Bennelong Apartments

In the early 19th century, the entire area was part of the Governor's Domain, though some commercial activity developed along the shoreline.

The historic "Moore Stairs" was built in 1868 as a passage between two wool stores, leading from the shore to Macquarie Street.

Wool stores were demolished and replaced by a number of modernist commercial buildings lining the eastern side of Circular Quay.

[citation needed] Between 1971 and 1989, Colonial Mutual Life acquired the buildings along east Circular Quay for a large scale development.

In return for reducing the height of the buildings and adding a colonnade to facilitate public access, the development was permitted to extend further towards the Circular Quay foreshore, with the design finalised in 1992.

[citation needed] In 2017, the last remaining mid-century office building in east Circular Quay, directly south of the Bennelong Apartments complex and located at no.

[5][6] In 1994 the Anti-Wall Committee was formed to lobby for the return of the natural landscape of East Circular Quay that existed prior to the erection of modernist office buildings in the 1950s.

The building has been criticised for the quality of its design, its occupation of previously public space, and its positioning, and blocking historical sightlines.