HYDE PARK BARRACKS

Description

Essentials about the Hyde Park Barracks in brief

Hyde Park Barracks is one of Sydney’s most important historic buildings. Located on historic Macquarie Street at the northern end of Hyde Park of the same name, the brick building was once accommodation for male convicts and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its importance in Australia’s history. Today, Hyde Park Barracks houses a museum.

The history of the Hyde Park Barracks

In the early 19th century, Governor Lachlan Macquarie ordered the construction of a brick building to house convicts who had to work for the colonial government of New South Wales. In this construction, Macquarie departed from the previously practiced British colonial policy of creating convict camps where strict discipline and religious education were practiced, thus liberalizing them. Until 1838, Hyde Park Barracks housed male convicts.

From 1848 to 1886, the building was used for young immigrant women who were looking for work and were waiting for their families. During the period from 1887 to 1979, the Barracks housed courts and government offices. In 1981 the building was restored and today it houses a museum about the history of convicts.