The Rocks

It's not exactly the best weather for when one is travelling, but there were actually a few periods of un-forecasted sunshine yesterday and so I decided to spend some time in an area called "The Rocks".

Before getting to The Rocks though, I thought you might like to see the view from the roof of the building where my friend lives.  It's not a particularly tall building - only 10 storeys - but it's a lovely view out over Sydney's CBD, and you can even catch a glimpse of the magnificent white sails of the Opera House out in the distance beyond the parkland.

As I'm sure you've gathered by now, it's pretty much impossible for me to walk around the central Sydney area without going through Hyde Park.  Here I was again this morning and this time, with a bit of sunshine, you could see much more of the beauty of the "Lake of Reflections" in front of the ANZAC War Memorial.

Hyde Park is also famed for its magnificent fig tree lined avenues.

A well known form of public transportation here in Sydney is the monorail system.  It's a single-loop monorail that connects Darling Harbour, Chinatown and Sydney's CBD and shopping districts; with 8 stations and 3.6 kms of track.  It originally opened in 1988 and over the years has become more of a tourist attraction than a viable form of public transit for Sydneysiders.  The monorail will be ceasing operation at the end of June 2013 (and subsequently pulled down), so I decided to take one last ride on this little piece of Sydney history.

The Rocks is an area in Sydney that encompasses the past, present and future.  The Indigenous Cadigal people inhabited the rocky headland and surrounding shoreline for thousands of years.  Then in 1788, Australia's first European settlers - British convicts and their overseers - claimed the land and built their camp atop the sandstone cliffs.  After 24,000 kilometres and eight arduous months at sea, the Australian continent was overwhelming and indeed shocking to a people used to a European climate, geography and well-established cities.  

The Rocks became established shortly after the colony's formation in 1788.  The original buildings were made mostly of local sandstone, from which the area derives its name.  From the earliest history of the settlement, the area had a reputation as a slum, often frequented by visiting sailors and prostitutes.  During the late nineteenth century, the area was dominated by a gang known as the Rocks Push.  It maintained this rough reputation until approximately the 1870s.  By the early 20th century, many of the area's historic buildings were in serious decay.  In 1900, bubonic plague broke out, and the state government resumed areas around The Rocks, with the intention of demolishing them and rebuilding them.  More than 3800 houses, buildings and wharves were inspected and hundreds demolished, but the continuation of these plans were brought to a halt due to the outbreak of  World War I.  During the 1920s, several hundred buildings were demolished during the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  However, the outbreak of World War II once again stalled many of the redevelopment plans, and it was not until the 1960s that serious attempts to demolish much of the area were revived.  Thankfully protests from the people who lived in The Rocks during the '60s and '70s prevented the area from being totally demolished and instead, renovations began to transform the area into a commercial and tourist precinct.  

Although much of The Rocks has been restored, the original cobblestone pathways can still be found in a few areas.

The Rocks Discovery Museum is housed in a restored warehouse, originally built in 1850.

Cadmans Cottage is the oldest surviving residential building in Sydney, having been built in 1816 for the use of the governmental coxswains and their crews.  The building is heavily steeped in the history of Sydney, also claiming the title as the first building to have been built on the shoreline of The Rocks.  It is claimed that during high tide, the water would come within about 2.5m of Cadmans Cottage; however, due to land reclamation the waterline has moved about 100 metres away since 1816.

The Sydney Sailors’ Home was set up in 1864 as a place where sailors on shore leave could find affordable accommodation.  The building that we see today, with its arched windows, is only a third of what was originally designed.  The Rocks was originally known as a brothels district and this building was set up to provide board and lodgings for sailors, rather than have them go to the brothels.  Interestingly, the building was host to sailors until the 1970s.

The neoclassical Mariners Church, a sandstone building, is historically significant because it was the first construction site in Sydney to allow stone masons to reduce their working day from 12 to 8 hours.  The Mariners’ Church was built in the 1850s and served for the spiritual welfare of sailors on shore leave.  In later years the church also boasted a gym and other recreational past-times for the sailors, including billiard’s tables.  The sandstone building was upgraded in 1909 to what can be seen today.

The Australasian Steam Navigation Company, or ASNCo, constructed its offices at Sydney Cove in the 1880s.  The company was one of the largest shipping companies in the Southern Hemisphere and ran steam ships between the major Australian ports and across the Indian and Pacific oceans.  This ornate office and warehouse complex was designed in the style of Dutch warehouses of the 17th century.

Campbells Storehouses were originally built in 1839 (the four on the right-hand side) and then added to over the next 50 years.  It was a private wharf with gabled storehouses and sandstone bays built to house tea, sugar, cloth and liquor imported from the Far Fast.  Today each one is an upscale restaurant. 

Bunkers Hill was a desirable residential area in the 1820s, where the wealthy built their homes to overlook the harbour.  It was named after Ebenezer Bunker, captain of the first whaling expedition from Sydney Cove.

The Argyle Cut is one of Sydney's greatest engineering feats.  The Argyle Cut involved slicing through the sandstone ridge of The Rocks to connect Darling Harbour and Millers Point with Sydney Cove.  This was all done with convict labour.

And of course, the Harbour Bridge is a prominent feature in The Rocks.

Officially named the Holy Trinity Church, this was dubbed the Garrison Church because it was the colony's first military church.  Located in The Rocks, the Garrison Church was built in 1840. 

Sydney Observatory is located on a hill now known as 'Observatory Hill' which is just 'up the hill' from The Rocks.  The site evolved from a fort built on 'Windmill Hill' in the early 19th century to an astronomical observatory during the nineteenth century. The observatory was completed in 1858 and today it is a working museum.

Observatory Hill is a wonderful place to see superb views of Sydney Harbour and the Harbour Bridge.

And of course I couldn't possibly be in this area and not take, yet another, photo of the Opera House.