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The Rocks
 To the casual
observer, Sydney is a strikingly modern city, dominated by towering
skyscrapers that seem to defy gravity. But those in search of a city on
a more human scale will do well to take a stroll down to The Rocks, site
of Australia's first European settlement and birthplace of modern day
Sydney.
The contrast with
the gleaming glass CBD is striking. Here the buildings are in the Colonial
and Federation style, with balconies and intricate iron weaving on the
exterior. This is a part of Sydney that oozes history as much as anywhere
in post-European Australia can. The joy of areas like this is that the
history is immediate - here you can stand on the very spot where history
was made, and see the buildings that played host to key events.
 The
Rocks has a chequered past. Being the place that the British sent their
most unsavoury characters as part of their eighteenth and nineteenth
century policy of transportation, the Rocks area soon gained a reputation
for bawdy behaviour and villainy in all its guises. 1900 saw an outbreak
of bubonic plague that saw a long overdue clean-up and overhaul of the
area, something that was repeated when work on the Sydney Harbour Bridge
began some years later.
Situated
spectacularly in the shadow of the "Old Coathanger", the Rocks is now one
of the city's principle tourist attractions. This has brought its own
pressures to the area, because the pre-conceived ideas that swathes of
tourists bring with them tend to end up being converted into a bit of a
tacky reality by businesses who are naturally keen to tap into the
tourists' dollar. That said, this is an area that has retained a good deal
of charm, and developments over the last few years have made it's winding
narrow streets a friendly and lively place to spend time.
 The
Rocks' Heritage Centre is a good place to begin your day - it is situated
in an old sailors home at 106 George Street. They do put on special
working tours from here, but if you prefer to be bit more independent,
just pick up one of their maps and walk the route yourself.
You can take in the
spectre of the oldest remaining house in Sydney - Cadman's Cottage at 110
George Street that dates back to 1816. The Georgian building was
originally home to the pardoned convict John Cadman, and back when he
lived in it from 1827 to 1845, it stood directly on the shore.
Now standing some 50
metres back from the water's edge, it is home to the National Parks &
Wildlife Service Information Centre, and the staff will be happy to talk
about the cottage's history, and fill you in on the delights of the
state's national parks. The National Trust Centre on Observatory Hill is
housed in an old military hospital that is home to an interesting museum
and gallery. Open Tuesday 'til Sunday, it is $AUD 8 in, $AUD 4
concessions.
If
street markets are your thing then you will be in for a treat at the Rocks
Weekend Market in the Rocks Square with an array of stalls offering great
gift ideas. If the hubbub of the Market proves to be too much for you,
never fear because there are plenty of good quality cafes around so you
can kick back and watch the market in full swing over a flat white or
cappuccino.
If you
are in need of something stronger, try the Hero of Waterloo Hotel 81,
Lower Fort Street, (02) 9252 4553, a genuinely Irish pub that purports to
be the oldest hostelry in the city. Built as a hotel in 1843 by convict
labour for stonemason George Paton, and still retains iron shackles on the
walls of the cellar. It is in the colonial area of Millers Point , rich in
the architecture that is synonymous with the British era.
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