The Sydney Harbour Trust began operations on 1 November 1900 with responsibility for the Navigation Department and Marine Board of

Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a ria, natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove River, Lane ...

. The Trust, as governed by an act of the

New South Wales Parliament The Parliament of New South Wales, formally the Legislature of New South Wales, (definition of "The Legislature") is the bicameral legislative body of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). It consists of the Monarch, the New South Wale ...

consisted of three commissioners (including one titled as President) appointed by the

Governor of New South Wales The governor of New South Wales is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia, Governor-General of Australia at the national level, the governor ...

. It was responsible for the improvement and preservation of Sydney's port. The trust regulated the movement of vessels and the handling of

cargo In transportation, cargo refers to goods transported by land, water or air, while freight refers to its conveyance. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in cas ...

in the port through a Harbour Master, carried out dredging operations, removed wrecks, granted licences for the erection of piers, maintained wharf facilities and collected wharfage rates, maintained swimming baths. The trust also managed fire fighting and other safety equipment within the harbour. All foreshores,

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

s and

tug A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

s within the harbour which belonged to the Government were vested in the Trust, as well as the power to reclaim land. The Trust was wound up in 1936 with the establishment of the

Maritime Services Board The Maritime Services Board was a statutory authority of the Government of New South Wales responsible for marine safety, regulation of commercial and recreational boating, and oversight of port operations. History The Maritime Services Board (M ...

. A number of dwellings were resumed in The Rocks, following the 1900 outbreak of

bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of Plague (disease), plague caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and ...

, and the management of these was given to Sydney Harbour Trust. The original intention was that the dwellings would be redeveloped as commercial premises, but instead Sydney Harbour Trust became a long-term landlord of housing in the area. In its early years, Sydney Harbour Trust operated three small power stations in Sydney—at Napoleon St,

Circular Quay Circular Quay is a harbour, former working port and now international passenger shipping terminal, public piazza and tourism precinct, heritage area, and transport node located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on the northern edge of the ...

and Cowper Wharf, Wooloomooloo—which supplied adjacent wharves. Plans for a larger power station, in George St North, were superseded by the Sydney City Council's construction of Pyrmont Power Station. The partially-completed building became the Old Mining Museum Building.

Presidents

*Charles Carey Lance (1859–1934) served as President from 1913 to 1924. * Walter Loveridge CMG (1867–1940) served as President from 1924 to 1929.MR. W. D. L0VERIDGE The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 January, 1940 p. 11.
Retrieved 5 March 2019.

References

{{Authority control Ports and harbours of New South Wales Port authorities in Australia Sydney Harbour Defunct government entities of New South Wales