Australia’s Most Beloved Landmarks Before And After They Became Famous

How times change

Australia is a relatively young country but its iconic landmarks like the Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef and the desert monolith, Uluru, are famous around the world. It is a dynamic and evolving country too, with much changing over the course of its short modern history.

Click through the gallery for a selection of 'then’ and ‘now’ images that show just how much Australia’s legendary landmarks have changed over the past couple of centuries...

Then: Parliament House, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Old Parliament House was the home of Australia's government from 1927 to 1988. It was built in the middle of a sheep farm that was chosen as the site of Australia’s capital city, Canberra, almost equidistant between the country’s biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne. It was only ever intended as a ‘provisional’ parliament, to be used for fifty years at most, but its opening on May 9, 1927 was nevertheless a spectacular affair that saw Dame Nellie Melba sing the national anthem and the Duke of York open the door with a big gold key.

Now: Parliament House, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Fast forward to May 9, 1988 and Australia’s new ‘permanent’ parliament house is finally opened by Queen Elizabeth II. The old parliament house, originally built to accommodate 300 people, was bursting at the seams with over 3,000 people working there. The new Parliament House is one of the largest buildings in the southern hemisphere and was designed to blend in with the environment. Over one million cubic metres of earth and rock were removed so it could be built into Capital Hill, directly behind the old parliament.

Then: The Blue Mountains, New South Wales

For early European settlers the soaring sandstone ridges of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney were an impenetrable barrier, blocking the expansion of the new colony. But when a path across was successfully navigated in 1813 and a railway built in 1869, the area opened up. The area’s distinctive blue haze, created by droplets of eucalyptus oil, was believed to have medicinal qualities. Soon enough, stressed Sydneysiders were flocking to health spas and hotels like the Hydro Majestic Hotel in Medlow Bath or simply breathing in the fresh mountain air like these 19th century tourists at a lookout in Blackheath (pictured).

Now: The Blue Mountains, New South Wales

Today the Blue Mountains are still one of Australia’s most popular tourist attractions. Over three million day-trippers flock to the UNESCO-listed national park each year to walk the area's spectacular trails, stay in its grand heritage hotels or explore its burgeoning foodie scene. The iconic Scenic Railway, the steepest in the world, thrills passengers as it descends to the valley floor at a 52° (128%) incline. The 886-foot-high (270m) Scenic Skyway (pictured) lets visitors soar above the vast valley and escarpments rather than simply look across them, like their 19th century counterparts had to.

Then: Birdsville Hotel, Queensland

Before Australia’s states federated in 1901, transporting goods between them was akin to shifting goods to another country. Each had their own taxes and customs which had to be collected, even on the edge of the Simpson Desert. The fly-speck Queensland settlement of Birdsville, just 8.7 miles from the South Australia border, became an important customs post for stock and supplies. In 1884 William Blair spotted an opportunity and built the Birdsville Hotel to ‘water’ the cattle men who passed through along this vital cattle droving route.

Now: Birdsville Hotel, Queensland

For over 140 years, the Birdsville Hotel has endured floods, fires and even cyclones to become a symbol of the spirit and character of outback Queensland. These days it’s tourists rather than drovers who seek a refreshing lager behind its weathered sandstone walls, or spend a night here before setting off on the legendary Birdsville Track. September is particularly lively when thousands of visitors converge on the town for the world-famous Birdsville Races. It’s the undisputed highlight of Outback Australia’s understandably eccentric social calendar.

Then: Sydney Opera House, New South Wales

The Sydney Opera House is one of Australia’s most beloved and famous landmarks. But there were times during its conception, planning and building that the entire project looked doomed. There were squabbles over its design, how it would be funded and whether it was even possible to build its iconic sails at all. Here we see the shell-shaped roof taking shape in 1963. Less than three years later the Opera House’s Danish designer, Jorn Utzon, would resign in a dispute over the building’s interior and leave the project teetering on the brink.

Now: Sydney Opera House, New South Wales

A team of Australian architects and engineers took the troubled project on and succeeded, with the Sydney Opera House officially being opened by Queen Elizabeth II on October 20, 1973. It was 10 years late and 1,300% over budget but the instantly iconic building quickly became not just a symbol of Sydney but of Australia itself. Along with the city’s equally iconic harbor bridge, it is a focal point of the city’s famous New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration and a stunning canvas during Sydney’s annual Vivid festival (pictured) that sees city landmarks illuminated with awe-inspiring art installations and 3D light projections.

Then: Fremantle, Western Australia

Affectionately known as ‘Freo,’ Fremantle is the port city that serves the Western Australian capital. Founded in 1829, and known as the ‘Swan River Settlement,’ it actually predates Perth. During the Gold Rush of the 1890s, it became one of the most affluent cities in the country. Many of the city’s most impressive buildings date from this time including the Town Hall and the Esplanade Hotel. The wealth generated by the Gold Rush also funded major civics programs like the tram lines shown being laid here around 1900.

