Self-Guided Walking Tour of Sydney
Roaming The Rocks: Sydney's historic settlement of convicts, cobblestones and crime stories
Start from Introduction by the Tank Stream Fountain: Ancient Sydney and the arrival of convict ships in 1788, Sydney
Duration 105-110 min
Available offline
Discover a preview of the tour!
Listen to the first 30 seconds
About 🔎
Hello, I'm Max Burns-McRuvie, a Sydney crime historian and owner of the tour company Journey Walks. This tour will explore the early origins of Sydney's historic maritime village known as The Rocks. Together we will unpack its notorious past, heritage architecture, and curious characters. Expect fascinating stories of prisoners, sailors, soldiers, whalers, smugglers, street gangs, slums, tunnels, taverns, mysteries, and murders. The tour will take just over 2 hours and will include local recommendations for refreshments stops.
Created by Max Burns-McRuvie
Highlights ✨
Introduction by the Tank Stream Fountain: Ancient Sydney and the arrival of convict ships in 1788
Historic map of Sydney Cove and the convict settlement of The Rocks in 1808
Grumpy Governor Bligh & the infamous 'Rum Rebellion' that ended his reign
Cadman's Cottage and the unlikely convict success stories of the Macquarie era
A visual timeline of The Rocks and the end of the convict era
Hidden opium dens and doss houses in cellars-turned-whisky bars
Greenway Lane and the eccentric 'Convict Architect' of Sydney
The blacksmith's cottage and the incredible bank robbery of 1828
Sydney's 'Suez Canal' and notorious street gangs of the Rocks
The historic Police Station: corrupt cops and surviving lock-up cells
The Fortune of War of Hotel: Sydney's earliest pubs and taverns
Cumberland Place and the old slums of The Rocks
The Whalers of The Rocks and those they once murdered
The Argyle Cut and its hidden history
The ruins of Sydney's old slums and the Black Death
The Harbour Bridge and the 'Battle for The Rocks'
Final overview of The Rocks from above