Page 96 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

94  SY DNEY

1Queen Victoria
Building
455 George St. Map 1 B5. Tel (02)
9264 9209. £ Town Hall. Open
9am–6pm Mon–Wed, 9am–9pm Thu,
9am–6pm Fri & Sat, 11am–5pm Sun;
11am–5pm public hols. 7 8 See
Shopping pp136–41. ∑ qvb.com.au
French designer Pierre Cardin
called the Queen Victoria
Building “the most beautiful
shopping centre in the world”.
Yet this ornate Romanesque
building, better known as the
QVB, began life as the Sydney Ornately decorated Gothic foyer of the State Theatre
produce market. Completed to
the design of City Architect examples of ornate period architect John Spencer, was the
George McRae in 1898, the cinemas in Australia. Its finest of all. Opened in April 1892,
dominant features are Baroque style is evident in the it was lit by natural light pouring
the central copper foyer, with its high ceiling, through the glass roof and the
dome and the glass mosaic floor, marble chandeliers, each carrying 50
roof which lets columns and statues. jets of gas as well as 50 lamps.
in a flood of The auditorium is lit After a fire in 1976, the
natural light. by a 20,000-piece building was restored to its
The market chandelier. The original Victorian splendour.
closed at the end beautiful Wurlitzer Now visitors can enjoy its shop-
of World War I. organ (under repair) ping and beautiful coffee shops.
By the 1950s, Roof detail, Queen rises from below
the building was Victoria Building stage before
threatened with performances. 4Martin Place
demolition. The theatre is now one of the Map 1 B4. @ George St & Elizabeth St
Refurbished at a cost of over city’s special events venues. routes. £ Martin Place.
A$75 million, the QVB
reopened in 1986 as a This plaza was opened in
shopping gallery with more 3Strand Arcade 1891 and made a traffic-free
than 190 shops. A wishing well 412–414 George St. Map 1 B5. Tel (02) precinct in 1971. It is busiest
incorporates a stone from 9265 6800. £ Wyatt Place, Wynyard. at lunchtime as city workers
Blarney Castle, a sculpture of Open 9am–5:30pm Mon–Wed & Fri, enjoy their sandwiches while
Islay, Queen Victoria’s dog and 9am–9pm Thu, 9am–8pm Sat, 11am– watching free entertainment
a statue of the queen herself. 4pm Sun. Closed 25, 26 Dec, some in the amphitheatre near
Inside the QVB, suspended public hols. 7 See Shopping pp136–41. Castlereagh Street.
from the ceiling, is the Royal ∑ strandarcade.com.au Every Anzac Day (see p46) the
Clock. Designed in 1982 by focus moves to the Cenotaph
Neil Glasser, it features part of Victorian Sydney was a city of at the George Street end. Past
Balmoral Castle above a copy grand shopping arcades. The and present service personnel
of the four dials of Big Ben. Strand, joining George and Pitt attend a dawn service and
Every hour, a fanfare is played streets and designed by English wreath-laying ceremony,
with a parade depicting followed by a march along
various English monarchs. Elizabeth Street. The shrine, by
Bertram MacKennal, was
unveiled in 1929.
2State Theatre On the southern side of the
Cenotaph is the façade of the
49 Market St. Map 1 B5. Tel (02) 9373 Renaissance-style General Post
6655. £ Town Hall, Martin Place. Box
office: Open 9am–5:30pm Mon–Fri. Office, considered to be the
Closed Good Fri, 25 Dec. 7 8 (book finest building by James Barnet,
ahead). ∑ statetheatre.com.au colonial architect in 1866.
A stainless steel sculpture of
When it opened in 1929, this upended cubes, the Dobell
cinema was hailed as the Memorial Sculpture, is a tribute
finest that local craftsmanship to Australian artist William
could achieve. The State Pitt Street entrance to the majestic Dobell, created by Bert
Theatre is one of the best Strand Arcade Flugelman in 1979.
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp482–3 and pp504–7