Millers Point Conservation Area

Item details


Name of item:	Millers Point Conservation Area
Type of item:	Conservation Area
Group/Collection:	Urban Area
Category:	Townscape
Location:	Lat: -33.857833 Long: - 151.204501
Primary address:	, Millers Point, NSW 2000
Parish:	St Philip
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	Sydney
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Metropolitan

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
	Millers Point	Sydney	St Philip	Cumberland	Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
	Private	08 Mar 21
	Private	10 Mar 21
	Private
	Private
	Private	08 Mar 21
	Private
	Private
	Private	08 Mar 21
	Private
	Private	08 Mar 21
	Private
	Private
	Private
	Private
	Private
	Private
	Private

Statement of significance:


	Millers Point Conservation Area is an intact residential and maritime precinct of outstanding State and national significance. It contains buildings and civic spaces dating from the 1830s and is an important example of nineteenth and early twentieth century adaptation of the landscape. The precinct has changed little since the 1930s.
	Date significance updated: 29 Oct 01
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Physical description:	An integrated port town developed between the 1810s and the 1930s and little changed since then; considered remarkable for its completeness and intactness. Its components include deep-sea wharves and associated infrastructure, bond and free stores, roadways and accessways, public housing built for port workers, former private merchant housing, hotels and shops, schools, churches, post office and community facilities. This is the Department of Housing's Conservation Area only and only applies to Department of Housing property. Because of this, the Department's Conservation Area is not contiguous.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Good
	Date condition updated:17 Sep 97
Further information:	All individual listings for Millers Point are an integral part of the whole precinct and are of the same level of State significance as the precinct. The area is generally in State Government ownership and most individual items are identified in s170 registers of owning authorities (mainly Department of Housing). All items sold to private ownership are protected by SHR listings; however, recent practice has been to retain State ownership and sell leasehold only. The Millers Point Conservation Area as defined in the City of Sydney LEP 1992 does not include the Walsh Bay precinct which is covered by an REP. However, as a heritage item, Millers Point and Walsh Bay are integral. For more detailed information on Walsh Bay see the entry for the Walsh Bay Wharves ('Wharves 1 to 9 & buildings & bridges etc.'). Millers Point area endorsed as an item of State and national significance by the Heritage Council on 15 December 1988.


Current use:	Predominantly public housing, community facilities and residual port activities.
Former use:	Aboriginal land, Housing, commercial and port

History

Historical notes:

ABORIGINAL OCCUPATION
The "Eora people" was the name given to the coastal Aborigines around Sydney. Central Sydney is therefore often referred to as "Eora Country". Within the City of Sydney local government area, the traditional owners are the Cadigal and Wangal bands of the Eora. There is no written record of the name of the language spoken and currently there are debates as whether the coastal peoples spoke a separate language "Eora" or whether this was actually a dialect of the Dharug language. Remnant bushland in places like Blackwattle Bay retain elements of traditional plant, bird and animal life, including fish and rock oysters (Anita Heiss, "Aboriginal People and Place", Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani).

Prior to European settlement the Millers Point area was part of the wider Cadigal territory, in which the clan fished, hunted and gathered shellfish from the nearby mudflats. Shellfish residue was deposited in middens, in the area known to the early Europeans as Cockle Bay; the middens were later utilised by the Europeans in lime kilns for building purposes. The Millers Point area was known to the Cadigal as Coodye, and Dawes Point as Tar-ra/Tarra (Sydney City Council, 2019).

With the invasion of the Sydney region, the Cadigal and Wangal people were decimated but there are descendants still living in Sydney today. All cities include many immigrants in their population. Aboriginal people from across the state have been attracted to suburbs such as Pyrmont, Balmain, Rozelle, Glebe and Redfern since the 1930s. Changes in government legislation in the 1960s provided freedom of movement enabling more Aboriginal people to choose to live in Sydney (Anita Heiss, "Aboriginal People and Place", Barani: Indigenous History of Sydney City http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani).

INITIAL EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT
The first settlers at Sydney Cove in 1788 were hampered from thorough exploration of the Millers Point area by reasons of topography: to reach this western ridged area involved either trekking around the foreshore via Dawes Point, or by scaling the steep and rocky inclines of the Rocks. Priority was given to establishing the colony's first structures, and the settlers' interests were initially geared more towards temporary housing and a ready supply of fresh water (via the Tank Stream) than in conquering challenging topography. In July 1788 the high ground to the west of Sydney Cove saw the erection of a flagstaff, giving rise to its early name of Flagstaff Hill, later Observatory Hill.

