Sydney, Australia: Customs House

Here's a building that has gone through some twists and turns, especially lately (as these things go).

Sydney has needed some sort of customs agency ever since the First Fleet arrived for Britain in 1788. The first building was such purposes was put up in 1800. By the 1840s, a new building was needed. This was one finished in 1844. There were changes as the maritime business grew rapidly for several decades. But eventually, the businesses involved in maritime foreign exchange moved away from the Circular Quay area of the city. In 1990, the Customs House moved its operations elsewhere, and the City of Sydney took over four years later. 

The remodeling began at that point, including some work that was done around 1999 to make it a welcome center of sorts for tourists who would be coming to the Summer Olympics in 2000. It was around that time that a large-scale mural of the city was constructed. It's under glass and on the floor of the main lobby. The city of Sydney put its library there in 2003. 

There's not much to see except for the model, which makes it worth a quick stop while walking around downtown.