NSWPlanned settlement
Sydney
A harbour and fresh water determined the colony’s site.
1788British penal settlement established
WHAT STARTED IT
Arthur Phillip’s First Fleet established the British penal settlement at Sydney Cove. A sheltered harbour and the freshwater stream entering the cove made it a practical base for ships and the new settlement.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
Shipping, trade and colonial administration expanded around the original harbour settlement. Those functions grew into a metropolitan port and service economy even after the Tank Stream ceased to supply the city.
Read the fuller history
The Tank Stream supplied early Sydney before pollution and demand overtook it. Shipping, commerce and colonial administration expanded around the cove, and the settlement grew into a major metropolitan city.
TURNING POINTS
1788The First Fleet establishes its settlement at Sydney Cove.
1841Gas street lighting begins on 25 May from the Australian Gas Light Company’s works on Darling Harbour, using Newcastle coal.
1843Thomas Mort begins regular wool auctions in Sydney.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A large port and service economy centred around Sydney Harbour. The original watercourse is largely underground, while Circular Quay remains a visible link to the first settlement.