The earliest buildings in the Millers Point area were intended to serve specific purposes, either for strategic military or agricultural needs. The first government windmill was built on the site in February 1797, supplying the origin of the third name of Windmill Hill. Subsequent windmills were established in 1812 by Nathaniel Lucas at Dawes Point, and a further three windmills operated by Jack 'the Miller' Leighton were situated in Millers Point, near the sites of present-day Bettington and Merriman Streets. Throughout this early period Jack the Miller became increasingly associated with the area, ultimately contributing to its name.

For military purposes, Governor King authorised the construction of Fort Phillip in 1804, a short-lived structure with hexagonal foundations that were eventually re-used in 1858 for the footprint of the extant Observatory. Fort Phillip had been designed for both internal and external defence mechanisms as it boasted both landward and seaward views. In 1815, a military hospital designed by Lieutenant John Watts was constructed in close proximity to Flagstaff Hill and Fort Phillip. Catering for both military and scientific demands was the Point Maskelyne observatory, built by William Dawes at the end of the point: immediately adjacent to his beloved observatory was the Dawes Battery, initially set up in 1788 and upgraded in 1791 whilst under Dawes' administration.

ECONOMIC AND MARITIME DEVELOPMENT OF MILLERS POINT
These initial structures were rapidly supplemented by dwellings and early industries. One profitable industry that exploited local resources was the production of stone for the construction of housing and services in early Sydney: sections of Millers Point were known as 'The Quarries', near Kent and the western end of Windmill Streets. Quarrying was an established industry by the mid 1820s, and this process of systematically altering the landscape continued as a pattern throughout the century, ultimately shaping the emerging village and directing the development of the local streetscape and housing pattern. A second local industry was lime production, used in building construction and carried out just below Fort Phillip using shells acquired from local aboriginal middens. As this supply diminished, shellfish was brought from the wider Sydney area to be burnt at Millers Point.

The location of Millers Point, with its relationship to the waterfront, was ideally suited for shipping purposes, and merchants tapped in to its potential by erecting private jetties, wharves and storage for goods. The village of Millers Point became a definitive one in the early 1830s, as maritime and other related enterprises began to radiate outwards from Sydney Cove, bringing with it residential and commercial facilities. Access to Millers Point was gained through a set of rough-cut steps leading through from the Rocks. Those who chose to live in the area comprised both the successful wharf-owners and employees, labourers and artisans. Ownership of Millers Point land was by haphazard means; while some was documented as granted land, other parcels appeared to have been simply 'occupied' and by the mid 1830s administration, ownership and transfer of land was problematic and from the late 1830s a Commissioner of Claims was responsible for issuing land grants for most of Millers Point.

The village quickly became an integral part in coastal and international trade and shipping, shipbuilding and similar related activities. The incorporation of such commercial and mercantilist elements was both indicative of, and contributory to the public perception and nature of Millers Point, with a roll-on effect throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Growing colonial interest in whaling and maritime enterprises fostered local prosperity during the 1830s and 1840s. From this period Millers Point became irrevocably associated with maritime industries and activities, with merchants, sailors and craftsmen putting a distinctive stamp on the area. The success of such mercantilist ventures and associated industries became evident in both commercial and residential architecture, constructed for merchants such as Robert Towns and Robert Campbell. Sections of Millers Point became regarded as affluent enclaves, with Argyle and Lower Fort Streets known as 'Quality Row.'

The close association with shipping and related patterns of activity and industry was derived from the labourers' need to be at hand upon arrival of vessels. Valuable goods such as wool had to be loaded and unloaded at a rapid rate of turnover, with labourers required to be on call and, as such, in the nearby vicinity to respond to erratic shipping arrivals and departures. An important outcome of this trade activity was the generation of a community that was overwhelmingly mobile, maintaining relatively loose family networks and containing a high transient population. These key characteristics of Millers Point distinguished it from other areas, and its unusual composition was reflected by the high level of rental housing, which in most other suburbs was an indicator of poverty and unskilled workforces. In this instance, however, the rental rates were generated by the need for flexibility and seasonal job availability on the part of workers.

Despite high mobility on the part of the population, Millers Point was able to act as a self-contained village from the 1840s; this characteristic was enhanced by its continuing topographical isolation from the town of Sydney. It was an early multicultural community with sailors and merchants from all parts of the world. Local amenities catered for shopping, work and socialising as well as the provision of churches, schools and other essential services. The Catholic St Brigid's Church and school in Kent Street was completed in 1835, with the foundation stone of the Anglican Holy Trinity, or Garrison Church, laid in 1840 at the corner of Argyle and Lower Fort Streets. The latter became particularly associated with the Dawes Battery military garrison but also served as a base for school and moral education and a forum for community gatherings in accordance with the accepted role of churches in the colony. Other centres equally if not more popular for social gatherings were the host of hotels and licensed premises that catered for a range of clientele. Some, such as the Lord Nelson and the Hero of Waterloo, became local institutions and remained active in the community to the present day. A myriad of hotels, often sporting similar or frequently-changing names, provided local colour and an insight into current affairs and fads but inevitably adding to the confusion. Many of these early hotel buildings are extant, such as the Whalers Arms (former Young Princess), on Lower Fort and Windmill Streets, and such structures stand as testimony to the fact that by the mid-century the Millers Point hotels were an integral part of both the social and economic roles of the area.

The sense of segregation and self-sufficiency began to be eroded through proposals to incorporate Millers Point with the rest of Sydney. Plans to facilitate greater access to the Millers Point area dated from 1832, with the first suggestion of cutting through the 'precipice of considerable height' on Argyle Street. To that point, rough steps had originally been cut into the rock, to allow passage between the Rocks and Millers Point. The Argyle Cut project commenced in 1843 using convict labour initially, and was completed through the resources of the newly formed City Council from about 1845. The sandstone itself was used in the construction of local buildings, as was the case with the Hero of Waterloo Hotel. In spite of this increased accessibility, the unique character of Millers Point was undiminished. Certainly by the mid-point of the nineteenth century a gradual overlaying of cultural features had evolved into a flourishing and distinct community, with various church denominations, a wide range of commercial and social services, and in 1850, the Fort Street Model School was opened, having been the original military hospital constructed in 1815 and renovated to architect Mortimer Lewis' design in 1849. This clearly earmarked Millers Point as a prosperous area, and presaged the modern practice of adapting old buildings in the area to accommodate new uses.

Local prosperity was briefly thrown into a trough following the allure of the Californian gold fields, with employers hard-pressed to find enough experienced workers at the right price. This trend, however, was abruptly reversed within a short space of time. Indeed, the pace of the Millers Point community accelerated rapidly in the 1850s to accommodate the frenzy generated by the discovery of gold at Bathurst and the consequent flood of immigrants into New South Wales. This coincided with an increase in large-scale exports, particularly wool, to diverse international markets. By the 1860s the earlier mix of worker and merchant/gentry housing began to be overtaken by commercial needs and by the creation of new residential streetscapes such as Argyle Place and Kent Street, with a distinct change in the size of residential buildings and an increasing use of materials such as slate. The mercantilist face of Millers Point also changed, with the construction and extension of larger jetties and warehouses for imported goods as well as staples such as wool, coal and flour. Gradually this period of upgrading saw the small scale industries and structures superseded by the encroaching larger-scale warehouses, responding to the demand created by larger vessels. A corresponding shift in the population showed that the artisans and merchant gentry were moving elsewhere, and that Millers Point was overwhelmingly oriented towards booming export industries, with a workforce and resident population of unskilled and semi-skilled labourers catering for specific tasks.

The area to the northwest of the City of Sydney was first settled in the early nineteenth century. It has a long history as a port with housing and other community facilities developed in association. The Area shows a cross-section of Australian urban development from 1810s to 1930s. It was resumed by government in 1900s and developed as a 'company town' by the port authorities.

