Sydney’s repute as the world’s most beautiful harbour city has a lot to do with the engineering expertise of our visionary 19th century engineers. If it were not for their foresight and skill, our city might not be what it is today.
A major figure in Sydney engineering circles in the 19th century, Norman Selfe (1839-1911) played a significant role in developing Sydney’s infrastructure and was a prolific campaigner for better technical education in Australia. Among his extensive list of achievements, Selfe was offered the role of Chief Engineer at Mort’s Dock in Balmain in 1869. On accepting the plum post, Selfe purchased a prime parcel of waterfront land at Wharf Road in Birchgrove and built twin terraces for his family, Normanton and Maybank, in 1870.







