Royal Australasian College of Physicians – 145 Macquarie St, Sydney

Headquarters of the Royal Australian College of Physicians on Macquarie Street, Sydney, circa 1989. It was, and still remains, one of the last surviving grand terrace houses from Colonial Sydney. (Image source: City of Sydney Archives)

The headquarters of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, 145 Macquarie Street, was rescued by the BLF just days before Christmas of 1973. The 1848 terrace house, with its distinguished Georgian terraces, was designed for John Fairfax and had served as the RACP HQ since 1937. Sydney City Council were contemplating demolishing the building to make way for 17-storey office block. After having consulted the National Trust, Jack Mundey announced on 22 December that any demolition work on the building was banned. The building eventually achieved heritage listing and was subsequently renovated; an extension was added and the interior was entirely refurbished, all very carefully in order to retain the original elegance of the façade.

References
Verity and Meredith Burgmann, Green bans, red union: the saving of a city, 1998; Anne Summers (et al.), The little green book: facts on the green bans, 1973.

Research provided by Isabella Maher

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On the 50th anniversary of the Green Bans, the ideals of their struggle to protect heritage and environmental amenity for all to enjoy are more urgent than ever. In 2011 the Green Bans Art Walk and Exhibition (in two parts at The Cross Art Projects and The Firstdraft Depot Project Space), told the story of an inspired period, its charismatic leaders and grass-roots heroes. The project comprised a series of public guided walks between the exhibition venues functioned as a living instruction manual and moral compass charting stories of good and evil, creativity and conflict. Read more

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