Skip to main content
Advanced Search
The Old Church, Sydney, New South Wales [1805]
The Old Church, Sydney, New South Wales [1805]

The Old Church, Sydney, New South Wales [1805]

Photographer (Australian, 1877 - 1951)
Datec 1900
Object number00002400
NameGlass plate negative
MediumEmulsion on glass
ClassificationsPhotographs
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Bruce Stannard
DescriptionKnown as the ugliest church in Christendom the second Saint Philip's Anglican Church, but first stone one, operated from 1810 to 1856. It was built on Church Hill, York Street, the Military Windmill is in the background.HistoryWilliam Frederick Hall established a photographic studio in in 1890 in Phillip Street, Sydney. William James Hall joined his father in the photographic business from a young age and took over its operations in 1902. A number of photographic studios were established by William F Hall and William J Hall. Known at different times as Hall studio, Hall & Co, W F Hall and Hall W the businesses were located variously at 7 Castlereagh Street, 39, 44 and 70 Hunter Street, 91 Phillip Street and 21 Blight Street in Sydney city from 1890 onwards.SignificanceThe Hall photographic collection provides an important pictorial record of life in Australia between the 1890s and 1930s. The images were created by father and son photographers William Frederick Hall and William James Hall, and mainly consist of Sydney Harbour and sailing scenes, however William J Hall also gained an excellent reputation for his landscapes and livestock photography.