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Dawes Point, New South Wales
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Dawes Point is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Dawes Point is located on the north-eastern edge of the Sydney central business district, at the southern end of Sydney Harbour Bridge, adjacent to The Rocks. It is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney.
History
The area was originally known by the Aboriginal names of Tarra and Tullagalla. This was later changed to Point Maskelyne in honour of Reverend Dr Nevil Maskelyne, British Astronomer Royal. He sent out the first astronomical instruments which were established at the point in the country's first observatory, by Lieutenant William Dawes (1762-1836), astronomer with the First Fleet. The point was renamed in honour of Dawes. The current Sydney Observatory building on Observatory Hill was completed in 1858.
It was also the site of the first guns mounted in Sydney by Dawes in 1788, contained Sydney's first cemetery and later Dawes Point Battery.
References
- The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollen, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8
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