Customs House, Sydney

Customs House, Sydney is a heritage-listed museum space, visitor attraction, commercial building and performance space located in the Circular Quay area at 45 Alfred Street, in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The building served as a customs house prior to Federation and then as the head office of New South Wales operations of the Government of Australia agency Department of Trade and Customs (and its successors) until 1988. The customs function relocated to a new site in 1990. The initial designs were by Mortimer Lewis and it was built during 1845 by under the administration of Governor Sir George Gipps. It is also known as Customs House (former) and Site of former Customs House. The site was added to the Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004; and to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Customs House, Sydney
Front facade
Former Customs House
Location in Sydney central business district
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeGovernment administration:
Architectural styleVictorian Georgian
Address45 Alfred Street, Circular Quay, Sydney CBD, New South Wales
CountryAustralia
Coordinates33°51′44″S 151°12′39″E
Construction started1844
Completed1845, 1887
Opened1845
OwnerCouncil of the City of Sydney
Technical details
Floor count6
Design and construction
Architect(s)
  • Mortimer Lewis (1844–1845)
  • James Barnet (1885–1887)
  • Walter Liberty Vernon (1896–1903)
  • George Oakeshott (1915–1917)
Architecture firmNew South Wales Government Architect
Official nameSydney Customs House (former)
CriteriaA.4, D.2, E.1, F.1 and H.
Designated22 June 2004
Reference no.105436
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official nameCustoms House (former); Site of former Customs House
TypeState heritage (built)
Criteriaa., c., d., e., f.
Designated2 April 1999
Reference no.727
TypeOffice building
CategoryGovernment and Administration
References

Ownership was transferred to the City of Sydney Council in 1994, when it became a venue for exhibitions and private functions. After being refurbished in 2003, it has also become the new home of the City of Sydney Library. The ground floor of the building houses a 4.2-by-9.5-metre (14 ft × 31 ft) scale model of Sydney's city centre viewed through a glass floor. The model was built by Modelcraft in 1998 and weighs one tonne. Images of the various versions of the building across its history are also displayed on the ground floor.

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