The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-12
THE GROWING CITY OF
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

many awnings of galvanized iron and
glass extending out over the sidewalks
to shade them.
Sydney covers a vast area Its streets
wind about like those of Boston, and
it is facetiously said that the place was
originally laid out by a bullock driver
with boomerang. Sydney is noted for
its excellent wooden pavements. Con-
sui Bell, who has made a study of the
subject, says the pavements are better
than those of any other city, and that
they are SO we'll constructed that they
last for ten years without need of re-
pair. George street, upon which some
of the chief business houses are To-
Gated, recently took up a part of its
pavements after eleven years rough
usage The blocks We're as good as
when laid, save that they had been
worn down about one-fourth of an
inch. These blocks are of eucalyptus
wood dipped in boiling tar and laid on
a foundation of cement. They are fit
ted as closely as wood carpeting, and
they are so smooth that three tons can
be hauled over them by one horse, and
loads of six tons for two horses and ten
tons for four horses are not uncom-
mon. / am told that 10000, 600 pounds
of wool go over this street every year
1t has $40 large buses, each carrying
from sixteen to forty persons, which
are always travelling upon it, and not
Withstanding this. the wearing down is
less than one-thirtieth of an inch per
year. The wood has proven so good
that similar blocks are being shipped
to London and other English cities for
the streets there.
A WALK THROUGH THE CITY.
Let us take a walk through Sydney.
The sun is hot, but the iron and glass
awnings furnish protection, and we stroll
by great stores with well-displayed win
dows. You can buy almost anything
here YOU can buy in New York and the
prices are equally low. The goods are
marked in pounds, shillings and pence,
the shilling and penny taking the place
of the dollar and cent. There are fine
jewelry stores, photograph shops and
art stores.
Sydney has big insurance buildings,
bank buildings, excellent clubs and many
hotels The two largest hotels are the
Australia and the Metropole, which are
a cross between the good American and
good European hotels. The prices are
about the same as in the United States,
though at first they seem cheaper, the
e tras making up the difference There
are small hotels in every block, but the
most of these are mere saloons or public
houses. with a room or so for rent to
conform with the law providing that
liquor shall be sold only at hotels
One feature of the city is the numer-
Gus arcades which are cut through from
one street to another. These are ceiled
with glass, paved with tiles and decor
ated with tropical plants and flowers.
They are lighted at night with great arc
lights, which hang down from the stores
which wall them; they are also delight
full quarters in which to shop during the
heat of the day.
sydney has large department stores,
some of which do a business of several
million dollars annually and employ from
800 TO 1000 clerks. Such stores send out
quantities of merchandise by mail, for
much Of the population of New South
Wales lives on the sheep stations or on
farms away from the railroad
l have written of the public buildings
of Victoria. Sydney has some equally
fine and in some respects finer. Take the
Sydney town hall, which is said to be
the biggest building of it's kind in the
world. the next largest being that OF
Preston, England 1t is a magnificent
stone structure, situated in the heart OF
the city, containing an amusement hall
which vii seat 5000 people, and an or
gan which surpasses that of Melbourne
| Until this was bought the Melbourne or
gan was the biggest in the world. Sgd
ney was, of course, bound to beat Mel
bourne, and it has now the largest or
-;,lx
and thirty feet deep and cost $4,000. Il
has 8.756 pipes. Some are of wood sixty
four feet long and others vary in length
! from the height of a three-story house
to that of pin.
Associated with the town hall is the
| Centennial Hall. Other magnificent
structures are the public works office, the
offices of the secretaries of the colony
and the markets. The Sydney market:
cover several acres. and they are very
complete in their arrangement. Connect
ed with them is hotel, a concert hal
and a photograph gallery. They cos
altogether $. 200. 600
| The Sydney postoffice was built of tn,
freestone from under the city. 1t cover:
half a square and has a ground floor o.
about two acres. IT contains the post
office. the postal savings bank and tn,
/
all of which are run by the Government
/ The mail clerks wear uniforms Of brigh
red, and you see relocated men deliver
ing letters and driving the mail wagons
10 the trains.
SYDNEY PARKS.
Sydney is noted for its extensive parl
system. 1t has good lungs as an!
! city of Europe. Moore Park contains
500 acres. Centennial Park 76S acres, AM
there are also cricket grounds, the rae
courses and the fair grounds. Quite
space is given up to the geological gar
dens, to the botanical gardens, ant
there are many little pleasure grounds Oh
the islands
The most interesting park in Australi;
is the Domain II Sydney. This contain
more than 100 acres, and it is right II
the heart of the city. 1t has magnificen
trees, velvety lawns and walks an,
drives of every description. The Domail
is accessible to all; there are no signs t
keep off the grass. and little ones AM
grown-ups roll and stroll upon it.
|