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Other open space-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Changing the environment-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Ethnic influences-Activities associated with common cultural traditions and peoples of shared descent, and with exchanges between such traditions and peoples.	(none)-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Migration-Activities and processes associated with the resettling of people from one place to another (international, interstate, intrastate) and the impacts of such movements	(none)-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Developing real estate-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Developing Commercial Enterprise-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Developing local, regional and national economies-National Theme 3
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Creating environments evocative of the 'old country'-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Landscapes and gardens of domestic accommodation-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	Landscapes and parklands of distinctive styles-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Events-Activities and processes that mark the consequences of natural and cultural occurences	Providing a venue for significant events-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Events-Activities and processes that mark the consequences of natural and cultural occurences	Developing national landmarks-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Events-Activities and processes that mark the consequences of natural and cultural occurences	Developing local landmarks-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Fishing-Activities associated with gathering, producing, distributing, and consuming resources from aquatic environments useful to humans.	(none)-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Industry-Activities associated with the manufacture, production and distribution of goods	(none)-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Industry-Activities associated with the manufacture, production and distribution of goods	Managing industrial relations-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Industry-Activities associated with the manufacture, production and distribution of goods	Boat Building and Shipwrighting-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Industry-Activities associated with the manufacture, production and distribution of goods	Maritime related industries-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Technology-Activities and processes associated with the knowledge or use of mechanical arts and applied sciences	(none)-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Transport-Activities associated with the moving of people and goods from one place to another, and systems for the provision of such movements	(none)-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Building settlements, towns and cities-National Theme 4
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Worker's Dwellings-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	A Picturesque Residential Suburb-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Accommodating travellers and tourists-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	(none)-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Early land grants-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Changing land uses - from suburban to urban-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Administering and alienating Crown lands-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Changing land uses - from rural to suburban-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	(none)-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	19th century suburban developments-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	20th century Suburban Developments-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	20th Century infrastructure-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	19th Century Infrastructure-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	18th century town and settlement developments-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	A Picturesque Residential District-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	(none)-
6. Educating-Educating	Education-Activities associated with teaching and learning by children and adults, formally and informally.	(none)-
7. Governing-Governing	Defence-Activities associated with defending places from hostile takeover and occupation	(none)-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	(none)-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	State government-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - administration of land-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - providing community facilities-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - conserving cultural and natural heritage-
7. Governing-Governing	Welfare-Activities and process associated with the provision of social services by the state or philanthropic organisations	(none)-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Creative endeavour-Activities associated with the production and performance of literary, artistic, architectural and other imaginative, interpretive or inventive works; and/or associated with the production and expression of cultural phenomena; and/or environments that have inspired such creative activities.	(none)-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Visiting heritage places-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Gathering at landmark places to socialise-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Activities associated with relaxation and recreation-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Leisure-Activities associated with recreation and relaxation	Tourism-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Religion-Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship	(none)-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Social institutions-Activities and organisational arrangements for the provision of social activities	(none)-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	(none)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Significant in the evolution and pattern of the history of New South Wales. 1.1 Miller's Point provides a geographically encapsulated portrayal of the evolution of Australian urban life prior to the mid twentieth century. 1.2 It demonstrates a complex layering of activities and events, ranging from early colonial merchant and official enterprise to twentieth century corporate port town and setting for social planning. 1.3 Its demonstrative capacity is heightened by the completeness and originality of its fabric which represents particularly strongly every decade between 1820 and 1930 and by the experiences and memory of its long term community. 