Mural depicting the history of The Rocks
My kids asked me the other days when the olden days were. It was a question that gave me pause for thought. I asked them when they thought it was, and they said when their grandma was a girl (the 1940s and 1950s) I said I thought it was probably when my grandma was a girl (1920s and 1930s). There isn’t a doubt though that The Rocks district is a historical, olden days hub of Sydney. The traditional owers of the land where The Rocks is situated are the Gadigal people (part of the Darug Nation language group) and there is archeological evidence of them living in the site The Rocks, right near the Harbour Bridge in the 1400s. The oldest existing colonial building in The Rocks (Cadman’s Cottage) was built in 1816. These days The Rocks is a vibrant tourist, dining and art hub of Sydney with stunning views of Sydney Harbour and the Opera House. My new favourite area of Sydney The Rocks is a gorgeous area to explore with children.
Ambling through the lane ways of The Rocks is a great way to familiarise yourself with the history of the area. Plaques describe the colourful and sometimes seedy local history, such as that of The Rocks Push, a criminal gang that resided in the area and made wandering the same lane ways at night unsafe in the past. There are plenty of stairs in The Rocks and we did wish we had used a baby carrier for our own walking tour rather than a pusher as we missed out on some of the interesting streets and walkways.
The Rocks
Ever used or heard the word “larriken”? I remember it as a common one from my childhood to describe a lad up to no good. The term has its origins in The Rocks where it was used to describe young men who were in gangs and wore pointy shoes! Just one of the snippets we learnt about the history of The Rocks from the pre-colonial era to present visit The Rocks Discovery Museum. The kids enjoyed this free museum where they were handed an interactive treasure hunt as they entered. At the end of their visit they drew a picture depicting what they had learnt which then goes on display in an exhibition featuring visiting children’s artwork.
We love, love loved the Museum of Contemporary Art located overlooking the Harbour in The Rocks if only for it’s kookiness. A movie of people in clown’s hats laughing non-stop for an hour – gold for a four year old I can tell you. Captain Cook depicted in a painting as a pirate – similar gold. Exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art change, my son’s favourite on this visit was one that included huge Japanese cartoons they could immerse themselves in. Once again, entry is free. Do ask for a kid’s sketchbook when you visit (for a gold coin donation) as they engage kids with the permanent exhibits through drawing.
This movie depicts “Brown Council” laughing for one hour.
Kooky Spiderman art gold at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
This is Indigenous art – an Indigenous family has been making shell-worked objects of art in La Perouse for generations.
Somehow both infinitely cool and relaxed are The Rocks markets open on Saturdays and Sundays 10am-5pm. Locals line up for all kinds of deliciousness on Friday for the Foodies market which is open from 9am-3pm meaning that you have breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea covered. The open air markets are a very short stroll from the harbour which means you have one of the most famous views in the world to enjoy as you dine.
The Rocks Foodies market
Quite a nice view to enjoy while eating a gozleme or fresh jam and scones.
The Rocks Markets
My mum (yes the one that my kids think was a child in the Olden Days) actually attended school right next to the Sydney Observatory. I was so glad that we visited the Sydney Observatory and not only because of the spectacular views of the harbour from Observatory Hill. The Sydney Observatory was built originally to assist the colony in keeping time and predicting the weather, as well as observing the stars. It is now open for day and night visits (night visits must be pre-booked) and options for visitors include self-guided tours of the historical displays, a planetarium, 3D movies, and telescope viewing. They Sydney Observatory runs school holiday programs and offers short astronomy courses that I only wish I was in Sydney long enough to participate in.
The view from Observatory Hill in the Rocks. My Mum went to school right where this photo was taken.
The Sydney Observatory
Visiting The Rocks?
Stay We stayed at the York Residences and Apartments which was a perfect fit for our family.
Dine There are so many dining options in The Rocks many of which are high end and fabulous. As a family traveling with young kids we appreciated the more modest Pancakes on the Rocks.
Bubs on the Move provides tips and advice for parents traveling with small children including attraction and accommodation reviews. You can join us on Facebook or Twitter to receive updates to your news feed.
The Observatory!! Thank you – we are often in The Rocks and I left that destination off our list.
Out of interest, how do larrikins relate to pointy shoes??
I think the larrikins identified themselves by wearing pointy shoes, kinda a red or blue bandana crips vs bloods thing.
Nope, never heard the term “larrikin” 🙂 But I love the photos from the contemporary museum of art. Sounds like a fun place, that Sydney in the Rocks. I hope I’ll get to see it some day. (Together with the rest of Sydney.)
Nope, never heard the term “larrikin” 🙂 But I love the photos from the contemporary museum of art. Sounds like a fun place, that Sydney in the Rocks. I hope I’ll get to see it some day. (Together with the rest of Sydney.)
Aussies are a bit thin on history so I loved the historical side of the Rocks and that cool contemporary museum of art.