Millers Point, New South Wales

Millers Point Sydney, New South Wales
Sydney Observatory
Population	1,736 (2011 census)[1]
• Density	3,500/km2 (9,000/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	2000
Area	0.5 km2 (0.2 sq mi)
Location	1 km (1 mi) north-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	City of Sydney
Parish	St. Philip
State electorate(s)	Sydney
Federal Division(s)	Sydney
Suburbs around Millers Point: Port Jackson Port Jackson Dawes Point Darling Harbour Millers Point The Rocks Barangaroo Sydney CBD Sydney CBD

Millers Point is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the north-western edge of the Sydney central business district, adjacent to The Rocks and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney.

Millers Point lies on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, beside Darling Harbour. The Barangaroo development is taking place on 22 hectares of land on the western side of the suburb.^[2] Sections of Millers Point have been included as part of the The Rocks area in the past and some residents and businesses still use it in their address.

History

On 30 June 1814 Thomas Miller, a Sergeant in the 73rd Regiment of Foot, received a grant of land from the governor. A small mill that was owned by Jack Leighton was located here. The area became known as Jack, the Miller's Point.^[3] In 1833 Governor Bourke granted the Catholic Church land at Millers Point for the construction of a school house that could serve as a chapel on Sundays. The Colonial Architect, Ambrose Hallen in consultation with Bishop Ullathorne, designed the school building which was completed by May 1835. It was a one-story building constructed in sandstone with two rooms that could be opened into one. St Brigid's Millers Point is the oldest existing place of Catholic worship in Australia. The school was closed in 1992 but the church continues to be used by the local community.^{[4] [5]}

The current Sydney Observatory building on Observatory Hill was completed in 1858 by English astronomer and clergyman William Scott. Also on Observatory Hill is the old Fort Street School, converted from the old Military Hospital at Fort Phillip in the 1850s. Fort Street School incorporated the first government secondary school in Australia, and after the secondary school moved out in 1975, the building has housed the National Trust of Australia (the primary school remains nearby in a separate building).

Two separate pubs in the area claim to be Sydney's oldest surviving pubs, the Lord Nelson at Millers Point and the Fortune of War nearby at The Rocks. Others in the area include the Palisade and the Hero of Waterloo.

Protests

Protest Signs in 2014

A protest movement developed from 2008 when various governments announced plans to lease and sell Millers Point, Dawes Point and The Rocks properties and move existing public housing tenants. "Save Our Community", "Friends of Millers Point" and the associated "Save Our Sirius" formed to protest relocation of residents.^[6]

Heritage buildings

Millers Point has many heritage-listed buildings, including:^[7]

• Garrison Church and Church Hall, Argyle Place
• Argyle Cut and Argyle Street Space
• Georgian Warehouse, 2-4 Jenkins Street
• Richmond Villa, Kent Street
• Glover cottages, Kent Street
• Lord Nelson Hotel, Kent Street
• Agar Steps and houses
• National Trust Centre (former Fort Street School), including S.H. Ervin Gallery
• The Observatory, Observatory Hill
• Carlson Terrace, Kent Street (state heritage listing)^[8]

• 

  Garrison Church

• 

  Lord Nelson, one of Sydney's oldest pubs

• 

  The Hero of Waterloo pub

• 

  The Palisade Hotel

• 

  Federation Filigree homes, High Street

• 

  Former Fort Street School, now used by National Trust

• 

  Carlson Terrace, Kent Street

• 

  37 Lower Fort St in 2014

• 

  Protest Signs in 2014

Further reading

• Grace Karskens. Inside The Rocks. Published by Hale & Iremonger, Australia. 1999. (ISBN 0 86806 666 4)
• Shirley Fitzgerald & Christopher Keating. Millers Point, The Urban Village. Hale & Iremonger, Australia,1991. (ISBN 086806443 2)
• Isadore Brodsky. Heart Of The Rocks. Published by Old Sydney Free Press, Australia. 1965.
• http://millerspointcommunity.com.au

See also

• Barangaroo, New South Wales
• Sirius building (with other public housing in Millers Point, threatened by sell-off during 2014)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Millers Point, New South Wales.

• Shirley Fitzgerald - City of Sydney Historian (2008). "Millers Point". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 28 September 2015.  [CC-By-SA]
• Terri McCormack (2010). "Hero of Waterloo hotel". Dictionary of Sydney. Dictionary of Sydney Trust. Retrieved 10 October 2015. [CC-By-SA]

Coordinates: 33°51′39″S 151°12′10″E / 33.86085°S 151.20281°E / -33.86085; 151.20281