| RCS contains: |
|---|
| <-- See earlier |
|---|
| Y3085U |
Brisbane |
| Y3085V |
The Marjory Warren Geriatric Unit, Brisbane |
| Y3085W |
Port of Brisbane |
| Y3085X |
Brisbane; riverside scene with crowd assembled at landing point |
| Y308698A |
Norfolk Island: Outline of its history from 1788 to 1884, Sydney : Thomas Richards, Government Printer, 1885 |
| Y3086A |
The Burning of the Garden Palace, 1882 |
| Y3086B |
Photographs of the Dalwood Vineyards, near Branxton, New South Wales, Australia, 1886 |
| Y3086C |
Photographs - New South Wales, circa 1904 |
| Y3086D |
Government Railways of New South Wales rolling stock 1885 |
| Y3086F |
New South Wales. Photographs of Roads and Bridges. W.C. Bennett M. Inst. C.E., Commissioner and Engineer |
| Y3086H |
Photographs of the National Park, 1888 |
| See later --> |
|---|
|
The Burning of the Garden Palace, 1882
| Title |
The Burning of the Garden Palace, 1882 |
| Reference |
GBR/0115/Y3086A |
| Creator |
Unknown |
| Covering Dates |
1882 |
| Extent and Medium |
17 images in 1 album |
| Repository |
Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library |
|
| Content and context |
|
Photographer and publisher unknown, but possibly connected to 'The Sydney Morning Herald', since the four pages of text are a reproduction of that newspaper's report of the disaster the following day.
A commercially produced album containing mounted photographs, measuring approximately 280 x 225 mm, and four pages of explanatory text, commemorating the fire which destroyed the exhibition hall on 22nd September 1882. The album consists of one photograph of the undamaged building and 16 of various parts of the ruins. Prints are without captions.
The origins of the building lay in the New South Wales Government's decision in 1878 to hold an International Exhibition in Sydney. In January 1879 the buildings were marked out to the design of the Colonial Architect James Barnet on a plot south of the main part of the Botanic Gardens, and considering the size of the building, were opened to the public an extraordinarily short time later, in September 1879.
The cause of the fire has never been determined, but the spectacular blaze which started at around 6am became almost immediately uncontrollable and by 9am the Hall was utterly destroyed. Almost as important as the loss of the building were the records burned in the fire: all the 1881 census information, of which no copies existed, and which charted the growth of the State since the previous census ten years before, was consumed. Water supply schemes, land deeds and railway surveys, the Geological Collection and Library of the Technological Museum, the Library of the Linnean Society and the Libraries and plans of other bodies were destroyed, although in a few cases copies existed. A large number of works from the Art Society of New South Wales were destroyed, although judging by the newspaper's report, this would seem to be a lesser tragedy.
|
Access and Use
|
Please cite as Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library, The Burning of the Garden Palace, 1882, Y3086A |
| Further information |
|
Indexed
This collection level description was entered by KS using information from the original typescript catalogue.
This collection is available on microfiche: Australasia, fiche number 28.
|
| Index Terms |
| Australia |
| Oceania |
| RCS/Y3086A contains: |
|
1
|
[The Garden Palace before the Fire]. 280 x 230 mm. A view of the building from the roof of Government House and looking south towards the Garden Palace. A cruciform building 800 ft. long, with towers at the corners and a central dome 100 ft. in diameter, which collapsed in the fire 'with a crash like a peal of thunder'.
Fair condition, but yellowing and fading.. |
|
|
2
|
[The Ruins of the Garden Palace]. 275 x 225 mm. A view of the wreckage from the roof of Government House and looking south towards the Garden Palace. The whole of the central portion of the building has gone, leaving merely at the left and right, the ruins of two of the major towers.
Fair condition, but yellowing and fading.. |
|
|
3
|
[Ruins and Statue]. 280 x 225 mm. Showing part of the ruins, with just an archway standing and a small obelisk behind. In front is a statue, undamaged, of a huntsman with two dogs (a bronze by A. Jacquemart, purchased for £180). The path in front of the statue runs along Macquarie Street, with the camera looking east.
Fair condition, but yellowed and some fading.. |
|
|
4
|
[Ruins and Statue]. 280 x 225 mm. A view, looking in a northerly direction, showing part of the ruins with a statue of a huntsman with two dogs. The tower of Government House, flying the Union Jack, can be seen in the distance.
Fair condition, but yellowed and some fading.. |
|
|
5
|
[Ruins from Macquarie Street]. 275 x 225 mm. A view from Macquarie Street, looking over the railings towards the ruins, with part of the entrance arch from the street still standing at left.
Fair condition, but yellowed and some fading.. |
|
|
6
|
[Ruins and Obelisk]. 280 x 225 mm. A view showing part of the ruins with a small hut in the foreground. The hut has presumably been erected for workmen clearing up the site. The statue of the huntsman and dogs has been removed.
Fair condition, but yellowed and some fading.. |
|
|
7
|
[Ruins of the West Entrance]. 275 x 225 mm. A view of the stairway and entrance, with part of the wall of the gutted tower still standing and a small bronze statue at the corner of the building. This entrance is the one nearest Macquarie Street.
Fair condition, but yellowed and some fading.. |
|
|
8
|
[Ruins of the West Entrance]. 275 x 225 mm. A view of the stairway and entrance nearest Macquarie Street.
Fair condition, but yellowed and some fading.. |
|
|
9
|
[Ruins from Macquarie Street]. 280 x 225 mm. A slightly blurred photograph. The photograph was taken in a southerly direction from above ground level, over the railings of Macquarie Street (probably from a house on the opposite side of the street). At the left is the entrance hall and the extent of the ruins are shown behind.
Fair condition, but yellowed and some fading.. |
|
|
10
|
[Ruins from Macquarie Street]. 280 x 225 mm. A photograph taken from above ground level in a southerly direction. A certain amount of clearing work appears to have been done. Part of an arch standing in Y3086A/9 has been dismantled and is no longer visible in this print.
Fair condition, some yellowing.. |
|
|
11
|
[Ruins from Macquarie Street]. 275 x 225 mm. A photograph of the ruins from Macquarie Street, showing the west entrance before demolition work had been started.
Fair condition, some yellowing.. |
|
|
12
|
[Ruins from Macquarie Street]. 275 x 225 mm. A photograph of the ruins from Macquarie Street looking in an easterly direction showing the west entrance.
Fair condition, some yellowing.. |
|
|
13
|
[Ruins from Macquarie Street]. 280 x 225 mm. A view showing the few pieces of standing wall and an arch at the south end of the building.
Fair condition, some yellowing.. |
|
|
14
|
[Ruins from West Side]. 280 x 225 mm. A view from the path running beside Macquarie Street and looking north. The parts of the walls still standing are probably part of the west entrance, after some demolition work has been done. With Government House visible in the distance.
Fair condition, some yellowing.. |
|
|
15
|
[Ruins]. 280 x 230 mm. Showing an unidentified part of the building, from the path, with pieces of wall still standing.
Fair condition, some yellowing.. |
|
|
16
|
[Ruins from West Side]. 275 x 225 mm. Photograph from the path running beside Macquarie Street. Showing part of the ruins with the top of the obelisk showing behind part of a wall.
Fair condition, some yellowing.. |
|
|
17
|
[Ruins of a Tower]. 275 x 225 mm. A view of the gutted base of one of the larger towers, exact location uncertain.
Poor condition, considerable fading and yellowing.. |
|
|
![[Home]](/images/logo.gif){kind=logo}
