What is Sydney Cove?
Sydney Cove is the small bay on Sydney Harbour where the First Fleet established the British colony of New South Wales on 26 January 1788. Today it is known as Circular Quay.
Governor Arthur Phillip chose the cove because it had a freshwater stream, deep water close to shore for ships, and sheltered anchorage. He named it after Lord Sydney, the British Home Secretary responsible for the colony.
The freshwater stream, later called the Tank Stream, supplied the early settlement. It now runs underground beneath the city. The Gadigal people called the cove Warrane.
From cove to quay
In the 1840s and 1850s, the cove's shoreline was reshaped into a semicircular quay, giving Circular Quay its name. It became the main port for shipping, and later a hub for ferries, trains and buses.
Today Sydney Cove sits between the Sydney Opera House on Bennelong Point and The Rocks, with the Harbour Bridge in view. The Overseas Passenger Terminal welcomes cruise ships.
A First Fleet memorial and the Museum of Contemporary Art stand nearby, and the area is the centre of Sydney's New Year's Eve and Australia Day celebrations.
Did You Know?
The Tank Stream got its name from tanks cut into its sandstone banks to store water for the colony.