The Rocks, Sydney

Today we met a distant relation of John's, J and her husband B who met us at Circular Quay. We wandered around the Rocks area of Sydney calling in for a drink at the Hero of Waterloo, with the licensee name over the door of Nelson.

John met J through ancestory a few years ago and they have stayed in touch ever since, she was as intrigued as the rest of us when John discovered he had a half brother. That was a few years ago, I think the fact that Jean came across the information about the half brother about the same time as John helped to form the friendship. We had a very pleasant few hours together and again a sad feeling to think we probably will not meet again, although you never know.

The Rocks: from the Internet.
The Rocks became established shortly after the colony's formation in 1788. The original buildings were made mostly of local sandstone, from which the area derives its name. From the earliest history of the settlement, the area had a reputation as a slum, often frequented by visiting sailors and prostitutes. During the late nineteenth century, the area was dominated by a gang known as the Rocks Push. It maintained this rough reputation until approximately the 1870s.