The Rocks, New South Wales
The Rocks is a suburb, tourist precinct and historic area of Sydney's city centre, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the Sydney central business district.
Not to be confused with The Rock, New South Wales.
The Rocks
Sydney, New South Wales
Boundaries[edit]
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]
Church Hill[edit]
"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 Catholic Eucharist 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]
In popular culture[edit]
The Rocks, as it was in 1873, is the setting for the time-slip portion of the novel Playing Beatie Bow.
Christmas night panoramic view at Campbell's Cove
Harrington Street
Terrace Houses, Lower Fort Street
Observer Hotel
Essex and Harrington Street subdivision plan
Princes Street, showing the first hotel on The Rocks
Princes Street, looking south
Argyle Street
Observatory Hill, lands auction, 1910
Terrace houses in The Rocks
