Department of Lands building, Government building in Bridge Street, Sydney, Australia
The Department of Lands building is a government administrative structure in Sydney with a distinctive copper dome crowning three floors of sandstone construction. The structure spans four street facades on Bridge, Loftus, Bent, and Gresham streets.
Colonial Architect James Barnet designed this Victorian Renaissance Revival structure, constructed in two building phases between 1876 and 1892 to serve the land administration services. The completion marked an important milestone in establishing centralized government infrastructure for territorial management.
The building displays twenty-three statues of explorers and surveyors in niches across its facades, honoring those who mapped and explored the Australian continent. These figures reflect the people who shaped the nation's development and territorial understanding.
The building sits at a four-street intersection in Sydney's central business district, making it easily accessible and visible from multiple vantage points. Visitors can view the facades and statuary from the surrounding public sidewalks.
The building houses a surveying baseline at its foundation that serves as the reference point for all height measurements across New South Wales, established between 1887 and 1894. This benchmark enabled standardized surveying practices throughout the state.
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