The Rocks at Federation explores life in one of Sydney’s oldest neighbourhoods during the decades surrounding Australia’s Federation, from the 1880s to the early twentieth century. Designed to support Stage 3 studies of Australia as a Nation, this tour uses The Rocks and Millers Point as a real-world classroom to examine how national change was experienced at a local level.
As Australia moved towards Federation, residents of The Rocks faced very different concerns to those shaping national celebrations. Students investigate the everyday living and working conditions of a densely populated inner-city community, often described at the time as overcrowded and unsanitary. Through surviving buildings, streetscapes and sites, students explore issues such as poverty, public health and employment, including the impact of the 1900 bubonic plague outbreak.
The tour also examines the government’s response to these challenges through the Resumption of The Rocks, when large areas were taken under state control with the aim of creating a so-called “Working Man’s Paradise.” Students are encouraged to consider cause and effect, social dislocation and the physical transformation of the area.
By interpreting the built environment, students gain insight into how Federation-era ideals contrasted with the realities of urban life, and why The Rocks remains a significant heritage precinct today.
