Sydney's Jewel in the Crown Trivia Quiz

Answer: Yes

Port Jackson only has one entrance out to sea and that is between North and South Head. As you can see from the picture, there are many inlets and bays on the harbour. A major inlet is Middle Harbour and the headland which separates Middle Harbour from the main harbour is Middle Head. You can see it in the photo pointing out between North and South Head. Middle Harbour is a drowned river valley, just as Port Jackson is. In this instance, the river which was inundated is Middle Harbour Creek, a 10 km (6 mi) long creek which empties into the harbour.

Port Jackson itself is only 19 km (nearly 12 mi) long but because of the inlets and bays which give the harbour character, the perimeter is over 300 km long. The bays can be a magical place if you find yourself on a yacht in a secluded bay. Pick the right spot and you'd never know you were in the middle of a city. All you'll see is trees and water, the occasional bird. Go around the corner and civilisation with all its stressors comes into view.

Middle Head is the site of some military fortifications constructed between 1801 and 1942, including soldiers' barracks. The weaponry has long gone but the sites are being preserved as part of the harbour's heritage by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

Answer: Parramatta River

The river valley carved out by the Parramatta River was created millions of years ago and drowned by rising sea levels since the last ice age. Founded ten months after the Sydney colony was established, Parramatta is Australia's second oldest city and was the scene of early farming desperately needed by the new colony. It's now a city in its own right and a major economic hub for the western suburbs of Sydney.

Sydney's ferry service reaches north, south and west of the CBD and the westernmost point of the service is the Parramatta wharf. The photo was taken a couple of stops closer to the city. Any further west and the ferries would have to climb over a weir. The trip takes about an hour in a catamaran and is a lovely way to see the mangroves in the upper tidal reaches of the river. In some parts of the journey, you could be a million miles away from civilisation as all you can see is vegetation. In the middle of a large city, it's a very nice way to escape the hustle and bustle for a time. Captain Arthur Phillip of the First Fleet said of the harbour 'We got into Port Jackson in the afternoon and had the satisfaction of finding the finest harbour in the world, in which a thousand sail of the line may ride in the most perfect security.' Today, the harbour is a rich man's playground. Commercial shipping of goods which was once a mainstay of the harbour has been moved to other ports, so the only large ships you'll see on the harbour these days are cruise ships. Ferries, jetskis, yachts, kayaks, and motor boats find their way around the harbour without the hassle of missing those big container ships. Somehow, a part of me misses them as I liked to think of Port Jackson as a busy commercial port that could handle everything, but it does make a pretty picture when sails are set and people are out there enjoying the harbour. Those of us who don't have their own yacht can take a ferry ride for little cost.

Answer: Cockatoo Island

I hope the clue about a noisy animal helped you. If you've ever heard a cockatoo squawking, especially a flock of them, you'll know how voluble they can be. The other animals have other ways of making their presence known. Fifty years after Sydney was established, Cockatoo Island became a prison for recalcitrant convicts who re-offended after being transported. Transportation was seen as a punishment in itself so newly arrived convicts weren't imprisoned on arrival. Convicts were put to use carving out Sydney sandstone on the island to create the cells you see in the picture. Barracks for soldiers were also created, and much sandstone was used for buildings on the mainland. Convicts also laboured for years to build Australia's first dry dock, located on Cockatoo Island.

Shipbuilding, repair and maintenance was a dominant industry on the island from 1870 to 1991. During WWII, refitting, repair and building of ships kept the island busy as it was the major repair centre in the South Pacific for the war effort. The RMS Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth were refitted as troop carriers on Cockatoo Island.

Far removed from its early life, the future of Cockatoo Island is as a tourist destination for Sydneysiders and others. It's now a piece of urban parkland accessible by ferry every day. It's the only island in the harbour which allows visitors to stay overnight and is a popular place from which to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks. There are many camping sites, and a few houses in which you can stay. There is a swimming pool (the old dry dock), a tennis court and a few other simple amenities, as well as an amazing view. Special events such as the Biennale of Sydney, the Cockatoo Island Film Festival, art exhibitions, motocross championships and tours of the island's historical features all attract visitors to this 18 hectare (44 acre) island.

