Decision details

By Councillor Phelps

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)          Chinese people have been immigrating to Sydney since the 1850s, and have long contributed to the cultural diversity of Sydney;

(a)        Sydney's Chinese community originally settled in the Rocks, but moved to the Haymarket area in the early 1900s;

(b)        in 1980, Dixon Street became Sydney's official Chinatown after the Sydney City Council, Dixon Street property owners and business owners jointly raised funds to build the ceremonial archways at each end of the Dixon Street Chinatown area; and

(c)         since then, the area has seen significant growth and modern day Haymarket Chinatown hosts hundreds of businesses, from eateries and bakeries to clothing and jewellery shops; and

(ii)         the ceremonial archways have become an instantly recognisable part of Sydney's Chinatown, with many tourists stopping to take photos in front of these cultural icons;

(B)        the Chief Executive Officer be requested to commence the process to have the Haymarket Chinatown gates listed on the NSW State Heritage Register particularly citing that the structures:

(i)          are important in the course, or pattern, of NSW's cultural or natural history;

(ii)         have strong or special association with the life or works of a person, or group of persons, of importance in NSW's cultural or natural history;

(iii)        are important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in NSW;

(iv)       have strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in NSW for social, cultural or spiritual reasons; and

(v)         are important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of NSW’s - cultural or natural places.

Withdrawn.

S129263