Item Type: Series

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Organisation

Royal Commission for the Improvement of the City of Sydney and its Suburbs, 1908-1909

Creating agencies

City Surveyor's Department

Related activities

Map

Maps in this series (39)

Photograph

Photos in this series (16)

Item

Items in this series

Plan

Plans in this Series

Box

Boxes in this Series

No Copyright

This item is no longer under copyright in Australia and is in the public domain. It may be used freely. When using or sharing this item attribution should be given to the City of Sydney Archives.

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Royal Commission for the Improvement of the City of Sydney and its Suburbs, 1908-1909

Description

Unique IDAS-0534Start dateBetween 1st January 1908 and 1st January 1909Start date qualifiercircaEnd dateBetween 14th May 1908 and 25th June 1909FormatMapShort descriptionThis series consists of the report of the Royal Commission for the Improvement of the City of Sydney and its suburbs, 1908-1909 and sketches, plans and maps drawn by GD McDuff of proposed and recommended schemes.DescriptionThis series consists of the report of the Royal Commission for the Improvement of the City of Sydney and its suburbs, 1908-1909 and items drawn by GD McDuff, an Engineer and Lithographic Draftsman, which were photolithographed by the Government Printer. The items consist of sketches and maps (called plans) of proposed and recommended schemes submitted to the Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement. The schemes include treatment of Sydney City, Belmore Park, Circular Quay, railways and tunnels. The series was compiled by City Surveyors Department (AG-0087). Some content in the attachments dates to 1902.

The Royal Commission

The Royal Commission was an initiative of the Lord Mayor, Thomas Hughes, a businessman, Lord Mayor of Sydney and a Member of the Legislative Council. In January 1909, Hughes recommended Council invite the government to appoint a Royal Commission to enquire into the subject of improvements to Sydney.

The Premier agreed and a Commission was established on 14 May 1908 to investigate all proposals for the improvement of the City of Sydney and its suburbs, and to fully inquire into the whole subject of the remodelling of Sydney.

The Lord Mayor Thomas Hughes was appointed head of the eleven-member Commission. Other members included Edmund Walcott Fosbery, Henry Gorman, James Graham, Robert Rowan Purdon Hickson, James Sinclair Taylor McGowen, Edward William O’Sullivan, Ernest Alfred Scott, Norman Selfe, James Wall, and John Wheeler.

The Commissioners held 90 meetings, carried out site inspections, collected 40 witness statements and collated reports from other cities.

The final report was released on 25 June 1909. 40 recommendations were made, the majority relating to road and transport improvements such as an underground electric railway, recommendations for street changes and extensions. The Commission also inquired into beautification of the city, slum areas and housing reform, and future growth of the city. It recommended a new Building Act and enhanced municipal town planning and conservation controls.

Reference
Some of this text is drawn from notes by Robert Freestone, University of New South Wales, 2009 and Museums of History, Agency registration AGY-4935.
Relationship summaryRELATED TO: Membership of external committees AY-0090 (01/01/1908 to 01/01/1909)
RELATED TO: Planning for public spaces AY-0031 (01/01/1908 to 01/01/1909)
RELATED TO: Strategic town planning AY-0030 (01/01/1908 to 01/01/1909) LanguageEnglish (eng)

Map

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 56 - General improvements, 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 55 - Parks and reserves, 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 54 - The Rocks, circa 1908-1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 53 - William Street, 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 50 - Darlinghurst Gaol, circa 1908-1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 48 - Oxford Street, circa 1908-1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 47 - Queen's Square, 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 45 - New street to Central, 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 42 - New street near Oxford Street, 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 41 - Womerah Avenue extension, 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 40 - Edgecliff tunnel, 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 38 - Cathedral Street, circa 1908-1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 37 - Darling Harbour 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 36 - Sussex Street to Broadway, 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 35 - Roadway at wharves, circa 1908-1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 32 - Elizabeth Street extension, 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 31 - J Sulman - Central Avenue, 1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 27 - RCG Coulter - Circular Quay, circa 1908-1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 24 - N Selfe - Central Railway Station, circa 1908-1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 23 - N Selfe - Central Railway Station, circa 1908-1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 20 - J Sulman - Belmore Park, circa 1908-1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 19 - J Sulman - Central Railway Station, circa 1908-1909

Map - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 17 - Commission - Railways and main roads, circa 1908-1909

Photograph

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 52 - William Street, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 51 - William Street tunnel, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 49 - Darlinghurst Gaol, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 46 - Queen's Square, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 44 - New street to Central, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 43 - New street to Central, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 39 - Cathedral Street, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 34 - Elizabeth Street extension, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 33 - Elizabeth Street extension, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 30 - J Sulman - Central Avenue, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 28 - N Selfe - Circular Quay, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 26 - RCG Coulter - Circular Quay, circa 1908-1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 25 - Commission - Central Railway Station, 1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 22 - N Selfe - Central Railway Station, 1908

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 21 - N Selfe - Central Railway Station, circa 1908-1909

Drawing - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 18 - J Sulman - Central Railway Station, 1908

Item

Report of the Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement, 1909

Plan

Plan - Royal Commission on Sydney Improvement - No 29 - N Selfe - Circular Quay railway station, circa 1908-1909

Box

CSA025964

Access

Public access statusRestricted original (digital copy available)

Identification and Arrangement

Source system ID534System of arrangementSingle number

Digitisation

Digitisation statusFully digitised

Data Quality

Authenticity & integrityThese plans formed part of the Royal Commission report. The records have been held in the Council’s custody and have a high level of authenticity.

Relationships

OrganisationRoyal Commission for the Improvement of the City of Sydney and its Suburbs, 1908-1909Creating agenciesCity Surveyor's DepartmentRelated activitiesStrategic town planningPlanning for public spacesMembership of external committees

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Royal Commission for the Improvement of the City of Sydney and its Suburbs, 1908-1909