The Rocks, New South Wales

The Rocks is a suburb, tourist precinct, and historic area of Sydney's city centre. It is on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, and immediately north-west of the Sydney CBD.

Boundaries

The formal boundaries of the suburb named The Rocks cover the western side of Sydney Cove 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.

History

The Rocks was established shortly after the colony's formation in 1788. It was known as Tallawoladah by the Cadigal people. 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. 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. 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.