THE ROCKS:  From Convict Past to Colorful Commerce The first arrivals The story of The Rocks as we know it today begins in Britain, which in the late 18th century was both gripped by colonial ambition and plagued by overcrowded gaols. Hoping that a strategically placed penal colony in New South Wales would help the country dominate Asia-Pacific trade, Britain shipped 775 convicts and their guards to the other side of the world. As it turned out, the rag-tag camp the new arrivals built on a rocky headland in 1788 — in the area now known as The Rocks — became the foundation of a bustling, cosmopolitan city and the Australian nation. When the 1,400 men, women and children from the First Fleet staggered ashore after an arduous eight-month sea voyage, they saw an alien, inhospitable land. They also encountered the native Aboriginal people, the Eora, who had inhabited these shores for thousands of years. The Eora exchanged know-how and material goods with the new arrivals. But the cultural interaction proved mostly harmful to the Aborigines — diseases introduced by the new arrivals almost completely wiped them out. From the start, the new penal colony was a rough-and-tumble place. Most residents had been shipped there for stealing and other relatively petty crimes, so it’s not surprising that theft also flourished in The Rocks. Convicts were not locked up at night, inviting further trouble. But they were also put to work during the day, building the new settlement atop the sandstone cliffs. A cosmopolitan seaport By 1840, Britain had stopped sending convicts to New South Wales, and The Rocks had grown into a thriving, if seedy, port-side community. Ships from Europe, the Americas and Africa called in to Sydney to exchange a variety of goods, such as wool, sugar, whale oil, and seal skins. The gold rush of the 1850s lured prospectors from China and other distant lands. Disillusioned by the gold fields, some returned to settle in The Rocks and work in the service industry. Various traders and merchants also set up businesses in The Rocks. Despite the mix of residents and pockets of prosperity, a general air of menace circulated through The Rocks. An English visitor wrote: “We found it full to suffocation of the lowest women, sailors and ruffians who supported themselves by way-laying and robbing and often murderously wounding.” Even literally, The Rocks smelled foul in those days; some sailors claimed its stench carried at least a mile out to sea.  Decline and demolition crews By the late 1800s, most wealthy people had abandoned The Rocks. The remaining working-class residents lived in often overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. The streets were patrolled by larrikins or 'pushes,' groups of young men bent on bullying and mischief. The 20th century ushered in a still greater danger: the bubonic plague. Authorities feared the disease — carried by fleas on shipboard rats that had come ashore — would spread quickly through The Rocks. The government closed off the area for quarantine reasons and paid the residents to catch rats, disinfect buildings, and burn all furniture and rubbish. The government then bought The Rocks, for more than £1 million, citing public health concerns and the need to clean up the waterfront. At first, the government cleared only a few slums. But then entire streets were demolished to make way for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, completed in 1932, and the Cahill Expressway, opened in 1962. The face of The Rocks had changed. The neighbourhood, however, remained. The Battle for The Rocks — a conservation triumph The Rocks barely survived the 20th century. In the 1960s, the State government planned to raze the area and replace the remaining houses with modern skyscrapers. But the residents refused to leave. Joining forces with conservationists and unions, they challenged the authorities. After many angry marches and protests, the activists eventually prevailed in the mid-1970s. The government redirected its resources to preserving The Rocks, under the guidance of its newly established Sydney Cove Authority. The emphasis over the next 25 years was on renovation and rejuvenation. Most of the historic buildings — many of them dating back more than 150 years — have been restored. Warehouses and terrace houses have been transformed into unique shops, galleries, and restaurants. Today visitors need not worry about being robbed or shanghai’ed as they may have 150 years ago. Yet the past lives on, in the buildings and cobblestone lanes, and in the mysterious cellars with tales to tell. _______________________________________ Garrison Church The Holy Trinity Church is called Garrison Church because redcoats of the 50th Regiment stationed at Dawes Point Battery attended morning prayers there. The church, designed by Edmund Thomas Blacket, was the first Garrison Church in Australia.  The foundation stone was laid in 1840. The church features beautiful stained-glass windows and complements the serene aura of the historic Rocks area. The Church also operates a small museum, dedicated to the military, located in the Church grounds Home page   |   Sydney page 1   |   Rocks photo page