The story of this place
Victoria Barracks in Paddington is one of the best examples of colonial military architecture in Australia. Built between 1841 and 1848 from locally quarried sandstone, it housed British regiments until 1870, then Australian forces. The barracks were built by convict labor using a distinctive 'random bond' stone pattern that became known as 'Victoria Barracks bond.' During World War II, it was the headquarters for the Australian Army. The 42-hectare site includes a museum, the Army's oldest surviving building in Australia, and—according to many reports—ghosts of soldiers who died here. The changing of the guard ceremony still takes place on special occasions.