The formal boundaries of the suburb named "The Rocks" cover the western side of Sydney Cove (
Circular Quay) east of the
Sydney Harbour Bridge approaches. In the north it extends to the southern base of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in the east to the shoreline of Circular Quay and
George Street, in the south to Jamison Street (thus including the area known as "Church Hill"), and in the west to southern approaches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the
Western Distributor overpass.[4][5]
History
The Rocks became established shortly after the colony's formation in 1788. It was known as Tallawoladah by the
Cadigal people.[6] The original buildings were first traditional
vernacular houses, of
wattle and daub, with
thatched roofs, and later of
local sandstone, from which the area derives its name.[6] From the earliest history of the settlement, the area had a reputation as a
slum and the arriving convicts' side of town, often frequented by visiting sailors and prostitutes.[6] After November 1790, many of the inhabitants were also
Aboriginal. In 1823, the district had a population of about 1,200. 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.[7][8]
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 and
Darling Harbour, with the intention of demolishing them and rebuilding them.[6] More than 3,800 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.[9] During the 1920s, several hundred buildings were demolished during the construction of the
Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority, with the intention of demolishing most of 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.[6] 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.[10]
By 1973, the union had imposed the ban, and after discussions with the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority, a 'People's Plan' was developed.[11] By October 1973, it appeared that the redevelopment would proceed as originally planned, using non-union labour.[citation needed] For two weeks, demonstrations by local residents and unionists followed, with numerous arrests being made.[citation needed]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.[citation needed] 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.[6]
Today the Rocks is a partly
gentrified area, but still contains a significant proportion of
Housing Commission properties, and there is still a significant problem of urban poverty and
street crime in this district.[citation needed] As housing stock becomes dilapidated, government policy is to sell the now extremely valuable public housing units to private owners, in the expectation that they will restore the properties. The
Sirius building and the associated "Save Our Sirius" protest group was formed to protest relocation of its residents.[12] Overall, The Rocks continues to be an important part of Sydney's cultural landscape, offering a fascinating glimpse into the
city's rich history and vibrant contemporary scene.
Church Hill
"Church Hill" is located in the southern part of The Rocks, sometimes identified as the northern part of the
Sydney central business district.[13] It is so named because the earliest churches in Australia were formed on this site, including
St Patrick's (Roman Catholic),[14] St Philip's (Anglican)[15] and
Scots Church (Presbyterian)[16]
The significance of Church Hill dates back to the time of Governor
Arthur Phillip, who mandated compulsory Sunday church attendance for all convicts, until they rebelled and burned down the area's first church in 1798.[13]
The area gained greater prominence as Church Hill on Wednesday 1 October 1800, when incoming Governor
Philip Gidley King had the foundation stone laid for St Philip's Church, which subsequently he proclaimed one of Australia's first two parishes in 1802 (the other being St John's in
Parramatta).[13]
The site where
St Patrick's Church currently stands is where the
Roman CatholicEucharist was first preserved in Australia, in May 1818. Celebrations for the bicentenary of this occasion were held in St Patrick's Church on Sunday 6 May 2018.[17]
Heritage listings
The Rocks has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
At the
2021 census, 629 people were living in The Rocks. 46.4% of people were born in Australia and 65.6% only spoke English at home.[116]
In the
2016 census, there were 774 people in The Rocks. 39.8% of people were born in Australia and 51.1% of people only spoke English at home.[117]
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, makes the Rocks very popular with tourists. It features a variety of
souvenir and
craft shops, as well as many themed and historic
pubs. The Rocks Market operates each weekend, with around 100 stalls. During the week, shopping options include galleries exhibiting Australian artists as well as Australian clothing and Australian opal shops. There are numerous historic walks through the area, visiting historical buildings such as
Cadmans Cottage and
Sydney Observatory, and the
Dawes Point Battery, which was the first fortified position in
New South Wales.[118]
A passenger boat terminal and the
Museum of Contemporary Art is also situated beside the Rocks area. The precinct can also be accessed by rail, as it is within walking distance of
Circular Quay station.
Susannah Place Museum is a
historic house museum situated in The Rocks. It is a block of four terrace houses that was built in 1844 and had domestic occupants until 1990. It is a documentation of the urban
working class community in The Rocks. The terraces in various states of modernity show the evolution of occupation over 150 years
In popular culture
The Rocks, as it was in 1873, is the setting for the time-slip portion of the novel Playing Beatie Bow.
Ambrose Pratt: King of the Rocks, novel. Hutchinson, London 1900
D. Manning Richards. Destiny in Sydney: An epic novel of convicts, Aborigines, and Chinese embroiled in the birth of Sydney, Australia. First book in Sydney series. Washington DC: Aries Books, 2012.
ISBN978-0-9845410-0-3
Grace Karskens, The Rocks: Life in Early Sydney, Melbourne University Press, 1997.
