Preserving Sydney's built heritage in the early twentieth century*

Abstract

Modernity has been antithetical to heritage conservation in the twentieth century. The value of inherited buildings was not widely acknowledged by government officials, politicians, architects, planners and the broader community until the' 1970s. From the turn of the century, a coalition of pioneering preservationists in Sydney confronted a formidable growth mentality, which linked preservation with economic and cultural stasis. This article explores the objectives, composition, ideology, modus operandi and record of the fledgeling preservation movement against the backdrop of modernisation.