8 Craigend Street, 28 Aug 1940

This photo appears on the City of Sydney Archives website with the title "A woman crossing Craigend Street Darlinghurst, 1940". 

"DAIRY PRODUCTS & GROCERIES" is the still standing 23 Craigend Street (the sign is no longer there but the wall it appeared on still is - it is the northish facing side wall of the shop/restaurant part of the building).  2 Royston Street is the building with balconies at the back. 

I believe the terrace in the front of the photo is 8 Craigend Street, a building from the resumed side of Craigend Street, demolished for the tunnel.

When first I saw this photo, I assumed I was looking at the woman emerging from Royston Street, past 13 Craigend Street, with some Royston St block of flats in the background. So I didn't think it was useful for this project, as none of those buildings were part of the tunnel resumption.  

A closer look at the architectural details revealed the terrace was not 13 Craigend Street after all. And while the block of flats in the back looked a lot like 2 Royston Street - the perspective was doing my head in and I could not work out how it could be.  

Luckily I had the Council's detailed building map to help me, the distinctive profile of the upper part of the wall with the "DAIRY PRODUCTS & GROCERIES" sign, and Google Street View. 

8 Craigend Street was on the corner of Craigend Street and Craigend Lane.  Because of its corner position, the long side of the terrace also faces the street, and it seems they chose to put the front of the house (the balcony, the fancy windows, and the front door) on the long side (unusual for a terrace). 

You can see on the map posted yesterday that 8 Craigend Street has a pointy front yard, just like the one in the photo below. 

The corner of Craigend Street and Lane was on a curve in Craigend Street, which is why this building seems to jut out into the road, providing the oddly jumbled perspective up to the beginning of Royston Street. 

Back then, Craigend Street was not straight, and did not intersect with Victoria Street like it does today.  Instead, it curved around to meet Kings Cross Road, just opposite Penny's Lane. 

In conclusion, the woman is walking down Craigend Street Darlinghurst in 1940, not crossing it.  

Photo from City of Sydney Archives.  Unique ID:  A-00054885