Lands Department Building Sydney

Designed by the Colonial Architect of New South Wales, James Barnet and built between 1877 and 1890, the Lands Department supervised the division of rural Eastern Australia. Twenty-three of the 40 niches are filled with statues of explorers and legislators who promoted settlement of Australia with all that implied for the aboriginal inhabitants. They include Leichhardt, Bass, Flinders and the botanist on Cook's voyage Sir Joseph Banks.