Grafton Bond Store and Sandstone Wall

Item details


Name of item:	Grafton Bond Store and Sandstone Wall
Other name/s:	Part of Maritime Centre, Price Waterhouse Building
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Government and Administration
Category:	Office building
Location:	Lat: -33.8636630934 Long: 151.2032164340
Primary address:	Hickson Road, Millers Point, NSW 2000
Parish:	St Philip
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	Sydney
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Metropolitan

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
PART LOT	1		DP	813557

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Hickson Road	Millers Point	Sydney	St Philip	Cumberland	Primary Address
201-217 Kent Street	Sydney	Sydney			Alternate Address
Napoleon Street	Millers Point	Sydney			Alternate Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
NSW Maritime	State Government

Statement of significance:


	Grafton Bond has historic significance as a remnant of what was claimed to have been the largest bond store complex in Australia. It is a complex building redolent of the busy wharfage area of earlier times and of a large mercantile facility which was once an important part of the city. It has aesthetic significance as an excellent example of urban commercial utilitarian design, by an eminent Australian architect, William Wardell and its design displays the Northern European influence evident in much of the work of the architect, such as the three stepped gable parapets on the eastern elevation. Its recent refurbishment and well contrived juxtaposition with modem glass towers is a most successful conservation project. It has scientific significance for its fine craftsmanship and its clever response to the hilly terrain of this part of Sydney.
	Date significance updated: 24 Nov 06
	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


Designer/Maker:	William Wardell (1881 sections)
Physical description:	The building stands monument like in Hickson Road below the glass towers in Kent Street, a juxtaposition of new and old which, when seen from the west across the water, is one of the most engaging views of Sydney. The building is long and narrow, four and five storeys high at Hickson Road, and three above the rock shelf behind. The Hickson Road facade three bays with plain parapeted gables, one with eaves and two with stepped parapets, one of which curves gracefully around the Napoleon Street corner. The lowest storey is sandstone. The east side, which once faced Jenkins Street, has three stepped gable parapets in the northern European manner, with catheads at the top. Internally the structure is of heavy hardwood posts and girders, with joists, herringboning and timber flooring. Some of the king post roof trusses are visible. It has recently been refurbished with the addition of two masonry service sections to the east linked by a partly glazed access gallery. The walls are built in English bond, of cream bricks believed to have been brought from Newcastle-on-Tyne as sailing ballast. The Dutch gables bear the date 1881 and a monogram formed in red bricks, presumed but without certainty, to be John Frazers. The depressed pointed arches and round arches over openings, and banding in the walling, are laid in red-orange bricks. (Sydney City Council 1989) The sandstone wall is a substantial cutting of the natural sandstone, on which a cut stone wall has been constructed, increasing the scale and providing level access to properties at Kent Street. A park reserve has been introduced at the top of the wall, adjacent to MSB offices. Once defining the natural harbour foreshore, the wall now forms an eastern boundary to Hickson Road. (Anglin 1990:1043) The unusual inverted 'V' voussoirsin contrasting brickwork, stepped parapet and curved corner contribute to the striking street facade. (Anglin 1990:1032)
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Good condition. (Sydney City Council 1989)
	Date condition updated:07 Nov 00
Modifications and dates:	Two of the original 1881 stores were demolished for the widening of Hickson Street in 1925. The building was refurbished and added to when the Kent Street Maritime Building was erected. The effect on the old building was the construction of two eastern appendages: the larger at the south end containing services, ancillary spaces and escape stairs in a curved design; the smaller at the north end containing stairs and an elevator. They employ complementary forms and colours. Between these a three-level partly-glazed access gallery was added, its bullnose roof cutting across the wide point. The third store was demolished in 1960s. Extensive conservation and refurbishment works were undertaken in 1988 as part of the redevelopment of the adjoining site with a modern multi-storey building. (Sydney City Council 1989) (Anglin 1990:1032) Recent construction of sandstone walling to the north. (Anglin 1990:1043)


Current use:	Offices/Training Room
Former use:	Aboriginal land, town lot, Bond Store/Warehouse

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).

