One Sunday we decided to catch a train and a Ferry to Manly. Along the way we actually had to catch buses as the trains were not working! We pulled up to Circular Quay in a side street, and got to see more of the History of the area. Funny enough Kyle and I are doing New South Wales History as a homeschooling subject, and everything we had seen from Centennial Park to Circular Quay to Manly is in the book we are reading!
The History of Sydney – learning while we walked. We walked about four hours every day when we were able to, and got to see more of Sydney then if we had driven to places!
Circular Quay History
Never thought we would get back to our motorhome, get a book from the library and learn about the First Fleet and realise that we had seen this very anchor at Circular Quay!
This Gun is believed to have formed
part of the armament of the HMS Sirius,
the flagship of the First Fleet,
Which entered Port Jackson in 1788,
The Gun was returned to Sydney
After the HMS Sirius was wrecked at
Norfolk Island in 1790 and used as a
Signal gun at South Head
This Gun was placed here in 1907
This Anchor belonged to H.M.S.Sirius, which
convoyed the first fleet sailed from the
Isle of Wight 13th May 1787, Arrived in
Botany Bay 20th January 1788,
Anchored in Sydney Cove.
Kyle realised he has seen these buildings when we were walking and also on the Ferry out to Parramatta, he was so excited to realise the history of Circular Quay was all around him!
The changes over the many years are huge and you can see the progress that has happened at Circular Quay, but many of the buildings are the buildings that have been built from the First Fleet are still standing strong. I love the subject of History {I studied Ancient History in High School} and I still love sharing that history studies with Kyle 🙂
What gets me so blown away – is imagine arriving to Sydney from England – it took about 18 months to get here. To find nothing – no buildings, no shops, no food, no where to live, nothing waiting for you to live your life? Could you do that – could you arrive to nothing?
Then the clothes they used to wear – Long Jackets, Long Pants, Button Up shirts, Hats, Gloves, Long Boots – and the ladies clothes : Dresses, Petticoats, Gloves, Stockings and closed in shoes, they would have been so hot!
To realise they all had to work the land, they had to find somewhere to grow crops, they had to find a way to build a house that would last the conditions of the land, to find a way to accommodate so many people as more and more people arrived from England and then from other countries.
That there is what blows me away, they had nothing. And they had to make something from it.
The only thing that I don’t agree on is how the first fleet treated the Aborigines, why didn’t they become their friend and learn their skills? Why didn’t they watch and learn how they lived off the land so that the convicts could have easily also lived along side the land – instead of trying to control the Aborigine culture and the way they lived they should have been smarter and realised they had respect for the land.
Sydney is such a busy place, so many people walking fast to get where they need to be, without really seeing what is in front of them – they don’t see the way Australia was made. And that is sad – they need to stop and take notice of our beautiful country!
On that note – WHY don’t they employ people to clean up Sydney? I have never ever seen such much rubbish on the ground before – its everywhere and its heading down the drains into the water ways which will kill our much needed animals.
This memorial commemorates the voyage
and arrival in Sydney of the First Fleet
which brought to Australia its first
European settlers under the command of
Captain Arthur Phillip, R.N
The Fleet Sailed from Portsmouth on the 13th May
1787 and Anchored in Sydney Cove at a spot just
north of this memorial on 29th January 1788
The Fleet comprised Eleven Ships HMS Sirius
Flagship, H.M.S Supply, An Armed Tender – Six
transports Alexander Lady Penrhyn, Charlotte,
Scarborough, Friendship, and the Prince of wales,
together with three store ships Fishburn, Golden
grove and borrowdale. At departure they carried
a total complement of about 1487 who embarked at
Plymouth, Portsmouth and the Thames.
The Plinth of the Memorial was donated by the
fellowship of First Fleeter, all of whom are
direct descendants of those who arrived with the
first fleet.
The Granite Block above the Plinth was quarried at
Dartmoor, England, and donated to the city of Sydney
by the city of Portsmouth as a return gift for a similar
block of Granite from N.S.W, given to them by the city.
It was set in place by the lord Mayor of Sydney on
the 2nd July 1980.
The sculpture, Bonds of Friendship, was presented by
the Bank of N.S.W. It is a companion piece to one
erected by the Lord Mayor’s Australian settlers
commemoration committee of Portsmouth and which is
located near the Sally port at Portsmouth Harbour through
which Captain Phillip and Many of his fellow voyages passed
on their way to embark
The Bonds of Friendship symbolises the closeness of the
ties that were forged between portsmouth and Sydney
as a result of the voyage of the first fleet and
represents links in a chain joining both cities
it was designed by John Robinson. The donor, the bank of
New South Wales was the first Bank and the First
Corporation established in Australia.
The bonds of Friendship was unveiled on the 17th
September 1980, by his excellency Sir Zelma Cowen,
AK, GCMG, GGVO, KSTJ, QC. Governor-General of
Australia Alderman Nelson meets Lord Mayor
L.P. Carter O.B.E town clerk.
Circular Quay History – I bet there is way more history there, just need to look for it, maybe if we are ever back down in Sydney will walk more of the streets and find out more about the First Fleet.
Have You Been To Circular Quay?
Cheers
Lisa
New Life on the Road
I think the most important things to highlight to any visitor are the stunning views of Sydney Harbor, the beaches, delicious food and excellent coffee.
http://www.spacificatravel.com