Immediately before the Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point was occupied by a tram depot.
Known as Fort Macquarie Tram Depot, the castellated building opened on 10 August 1902 on the site of the earlier Fort Macquarie. It served Sydney’s electric tram network and was designed with a fortress-like appearance that recalled the military structure previously occupying the point.
The depot was a substantial transport facility, with a twelve-track shed capable of housing about 60 tram cars. Its position beside Circular Quay made it useful for terminating and servicing routes serving central Sydney. The building remained in operation until 22 October 1955.
After the depot closed, it was demolished in 1958 to clear Bennelong Point for the Opera House project. The point’s history therefore predates the famous building by centuries: it was an Aboriginal place known as Tubowgule, later associated with Bennelong, then used for military and transport purposes before becoming one of the world’s best-known cultural sites.