Subject site:
Grafton Wharf was established at what was then Cockle Bay in about 1835. In 1881 it was bought by John Frazer and Co and was greatly enlarged, so that by 1886 it had a frontage to the east side of Darling Harbour of 430 feet, and three piers 'capable of receiving and shipping cargo of any character and weight'. In 1886 there were 14 warehouses, with a large capacity of some 44,000 tonnes of cargo and facilities for pressing1600 bales of wool a day. It was claimed to be the largest bond warehouse complex in Australia. The building now known as Grafton Bond was part of this complex. In 1888 the stores became the property of Burns Philp & Co Ltd. The present building is a remnant of a much larger complex. The other components of the complex that survived the dramatic changes brought about by the 1893 depression and the redevelopment by the Sydney Harbour Trust, were demolished with the formation of Hickson Road in 1925, which cut across the whole Grafton Wharf site. At that time even this last large building was altered, though it remains largely as it was designed by William Wardell, one of Australia's greatest architects. Incorporated into the new Maritime Centre in the late 1980s, the refurbished Grafton Bond has been successfully adapted for this reuse. (Sydney City Council 1989)

The sandstone wall was associated with the growth of wharf facilities and the expansion of the western side of the city, and provides a level access to properties at Kent Street. (Anglin 1990:1043)

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.	Changing the environment-
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-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Warehousing and storage for commercial enterprises-
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	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Developing Commercial Enterprise-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Storing goods-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Storing goods-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Commerce-Activities relating to buying, selling and exchanging goods and services	Office use-
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 of urban amenity-
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	Storing materials-
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.	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.	A Picturesque Residential Suburb-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The site is associated with the historic development of wharfage and mercantile facilities in this area of Sydney. It is a remnant of what was claimed to be the biggest bond store complex in Australia. It is part of the Dutch-influenced over of William Wardell, one of Australia's most eminent 19th-century architects.(Godden Mackay Pty Ltd 1996) The sandstone wall is significant for its association with the growth of wharf facilities and expansion of the western side of the city. (Anglin 1990:1043)
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The former Grafton Bond building is a skilled piece of design in bichromatic brickwork and sandstone, using bricks imported from Britain. The style displays the Northern European influence evident in much of the work of the architect, William Wardell. Prominent on a curved corner site, it is a fine and bold element in the streetscape. Its refurbishment and incorporation into a design focussed upon the new, large scale buildings, separated by an effective plaza, has aesthetic value as a good example of adaptive re-use and infill development. (Godden Mackay Pty Ltd 1996) The sandstone wall is significant for its distinctive and prominent contribution to Hickson Road and vicinity. (Anglin 1990:1043) Further research required.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The sandstone wall is significant for its distinctive and prominent contribution to Hickson Road and vicinity. (Anglin 1990:1043) Further research required.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	The building displays fine craftsmanship, demonstrating traditional materials, forms, structures and details. Its integration into a dramatically steep rocky site is masterful. (Godden Mackay Pty Ltd 1996)
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	The combination of a number of related unusual aspects, including the use of very uncommon British bricks, display a strong Dutch influence, and an unusual, gracefully curved end, make it particularly rare example of warehouse design.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	Grafton Bond is representative of the historic development of wharfage and mercantile facilities in this area of Sydney. It is also representative of the work of William Wardell, one of Australia's finest architects. (Godden Mackay Pty Ltd 1996)
Integrity/Intactness:	Original or early form, facade configuration, materials and details (all facades). Internal structure including timber posts, beams, floor construction, roof framing, including trusses and rafters. (Godden Mackay Pty Ltd 1996)
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.

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act	Record converted from HIS events Order Under Section 57(2) to exempt the following activities from Section 57(1): The maintenance of any building or item on the site where maintenance means the continuous protective care of existing material.	Sep 18 1987
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 Number	Gazette Date
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register	01431	18 Apr 00
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register
Local Environmental Plan	LEP1992	25 Mar 98
Heritage study	2133	08 Aug 96
National Trust of Australia register		11 Feb 74
Within a National Trust conservation area	West Rocks	23 Jul 73
Register of the National Estate		21 Mar 78

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Maritime Services Board Heritage and Conservation Register : Sydney Harbour	1990	1032 & 1043	Anglin Associates		No
Marine Ministerial Holding Corporation S170 Register	1999		Heritage Unit, Department of Public works & Services		Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	D.Sheedy	1973	National Trust of Australia (NSW) Classification
Written	National Trust of Australia (NSW)	1973	National Trust of Australia (NSW) Classification/West Rocks Area

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

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Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5050220
File number:	S90/02140

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