Some photos of Sydney. I think I’ll post them in the order they were taken, except where it makes more sense not to, because it’s simpler and then they sort of form a story and I have some hope of remembering what they are 🙂 So four days makes four posts (and maybe some individual locations later).
Bus stop outside Central Station. Sydney has this weird thing where you go under the airport to a train station, and then you’re in the public transport system. I think this was George St, which runs up through the middle of the city centre. Not going into the middle of the city yet.
Going to the hotel first. But then, I’m heading up the Rocks, which is above the city proper (here actually). It’s the usual inner city work class residential slum area turned up-market locality (although there is some low cost housing there still?), with a few interesting points. About the turn of the century, there was an outbreak of bubonic plague, to which the government’s response was to take ownership of the area (and demolish many of the residences). About 1930, more houses were removed to make way for a bridge. Forty years later, there were plains to level the whole area but the residents disagreed, banded together and got the (a?) builders’ union on side.
Susannah Place is a terrace of four houses, now run by the Historic Houses Trust as a working class house museum.
It’s down there on the left, what looks like a short two building with a red roof.
This is opposite.
On leaving there, I just wandered around and took some photos.
Looking down.
Everywhere there are glimpses of the bridge.
This is the looking up in reverse of the earlier looking down. The Argyle Cut was cut through in the 1840s and 50s. It is one rather impressive looking constriction from down below.
A mixture of older brick residences & shops;sandstone commercial buildings (pubs, warehouses) and newer commercial buildings. Most of which now seem to be hotels and cafes and offices.
There’s the bridge again.
And again. It not that far away so I walk up for a closer look.
.
On the bank, around the foundations, the area is set up with to show location of the old fort, with accompanying information panels.
I walk around the point and come down the other side. The side of the rocks, bordering Sydney Cove, seems to be mostly warehouses. Again, lots of cafes and the like. I think the big early 20th C towards the back is shops and offices. Not sure what the odd looking place on the left was built as. (Checks. Notes Google Street Map is rather odd in this area, it keeps putting me inside buildings and other places with no way out.) It is the Australian Steam Navigation Company offices and warehouse. constructed in 1884 in the rare Pre-Federation Anglo Dutch architectural style. Also the long red building was Metcalfe’s bond stores, c1910.
Oh, there’s Metcalfe’s again. So now you know what it is. Also the lead-up to the bridge. Again.
Circular Quay, at the bottom end of the Cove, is the start and end points for the ferries. Some are commuter ferries (i.e. public transport) and some are tourist ferries.
It is getting dark and threatening to rain. That makes the sky an interesting colour but also makes the camera sulk so now more photos this evening, except for three more.
All over the city there are little monument commemorating events and people. One little park is focused on the acheivements of women. This memorial was “commissioned by the Women’s Pioneer Society of Australasia in recognition of the courage and endurance of our Women Pioneers and their vital role in the development of this country.”
And this one commemorates “the women of New South Wales who enlisted in Australia’s defence forces during World War II”.
Its neighbour has, amongst over things, a former drinking fountain. Around the bird on the left panel, it says “Keep the pavement dry.”