THE ROCKS

Description

Essentials about The Rocks in brief

A trip to Sydney is not complete without a visit to “The Rocks”. The Rocks is Sydney’s oldest preserved neighborhood, where today the city’s past and present mix into a wonderful cocktail. Extremely popular with locals and tourists alike, the historic district features a maze of cobblestone streets and alleys, old warehouses, workers’ cottages and winding terraces. Just a stone’s throw from the city center and Circular Quay, there are plenty of museums, galleries, boutiques, pubs, and markets to explore in The Rocks.

The history of The Rocks

Shortly after the founding of the Sydney settlement in 1788, the first buildings were built in The Rocks. The neighborhood owes its name to the use of local sandstone in the construction of the houses. From the very beginning, The Rocks had a rather disreputable image. Deported convicts, sailors, dockworkers, soldiers, gang members and prostitutes gathered here to escape the hardships, poverty and sorrow of everyday life. Until the 19th century, many Aborigines also lived in the neighborhood.

By the beginning of the 20th century, many of the buildings were in serious disrepair. In addition, the plague broke out in 1900, which is why the government decided to subject The Rocks to a fundamental renovation. As part of this, nearly 4,000 buildings were inspected and many were demolished. Hundreds of buildings were also razed to the ground during the construction of Sydney Harbour Bridge, which emanates from The Rocks.

In the 1970s, the remaining historic buildings were to be completely demolished to make way for new buildings. However, there was massive resistance to these plans from the local population, which (fortunately) was successful in the end. Instead of being demolished, the historic buildings were renovated and The Rocks was transformed into a primarily commercial and tourist district.

The sights and attractions of The Rocks

Today, The Rocks is very popular not only among tourists because of its historic charm, which is rare in Sydney, and its versatility. Those who need a souvenir of their trip to Australia will surely find it in one of the many souvenir stores. Those who don’t want to settle for a souvenir can also spend a few Euros more on a work of art in one of the many galleries in The Rocks. Art lovers should also visit the Museum of Contemporary Art, located on the eastern edge of the neighborhood.

History buffs can learn about the neighborhood’s past on one of the many guided tours or delve into the former living conditions in The Rocks at the Susannah Place Museum. And on weekends, The Rocks is even more crowded than during the week, because that’s when The Rocks Market takes place. With over 100 market stalls, you’ll find everything from art to food specialties. And if you get thirsty with all the activity in The Rocks, you can quench it in one of the neighborhood’s historic pubs. The Fortune of War and Lord Nelson are two of the local pubs vying for the title of Sydney’s oldest.