Saturday 15 August 2015

Sandstone Sydney - Industrial Court of NSW


This building, on Phillip Street at the Quay end, houses some courts of the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales which has jurisdiction within the state over industrial relations issues, such as safety, and unfair dismissals.


The bust above the entrance appears to be that of Edward VII, the successor to Queen Victoria. This is unusual because the building was erected 1890-1893, prior to the death of Victoria, making Edward still the Prince of Wales, with a reputation as somewhat of a playboy.


This building is south of the Chief Secretary's Building which occupies Macquarie, Bridge, and Phillip Streets under different guises. The Industrial Relations building was constructed in the 1890s by Walter Liberty Vernon, who was the Colonial Architect at the time.

The NSW Office of Environment & Heritage regards the southern Phillip St additions by Vernon as part of the Chief/Colonial Secretary's Building, which had been designed by the previous Colonial Architect, James Barnet.


3 comments:

William Kendall said...

The detail work is beautifully done.

Joe said...

I wonder whether the architects were making some sort of a statement placing the playboy Prince above the door.

Joan Elizabeth said...

I think they call these scroll things holding up the doorway corbels. We have corbels holding up the mantelpiece over our stove. I thought them over the top when the architect picked them but they look right. Some things just like these lovely buildings call for a bit of decoration.