Transport for NSW marked the centenary of Sydney’s Central Station clock tower last week (12 March), celebrating the fact it has kept Sydney on time for 100 years.
Minister for Transport and Roads, Andrew Constance said the clock tower had been a reliable source of time for railway workers and commuters since 12 March 1921.
“At 85 metres high, the clock tower was designed to dominate the surroundings as a beacon, and it remains one of our most recognisable landmarks,” Mr Constance said.
“Sydney Trains has done a wonderful job preserving and celebrating this important part of our State’s history, which has seen more than 73,000 rotations of the hour hand and 876,000 rotations of the minute hand over the last 100 years,” he said.
Mr Constance said construction of the clock tower was initially slow due to material shortages during World War One, however its completion in 1921 marked the final addition to Sydney’s Central Station which first opened in 1906.
“Designed by the NSW Government Architect Walter Liberty Vernon, the State heritage listed clock tower has 272 steps to the clock face and 303 all the way to the flag pole,” the Minister said.
“The four clock faces are 4.8 metres in diameter, with the hour hands measuring 2.3 metres and the minute hands three metres long,” he said.
