Spying on the Colony 1793

A painting looking east from near this location by Fernando Brambila.

In 1793, Italian Fernando Brambila joined a scientific and spying expedition led by King Carlos IV of Spain and led by Alejandro Malaspina to report on the English colony at Sydney. This view shows the Spanish ships anchored off Bennelong Point and Bridge Street leading up to the Governor's residence.

The three small store buildings in the bottom left of the image stood at the corner of what was to become the intersection of George and Grosvenor Streets.