Taylor Square Archives - Surry Hills News

Taylor Square Landmark in Surry Hills to Get a Vertical Addition

Photo Credit: D/2023/119

An iconic Taylor Square landmark in Surry Hills is set to get a vertical addition if plans for the redevelopment are given the green light.

David Mitchell Architects designed an extension to the historic building’s facade that creates a green three-storey addition to the red brick structure. The extension aims to revitalise the iconic site by adding more uses and opportunities for commercial, retail, creative and cultural activities.

Archon Property Pty Ltd is behind the development after buying the property on Flinders Street for $6.85 million in 2018. Previously, plans were also filed to turn Taylor Square into a nightclub and a cycling hub, although these did not pan out.

The Flinders Street building stands on one of the oldest commercial sites in Sydney. The property is under the Oxford Street Heritage Conservation Area, but it is not part of the NSW Heritage Register, National Heritage List, Commonwealth Heritage List, National Trust Register (NSW) or the former Register of the National Estate.

Taylor Square — Photo Credit: D/2023/119

“These new land uses will be facilitated through a sensitive refurbishment of the heritage listed building, and provision of new contemporary additions above the existing buildings contributing to the streetscape and character of Oxford Street and Taylor Square,” the developer cited in its development application (D/2023/119).

“They will result in retail ground plane activation and a publicly-accessible rooftop restaurant and bar.”

The Taylor Square landmark was formerly the Government Savings Bank of New South Wales and the Commonwealth Savings Bank. It was also known as the Taylor Square Hotel before it was shut down in 2008.

Published 3-May-2023

Sydney to Transform the Former Darlinghurst Police Station Into An LGBTIQA+ Museum

Did you know that there could soon be an LGBTQIA+ museum in Taylor Square? The heritage-listed building which used to house the Darlinghurst Police Station on Forbes and Bourke Streets is being eyed for the project by Qtopia.

Qtopia, a not-for-profit organisation advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community, recently received a $285,000 grant for the museum. The group has plans to mount exhibitions in the museum that will chronicle the AIDS crisis in Australia in the 1980s, the legal laws supporting LGBTQIA+, and the profiles of some of Australia’s most outspoken queer advocates.

The museum will also have a venue for hosting talks, lectures, and artistic performances. The plans will also likely include a cafe or bar.

In the 70s and 80s, members of the gay and lesbian communities were locked up at the Darlinghurst Police Station, including the protestors during the 1978 rally that led to the establishment of the very first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Qtopia and advocates like Ita Buttrose and Michael Kirby have been working out the site’s transformation as an LGBTQIA+ museum with the local council. Currently, the old Darlinghurst Police Station serves as the administrative office of NSW Health. However, Qtopia has also been discussing the project with health minister Brad Hazzard.

“While this building contributed to injustices suffered by many LGBTIQA+ people, transforming it into a significant community resource will support the healing of past injustices, address past wrongs, and celebrate the community’s resilience,” the Lord Mayor Clover Moore said in the decision to support Qtopia’s plans.

“Museums and cultural spaces play a central role in how we remember the past and interpret the present. Qtopia will be a place to celebrate the glamour, confetti and outrageous fun of parades and parties, but also to reflect on hard-fought gains and unite in the ongoing fight for equality.

“As one of the most LGBTIQA+ inclusive communities not just in Australia but around the world, Oxford Street is the perfect home for a museum that celebrates the history and culture of the LGBTIQA+ community,”

“Qtopia Sydney’s proposed museum aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for the public to celebrate, remember and learn more about the rich history of Sydney’s LGBTIQA+ community.”

Qtopia hopes that the museum will open in time for the Sydney WorldPride 2023.

Sydney Cycleways: Consultation Opens for ‘Environmental Impact’ in Surry Hills, Other Sites

The environmental impact of the Sydney cycleways is up for review nearly a year since the cycleway implementation across various areas, including Surry Hills. Have your say on what’s going to happen to these pop-up cycleways by participating in the ongoing public consultation.

According to the City of Sydney, the review will help determine if the temporary Sydney cycleways installed in Moore Park Road and Fitzroy Street, to boost cycling activity during the pandemic, could still be retained for the next two years. The initial plan is to remove the pop-up when the Oxford Street cycleway is completed.

Councillor Christine Forster said in a post on Facebook that Lord Mayor Clover Moore is likely leaning on approving the “permanency “of the Sydney cycleways during the May 2021 Council meeting. Hence, it is important for the residents to share their insights into this plan before the final decision.

The environmental impact review allows residents and those who use these bike paths to share their experience on the current state of the streets with the addition of the cycleways. Locals are encouraged to enumerate the pros and cons of this plan so Council can make the best assessment.

The public consultation will run until 9 April 2021. The community may also send their feedback via emailing sydneycycleways@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack announced that the Federal Government will fund 50 percent of the planned new cycleway on Oxford Street. This will run from Oxford Street east, connecting Taylor Square to Paddington Gates.

“Adding a separated cycleway will make it safer for cyclists and help calm traffic – creating a more pleasant environment for those on foot and the many businesses along the strip,” the Lord Mayor said.

Since the pandemic, New South Wales Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said that cycleway use increased to 40 percent.

Federal Member for Wentworth Dave Sharma said that he will support the removal of the COVID-19 pop-up cycleways on Moore Park Road and Fitzroy Street when Oxford Street is ready so the city could bring back the side street parking spaces to the locals.