OUR LOCATION
The Kaleido Health Centre will be established on Gadigal land within the historic Belltower building, which has been a landmark of Sydney’s Eveleigh area for almost 140 years.
Today, the Belltower is part of the vibrant South Eveleigh precinct, which is well-connected by public transport.
GETTING THERE BY TRAIN
The nearest train station is Redfern, a two-minute walk to Kaleido Health Centre. The station, a major transport hub, is linked to 14 train lines and is fully accessible with step-free access via an elevator.
Erskineville Station and Macdonaldtown Station are both a 15-minute walk to the health centre.
Central Station is just over 2km to Kaleido Health Centre – walking time 25 minutes.
For information, visit ww.transportnsw.info or call 131 500.
GETTING THERE BY BUS
Route 308 (Marrickville Metro to Central Eddy Avenue) stops at Redfern Station.
Route 310 (Botany to Central Square) also stops at Redfern Station.
For information, visit ww.transportnsw.info or call 131 500.
The Belltower in South Eveleigh is well-connected by public transport with the nearest train station, Redfern, linked to 14 major train lines and is fully accessible.
HISTORY OF THE BELLTOWER
The Belltower was originally known as the ‘Works Managers’ Office’ when the sandstone structure was built in 1887 as one of the key buildings of the former Eveleigh Railway Yards – at one time, the largest and most technologically advanced workshops in the Southern Hemisphere.
The imposing, heritage-listed building was conspicuous on the sprawling industrial site for its grand architecture. In 1904, the decorative belltower was added to house a large brass bell which would toll to announce the commencement and finish of each workday.
For many decades, the two-storey building was where the railway yard’s timekeeping staff worked, and also included other administrative and engineering departments.
Long before it was one of Sydney’s busiest industrial hubs, this area of Eveleigh was a place of tranquil sandhills and fresh wetlands. The traditional owners, the Gadigal people – one of 29 clans of the Eora nation – fished its waters and lived upon the diverse array of flora and fauna. The adjacent Redfern area was a high point on the landscape, and is thought to have been a meeting place as Gadigal people moved through their country.
The Indigenous connection continued into the industrial era when the area became the Eveleigh Railway Yards, providing employment for many Indigenous people and was one of the first in Sydney to offer them equality of conditions with other workers.
As NSW’s railway network continued to expand throughout the 20th century, so did the demands on the railways yards. The Works Managers’ Office became one of the busiest buildings on the site, dealing with hundreds of workers every day.
As railway maintenance became increasingly outsourced to other areas in Sydney, by the 1990s, the value of the Eveleigh Railway Yards was being seen in a new light, especially for its close proximity to the city only three kilometres away.
In 1991 the NSW Government announced the Eveleigh Railway Yards would undergo a multi-million dollar transformation to create the business and technology centre of Australian Technology Park.
Despite some initial plans to demolish the old building, The Works Managers’ Office was instead protected and refurbished to become a centrepiece of the renewal precinct. After a comprehensive renovation, in 1994 the building was the first to be renovated in the new precinct and was renamed the ‘International Business Centre’.
In 2022, the building underwent further renovations to modernise the space to meet the needs of modern tenants, while maintaining the integrity of its history. In adhering to the heritage-listed standards, significant consultation was undertaken throughout the project with the City of Sydney and heritage consultants.
The refurbished building was also given a new name, in keeping with its historic origins when it became known as The Belltower.
Located at 2 Cornwallis Street, Eveleigh, The Belltower was chosen as the site for the Kaleido Health Centre due to its accessibility. Only 3km from the city centre, The Belltower is located a two-minute walk from Redfern Station, a major transport hub, a 15 minute walk from Erskineville Station and Macdonaldtown Station; and a 25 minute walk from Central Station.
REFERENCE LINKS:
Visit Sydney Australia – The Lost Rail Eveleigh
South Eveleigh – Places of South Eveleigh
