Customs House, Sydney

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Customs House, Circular Quay, Sydney

Customs House is an historic Sydney landmark located in the city's Circular Quay area. Constructed in 1845, the building served as the headquarters of the customs service until 1990. Ownership was transferred to the City of Sydney Council in 1994 and it has been the venue for exhibitions and private functions and, after being renovated in 2003, has become the new home of the City of Sydney Library.

The ground floor of the building houses a 4.2m x 9.5m scale model of Sydney CBD, viewed through a glass floor. The model was build by Modelcraft in 1998 and weighs one tonne. Images of the various versions of the building across its history are also displayed.

[edit] History

People of the Eora tribe are said to have witnessed the landing of the First Fleet in 1788 from the site. The two story 1845 building was partially dismantled and taken up to three stories under the colonial architect James Barnet in 1887. Various additional were made over the next century; it is presently six stories tall.