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Now: Fremantle, Western Australia

While much has changed in Fremantle, its historical center hasn’t. This part of the city is regarded as the world's best-preserved example of a 19th century port streetscape and boasts Western Australia's largest collection of heritage-listed buildings. These magnificent buildings once housed shipbrokers, customs officials, merchants and even warehouses. Today they are home to buzzing cafes, microbreweries, markets and galleries, making Fremantle the perfect day trip from nearby Perth or a short-break destination in itself.

Then: The Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

The post-war boom in Australia after the Second World War saw an equally dramatic increase in domestic tourism as well, especially in the sunny northern state of Queensland. In 1958, the state’s tourism department released a colorful ‘Guide to Queensland.’ It extolled the delights of the wild waterfalls, glorious surfing and wondrous coral and marine life around Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. Astonishingly, riding sea turtles (pictured) was one of the most popular activities with riders advised to sit ‘well aft’ to minimise the risk of being thrown suddenly into the sea.

Now: The Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Today the Great Barrier Reef remains one of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting over two million visitors each year. Thankfully, there is a more enlightened approach these days to protecting it. In 1975, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was created. In 1981, the reef was listed by UNESCO as one of the most important ecosystems on earth. While the reef continues to face challenges, particularly from global warming, the sea turtles that live here no longer have to worry about being saddled up and ridden.

Then: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Victoria

The Melbourne Cricket Club was founded on November 15, 1838 and played on a number of unsuitable grounds before settling on a former government paddock in 1853, the current site of this world-famous sporting venue. In 1856 it hosted the first intercolonial cricket match, a clash between Victoria and New South Wales, and in 1877 the first test match between Australia and England was played here. This photo was taken during the second Ashes Test between the two countries on January 1, 1898. Australia won the match by an innings and 55 runs.

Now: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Victoria

From a ground that had a public grandstand barely capable of holding 6,000 people in 1861, the ‘G,’ as it is affectionately known, has grown into the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere with an official capacity of just over 100,000 spectators. The MCC was involved in drafting the first set of rules for Australian rules football in 1859 and hosts the AFL Grand Final every year. It was also the centerpiece of the 1956 Olympic Games held in Melbourne and has hosted evangelist Billy Graham, Pope John Paul II and Taylor Swift on her recent Eras tour.

Then: Port Arthur, Tasmania

Port Arthur in Van Diemen's Land (modern-day Tasmania) was one of the most isolated and notorious penal settlements in the colonies. Established in 1830, gangs of convicts were sent into the bush to fell timber in harsh and brutal conditions. The year 1848 saw the first stone laid for the Separate Prison, the completion of which marked a shift from physical to mental subjugation of the prisoners. Flogging, solitary confinement and being made to wear heavy leg irons were commonplace punishments, with the worst offenders sent to work in nearby coal mines.

Now: Port Arthur, Tasmania

Attempts in the 1850s and 1860s to make the prison and station economically sustainable by focusing on shipbuilding proved fruitless and in 1877 the last convict was shipped out. Devastating bushfires in 1895 and 1897 gutted many of the buildings but by the late 1920s a tourism industry of sorts had sprung up, with visitors keen to see first-hand the horrors of a penal station. The site remains one of Tasmania's most popular tourist destinations, offering a unique insight into this dark chapter in Australia’s history.

Then: Glenelg, South Australia

Renowned for its wide beach, stunning sunsets, rich heritage and bustling stores, cafes and arcades, the beachside suburb of Glenelg has always been Adelaide’s seaside playground. Here we see the massive crowd that descended on Glenelg's famous beach to celebrate Commemoration Day in 1900. Note the horse-drawn bathing machines that were popular at the time, as well as the suburb’s impressive Town Hall, built in 1877, with its tower designed to offer expansive views of the ocean and surrounding areas.

Now: Glenelg, South Australia

Glenelg remains a popular seaside destination, easily reached by tram from the centre of Adelaide. Many of the suburb’s historic buildings remain, as well as Art Deco mansions built by wealthy residents in the 1920s and 1930s. The long sandy beach, backed by Norfolk pines, is less chaotic since the demise of bathing machines. Opened in 1859, the jetty remains a focus. During the Orthodox Epiphany festival, when Adelaide's Greek population descend upon it to celebrate Theophany, the city's Greek Orthodox bishop can be seen throwing a cross from the jetty for a swimmer to retrieve.

Then: The Ghan Railway, Northern Territory/South Australia

'Ghans' were camel drivers who worked in outback Australia from the 1830s to the 1930s. Although they were commonly referred to as 'Afghans,' they came from a wide range of countries across the Middle East and India. They played an essential role in opening up Central Australia, delivering supplies into areas that horses and bullocks couldn’t cope with. They also helped to build the Australian Overland Telegraph Line between Adelaide and Darwin and the railway that ran alongside it.

Now: The Ghan Railway, Northern Territory/South Australia

The world-famous Ghan takes its name from the pioneering cameleers who blazed a trail into the heart of Australia. Regarded as one of the world’s great railway journeys, it follows their route from more than 150 years ago, travelling 1,851 miles from Darwin to Adelaide (and vice versa) through the Red Centre of Australia. Unlike the original camel drivers, today’s 'ghans' get to experience the desolate beauty of the outback from the comfort of a luxuriously appointed carriage while enjoying fine wine and gourmet meals.

