The Rocks, Sydney

The Rocks, Sydney

The Rocks (GPS: -33.85906, 151.20804) is a chic place in Sydney that grew out of the working class neighbourhood there. This historic area is located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the Sydney Central Business District, immediately adjacent to Circular Quay on Sydney Cove, site of Australia's first European settlement in 1788.

The Rocks became established shortly after the colony's formation. The original buildings here were made of local sandstone which gave the name to the place. During its early history, the Rocks was a slum area frequented by visiting sailors and prostitution was rampant. By the late 1800s, it was dominated by a gang called the Rocks Push. The rough neighbourhood reputation lingered well until the 1970s.

Today the Rocks is a partly gentrified but still contains a significant proportion of Housing Commission properties. It is an area in Sydney where urban poverty and street crime continues to be an issue. Its proximity to Circular Quay makes The Rocks popular with tourists, and this has resulted in a mushrooming of souvenir and crafts shops here.

The Rocks is on the Map of Sydney, Australia

Back to Discover Sydney

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

 Discover with Timothy YouTube Channel

 PG Food Channel

 Learn Penang Hokkien YouTube Channel

SojiMart Videos

Latest from Discover with Timothy: Gurney Bay - what to see and do there

About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

Robbie's Roadmap