Sydney’s Convict Colony – A Walking History Tour of The Rocks
Approx. 2.5 hours
Generally starting at 10:30 am
Convict History, Crime Stories and Colonial structures
Customs House (right hand-side in front of the building) 31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay
ABOUT SYDNEY’S CONVICT COLONY — WALKING HISTORY TOUR
EXPECT:
Fascinating history, delivered with energy and insight as we uncover the scallywag stories of convicts, colonists, soldiers, sailors, larrikins, legends, rum and rebellions!
TOUR TASTER:
Once upon a time (not so long ago), a bizarre colonial experiment took place on the rocky shores of Sydney’s ancient Indigenous harbour. Thousands of miles from home, England’s banished thieves were locked in a prison with ocean walls; forced to find food and cut through stone.
Defying the odds, their shanty camp survived and grew—clutching to life on the banks of a freshwater stream. Gardens were grown, goods were traded & rum soon ranked as both currency & cure.
As centuries changed, The Rocks was carved into cottages and corridors. Scallywags sailed into shore. Larrikins lurked in the laneways & many a clever convict swapped their chains for riches.
Journey Walks invites you to share a part in this remarkable story. This tour will keep your ears pricked, your eyes open and your passion for the past brought to life.
THE WALK:
While focussed on The Rocks district, your Journey Walk will include important relics and remains around Circular Quay such as those tucked away at Macquarie Place and hidden beneath the foreshore of Sydney’s original Cove— you will also venture inside Customs House to discover what’s hiding under its glass floor. In The Rocks, expect hidden cobblestone alleyways, charming sandstone ruins, historic pubs and heritage protected houses that make up Sydney’s most infamous historical quarter.
PUBLIC TOUR COSTS:
$49.00 Adult. $44.00 Concession.
Minimum 2x people onboard for tour to run *
Maximum 14x people on tour group **
* Please Note: our reservation system will open up to single bookings once the initial 2x person minimum group sized has been reached for each tour date. If your are a single guest and would like to make a pending order that will be confirmed once other orders have been received for a certain date then please contact us.
** Private Groups: are available for groups up to 32 people per guide. Please contact us if you wish to organise a private group tour for speciality rates and itineraries.
PRIVATE TOUR COSTS:
Private group rate for 2 – 8 people = $390
Private group rate for 8+ people = email us your request
WATCH A TRAILER FOR THIS TOUR
ON THE JOURNEY
Your walking tour will cover:
- Indigenous Sydney: The harbour and its ancient clans
- Why were the convicts sent here? A clear context to transportation
- The voyage, landing and mishaps of the First Fleet
- Early Interaction with local Aboriginal people
- Sydney’s hidden fresh water stream and its secrets
- Surviving relics and monuments from the penal years
- The birth of ‘The Rocks’ as a convict settlement
- Starvation, sickness and struggles at the first hospital
- Hidden corridors & cobblestone laneways for larrikins
- The notorious rum trade and the rebellion of 1808
- Sydney’s oldest cottage & surviving Georgian architecture
- Secret sandstone ruins and hidden gold-rush history
- The rise & fall of the infamous convict-architect
- Street gangs, their schemes & their hide outs in The Rocks
- What happened when the black plague came to town
- A visit inside Customs House and the Argyle Stores
- Models, maps and murals of old & new Sydney town
- Historic Pubs & underground Doss Houses
- Any question you have answered on the spot
YOUR GUIDE:
This tour is led by local historians who specialise in the art of storytelling and guiding groups through time and space. Expect history with a sense of humour and the kind of juicy detail that brings the past back to life. Learn more about our expert team of Tour Guides.
EXTRA INFORMATION:
- Tours last approximately 2.5 hours and covers approximately 2.5 km (1.5 miles)
- This tour moves at an easy-going pace and visits approximately 20 historic stops.
- While mostly on flat ground, several staircases are included in our walk due to the layout of The Rocks — Unfortunately this prevents mobility for prams or wheelchairs
- Our small group tours are generally limited to a 14 adult maximum, additional younger guests may be accepted but please contact to double check.
- This tour is not recommended for children under 12 years of age as it involves adult content, 2.5 hours of walking & talking history (which can often be little much for our younger guests) but please be in contact or use parental discretion for any exceptions to this recommendation.
- Concession tickets are available for high school students aged 12-18 years old, university students or pensioners.
- Your guide is a native English speaker with a clear voice & will present relevant images as visual aids from an A3 tour folder throughout the tour.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are advised that this tour may include the names and images of people who are now deceased.
MEETING POINT:
- Your tour guide will meet you in front of Customs House at Circular Quay (31 Alfred St, Sydney 2000)
- Your tour guide will be standing with a white tour folder saying CONVICT HISTORY TOUR on the right hand-side of the Customs House building.
- Your guide will be located at the meeting spot at least 10-15 minutes before your tour is scheduled to begin, they will be wearing a blue Journey Walks shirt and will have white tour folder.
- Please arrive at least 5 minutes before your tour begins to check-in with your guide so we can start as a group on time.
- If you are running late then please make contact with your guide via call or text to update them on your location +61421269240.
- If you are running more than 5- 10 minutes late we may have to start the tour group without you and may be unable to be contacted while on the move. In this case, we will try to reschedule your booking but we do not offer refunds.
- Seating, shelter and public restrooms are available next to our meeting location.
- The ending place for the this tour is less that 10 minutes walk from the original meeting place in the heart of the Rocks near the Argyle Cut.
