Very rare 1832 map of Sydney’s central waterfront

Description

This is a coastal outline of the southern central section of Sydney Harbour and a cadastral map for a number of land grants in the present-day suburbs of Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay. Stretching from Darling Harbour in the west to today’s Rushcutters Bay (Rose Bay) in the east, the map covers the very heart of Sydney city.

Coastal ribbing is used to illustrate the shoreline, while relief is shown by hachures, and rocks are rendered pictorially. Key landmarks are named, including several windmills, Dawes Point and Dawes Battery, Bathing House, and Botanic Garden. At Bennelong Point, where the Sydney Opera House stands today, Fort Macquarie is depicted. At the bottom right of the map, New Prison indicates the site of what became Darlinghurst Gaol, today the National Art School. Key roads shown include the predecessors of the current Macleay Street, Darlinghurst Road, and Oxford Street.

The key purpose of the map is to lay out the location of land grants given to the following individuals, comprising key public figures of the New South Wales colony of the time:

• Judge Wylde
• Dr. Douglas
• Busby
• A.B. Sparks
• Jn.o [i.e. John] Stephen
• A.M. Baxter
• W. Balcombe
• Smith & Barker
• A. Mc. Leay.

The last on the list, Alexander Macleay, served as the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, a role that placed him just below the Governor as the colony’s highest-ranking public official. At Elizabeth Bay, he constructed Elizabeth Bay House, which today is heritage listed and owned by Museums of History NSW.

At centre top, above the neatline, the map carries a second title, New South Wales and Van Dieman’s Lands – Grants. In addition, it features a north arrow at centre right and a distance scale at bottom right. There, it also holds the signature of Thomas Livingstone Mitchell, Surveyor General of New South Wales.

Engraved by Samuel Arrowsmith.

A scarce item documenting early New South Wales colonial history.

Publication

Published as part of parliamentary papers, for the British House of Commons. Note pagination annotation at top right (2.) and numbering near bottom centre (606.).

Rarity

The map is very rare. Although WorldCat does not show any listing, one copy is held by the National Library of Australia (Bib ID: 274974; Call Number: MAP F 324), while the manuscript original is held by the State Library of New South Wales (Call Number: Z/Ca 83/7).

We have not been able to identify any auction sales of the map and listings by major dealers over the last 40 years.

Condition

Very good.

Issued folding, with two vertical foldlines. Uncoloured. Along top, right, and bottom edges, light, even toning and a faint, narrow line of dampstaining. Three minor spots at top left.

Reference

Alexander Macleay. (2026, May 16). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Macleay

Darlinghurst Gaol. (2026, August 6). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlinghurst_Gaol

Elizabeth Bay House. (2026, July 16). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Bay_House

Item #: 02381

US $1,400.00

other currencies