Dawes Point Sydney, New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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Sydney Harbour Bridge, viewed from Observatory Hill | |||||||||||||||
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Coordinates | 33°51′22″S151°12′25″E / 33.856°S 151.207°E /-33.856; 151.207 | ||||||||||||||
Population | 385 (SAL2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 2,541/km2 (6,580/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 2000 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 0.15 km2 (0.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Location | 1 km (1 mi) north ofSydney CBD | ||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | City of Sydney | ||||||||||||||
Parish | St. Philip | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Sydney | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Sydney | ||||||||||||||
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Dawes Point is a suburb of theCity of Sydney, in the state ofNew South Wales,Australia. Dawes Point is located on the north-western edge of theSydney central business district, at the southern end ofSydney Harbour Bridge, adjacent toThe Rocks. Historically, Dawes Point (including Walsh Bay) has been considered to be part of the suburb of Millers Point and the name change is controversial (https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/millers_point).
The suburb of Dawes Point is on Gadigal Country. The point was originally known by the Aboriginal names ofTar-ra andTullagalla. This was later changed by Governor Hunter at William Dawes' request toPoint Maskelyne in honour of his patronReverend Dr Nevil Maskelyne, BritishAstronomer Royal.[2] He sent out the first astronomical instruments which were established at the point in the country's first observatory, byLieutenant William Dawes (1762–1836),astronomer with theFirst Fleet. The point was renamed in honour of Dawes.[3] Dawes Point is one of the places around Sydney Harbour that has been officially gazetted as a dual named site by the NSW Geographical Names Board. It was officially gazetted Dawes Point / Tar-Ra in 2002.[4]
It was also the site of the first guns mounted in Sydney by Dawes in 1788, contained Sydney's first cemetery and laterDawes Point Battery.Walsh Bay was the site of Sydney's port facilities. The wharves were converted to apartments, theatres, restaurants, cafes and a hotel.
By the 1840s, the people of Dawes Point and Millers Point were a maritime community in which rich and poor mixed more than elsewhere in Sydney. Wharf owners and traders lived and worked beside those who worked on the wharves and bond stores, as well as those who arrived and left on ships.[5] Only two of the merchant houses, built by and for the early wharf owners, survive. One is Walker's 50-foot wide villa built around 1825 and now part of Milton Terrace at 7-9 Lower Fort Street; the other is the home and offices of Edwards and Hunter, built in 1833 above their wharves which is where the Wharf Theatre now stands.[6]
Mostly prosperous in its early years, the area was less desirable by the 1890s. At the beginning of the 20th century, the government compulsorily acquired all private wharves, homes and commercial properties in the Rocks, Dawes Point and Millers Point. Modern and efficient wharves with dual level access were built, as well as new accommodation for workers, such as the Workers Flats of Lower Fort Street designed by Government Architect Vernon.[7] During 2014–18, the majority of the area's social housing was sold and its tenants left the Millers Point area.
Dawes Point has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
At the2021 census, the population of Dawes Point had increased to 385. 56.9% of people were born in Australia and 76.4% of people only spoke English at home. The most common response for religion was No Religion at 45.7%.[12] Median mortgage payments were $3,467 a month.[12]
In the2016 census, there were 357 people in Dawes Point. 63.8% of people were born in Australia and 76.2% of people only spoke English at home. The most common response for religion was No Religion at 39.9%.[13]
Median mortgage repayments were $5,200 a month or $62,400 a year, the highest median mortgage repayment in the greater Sydney area.[13][14]
TheSydney Theatre andThe Wharf Theatre, which are part of theSydney Theatre Company, are located in Dawes Point.
Media related toDawes Point, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons