岩石区
In January 1900, Arthur Payne, a 33-year-old van driver living in a tiny house on Ferry Lane, became 'ground zero' for Sydney's bubonic plague outbreak that claimed 103 lives over eight months. The government used the plague as justification to resume and demolish much of The Rocks, displacing hundreds of working-class families in a brutal urban renewal scheme. The locals fought back—organizing to save their community. Today The Rocks stands as their victory monument, a testament to the residents who refused to be erased.
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First European settlement in Australia (1788)
Survived the Bubonic Plague outbreak of 1900
Saved from demolition by the Green Bans movement in 1971
Home to Australia's oldest surviving residential building
Hours
Open 24/7 (markets on weekends)
Admission
Free
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-33.8599, 151.2090
Discover all the hidden stories of Sydney. From colonial heritage to modern landmarks, every corner has a tale to tell.