Sydney Cove Map, Sydney, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

The Sydney Cove Map stands on the waterfront at Circular Quay in Sydney, beside the cove where the First Fleet came ashore in January 1788. It is a good place to get your bearings: the birthplace of the city lies just around you, and the pavement nearby carries the plaques of the Sydney Writers Walk.

The story behind it

Sydney Cove was the landing place of the First Fleet, which brought the first British convicts and settlers under Captain Arthur Phillip, who founded the colony that became Sydney. The beginning was hard, with scarce supplies, difficult soil and an unfamiliar climate. The cove was fed by a freshwater stream, and the shoreline the settlers stepped onto has since been pushed out into the harbour by reclamation, so the water is no longer exactly where it was. The land belonged to the Cadigal, one of the Eora clans, who relied on the harbour for food. European arrival and the diseases it brought devastated their people.

The pavement here also tells a literary story. The Sydney Writers Walk was created in 1991 by the NSW Ministry for the Arts, and its plaques run along the quay from the Overseas Passenger Terminal to the Opera House. They honour Australian writers and famous visitors such as Mark Twain and Joseph Conrad, each with a quotation and a few lines about the writer's life. One plaque is for Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. He was a committed spiritualist, and he travelled to Australia and New Zealand in 1920 on what he saw as a spiritualist mission.

Nearby, The Rocks was also home to the Rocks Push, a notorious larrikin street gang of the late 19th century. The plague clearances of 1900 demolished much of the old neighbourhood.

What to look for

• Compare the outline of Sydney Cove on the map with the shoreline in front of you, and picture the original edge of the water further inland.
• Look down for the round metal Writers Walk plaques set into the footpath, each with a short quotation.
• Find the plaque for Arthur Conan Doyle and read how the creator of the logical Sherlock Holmes came to believe in spirits.
• Look for the plaques of visiting writers such as Mark Twain and Joseph Conrad as you stroll along the quay.

Tips for your visit

• It is an open-air spot on the public waterfront, so you can stop by at any time. Allow about 15 to 20 minutes for the map and the plaques.
• Morning and late afternoon are the most comfortable for walking the quay, with softer light on the harbour.
• The Opera House, the ferry wharves and The Rocks are all a short walk away, so it fits easily into a longer stroll.
• Wear comfortable shoes, as the best way to enjoy the plaques is to follow them along the quay on foot.

See it on a quest

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in The Rocks, Sydney is a good fit if you like dark history. You reach this area on foot as one stop of a longer route through The Rocks, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Highlights of Sydney: From Prison to Freedom Land follows the story of the city from its convict beginnings. It leads you from stop to stop through the area, with the app telling you about each place and setting a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Ghost Hunt in Sydney suits the eerie side of the old harbour streets. You walk between places on your own schedule, hear about each one as you reach it and solve a puzzle there. One ticket covers the whole group.