| Chief Secretary's Building | |
|---|---|
 The building as viewed from Bridge Street and Phillip Street | |
  Chief Secretary's Building Location in greater Sydney | |
| Former names | Colonial Secretary's Building |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Government administration |
| Architectural style | |
| Address | 121 Macquarie Street, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 33°51′49″S 151°12′44″E / 33.8635°S 151.2123°E |
| Current tenants | |
| Construction started | 1873 |
| Completed | 1886 |
| Opened | 1881 |
| Cost |
|
| Renovation cost | A$32 million (2005) |
| Client | Colonial Secretary of New South Wales |
| Owner | Government of New South Wales |
| Technical details | |
| Material | |
| Floor count | 5 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) |
|
| Architecture firm | Colonial Architect of New South Wales |
| Developer | Government of New South Wales |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect(s) | Government Architect's Office |
| Awards and prizes |
|
| Official name | Chief Secretary's Building; Colonial Secretary's Building |
| Type | State Heritage (built) |
| Criteria | a., c., d., e., f. |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 766 |
| Type | Other – Government & Administration |
| Category | Government and Administration |
| References | |
| [1][2][3] | |
The Chief Secretary's Building (originally and still commonly known as the Colonial Secretary's Building) is a heritage-listed[1][2] state government administration building of the Victorian Free Classical architectural style located at 121 Macquarie Street, 65 Bridge Street, and at 44–50 Phillip Street in the Sydney central business district of New South Wales, Australia. The ornate five-storey public building was designed by Colonial Architect James Barnet and built in two stages, the first stages being levels one to four completed between 1873 and 1881, with Walter Liberty Vernon completing the second stage between 1894 and 1896 when the mansard at level five and the dome were added.[1]
The sandstone building was the seat of colonial administration, has been used continuously by the Government of New South Wales, and even today holds the office of the Governor of New South Wales. Its main occupant is the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales; several of the larger rooms are now courtrooms.
...(this) pile of a building like a veritable 'poem in stone' adorns the northern portion of Macquarie Street.
— Illustrated Sydney News, 28 February 1891
- ^ a b c "Chief Secretary's Building". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00766. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
- ^ a b "Chief Secretarys Building, 121 Macquarie St, Sydney, NSW, Australia (Place ID 1824)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
- ^ Australian Heritage Commission (1981). The Heritage of Australia: the illustrated register of the National Estate. South Melbourne: The Macmillan Company of Australia in association with the Australian Heritage Commission. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-333-33750-9.
