The Rocks
Historic sandstone waterfront quarter of narrow lanes, colonial cottages and working terraces saved from demolition by residents.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to The Rocks turns on one October dawn in 1973, when residents and construction workers climbed onto rooftops and into trees along Playfair Street to stop the government demolishing one of the neighbourhood's oldest corners. It traces decades of official attempts to clear this sandstone quarter, from a 1900 plague scare used to justify demolitions to 1970s plans for high-rises, and the green ban that union leader Jack Mundey and resident Nita McRae organised to fight them. Walk the lane slowly — the garage and terraces around you are what that standoff was fought over.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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