Great Hall of the University of Sydney

The Great Hall of the University of Sydney, Australia, is one of the principal structures of the university, with a public interior used for formal ceremonies, conferences, recitals and dinners. The Hall, located in the Main Quadrangle on the Camperdown campus, is a symbol of the university's stately history and an excellent example of Victorian Gothic revival architecture. Completed in 1859, the university soon became a tourist attraction; the writer Anthony Trollope wrote home in 1874 that the Hall was "the finest chamber in the colonies", and that no college of Oxford or Cambridge possessed a hall "of which the proportions are so good".

Designed by Sir Edmund Thomas Blacket (1817–1883), the Great Hall lies at the most northeastern point of the university Quadrangle - dominating the sweeping lawns of University Place, as well as University Avenue, which overlooks Victoria Park. Blacket, who was appointed Colonial Architect of New South Wales from 1849–1854, resigned from his position in 1855 to pursue the design of new buildings for the University - supervising both their development, and construction, until their completion in 1862. Blacket's other notable achievements include the design of St. Paul's College and the alteration of the original construction of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney, from architect James Hume's original design.

The Great Hall was completed in 1859, and represents one of Blacket's finest accomplishments. On July 18, 1859, degrees were first conferred upon graduates by the University in a formal ceremony in the Hall. During 1881–1882, a Forster & Andrews pipe organ was installed, later to be replaced in 1971-72 by the present organ which was manufactured by German builder Rudolf von Beckerath of Hamburg.

The Great Hall is recognised as one of the finest examples of the Victorian Gothic revival style of architecture in Australia, in a design that reflects, and harmoniously complements the University Quadrangle of which it forms part.

...
Wikipedia