Everything about The Rocks New South Wales totally explained
The Rocks is an inner-city
suburb,
tourist precinct and historic area of
Sydney, in the state of
New South Wales,
Australia. It is located on the southern shore of
Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the
Sydney central business district and is part of the
local government area of the
City of Sydney. The postcode is 2000.
The Rocks area borders on the Bradfield Highway, leading to the
Sydney Harbour Bridge, with the suburbs of
Dawes Point and
Millers Point, to the west. It is immediately adjacent to
Circular Quay on
Sydney Cove, the site of
Australia's first European settlement in
1788.
History
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
1800s, the areas was dominated by a gang known as the
Rocks Push. It maintained this rough reputation until approximately the
1970s.
By the early
twentieth 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 and
Darling Harbour, with the intention of demolishing them and rebuilding them. Part of the area was demolished, but redevelopment plans were stalled by 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 wasn't until the
1960s that serious attempts to demolish much of the area were revived.
In
1968, the state government gave control of The Rocks to the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority, with the intention of demolishing all the original buildings, re-developing them as high-density residential dwellings. In February
1971, a group of local residents formed the Rocks Residents Group to oppose the plans. They felt that the new dwellings would result in increased rents, which would force out the traditional residents of the area. The residents' group requested a
Green ban from the
Builder's Labourers Federation, who had become increasingly active in preventing controversial developments over the previous four years.
By
1973, the union had imposed the ban, and after discussions with the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority, a 'People's Plan' was developed. By October
1973, it appeared that the redevelopment would proceed as originally planned, using non-union labor. For two weeks, demonstrations by local residents and unionists followed, with numerous arrests being made.
Liberal Premier
Robert Askin was in the midst of an election campaign, and used the protests as a means of conveying his law and order message to voters. However, the green ban stayed in place until
1975, when the state union leadership was overthrown, and was ultimately successful, as can be seen in the buildings that survive today. Instead of demolishing The Rocks, renovations transformed the area into a commercial and tourist precinct.
Today the Rocks is a partly
gentrified area, but still contains a significant proportion of
Housing Commission properties, and there's still a significant problem of urban poverty and street crime in this district. As housing stock becomes dilapidated, government policy is to sell the now extremely valuable public housing units to private owners, in the expectation that that'll restore the properties.
Culture
The close proximity to Circular Quay and the views of the iconic Harbour Bridge, as well as the historic nature of many of the buildings, mean that the Rocks is very popular with tourists. It features a variety of
souvenir and
craft shops, and many themed and historic
pubs. The Rocks Market operates each weekend, with around 100 stalls. There are numerous historic walks through the area, visiting historical buildings such as
Cadman's Cottage and
Sydney Observatory, and the Dawes Point Battery, which was the first fortified position in
New South Wales.
Two separate pubs in The Rocks claim to be Sydney's oldest surviving pubs, the Lord Nelson and the Fortune of War. Others in the area include the Orient, the Mercantile, the Palisade and the Hero of Waterloo.
A passenger boat terminal and the
Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney is also situated beside the Rocks area. The precinct can also be accessed by rail, as it's within walking distance of
Circular Quay station.
Popular Culture
Written by
Ruth Park, the book and film
Playing Beatie Bow featured
time-travel back to The Rocks during the late
1800s.
Gallery
Image:TheRocksBackstreets.jpg|A street in The Rocks
Image:SydneyTheRocks3_gobeirne.jpg|Arts Exchange Building from Hickson Street
Image:SydneyTheRocks5 gobeirne.jpg|Terrace Houses, Lower Fort Street
Image:Cad0001.jpg|The rear of Cadman's Cottage
Further Information
Get more info on 'The Rocks New South Wales'.
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