1.4 Its public housing and its development into a Government corporate town were probably the first such developments in Australia (apart from first settlement) and may be of international significance. 1.5 It features virtually intact residential areas, port and stevedoring works created by the Sydney Harbour Trust, 1900 1930, in response to the Sydney plague and the requirements of maritime trade at that time. 1.6 Its associations include personalities encompassing a wide spectrum of New South Wales society: .early millers such as John Leighton, the original `Jack the Miller'; .colonial merchant class, represented by the Campbell family of Bligh House, 43 Lower Fort Street; .later merchant class who invested in major warehouses (Towns and Parbury); .prominent Sydney citizens of the mid nineteenth century such as John Fairfax of the Sydney Morning Herald who enjoyed the proximity to the town. (The relatively modest scale of the houses at Miller's Point, and the relative importance of its pre 1870 inhabitants reflects the economic circumstances and the aspirations of the citizens of the town of Sydney); .1880s property investors who built substantial rows of terrace houses of which 1 19 Lower Fort Street is the finest in Miller's Point, and the grandest surviving terrace in New South Wales; .publicans, as key civic figures, for example, the Armstrong family of the Palisade Hotel; .the Irish community, as a major social group, the men generally employed as waterside workers; .nineteenth century street life : urchins, larrikins and prostitutes, colouring the otherwise respectable nature of the district pre 1900; .significant architects and their work: H. Ginn & E. Blacket : Holy Trinity Church; W. L. Vernon : Post Office; A. Dawson : Observatory; J. Watts and M. Lewis : Fort Street School (also H. Robertson); M. Lewis : Richmond Villa, Kent Street (moved from Domain c.1975); J. Verge : 39 41 Lower Fort Street; G. McRae : 1910s workers' housing; V. Parkes : proposals c.1910 to Sydney Redevelopment Advisory Board for new hygienic tenaments between Argyle Place and Windmill Street; W. Wardell : Grafton Bond Store, .significant engineers and their work: H.D. Walsh : Walsh Bay Port structures and works; N. Selfe : advice on new wharf facilities c.1910, . significant maritime figures: John Irving (boat builder), James Munn (ship builder), John Cuthbert (Cuthbert's Patent Slip); .members of the Sydney Harbour Trust Board; .artists, and the discovery of the pictorial qualities of Australia including urban squalor, waterfront incident and the harbour bridge: Prout and Rae 1840s in Sydney Illustrated; S. Elyard 1860s; Lindsay family c.1900; W. Hardy Wilson c.1910; Cazneaux c.1920; Dorrit Black c.1930.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	Significant in possessing, or contributing to, creative or technical accomplishment in New South Wales. 2.1 It demonstrates technical and creative excellence of the period 1820 1930, including wharfage, warehousing, civic facilities and landscaping, the observatory, hotels, public housing and its support facilities, colonial housing and the Garrison Church buildings. 2.2 It documents the workings of a technologically advanced early twentieth century shipping port, developed specifically to accommodate new mechanised transportation technology (engine driven vessels and motor lorries), and strongly retains and demonstrates the physical character of a port. 2.3 It demonstrates characteristic dramatic harbourside topography, human modified and utilised in strata for relevant functions (Observatory, fortifications, elevated housing for the colonial gentry, multi level warehousing/wharfage and deepwater berthing). 2.4 It is unified as an area in materials, form and scale and is clearly defined by the Harbour Bridge and Bradfield Highway, Walsh Bay and Darling Harbour.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	Significant through associations with a community in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. 3.1 It is occupied in part by descendants of its earlier communities and retains a strong community spirit. 3.2 It demonstrates, with relatively minor change to its physical character and the social composition of its population, the life of inner Sydney in the early twentieth century. 3.3 Following its resumption in 1900 it became the setting for a pioneer programme of public housing and social improvement, demonstrated by development of a company port town by the Sydney Harbour Trust. This encompassed construction of purpose designed workers' housing and support services and improvement of existing buildings and services. 3.4 It remains predominantly a public housing area and retains the presence and activity of the port authority. 3.5 It retains largely working evidence of early social improvement through education (Lance Kindergarten, St. Brigid's school and the Fort Street schools). 3.6 It contains institutions strongly associated with the religious life of the community: .Holy Trinity Church, the church of the Anglican establishment and the military garrison; .St. Brigid's church and school, the oldest extant Catholic establishment in Australia and a focal point of the local Irish working class community.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	Significant for the potential to yield information contributing to an understanding of the history of New South Wales. 4.1 Its long term residents provide a rich resource of oral evidence contributing to an understanding of the history of the place and the Sydney waterfront. 4.2 Its layered fabric, both in terms of structures and archaeology, has had relatively little disturbance since intervention by the Sydney Harbour Trust and has the potential to provide valuable evidence about the place and its community.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	Significant in possessing rare, endangered or uncommon aspects of the history of New South Wales. 6.1 Its unity, authenticity of fabric and community, and complexity of significant activities and events make it probably the rarest and most significant historic urban place in Australia. 6.2 Its Walsh Bay wharves and associated port structures are unique in Australia and, when associated with the whole port-town, may be of international significance. 6.3 It contains rare examples of early colonial architecture, of which the Sydney Observatory may be unique.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	Significant in demonstrating the characteristics of a class of cultural places or environments in New South Wales. 7.1 It contains good examples demonstrating the evolution of domestic and commercial buidings in Australia, including a comprehensive illustration of Australian terrace-house development, from "the Ark" (1820s) to Edwardian terraces (1910s). 7.2 Its individual components illustrate in detail the various characteristics and phases of development of the place.
Integrity/Intactness:	A complete government port town remarkable for its intactness. Very good condition.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:


