Discover our Stories

The New York Picture Theatre

One of Sydney’s first purpose-built moving picture theatres opened at 159 George Street, The Rocks, in 1911. For just over 20 years it presented contemporary films of the silent movie era, before closing in 1935.

The Wreck of the Sydney Cove

The wreck of the East India merchant vessel Sydney Cove in 1797, was to lead to the first large-scale mercantile operation in Sydney, established at Campbell’s Cove by Robert Campbell. His sandstone warehouses still grace the shore of The Rocks today.

Nurse Francis’ Refuge for Women and Girls, 45 Argyle Street

Nurse Susan Francis was somewhat of a celebrity in Sydney in the early decades of the 20th century. Renowned as a midwife and health care worker, Nurse Francis was active in the growing Labor Party and Union Movements, particularly concerned with the welfare and political representation of women.

First Wave Feminism in The Rocks: Thea Stanley Hughes and the Women’s League of Health

Thea Stanley Hughes brought the renowned Women’s League of Health to Australia in the 1930s. In addition to providing health information and fitness activities, the League also met a social need, enabling female agency and freedom, and is thus a good example of 'first wave feminism' in Australia

Wind Power

Sydney was an early adopter of steam power, with the first steam engine being installed at Dickson’s Darling Harbour mill in 1813, but for many years wind power was used by industrialists in places where wind was plentiful.

Dr Mary Booth and the Empire Service Club

Dr Mary Booth (1869-1956) was a prominent figure in early 1900s Sydney, founding many organisations focused on charity work. In 1923 she launched the Anzac Fellowship of Women 97 George St, The Rocks, largely concerned with assisting migrants and promoting the British Empire.

The Indian Navy in George Street

The Merchant’s House, a four-storey sandstone town house at 43 George Street, was constructed in 1848. During World War II, up to 200 sailors from the Indian Navy made it their home while 5 ships were constructed for their use in Sydney.

The Grandeur of the Grosvenor Hotel

For forty years it stood; its views over Sydney and the harbour unparalleled, before being demolished, along with 280 other buildings in The Rocks, to make way for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Demolition of the Commissariat Stores, 1939

Ever since the New South Wales Government had resumed the harbourside real estate of The Rocks and Circular Quay following the Bubonic Plague scare in 1900, plans had come and gone for the urban renewal of this major gateway to Sydney.

The Rock of The Rocks

The sandstone outcrops on the western side of Sydney Cove were quickly given the evocative name of “The Rocks” by the European settlers. Over the following centuries, the rocks were quarried, filled, and terraced in an attempt to tame their wild nature and make them “conform” to the European vision of civilization.

Hydraulic Pumping Station, Darling Harbour

This power station changed the shape of 1890s Sydney by providing inexpensive hydraulic power for lifts, enabling taller buildings. Its innovative system also powered industry in the CBD for many decades. Now housing the popular 'Pumphouse' bar, this elegant building retains remnants of its two massive accumulators & roof-top water tank.

Cora Gooseberry

Queen Cora Gooseberry, a Sydney Matriarch and Entrepreneur, was born into an Indigenous matriarchal society and witnessed the colonisation of her Country, people, livelihood and womanhood.

Sydney’s Original Town Centre

First Fleet Park and the adjoining George Street, was the site of Sydney’s original town centre. It was here that the marketplace sprang up at the public wharf, and where public, humiliating punishments were meted out to ill-doers.

William Augustus Miles; Commissioner of Police, Royal Bastard, and Archaeologist.

In 1840, William Augustus Miles was appointed Chief Superintendent of Police and arrived in Sydney charged with the task of reforming the police force. Residing in The Rocks, he also took a keen interest in archaeology and was responsible for the first systematic recording of Aboriginal rock art around the harbour.

The Naval Dockyard

From 1798 until the 1840s the western shore of Sydney Cove hosted the Dockyard, where ships were built and repaired, and a generation of boys were trained to become the master shipbuilders of the following decades.

Con-Trick and Assaults: ASN Hotel (1891–1984)

A pub stood on the south corner of Argyle and George Streets from 1839 to 1984. Originally known as the New York Hotel, the building was demolished and rebuilt as the ASN in 1891, with the grand structure that still stands today.

Creating the Argyle Cut

The Argyle Cut was progressively quarried through the spine of The Rocks between 1832 and 1932. A mammoth undertaking, the stone was often used for nearby building construction, and as fill during the creation of Circular Quay.

The Battle for The Rocks - 50th Anniversary

24 October marks the 50th anniversary of the event known as The Battle for The Rocks. Here, we delve into the pivotal moments in October 1973 that transformed this iconic historical area.

Orient Hotel

This hotel was originally constructed in 1842-4 by butcher, and Sydney Council Alderman, James Chapman. Intended as a pub, it was not granted a license until 1849 when it was known as the Marine Hotel.

Captain William Deloitte and the Pacific Trade

Captain William Deloitte operated trading ventures between Sydney and the Pacific islands in the 1830s-40s. He was particularly instrumental in the development of the New Zealand port of Hokianga on the North Island.

Margaret Fulton: The Cook and the Communists

Iconic Australian chef Margaret Fulton lived in The Rocks in the 1950s. Through her brother-in-law William Hatfield she was introduced to the bohemian side of Rocks life; coffee, artists, communists, and women drinking in bars!