Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE UTILITARIAN HARBOUR
Sydney has always relied on its harbour. All sorts of cargo (including human) has been un-
loaded here, and some of the more interesting Sydney buildings are the utilitarian wharves
and warehouses still lining parts of the harbour's inner shores. After the bubonic plague ar-
rived in Sydney in 1900 (killing 103 Sydneysiders), the government took control of the old,
privately owned wharves. Many ageing neoclassical warehouses were razed and replaced
with new utilitarian buildings, but the 'containerisation' of shipping in the 1960s and '70s
made many of these facilities redundant almost overnight.
For some glimpses of typical Sydney inner-city residential styles, make your way to Padding-
ton, Potts Point or Elizabeth Bay. The backstreets of these dense suburbs include superbly re-
stored Victorian terrace houses, art deco apartments and modern housing.
Now, Sydneysiders' obsession with harbourside living is also putting many of these his-
toric sites at risk. Fortunately, some have been transformed through inspired redevelopment
- once-dilapidated sheds morphing into top-notch cafes, restaurants and apartments. Wool-
wharves are classic examples. One of Sydney's big architectural challenges is to retain the
richness of a working harbour and to ensure these sites have a successful, working role in
the modern city.
