Heavy boys and light girls, dangerous gangs, smoky opium dens, sailors, convicts and soldiers: The narrow alleys of The Rocks in Sydney were once a hot spot.
Anyone who walks here with Max Burns-McRuvie today doesn't need much imagination to put themselves in the neighbourhood's past. On one of his historical tours, the 34-year-old easily brings it to life.
Max Burns-McRuvie offers historical tours during which he also talks about the city's gangs, to which caricatures have even been dedicated.
Circular Quay and The Rocks are highlights
Just like the adjacent Circular Quay, which stretches around Sydney Cove, The Rocks is one of the most worth seeing places for visitors to the capital of the Australian state of New South Wales. When the name Sydney is mentioned, most people probably think of the iconic Opera House and the equally famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.
And yes, the two landmarks are undoubtedly the most famous sights. A tour of the architectural gem is a must for most visitors to the metropolis. And of course, the brave also book one of the Bridge Climb Walks, during which they climb the arch-shaped bridge. But Sydney has so much more to offer than that.
A mural on Kendall Lane in The Rocks district shows Sydney's development.
Which people have particularly shaped Sydney
The metropolis is steeped in history and is considered the birthplace of Australia. In 1788, the first European settlers settled here. Australia's indigenous people, the Aborigines, or more precisely the Cadigal, had, of course, been living here for much longer. It is also possible to walk in their footsteps - even if this requires much more imagination.
For it is above all the old sandstone buildings and cobblestone streets that can still be found here today. For example, the oldest house in the city, Cadmans Cottage (110 George Street), built in 1816, stands within sight of the modern Museum of Contemporary Art, whose terrace offers a panoramic view of the harbour and the Opera House.
The terrace of the Museum of Contemporary Art offers a panoramic view of Sydney Harbour and the Opera House.
Most of the old buildings have long since been occupied by restaurants and shops. Nevertheless, history seems to be hidden behind every corner, offering material for stories. To tell these stories to visitors to the city, Max Burns-McRuvie founded Journey Walks five years ago and offers historical tours.
"The first houses here were built by convicts who came from Europe," says the historian.
In the oldest quarter of the city, The Rocks, old sandstone houses remind us of Sydney's past.
Casinos, brothels and opium parlours
The neighbourhood was initially a working-class area, but attracted increasingly dodgy characters. "At some point, almost everyone who lived here was a criminal. There were illegal casinos, brothels, opium parlours and the police were bribed," he reports.
Burns-McRuvie knows exactly where the opium pipes once smoked around central George Street (for example, below today's whiskey bar The Doss House) or on which corners the gangs called Pushs huddled around to prey on gullible fortune seekers.
Ruins show living conditions
On a guided tour of the district, the guide always takes his groups to the somewhat hidden Foundation Park (Gloucester Walk). Behind a row of shops are the old foundations of eight terraced houses from the 1870s, which were built into the rock face. They were demolished in 1938.
Today they give an impression of how cramped conditions once were - families with up to ten children lived in the three-by-three-metre rooms. Visitors can stroll through the tiny allusive rooms, which are furnished with oversized furniture made of steel by the sculptor Peter Cole.
Foundation Park gives an impression of living conditions in Sydney in the 1870s.
Pied pipers became the new bosses
"In the 1890s, there was a bad rat infestation," the guide reports. As a result of it, the bubonic plague broke out. "At that time, the rat catchers became the new bosses of the district. They killed about half a million of the animals. They got $19 per animal for that," says Burns-McRuvie. Meanwhile, the neighbourhood became more and more dilapidated. Many of the old houses had to make way for the construction of the Harbour Bridge between 1923 and 1932.
The fact that other old buildings are still standing today is thanks to the commitment of some Sydneysiders. In the seventies, during the so-called Battle of the Rocks, they campaigned for the historic houses not to be demolished in order to build new high-rises. Today they are listed buildings.
Barangaroo: New in-district on the waterfront
To the west of the city's oldest quarter is the newest: Barangaroo. It couldn't be more different. And that is exactly why it is worth a visit. Container and cruise ships once moored in this former harbour district. Just a few years ago, it was considered the largest inner-city development project in the world. Today, instead of dockers and construction workers, bankers, lawyers and management consultants come here.
State-of-the-art office buildings and apartment complexes line the waterfront. If you want to move into one of the flats, however, you have to bring much more than the often sought-after small change. On the street level there are usually trendy, stylish restaurants, cafés and bars.
Barangaroo Reserve: Park with native plants
When the district is completed, more than half of it will be public land with parks, waterfront promenades and community spaces. Barangaroo Reserve is already open to visitors. More than 75,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted on almost six hectares. There are picnic areas, cycling and walking trails.
The Barangaroo Reserve offers many walking but also cycling paths.
This is also where Timothy Gray's guided tour takes place. Because this is the place where you can most easily follow in the footsteps of the Aborigines on his Aboriginal Cultural Tour. The 44-year-old first tells us that the neighbourhood was named after an Aboriginal woman who played an important role during the time of European colonisation. "She lived in the area during the time of settlement," says the guide, who has Aboriginal roots himself. Barangaroo, who provided for her family as a fisherman, was considered fearless, independent and strong - and particularly influential in her community.
Timothy Gray introduces travellers to Aboriginal culture on guided tours of the new Barangaroo district. This includes traditional hunting tools like this spear for fishing.
Gray is also very familiar with the indigenous plants in the park. "The wood and bark of the Sydney Red Gum Tree were used in the past to make tools, spears, shields and even canoes," he says, pointing to the tree with the reddish bark. The Sydney Golden Wattle, or long-leaved acacia, also played an important role in daily life.
The guide tears some leaves off the tree and rubs them between his hands with a little water. "If you rub yourself with the foam, the kangaroos won't smell you when you sneak up on them while hunting," he reveals. He also reports that extra native bees have been introduced to the park to ensure that the endemic plants are fertilised.
On the Aboriginal Cultural Tour, travellers learn a lot about the traditions of the Australian aborigines - for example, that Sydney Golden Wattle ground up and mixed with a little water helps camouflage when hunting.
Gray is particularly pleased about the growing interest of Australians in Aboriginal culture. "Most people have not been interested in it in the past. It's only in the last few years that they've started learning about it in school," he says, adding, "It's more important to look at the similarities than the differences. If everyone did that, the world would be a better place."
Getting there: There are no direct flights from Germany to Sydney. Getting there is possible with a stopover at one of the Asian (Singapore, Bangkok) or Arab (Dubai, Doha) hubs.
Entry: German travellers need a passport valid for at least six months and an eVisitor visa to enter Australia. It is valid for twelve months for stays of a maximum length of three months and can be applied for free online.
Accommodation: There is a wide range of hotels in Sydney in different price ranges. A particularly good view of the harbour, opera house and Harbour Bridge can be had from the Shangri-La (176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks).
Attractions:Journey Walks offers historical city tours in different neighbourhoods with different themes - for example the group tour Sydney's Convict Colony with a historian through The Rocks (2.5 hours, about 25 euros per person) or the private tour Convicts, Crimes and Colonial Sydney in the neighbourhoods The Rocks and Millers Point (2.5 hours about 186 euros for up to four people).
Aboriginal Cultural Tours in Barangaroo Reserve last about 90 minutes. Adults pay about 25 euros per person, children and teenagers 11 euros and seniors 15 euros.
The tour was supported by Tourism Australia. The editorial team alone decides on the selection and orientation of the content.