#SydneyOpen stop eight: Today's City of Sydney Fire Station on Castlereagh Street was more than 65 years in the making thanks to lengthy approvals. The original 1887 building was made in the style of Victorian free classical architecture and was based on the design expertise of the London Metropolitan Fire Brigade. Designed by colonial architect James Barnet, the establishment of a fire station brought UK innovations to the Australian colony. In 1907, the original building was extended along Castlereagh Street to the north. In 1923, the old boot factory next door was converted into a gymnasium, carpentry shop, workshops and dormitory. In the same year, as Sydney boomed in the roaring 1920s, the ground floor was converted with two new engine bays to house a fleet of new motorised fire engines. Despite urgent calls in 1934 for a larger station, it wasn't until 1999, on the cusp of the Sydney Olympics, that an application was finally approved to refurbish and re-use the site. Construction of the new station was completed in 2003, along with restoration of the original building and stonework. See more at fb.com - hidensydney #hiddensydney #SydneyIsOpen #city #cbd #CityOfSydneyFireStation #CastlereaghStreet #architecture #colony #colonial #architect #JamesBarnet #victorian #classical #design #innovation #boom #approvals #delay (at City of Sydney Fire Station)