Answer: True

When Sydney was established as a colony, the land that is now Bennelong Point was a tidal island, i.e. an island at high tide, connected to the mainland at low tide. Bennelong Point has seen several uses since colonisation. It was discovered that thousands of years' worth of discarded oyster shells were sitting in the water. These were removed from the water and ground down for the lime content. This was used in the construction of Sydney's first substantial building, Government House. At this stage, the area was called Limeburners' Point.

Bennelong Point was also used as a place to leave cattle securely without needing fencing. Known as Cattle Point at this stage, its next name was Bennelong Point. Bennelong was an Aboriginal who became, against his will, a communicator between the colonists and local Aboriginals. Bennelong asked for a building in which to live, and it was constructed on the island. Between 1818 and 1821, the area between the island and the mainland was filled in. Then Fort Macquarie was built. A two story fort was built on the land and included soldiers' quarters, stores, weaponry including cannons. Another eighty or so years later, the fort was demolished and a tram depot took its place.

When it was decided that Sydney needed a decent theatre in the 1950s, Bennelong Point was chosen after the urging of Eugene Goossens, Director of the NSW State Conservatorium. Thank goodness! The original plan was to place an opera house in the CBD, but it does look magnificent now against the blue harbour and sky. It was during the construction of the Opera House that the original geology of the area came to light. The fact that Bennelong Point was once an island had been virtually forgotten.

Answer: The Tank Stream

When Captain Phillip landed in Botany Bay, the intended site of the penal colony, he found no source of fresh water. Captain Cook had mentioned an inlet a few miles north of Botany Bay which he hadn't explored, so Phillip organised an expedition to explore this inlet. Entering Port Jackson was a revelation to all the crew. Captain Lieutenant Watkin Tench wrote 'Having passed between the capes which form its entrance, we found ourselves in a port superior, in extent and excellency, to all we had seen before.' But water was the imperative, and a source of water which later became known as the Tank Stream meant the colony was established in Sydney Cove. The stream only ran for a short distance from its source but at its entry point to the harbour, schooners could be sailed within it.

Fed by a swamp in what is now Hyde Park, about a mile away, the stream coursed over a few waterfalls before discharging into the bay. Sydney Cove itself was marvellous as it is quite deep, allowing for large ships to be docked there while goods were loaded and unloaded. Given Sydney's varied weather, making the stream a more reliable source of water was important. Governor Phillip organised convicts to dig into the stream to create three reservoirs of water. Each of these reservoirs was five metres deep and could hold 20,000 litres of water. These 'tanks' gave the stream the name we know it today - The Tank Stream.

The Tank Stream was used by the colony until 1826 when it was too polluted to use as drinking water. It had become a sewer and other water sources were being used. Thirty years later, a project began which created the Bennelong Stormwater Channel and the Tank Stream was hidden from public view and diverted into the new channel. Convicts and free stonemasons worked together to craft a sandstone and brick channel for the Tank Stream to run through. The Tank Stream still exists in its tunnel hidden from the thousands of people who walk over it every day in the centre of Sydney. The photo isn't of the Tank Stream as I couldn't find one available to use here, but it's very similar to how the Tank Stream looks today.

Tours are held in the Tank Stream, but infrequently. Those seeking to delve into Sydney's early hydrological history must enter a ballot and cross their fingers.