	Conservation Policy and State control

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act - Site Specific Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 Order Under Section 57 (2) I, the Minister for Planning, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales, in pursuance of section 57 (2) of the Heritage Act 1977, do, by this my Order, grant an exemption from section 57 (1) of the said Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out of any activities described in Schedule C by the owner, mortgagee or lessee of the land described in Schedule B on the item described in Schedule A. Dated: Sydney, 5th March 2002. ANDREW REFSHAUGE, M.P., Minister for Planning SCHEDULE A The area known as Millers Point Conservation Area, Millers Point. SCHEDULE B The area being land in Millers Point in the ownership of the New South Wales Department of Housing as listed in the State Heritage Register, Listing No. 884. SCHEDULE C 1. Installation of fire services in accordance with statutory requirements and to the satisfaction of the Heritage Council's Fire Services Advisory Panel; 2. Installation of temporary reversible cooking facilities; 3. Excavation for services and maintenance in areas not designated as archaeologically significant in the Rocks and Millers Point Archaeological Management Plan, subject to a watching brief; and 4. Repainting in a previous colour scheme, as determined by paint scrapings, all work being subject to assessment by an independent heritage consultant.	Mar 18 2002
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act - Site Specific Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT, 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) Millers Point & Dawes Point Village Precinct, SHR No. 01682 Millers Point Conservation Area, SHR No. 00884 I, the Minister for Planning, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales, in pursuance of section 57(2) of the Heritage Act, 1977, do, by this my order, grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the said Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out of any activities described in Schedule C by the owner of the land described in Schedule B on the item described in Schedule A. The Hon. Kristina Keneally MP Minister for Planning Sydney, 9th Day of April 2009 SCHEDULE A The items known as the Millers Point & Dawes Point Village Precinct and Millers Point Conservation Area, situated on the land described in Schedule “B”. SCHEDULE B All those pieces or parcels of land as shown on the plans catalogued HC 1921 and HC 2282 in the office of the Heritage Council of New South Wales. SCHEDULE C All works, in accordance with the ‘Millers Point Vegetation Assessment’ (2005) for the Department of Housing properties, prepared by the Government Architect’s Office.	Apr 24 2009
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act - Site Specific Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT SITE SPECIFIC EXEMPTION FROM APPROVAL Millers Point Conservation Area Millers Point (SHR No. 884) I, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales, in pursuance of section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977, do, by this my order, grant an exemption from section 57(1) of that Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out of any activities described in Schedule C by the owners described in Schedule B on the item described in Schedule A. The Hon Robyn Parker, MP Minister for Heritage Sydney, 17th Day of December 2012 SCHEDULE A The item known as Millers Point Conservation Area, situated on the land described in Schedule B. SCHEDULE B All those pieces or parcels of land as shown on the plans catalogued HC 1921 and HC 2282 in the office of the Heritage Council of New South Wales. SCHEDULE C All works and activities that, in the opinion of the relevant local government authority approval body, do not materially affect the significance of the item, according to the definition and explanations of ‘material affectation’ in the NSW Local Government Heritage Guidelines published by the NSW Heritage Office 2002, pages 25-30. This Exemption does not apply to works affecting historical archaeological ‘relics’ within the meaning of the NSW Heritage Act, 1977. Works which affect ‘relics’ must still be submitted for approval by the Heritage Council of NSW or its Delegate.	Jan 18 2013
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		00884	02 Apr 99	27	1546
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register
Local Environmental Plan	CSH Local Environmental Plan 4		07 Apr 00
Within a conservation area on an LEP
Archaeological zoning plan
Within a National Trust conservation area
Register of the National Estate

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Department of Housing s170 Register	1998		Brooks & Associates		Yes
Millers Point Conservation Policy	1989		Kate Blackmore Associates		No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Written	A Prescott	1995	Statement of Significance for the Heritage Council
Written	Fitzgerald, S and Keating, C	1991	Millers Point
Written	Godden Mackay Logan	2007	Conservation management guidelines for Housing NSW properties in Millers Point
Written	Howard Tanner and Associates	1987	Millers Point
Written	NSW Government Architect's Office, Heritage Group (Verena Ong)	2005	Millers Point vegetation assessment, Department of Housing. [Variant title:Millers Point vegetation assessment, Department of Housing properties]

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5001049
File number:	S90/03340; 10/03465

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