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Queen Victoria Building (QVB)
This collection contains a small selection of archives relating to the Queen Victoria Building (QVB).
The Queen Victoria Building occupies the entire city block bounded by George, York, Druitt and Market streets.
The site was first used for the George Street Markets, also known as the Central Markets. From the late 1870s, critics of the markets agitated for their demolition.
George McRae, the City Architect, prepared plans for a new building and in 1893 a 'Romanesque' version was adopted. Construction began in 1893 and was completed in 1898.
Fruit and vegetable markets were in the basement with a hydraulic lift to transport horses and drays from street level. The rest of the Queen Victoria Markets Building housed shopping. There were major external and internal alterations in 1917–18. Further alterations were carried out in the 1930s.
In 1959, the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Harry Jensen, announced the intention to demolish the Queen Victoria Building to replace it with a civic square and car park. After much debate, in 1971 the council agreed to preserve it. It was classified by the National Trust in 1974.
In 1980, the council accepted a bid by the Malaysian developer Ipoh Garden Berhad to restore the building on a 99-year profit-sharing lease. The building was reopened in 1986.
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References
CollectionSignificant BuildingsGeorge StreetMarketsMarket Street