Aboriginal people have lived in the region of Sydney for millennia. Prior to colonisation, there existed a vast and diverse array of communities and languages in the area, collectively known as the Eora Nation. The Gadigal – Gadi meaning tree and the suffix -gal meaning people – lived on the southern side of Sydney Harbour.
1874 marked the completion of the General Post Office, featuring a narrow laneway that was widened in 1889, being opened to the public in September of 1892 as Martin Place. Throughout the nineteenth century, Martin Place in conjunction with the area surrounding the Streets of Pitt, Moore and Castlereagh evolved into a commercial centre for Sydney.
From Commonwealth events, to marches for World Wars, to rallies and activism for civil rights, it is a precinct of exceptional significance.