The formal boundaries of the suburb named "The Rocks" cover the western side of Sydney Cove (
Circular Quay) east of the
Sydney Harbour Bridge approaches. In the north it extends to the southern base of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in the east to the shoreline of Circular Quay and
George Street, in the south to Jamison Street (thus including the area known as "Church Hill"), and in the west to southern approaches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the
Western Distributor overpass.[4][5]
History
The Rocks became established shortly after the colony's formation in 1788. It was known as Tallawoladah by the
Cadigal people.[6] The original buildings were first traditional
vernacular houses, of
wattle and daub, with
thatched roofs, and later of
local sandstone, from which the area derives its name.[6] From the earliest history of the settlement, the area had a reputation as a
slum and the arriving convicts' side of town, often frequented by visiting sailors and prostitutes.[6] After November 1790, many of the inhabitants were also
Aboriginal. In 1823, the district had a population of about 1,200. 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.[7][8]
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 and
Darling Harbour, with the intention of demolishing them and rebuilding them.[6] More than 3,800 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.[9] During the 1920s, several hundred buildings were demolished during the construction of the
Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority, with the intention of demolishing most of 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.[6] 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.[10]
By 1973, the union had imposed the ban, and after discussions with the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority, a 'People's Plan' was developed.[11] By October 1973, it appeared that the redevelopment would proceed as originally planned, using non-union labour.[citation needed] For two weeks, demonstrations by local residents and unionists followed, with numerous arrests being made.[citation needed]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.[citation needed] 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.[6]
Today the Rocks is a partly
gentrified area, but still contains a significant proportion of
Housing Commission properties, and there is still a significant problem of urban poverty and
street crime in this district.[citation needed] As housing stock becomes dilapidated, government policy is to sell the now extremely valuable public housing units to private owners, in the expectation that they will restore the properties. The
Sirius building and the associated "Save Our Sirius" protest group was formed to protest relocation of its residents.[12] Overall, The Rocks continues to be an important part of Sydney's cultural landscape, offering a fascinating glimpse into the
city's rich history and vibrant contemporary scene.
Church Hill
"Church Hill" is located in the southern part of The Rocks, sometimes identified as the northern part of the
Sydney central business district.[13] It is so named because the earliest churches in Australia were formed on this site, including
St Patrick's (Roman Catholic),[14] St Philip's (Anglican)[15] and
Scots Church (Presbyterian)[16]
The significance of Church Hill dates back to the time of Governor
Arthur Phillip, who mandated compulsory Sunday church attendance for all convicts, until they rebelled and burned down the area's first church in 1798.[13]
The area gained greater prominence as Church Hill on Wednesday 1 October 1800, when incoming Governor
Philip Gidley King had the foundation stone laid for St Philip's Church, which subsequently he proclaimed one of Australia's first two parishes in 1802 (the other being St John's in
Parramatta).[13]
The site where
St Patrick's Church currently stands is where the
Roman CatholicEucharist was first preserved in Australia, in May 1818. Celebrations for the bicentenary of this occasion were held in St Patrick's Church on Sunday 6 May 2018.[17]
Heritage listings
The Rocks has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
At the
2021 census, 629 people were living in The Rocks. 46.4% of people were born in Australia and 65.6% only spoke English at home.[116]
In the
2016 census, there were 774 people in The Rocks. 39.8% of people were born in Australia and 51.1% of people only spoke English at home.[117]
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, makes the Rocks very popular with tourists. It features a variety of
souvenir and
craft shops, as well as many themed and historic
pubs. The Rocks Market operates each weekend, with around 100 stalls. During the week, shopping options include galleries exhibiting Australian artists as well as Australian clothing and Australian opal shops. There are numerous historic walks through the area, visiting historical buildings such as
Cadmans Cottage and
Sydney Observatory, and the
Dawes Point Battery, which was the first fortified position in
New South Wales.[118]
A passenger boat terminal and the
Museum of Contemporary Art is also situated beside the Rocks area. The precinct can also be accessed by rail, as it is within walking distance of
Circular Quay station.
Susannah Place Museum is a
historic house museum situated in The Rocks. It is a block of four terrace houses that was built in 1844 and had domestic occupants until 1990. It is a documentation of the urban
working class community in The Rocks. The terraces in various states of modernity show the evolution of occupation over 150 years
In popular culture
The Rocks, as it was in 1873, is the setting for the time-slip portion of the novel Playing Beatie Bow.
Ambrose Pratt: King of the Rocks, novel. Hutchinson, London 1900
D. Manning Richards. Destiny in Sydney: An epic novel of convicts, Aborigines, and Chinese embroiled in the birth of Sydney, Australia. First book in Sydney series. Washington DC: Aries Books, 2012.
ISBN978-0-9845410-0-3
Grace Karskens, The Rocks: Life in Early Sydney, Melbourne University Press, 1997.