The Sydney Mint is the oldest public building in the Sydney business district. The Sydney Mint was built between 1811 and 1816 as the southern wing of the Sydney Hospital, then known as Rum Hospital. In 1854, the mint was founded in the renovated building of the former hospital. In the inner wing of the building was located equipment for minting coins. These two buildings are architectural monuments of New South Wales.
| Sydney Mint | |
|---|---|
 Main Mint Building | |
| Founding date | 1816 - 1854 years |
| Location |  Australia , Sydney |
| Coordinates | |
| Site | |
Buildings are located on Macver Street 10, a short distance from other famous Australian historic buildings, including the former Hyde Park Barracks, St. James Church and the state parliament. Currently, these buildings are open to the public.
Content
History
In 1811, Governor Lachlan Macquarie began planning for the building of a new general hospital in Sydney , which was to become the city’s first large public building. The builders drank 45,000 gallons of rum, and the new hospital was named Rum Hospital. Construction was completed in 1816 [1] .
The building was built in the style of ancient Greek architecture with two tiers of columns. The plan envisaged the creation of an optical illusion imitating the Parthenon in Athens.
From 1842 to 1854 the building housed a military hospital.
The Royal Mint (1855–1926)
The British Secretary of State issued a decree to the colonial government to create a mint in Sydney, which was to become the first branch of the Royal Mint outside England. Also planned was the construction of a coin minting shop. With the transfer of the mint in 1926, to Melbourne and Perth, where much more advanced equipment stood, the mint was closed [2] .
Government offices, museum (1927-present)
After the closure of the Mint in Sydney, the State Insurance Office was located there. For 50 years, the building was occupied by other state institutions, including the local government of the Pension Council, the Electric Company, the licensing committee and the department of the family planning fund. Buildings dilapidated and planned to demolish them.
Historic heritage conservation activists in 1979 successfully campaigned to preserve the Mint building. The New South Wales Prime Minister, Neville Run, announced that the Mint would come under the control of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. The museum was closed in 1997 and the building was transferred under the control of the city administration [3] .
Notes
- ↑ The Mint: Surgeons . Historic Houses Trust website . Historic Houses Trust, NSW State Government. The appeal date is March 27, 2010. Archived April 20, 2013.
- ↑ The Mint: Coins . Historic Houses Trust website . Historic Houses Trust, NSW State Government. The appeal date is March 27, 2010. Archived April 20, 2013.
- ↑ Home page | The world's leading construction web site (inaccessible link)