George Street

This collection contains a small selection of archives relating to George Street, the main street in Sydney's central business district (CBD).

The street was possibly the first street in Australia, and may have been based on Aboriginal tracks. Until 1810 it was known as the High Street. It was widened and straightened under Governor Lachlan Macquarie and renamed George Street after King George III in 1810.

The street begins in the north at The Rocks and ends in the South at Railway Square. In 1811 a new road opened to Parramatta and joined George Street. Originally called George Street West, this was renamed Broadway in 1933. See the Broadway collection. 

Precincts along George Street include: The Rocks, Wynyard, Town Hall, Chinatown and Railway Square. 

Trams ran along George Street from the 1860s, replaced by buses in the 1960s. New trams were reinstated from December 2019.

To find even more items relating to George Street try the search tool.