It would be hard to find a nicer place to start your Australian travels than Sydney Cove, with the sunsets enhanced by the siluet of Harbour Bridge, amazing shell-like structure of its main symbol, the Opera House and peaceful fauna of neighbouring Botanic Gardens.

Hard to believe that it was not always so as this, in its origins convicts colony, had to fight hard for its spot on the sunshine.

First arrivals
On January 1788 eleven ships of the First Fleet with about a thousand on convicts on board under the command of captain Artur Philip arrived at Botany Bay and despite the recommendations of James Cook, who anchored there in 1770, the continued to look for a better place to stay.

And that is how a bay, later named Sydney Cove was discovered. On its rocky west end, today called The Rocks, a first colony was established. These were the first settlements which over the years evolved into the Sydney of today.

Settling in
In the first years the settlers battled the lack of all the important live supplies – water, roads, lightning even building materials were scarce. According to some records, there was only about hundred sixty gas street lamps mostly on the sides of the road to the only hotel in the colony therefore providing very little help to the settlers.

Status of City
Atrocious living conditions lead to number of mass protests and forced the politicians of the day declare Sydney the status of City on 20 July 1842. This day in now officially considered the date when Sydney was established.

Hotels: Sydney | Australia

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