Sydney Central Police Station is located at 7–9 Central Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Operating for nearly 100 years, it functioned alongside the Central Local Court House and included attached holding cells[1].
The station sits at the rear of the Court House, accessible from Central Street. The building is rendered brick, with an ‘L’ shape plan and wrought iron balconies. Its roofline slopes back from the external walls in a single pitch, featuring galvanised gutters and downpipes. The Central Street façade is divided into three bays, the centre bay recessed and decorated with pilasters and entablatures in a simplified classical style. The main entry for prisoners is marked by stone columns and an engraved entablature, “Central Police Station,” with heavy cast iron gates securing the vehicular entry[1].
Designed by Colonial Architect James Barnet, the building was completed in 1892 in the Federation Free Classical style, with dressed sandstone details at the ground floor. The original three storeys of the northern wing face Central Street, while later additions—such as a four-storey extension to the western façade—are distinguishable by their simpler detailing. The building’s two wings house different functions, with the northern wing presenting low-pitch gable and flat roofs, and the southern wing featuring a skillion roof[1].
Historically, the police station provided accommodation for about fifty single male police officers in a barracks. The cells were considered “very complete and commodious” for their time. Sometimes known as “Liverpool Street,” the station was a key part of Sydney’s policing infrastructure during its operation[1][4].
By the late 1920s, critiques of the building highlighted its inadequacy for modern policing requirements—pointing out lack of space, poor facilities, and insufficient privacy for suspects and witnesses. Recommendations were made for modernisation, based on contemporary police buildings overseas, which featured improved cells, showers, and dedicated interview rooms. Nevertheless, Sydney Central Police Station remained one of the busiest and most important police stations in Sydney’s Metropolitan District during its operational history[7].
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