Darling Harbour conservation and re-use with particular reference to Pyrmont Bridge

Abstract

Part I of this thesis considers that part of Darling Harbour which lies south of Pyrmont Bridge in the City of Sydney. It traces the history of Darling Harbour from the time of the First Fleet through its development as: (i) a commercial port; (ii) the birthplace of Australian industry; and (iii) the largest railway Goodsyard in the State. Part I studies the present circumstances of the area and its potential. It examines the existing constraints upon the site and assesses the conflicting plans of various Australian, State and Local Government agencies. The question of conservation, or rather, the lack of conservation, is considered. Part II concludes by rejecting the proposal for the extension of longshore wharves south of Pyrmont Bridge and recommends the recycling of the Goodsyard for a major people oriented open space of regional significance together with a certain amount of housing and commercial development. Part II develops a proposal in which conservation is an essential and integral part. Without the retention of key historic structures like Pyrmont Bridge and the Darling Harbour Forwarding Station the proposal could not realise the full potential of Darling Harbour. The rpoposal envisages a Bicentennial waterfront park with a multitude of activities. Certain Government—owned land on the edge of the Goodsyard is earmarked for private development. Conservation includes the retention of Pyrmont Bridge, the Darling Harbour Forwarding Station, and the Corn Exchange and part of a railway shed. The success of the conservation proposals hinge on the construction of a pedestrian bridge link from Pyrmont Bridge to Market Street in the City Centre. Life and finance are injected into the conservation proposals by locating Paddy’s Market on the Bridge and the Sydney Maritime Museum and the Sydney Fishing Museum beneath it. The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences operates the swing span and operates the "Pyrmont Bridge Stations". This thesis includes a brief statement on a management structure which has insured the conservation of other bridges in NSW, and concludes that conservation, the forgotten element in all current plans, is an essential ingredient for the future of Darling Harbour.