Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney
The Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney is a heritage-listed former barracks, hospital, convict accommodation, mint and courthouse and now museum and cafe located at Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Originally constructed between 1817 and 1819 as a brick building and compound to house convict men and boys, it was designed by convict architect Francis Greenway. It is also known as the Mint Building and Hyde Park Barracks Group and Rum Hospital; Royal Mint – Sydney Branch; Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary; Queen's Square Courts; Queen's Square. The site is managed by the Sydney Living Museums, an agency of the Government of New South Wales, as a living history museum open to the public.
| Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney | |
|---|---|
Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney | |
| Location | Macquarie Street, Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Coordinates | 33.8693°S 151.2128°E |
| Built | 1811–1819 |
| Architect | Francis Greenway |
| Owner | Sydney Living Museums |
Location in Sydney central business district | |
| Type | Historic building |
| Area | 2.16 hectares (5.3 acres) |
| Status | Open daily 10.00am – 5.00pm (Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day) |
| Website | Hyde Park Barracks Website |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iv, vi |
| Designated | 2010 (34th session) |
| Part of | Australian Convict Sites |
| Reference no. | 1306 |
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
Australian National Heritage List | |
| Official name | Hyde Park Barracks, Macquarie St, Sydney, NSW, Australia |
| Type | Historic |
| Criteria | a., b., h. |
| Designated | 1 August 2007 |
| Reference no. | 105935 |
| Place File No. | 1/12/036/0105 |
New South Wales Heritage Register | |
| Official name | Mint Building and Hyde Park Barracks Group; Rum Hospital; Royal Mint – Sydney Branch; Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary; Queen's Square Courts; Queen's Square |
| Type | State heritage (complex / group) |
| Criteria | a., c., d., e., f. |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Part of | Mint Building and Hyde Park Barracks Group |
| Reference no. | 190 |
| Type | Other – Government & Administration |
| Category | Government and Administration |
| Builders | Francis Greenway |
The site is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of 11 pre-eminent Australian Convict Sites as amongst "the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts", and was listed on the Australian National Heritage List on 1 August 2007, and on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
The historic site was closed in January 2019 for $18 million restoration work to transform it into "a rich new, immersive visitor experience like no other in Australia" and reopened in February 2020.