Turn of the Century Sydney

Walk 5: Turn of the Century Sydney - Walking Tour.

From Circular Quay to Walsh Bay, and through the heart of The Rocks your students will discover how Sydney changed from the First Fleet’s landing to become a bustling port city crowded with merchants, sailors and traders. Explore the site of Sydney’s first Chinatown, learn about our rich maritime history, and hear of the hardship and poverty endured by Sydney’s poor working class residents at the turn of the twentieth Century. 

Students will be entertained by stories of early Sydney gangs and of characters that lived in Sydney during this period of our history. They will also explore the site of Sydney’s first Chinatown and learn how migrants and other groups contributed to the push towards the Federation of Australia. Visit the site of the first Bubonic Plague outbreak and see the remains of houses that demonstrate the poor living conditions the local residents endured. Learn about the great men of this time who transformed Sydney's convict past into a modern future. Sydney and in fact Australia's future was decided at this important time in history when the colonies came together as a Nation for the first time; hear about these events that happened over 100 years ago and visit the places in Sydney where they are still remembered to this day.

Focus includes:

• Life in Sydney at the beginning of the 20th Century
• Changes to society and the built environment over time
• Important people of this era, their contributions to Sydney's progress and their legacy
• Significant groups in the area, their way of life and place in society
• The Plague, the Great Depression, Government control and redevelopment

Walk Details:

• Duration is approx 2 hours
• Distance is approx 2km and includes stairs, but can also easily be adapted for wheelchairs
  
• Meeting point is at First Fleet Park, the grassy area adjacent to Wharf 6 at Circular Quay and beside the Museum of Contemporary Art
• Finish point is at the top of George Street in Dawes Point Park, right underneath the approaches to the Harbour Bridge
• There are toilets available at the start and finish points, and also throughout the walk
• This tour operates in all weather conditions, there are many places to shelter along the way if the weather isn't so nice but remember to bring jackets or raincoats
• This walk can also be easily adapted for people in wheelchairs, please let us know if you have any students with special requirements
  

Bookings:

Please book online where possible - this booking calendar operates in a live system so online bookings can receive instant confirmation. 

• If your requirements, times or numbers don't fit with our online bookings, please just get in touch by phone (02) 9188 7885 or email info@sydneywalks.com.au and we can complete your booking over the phone
• If you need to alter the start time earlier or later or have any special requests, please just add a note in the special requests box on the booking page and we will confirm back to you
• You should plan to arrive at the starting point 30 minutes prior to the tour start time, to allow the students time to eat recess or lunch and visit the toilets
• All booking confirmation emails will contain a link to download the emergency plan and risk assessment for that specific tour 
• You will receive a reminder follow-up email one week prior to your tour, and again two days prior to the tour to confirm your final numbers - note we will only charge the amount for the final number of students, not the initial booking quantity.
• We will also send you an email the day before the tour, confirming the forecast weather conditions and giving you the mobile phone number of your guide meeting you for the tour.

Payment:

Deposits or payments are not required in order to make and confirm bookings.

• Public schools using the EdConnect Shared Services system will need to provide a purchase order number prior to the tour. 
• We will confirm your final number of students two days prior to the tour, and quote the final cost back to you so that the purchase order can be raised.
• Private schools and other schools not on the EdConnect system will be invoiced directly on the day of the tour, for payment within 14 days.

What the students should bring:

• Wear comfortable shoes suitable for walking, there will also be places where we sit down
• Wear a hat and sunscreen if it is sunny, bring a raincoat if the weather looks bad
• Don't bring a heavy school bag, just bring a light bag with your recess, lunch and a drink bottle

Questions, comments or special requests: