The city of Sydney locality of The Rocks flanks the western shoreline of Sydney Cove. It was this sheltered yet rocky outcrop that Captain Arthur Phillip chose as the site of the first European colony, when he led the First Fleet into these unchartered waters in 1788. As those unfortunate convicts were soon to discover, the peninsula consisted of sandstone, and the fledging colonial camp acquired the identity of The Rocks.

The Rocks' first buildings were crude shelters for temporary accommodation. These ranged from bark huts and tents, to the prefabricated hospital which arrived with the second fleet. Yet some of these original shelters turned out to be more permanent than originally anticipated. The rather inadequate temporary hospital was not demolished until 1816. This crucial facility of the infant colony is remembered by Nurses Walk, Surgeons Court and Hospital Precinct.

Upon the one time sandy beach of Sydney Cove's western shoreline, a simple yet sturdy Georgian structure was built in 1816. This residence became known as Cadman's Cottage, and it survives as the city of Sydney's oldest standing building. The cottage was built to house the crew of the Governor's vessels. It bears the name of John Cadman, an emancipated convict who worked his way into the position of chief superintendent of the Governor's boats. Cadman resided in this cottage for 19 years from 1827.

As with Cadman's Cottage, many of The Rocks buildings hold obvious affiliation with maritime history. The Australasian Steam Navigation Company, The Sailors Home, the Mariners Church and the Mercantile Hotel all testify to the colony's dependence on the sea. Similarly the Metcalfe Stores, Union Bond, Coachhouse and Unwin Store buildings articulate Sydney's trading past. Indeed Campbell's Storehouse is almost an icon of The Rocks. Robert Campbell purchased a harbourside acreage in 1799 from which he built a mercantile empire. The well preserved storehouse dates from 1839. Additions were made in 1854 and again in 1859. Visible from many points of Port Jackson, the quaint storehouse attracts numerous visitors to its restaurants, shops and cafes.

The Rocks is home to the oldest terrace house in Sydney, which stands in Kent Street. Known as the Ark, these two attached terraces were built by Thomas Glover prior to 1820. At the time of the Ark's construction, the Shipwright in Arms Hotel was trading in Windmill Street. Unfortunately it has long since been demolished, and the Lord Nelson Hotel is credited as the oldest surviving hotel in Sydney. Originally built as a residence in 1834, the Lord Nelson has been trading since 1842. Nearby in Lower Fort Street stands the Hero of Waterloo Hotel, erected by George Payten and trading since 1845.

Not all who frequented The Rocks in its early years would hold fond memories of its various watering holes. In 1843 it was decided to join Millers Point with The Rocks by way of a tunnel. For years convict chain gains hacked their way through the merciless sandstone of the Argyle Cut, their mallet marks leaving an indelible and piteous reminder of human cruelty. When transportation was finally suspended, the torturous Argyle Cut remained unfinished. Private labourers found the help of explosives necessary to complete the Cut.

In 1806 Fort Phillip was erected upon the same hill as the windmill which lent its name to Millers Point. A wall from this signal station survives as the earliest structure on the hill. As the highest point of the colony, this hill was the natural choice for the site of an observatory. Construction commenced upon Observatory Hill in 1858. This historic sandstone building continues to accommodate the city's official observatory. In the grounds neighbouring the observatory is the Military Hospital which dates from 1815. In 1849 the hospital was transformed into the Fort Street High School. In 1916, due to growing enrolments, Fort Street moved to its present Petersham address, where it continues a tradition of academic excellence. The hospital now appropriately accommodates the National Trust Centre and the S.H. Ervin Gallery.

A second Rocks eminence was chosen by the colonial authorities for a rather unsavoury public service. A small park in Essex Street marks the site of the public gallows. Hangman's Hill conducted its notorious occupation from colonisation until 1804, when it was removed to the corner of Castlereagh and Park Streets. In 1820 it was returned to Essex Street where it remained until the completion of the Darlinghurst Gaol in 1841. In the late eighteenth century, executions were indeed meant to be public. To capitalise upon this horrific spectacle, The Golden Cob in Essex Street installed a viewing window.

Today the gentrified hotels and terraces of The Rocks belie the region's harsh and often inhumane European history. While admiring the array of preserved Georgian, Regency, Colonial, Victorian and Federation facades, it is easy to forget the reality of life in this traditionally working class area. Residents of The Rocks have had to accommodate the brutalised convicts and drunken sailors of the early nineteenth century, to the taunts of gangs of 'Pushes' (young hooligans) at the century's close. Many workers' cottages and crude terraces were demolished during slum clearing efforts at the turn of the century, when The Rocks was hit by the bubonic plague. Entire streets of families and history were lost to the Bradfield Highway during construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The disruptive tradition of The Rocks continues, as locals and tourists alike fill the area through to the early hours on weekends.


Since 1967, the state government appointed Sydney Cove Authority have managed the vast cultural heritage of The Rocks. The Rocks Visitors Centre in the former Coroners Court at 104 George Street is the official information centre, offering history, walking tours and souvenirs. Amongst others, Cadman's Cottage and Observatory Hill are 'must see' destinations on the tourist route.

The Rocks area is also famous for its many fine restaurants along the Harbour foreshore, and for its weekend markets in George Street. There are many galleries, museums and historic buildings to visit, and The Rocks is just a short stroll from Circular Quay.

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