Behind The Rocks: Slums, Gangs, Gentrification

Step beyond Sydney’s postcard harbour and uncover the turbulent history of The Rocks, a neighbourhood shaped by poverty, crime, survival, and reinvention. On this free walking tour, you will trace the narrow lanes where convicts, dockworkers, sailors, and immigrant families built lives in overcrowded terraces and makeshift homes.

Hear how disease, unsafe housing, and official neglect earned The Rocks a reputation as one of Sydney’s most notorious slums. Meet the gangs, razor men, smugglers, and local identities who ruled its pubs, backstreets, and waterfront, and learn how myth often blurred with reality.

The story then shifts to the twentieth century, when government redevelopment plans threatened to erase the community entirely. Discover how residents, unions, and activists fought to protect historic buildings and resist mass demolition.

Join us for a sharp, engaging walk through the forces that transformed The Rocks from a working-class district into one of Sydney’s most valuable neighbourhoods, and what was lost along the way.