When bubonic plague struck Sydney in 1900, George McCredie was appointed by the Government to take charge of all quarantine activities in the Sydney area, beginning work on March 23, 1900. At the time of his appointment, McCredie was an architect and consulting engineer with offices in the Mutual Life of New York Building in Martin Place. McCredie’s appointment was much criticised in Parliament, though it was agreed later that his work was successful.
The infected areas, and buildings selected for demolition because of the health risks they supposedly raised, were recorded by photography. Most of the buildings demolished were considered slum buildings.
Batson’s Lane, off Sussex-street
Cleaning the streets
Barker-street
Rear of unidentified butcher’s yard with adjacent outhouses
Sutton Forest Butchery. No. 761 George street
Kent-street
Exeter Place, off Wexford-street
No. 50 Wexford-street (rear), Chinese bedroom
Nos. 24, etc., Hunt-street
No. 841 George-street (kitchen)
Professional Ratcatchers
via State Library of New South Wales
