3-047-068 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

New South Wales Agricultural Exhibition, 1872. 'The Agricultural Society of New South Wales is the yearly tenant of a permanent Exhibition Building, constructed by the City Corporation of Sydney, in the Prince Alfred Park. It was first opened,...[in] 1870, for the Intercolonial Exhibition, to commemorate the centenary of Captain Cook's landing on the shores of Australia. This was an interesting event to remember; but the first party of settlers, under Governor Phillip, did not land in Sydney Cove till 1788, and that was the real beginning of the colony, which has now grown almost to a nation. The Exhibition Building, which was constructed by Mr. John Young, from the designs of Mr. Bell, city engineer, cost £20,000. It covers a space of half an acre, standing upon a terrace raised above the level of the park. The materials are brick, iron, glass, and wood. The design is rather of a Saracenic character, but has no architectural pretensions. The ground floor presents a space of 198 ft. by 130 ft., exclusive of vestibules and lobbies; along each side runs a gallery 15 ft. wide, and the two end galleries are 25 ft. wide. There are ten entrances to the building. Our Illustrations were supplied by Mr. T. V. Wilshire, photographer, of Sydney'. From "Illustrated London News", 1872.