City of Sydney buys heritage-listed Customs House
One of the country’s most prominent heritage buildings, Customs House, has been bought by the City of Sydney from the federal government for an undisclosed sum.
The council acquired Customs House from the Commonwealth Department of Finance after leasing and managing the building since 1994.
“Customs House is one of Australia’s finest buildings and I’m delighted it will remain in public hands,” Sydney mayor Clover Moore says.
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“From 1845 to 1990, Customs House was the gateway to Australia, welcoming goods and people through its doors. Four years after the Australian Customs Service moved out, the city began leasing and managing the building,” Moore says.
The mayor said the building, which also houses a library and exhibition space and which will soon serve as offices for co-working group Hub Australia, is one of the city’s most iconic properties.
“We will now look at how we can improve the building to ensure it remains a valuable community asset for generations to come,” Moore says.
City Historian Dr Lisa Murray says the 174-year-old building served as the original gateway for imports into Sydney.
Murray says that in the city’s early days as a commercial centre, smugglers were active not only in relation to banned goods, but to any goods that attracted a significant tariff.
As late as 1924, customs tax still contributed more than 70% of the nation’s revenue, meaning Customs House played an enormous role in funding Australia during the early years of federation, she adds.
The council’s property portfolio includes a series of buildings on the block bounded by Pitt, Park and George streets that have been acquired to knock down and develop a planned Town Hall Square.
This article originally appeared on www.theaustralian.com.au/property.
