Australia & New Zealand

This afternoon, we joined a walking tour in The Rocks district of Sydney. We visited several historic pubs, all claiming to be the oldest in Sydney. We learned that the original laws in Sydney only allowed an establishment to serve alcohol if they also provided food and accommodations. So the truly oldest are all hotels. This can be confusing today because they retain the hotel name, but many no longer offer rooms.

As we walked through The Rocks, we learned that the British established the area as a penal colony after landing in Sydney Cove in 1788. The soldiers, and gentlemen and ladies of society were given fertile land close to the river that fed into the cove. But the prisoners were forced to make due with the harsh sandstone outcropping on the hillside west of the cove. The Rocks quickly grew to become the shady side of town, with numerous hotels (pubs), prostitution, and gangs.

We concluded our tour at The Lord Nelson Hotel with a beer and dinner choice of fish and chips or meat pie. Everything was delicious!Read more