The Rocks Discovery Museum
The Rocks Discovery Museum unearths the torrid stories behind Sydney's quaintest district. Shannon Langan takes you on an interactive joyride
You go there for good times at the pubs or for artsy trinkets at the weekly markets, but how much do you really know about The Rocks?
Stepping into The Rocks Discovery Museum, the flash of a glossy interactive button reveals that Sydney's first European settlement hasn't always been so genteel. Smallpox and the bubonic plague once ravaged the area, while desperate convicts, illegal liquor traders, whalers and sailors were running amok long before pub patrons were serenading the harbour and fertilising the footpaths.
Spanning the area's indigenous history pre-1788, through to the building of the Harbour Bridge and right up to its cobblestone café culture of today, The Rocks Discovery Museum leaves few rocks unturned.
Using a variety of mediums - including ancient artefacts and ultra-sleek motion sensitive touch screen displays - this Heritage and Cultural Tourism Award finalist crams a lot of material into its small quarters. For a quality historical hit, let this museum be your first port of call.
The Rocks Discovery Museum, Kendall Lane, The Rocks. Daily 10am-5pm. Free.