A fine watercolour of Darling Harbour, by well-regarded turn-of-the-century Sydney artist John Henry Young. This atmospheric watercolour, imbued with the pink light of early evening, shows a most attractive view of the burgeoning metropolis of Sydney seen across the waters of Darling Harbour. The domes of the newly-completed Queen Victoria Building (finished in 1898), the Town Hall and the spire of St. Andrew's Cathedral are visible on the skyline, as are a number of smoke stacks, which give a clear sense of the industrialisation of inner Sydney at the time. Pyrmont Bridge is to the right of the scene with passengers traversing it in two horse-drawn omnibuses.

A fine watercolour of Darling Harbour, by well-regarded turn-of-the-century Sydney artist John Henry Young. This atmospheric watercolour, imbued with the pink light of early evening, shows a most attractive view of the burgeoning metropolis of Sydney seen across the waters of Darling Harbour. The domes of the newly-completed Queen Victoria Building (finished in 1898), the Town Hall and the spire of St. Andrew's Cathedral are visible on the skyline, as are a number of smoke stacks, which give a clear sense of the industrialisation of inner Sydney at the time. Pyrmont Bridge is to the right of the scene with passengers traversing it in two horse-drawn omnibuses.

The watercolour provides an interesting documentary record of shipping traffic in this busy part of the harbour around the turn of the century: a tall-masted sailing ship is moored upstream of the bridge, and two small steamers and a larger twin masted paddle-steamer are moored on the far side of the harbour, downstream of the bridge. In the foreground is a small commercial steam-powered craft, with a sailor standing at the stern. Two large timber pylons are seen at the centre of the picture.

John Henry Young exhibited at the Art Society of New South Wales (of which he was a committee member) from 1895 to 1910, and is known to have been still active in 1935. He is best known for his watercolours of maritime subjects both in and around Sydney Harbour, however he also painted overseas including the Mediterranean, France and Egypt.

Along with Basil Burdett, Young established the Macquarie Galleries in 1925. His main contribution to Australian art was his unstinting support, both financial and moral, for a wide range of artists, especially women.