Council Chamber and the retiring rooms, all still in use today. The iconic clock tower was completed in 1873.

The second stage (1884-1889) included the addition of a grand hall, capable of accommodating several thousand people. The hall still contains the world’s largest entirely mechanical pipe organ. Before the opening of the Sydney Opera House, the Town Hall was Sydney's premier concert hall, and many notable performances took place there. 
Guided tours of the Town Hall can be arranged through the volunteer society, Friends of the Town Hall. Tour highlights include the vestibule, the Centennial Hall, the north and south staircases, the Council Chambers and the Lady Mayoress' Room, together with the Town Hall's extensive collection of paintings and silverware.

HelloSydney Tip: Organ recitals are still held at the Sydney Town Hall throughout the year.

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