While the Australian Museum of Contemporary Art may draw our attention to the psyche of the Modern Australian culture, the Rocks celebrates our colonial history. The Rocks was where the colony was first established, and in many cases has retained its original form; well to an extent since somebody decided, in their infinite wisdom, to build a freeway through the middle:
It is probably not
by chance that the Overseas Passenger Terminal sits right in front of
the Rocks since the many passenger liners that pass through here
allow the guests on board to get a taste of Australia's first city.
As well as all of the tourist shops along Circular Quay, and of
course that building on the opposite side of the harbour, the Rocks
attempts to take us back to a time when Australia was first settled
(if you can ignore the cars that ply up and down George St).
Here you can have a
beer at Australia's first pub (if you can work out which one it is
because there are two pubs that are vying for that title):
However, The Rocks is not
all bitumen streets and modern cars as nestled behind George St is
Nurse's Walk, so called because it was the site of Australia's first
hospital (though that has long gone, only to be replaced by colonial
buildings and a number of alleyways named after various members of
the medical profession – such as Surgeon's Lane)
The Rocks is what
I would probably call an open air museum, in that as you wonder around
the area and there are various plaques and buildings that tell us
about Australia's colonial days. However, they are also punctuated by the
many shops, alleyways, pubs, and restaurants that permeate the area. Despite all of this, as you wonder around you can find other memorials to our early history.
Many of the
original buildings still remain:
if you can ignore
the modern apartments that have also been built around the area:
or the skyscrapers
that cast their commercial shadow over our colonial history:
This really adds the the authenticity of the place |
While there is a
Rocks Discovery Museum, this seems to be little more than a
collection of restored courtyards, walkways, and alleys that lead to
the shops on George Street, though it no doubt will help you in
finding out where to visit and see all that The Rocks has to offer.
Of course the
modern seems to continue to permeate the area, even as it reflects
our colonial heritage, such as the frame of this old house:
I'm still trying to work out the purpose of this structure |
or these
collections of furniture, no doubt meaning to be a cut-away of an old
colonist's cottage, allowing us to see inside a bygone age:
Or else it could simply be outdoor furniture |
As I wondered
around the area I even discovered an archeological dig beneath the
local YHA:
While I have an
interest in archaeology, two hundred year old ruins just don't seem to
do it for me. I tend to get a lot more excited over ruins like this:
At the heart of
the rocks is this plinth, its three sides bearing carvings of the
original settlers:
I didn't get a photo of the third side |
Interestingly
though, nothing represents the true original colonists, namely the
convicts. A number of them were political prisoners, who were dispatched to
Australia to prevent agitation over the war against Napoleon, as well
as people sentenced for crimes as petty as stealing bread for a
starving family. No doubt these small time and political prisoners
found themselves shackled together with numerous hardened criminals,
separated from their homeland and thrust into a harsh and unforgiving
land.
Nor are we
reminded of the true original inhabitants, the indigenous population
that were forced off of their land as the conquerors set up their
base, and were further pushed out as the pastoralists began to fence
off their land to turn Australia into a factory designed to produce
raw materials to support the empire.
The Rocks is
generally on the right side of the bridge, however, after walking
around Dawes Point, and under the bridge (where a lone security guard
stands, preventing anybody from making off with it), you come to
Walsh Bay.
Walsh Bay is the
old container port that has been turned into a Yuppie Fantasia:
However, along
with the multitude of fisherman, you can also find the home of the
Sydney Theatre Company and their magnificent bar at the end of the
wharf (though it can be a bit tricky to get to – you need to go up to
the first level by the elevator at the foot of the wharf and then
walk down the corridor to the end). Despite the modern apartments,
there are still mementos of the by-gone age, no doubt designed to add
character (and value) to luxury apartments.
However, other
than a few nice pubs, all that is beyond the wharf are rows of Housing Commission
houses and a multitude of signs protesting the government's plan to
sell them on the market. Though if you really want a good view,
especially at night, there is always Observatory Hill:
This scene defies any words that I can write |
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