February 24, 2023
“A very agreeable and promising aspect…with hills, ridges, plains, and valleys, with some grasses…but for the most part covered with wood”
- Captain James Cook , the journal of the Endeavor on sighting the southern tip of Austrailia on April 19, 1770.
Every story has a beginning. And for Australians, that beginning was on a Saturday January 26, 1788. Eighteen years earlier Cook ‘discovered’ Austrailia for the British and five years ago the American War of Independence concluded.
The British wanted to continue their practice of ‘Transportation’ of convicts and since America was no longer an option, the vast new continent of “New South Wales”, as Cook called it, seemed to be perfect for the task. Captain Arthur Phillips set off from Portsmouth England with a group of 11 ships, known reverentially here as ‘The First Fleet’.
After a journey of 252 days they sailed quite by accident into this natural harbor, one of the best in the world, and landed at what is now called the Circular Quay where the ferries are dock today. It was January 26th. - Now known as Australia Day
On board the fleet were approximately 300 marines, sailors, officers, and staff. The remaining 700 or so were convicts sentenced to serve their sentence here on the far side of the world. The average sentence was 7 and 1/2 years and most of their crimes were petty. But, in a real sense it was a life sentence since even if they survived incarceration, they had no chance of returning home again.
The land here was not as idyllic as described by Cook. Phiilps named the cove Sydney after his immediate superior back home meaning the settlement to be called Albion. But the name Sydney stuck and that is what we have today .
Their could hardly be a worse prepared group to start a new settlement. The expedition lacked engineers, carpenters, and other craftsmen one might desire to carve out a new frontier. The convicts, although compelled to work, were of mixed skills at best. One was a 7 1/2 year old boy and another was an 82 year old grandmother.
The whole enterprise very nearly foundered and perished. But, by sheer grit, determination, and dumb luck they survived. This tale was the beginning of this marvelous country.
We arrived in Sydney late in the evening two days ago. Yesterday we did what we usually do when we arrive at a new place. With no particular plan we got out and walked around. We headed in the general direction of the harbor.
Melbourne has a reason to be a little jealous of Sydney. This is a big and quite beautiful city. It is much greener here with rolling hills that slope towards the harbor. Because of this attractive landscape, Sydney is far and away the most extravagant place to live in this country. Average prices for a modest home here is 1.2 million dollars. The place looks and feels expensive.
We walked through the botanical gardens on the way to to the harbor. The feeling is one of a rain forest here in the middle of downtown. Here you will find white cockatoos flying about and at night there are flights of fruit bats that take wing in search of figs.
This is the area of the Rocks today. They try to maintain the old buildings but most have cafes or gift shops now.
It is hard not to see the great harbor bridge. Completed in 1932 it was meant to be the largest steel arch bridge in the world. The great arch alone weighs 30,000 tons. It took 10 years to complete and the Australians were justly proud that they had a world wonder on their hands.
However, during the delays the Bayonne Bridge in New York, another steel marvel, was completed a little sooner.
It is exactly 24 inches longer than the Sydney Bridge!
But Sydney’s is wider, so there is that I suppose.
Still, it is one of the most impressive bridges you have ever seen and we walked all 1,650 feet of it to the other side. There is an excursion where you can walk over the top of the tresses. It costs hundreds of dollars each and seemed just silly.
It is a very busy harbor, with ferries that run to all points passing each other everywhere. Large naval vessels dock here as well. And the skyline is just spectacular.
Sydney for many years was in the backwater behind Melbourne. But, when Melbourne was awarded the Olympics in 1956, the city fathers were determined to turn things around. They had the bridge, but they also built something else.
It would change everything.
More about this icon in a couple of posts.
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