Then: The Australian Alps, New South Wales/Victoria

Recreational skiing was introduced to Australia in 1861 by Norwegian miners working in the goldmines around Kiandra in the Australian Alps. They are said to have fashioned skis from fence palings. By the 1870s, they were holding regular ski carnivals on what was effectively the country’s first ski slopes. Here we see a meeting of the Kiandra Snow Shoe Club in 1900. The club was formed in 1861 and claims to be both the first and longest-surviving ski club in the world, on the basis that Canadians, Americans and Europeans at that time had only ever used skis as a means of winter transport.

Now: The Australian Alps, New South Wales/Victoria

Nowadays, skiing in Australia is an altogether more sophisticated affair with world-class resorts – like Mount Hotham (pictured) – scattered across the Australian Alps in both Victoria and New South Wales. It’s popular too. In 2020, Aussies notched up a record 2.6 million skier days. The runs are shorter than their European counterparts and the resorts are smaller, but that can be considered a blessing when comparing them to the behemoths of Les 3 Vallees in France or Vail in Colorado.

Then: St Kilda Pier, Melbourne, Victoria

The pier at St Kilda in Melbourne was built in the mid-1800s, serving as a jetty for the ferries that plied their way across Port Phillip Bay between St Kilda and Williamstown and Port Melbourne. It quickly became a popular spot to take an evening stroll and admire Melbourne’s rapidly expanding skyline, just across the bay. This photo was taken in the late 1800s. A quirky Edwardian-style kiosk was built on the pier in 1904 and quickly became the place to be seen on a sunny day.

Now: St Kilda Pier, Melbourne, Victoria

St Kilda Pier has been ravaged by both fire and indifference but remains a popular destination for fishing, an ice cream or an evening stroll. The view of Melbourne’s skyline from here remains unrivaled, especially at sunset or early evening when the city lights begin to twinkle. In 2022, a AU$53 ($35m USD) million redevelopment of the pier began. The project resulted in a landscaped entrance to the pier, as well as a refurbished and modernized structure that makes it easier to view the colony of 1,300 little penguins that burrow in the breakwater here.

Then: Big Banana, Coffs Harbor, New South Wales

In 1964 local Coffs Harbor banana farmer John Landi hit upon an ingenious way to make passing traffic stop at his roadside banana stall. With the help of local engineer Alan Chapman and local builder Alan Harvey, he created a 43-foot-long (13m), anatomically correct, concrete banana. It could lay claim to being the biggest in the world. On December 22, that year, Australia’s very first ‘Big Thing’ – or giant, quirky outdoor novelty sculpture – was officially opened.

Now: Big Banana, Coffs Harbor, New South Wales

The Big Banana quickly became a ‘must-stop’ destination on any trip up Australia’s east coast. Since a $30 million dollar redevelopment in 1989, it's now a fun park as well. Boasting the biggest waterpark between Sydney and the Gold Coast, a state-of-the-art laser tag arena, toboggan ride and World of Bananas plantation tour experience, there's plenty to keep you entertained here. There's also an expanded gift store for all your stationery needs. 

Then: Sydney Harbor Bridge, New South Wales

When a bridge connecting Sydney’s northern suburbs with the rest of the city was first proposed, way back in 1912, it was decided it should either be a suspension or cantilever bridge. But after the First World War delayed the project, subsequent advances in steelmaking made an arched bridge a more compelling choice and Sydney’s famous bridge, dubbed the ‘coat hanger,’ was born. Here we see construction of the famous steel arch around 1930 as the Matson liner, Malolo, enters Circular Quay.

Now: Sydney Harbor Bridge, New South Wales

When it was formally opened on March 19, 1932, Sydney Harbor Bridge was the largest single arch bridge in the world. It took the city 55 years to pay off the loans, but Sydneysiders will tell you that it was well worth it. Together with the Opera House, it forms a world-famous double-act, the focus of celebrations throughout the year and a vital transport link for the 160,000 vehicles and 480 trains that cross it each day.

Then: Uluru, Northern Territory

Uluru began forming about 550 million years ago and apart from a tectonic event around 400 million years ago that saw it tilt 90 degrees, this massive stone monolith has remained relatively unchanged over the millennia. Explorer William Gosse was the first non-Aboriginal person to see it in 1873. He named it Ayers Rock after the Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers. Back then, European visitors were few and far between. Here we see the infamous prospector Harold Lasseter approaching ‘The Rock’ in the 1930s, in search of gold during his Central Australia expedition.

Now: Uluru, Northern Territory

The construction of a dirt road to Uluru in 1948 sparked a boom in the number of visitors. In 1950, the Ayers Rock National Park was formed. By 1958, permanent accommodation was built as well as an airstrip to cater for fly-in and fly-out visitors. In 1985 the traditional owners of the land, the Anangu, reclaimed ownership of the national park. Together with Parks Australia they have worked towards creating better visitor experiences, improving opportunities for Anangu and protecting the park’s natural and cultural values, including Longitude 131 (pictured), a luxury camp just outside the park borders. The ban on climbing Uluru came into effect in 2019. 

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