New South Wales · Cultural Landmark
The Rocks
Sydney's Oldest Neighbourhood and Colonial-Era Precinct
schedule 2 min read / Updated Apr 2026
Sydney's oldest neighbourhood, wedged between the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay. Founded in 1788 as the first European settlement in Australia, The Rocks preserves original sandstone terraces, cobbled laneways, and one of the country's first pubs.
The Rocks is the historic precinct on the western side of Sydney Cove, founded in 1788 as part of the first European settlement in Australia. It sits on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation and takes its name from the rocky sandstone outcrop that juts into the harbour. In the early colonial years it was a tough working class neighbourhood of sailors, dockworkers and whalers, and by the late 19th century had a reputation as one of the roughest parts of Sydney.
The Bubonic Plague outbreak of 1900 led to the demolition of parts of the precinct for public health reasons, and proposals to raze the whole area for redevelopment continued through the 20th century. Ultimately it was saved by a famous community-led green ban imposed by the Builders Labourers Federation in 1971, which halted a planned demolition and forced the NSW government to preserve the heritage buildings instead.
Today The Rocks is a compact, walkable precinct of original 1800s sandstone buildings, cobbled laneways, heritage pubs and restaurants, with the Harbour Bridge rising immediately behind. The Rocks Discovery Museum tells the story of the area and is free to enter. The Fortune of War, established in 1828, is widely regarded as Sydney's oldest continuously operating pub, and the Hero of Waterloo just up the road dates from 1843.
The weekly Rocks Markets (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) are a major weekend attraction, with around 200 stalls selling food, craft, vintage clothing and Australian-made goods under the arches of the Cumberland Street overpass. The precinct is the starting point for the BridgeClimb tour of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which has been running since 1998.
Scenic views
Lookouts near The Rocks.
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Attribution
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Images (3)
- Sydney (AU), The Rocks, Federal Electrical -- 2019 -- 3562.j... · Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sydney (AU), The Rocks, George Street -- 2019 -- 3566.jpg · Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sydney (AU), The Rocks, George Street -- 2019 -- 3567.jpg · Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
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