Answer: ANZAC Bridge

Straddling Johnston's Bay, the ANZAC Bridge is barely a kilometre from the Sydney CBD. It carries traffic from the inner western suburbs into the inner city and over 180,000 cars use it daily. Opened to traffic in 1995, the eight-lane cable stayed bridge wasn't given its name until 1998. On Remembrance Day, 1998, it was officially named to honour the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) soldiers. A Kiwi flag flies at one end, an Aussie flag at the other. We may joke about the Kiwis all the time, but in times of trouble they are our mates, our cousins next door, and the significance of the ANZAC legend lives on. The year 2000 saw a bronze statue erected at the western end of the bridge. It depicts a WWI soldier carrying a rifle of the times. At the eastern end is his 'mate', a New Zealand soldier in bronze who was installed there in 2008.

The bridge is 345m (1,132 ft) long and 32m (106 ft) wide. There is also a bike/pedestrian lane on the bridge in addition to the eight car lanes.

Answer: The Rocks

The Rocks was settled very soon after the First Fleet landed in 1788. Sydney sandstone forms the bedrock for most of the Sydney Basin and it's loved by builders and engineers for construction. It's hard as a rock (obviously) but it's much easier to quarry than many other stones. Many old Sydney buildings made of this beautiful stone can still be seen. The Rocks was named as such as stone was used to create many early buildings.

The history of The Rocks is a chequered one. As Sydney became a city rather than a tiny colony, many of the more affluent residents of The Rocks left for newer developments. This left The Rocks with the poorer members of society. Being next to the harbour, it was home to warehouses and docks, pubs, brothels and brawling. The Rocks became run down and home to the lowest members of society in many cases. Bubonic plague came to Sydney, firstly in The Rocks. While only three victims died, a small portion of total deaths in Sydney, The Rocks became known for the plague. Moves were taken to rejuvenate the region and some demolition did occur because of this, and to make way for the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Thousands of houses were destroyed but plans weren't completed due to World War II. In the 1960s, another attempt at demolishing The Rocks was made but The Builders Labourers Federation (a union) intervened, slapping a green ban on the entire suburb. It took several years to resolve this dispute but eventually The Rocks was saved.

The Rocks still contains many old buildings and has become a tourist spot known for some great restaurants and its markets held every week. A couple of Australia's oldest pubs still reside in The Rocks and both claim to be the oldest. It's not a paradise though as crime can be a problem, especially on weekend nights. Walking around The Rocks, then Circular Quay and on to the Opera House is a lovely way to spend a few idle hours around the harbour's edge on a sunny day.

Answer: Circular Quay

Located on Sydney Cove, millions of people get on and off ferries every year at Circular Quay. Ferries of various forms and sizes carry people to destinations such as Parramatta, Manly, Taronga Zoo, Cockatoo Island, Balmain and the Eastern Suburbs. Ferries range in size from the small 150 passenger craft which work the shorter, inner harbour routes, to the 1,150 passenger ferries which ply the Quay to Manly route. That trip takes about thirty minutes and you pass near the Heads as you journey to Manly. This can make for a rocky ride if the swell is up. It's fun unless you are prone to seasickness!

Circular Quay was first used for shipping goods and people in and out of Sydney. A deep bay, it was ideal for such purposes. Originally a semi-circular bay, it was called Semi-Circular Quay until the nature of Australians shortened it to Circular Quay in the same way that we tend to shorten everything, especially names. The Quay was rounded but alterations over the years have seen it take on a very rectilinear form, very unlike the early years.

Commercial shipping has disappeared from the Quay. Instead you'll find five ferry wharves, an international cruise terminal, restaurants, coffee shops, fast food outlets, bus and taxi ranks, and a train station right on the door. Within a few minute's walk after getting off a ferry, you can find yourself in historic Customs House, the Museum of Contemporary Art or the Sydney Opera House. You can even see a portion of the Opera House's sail in the picture on the right, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the left. By the way, when you're in Sydney, you only have to call the Bridge 'the Bridge'. Everyone will know what you're talking about. If you want to see another bridge, then you'll have to specify which one. :-)

Answer: Sow and Pigs Reef

Measuring 150 metres long and up to 70 metres wide, the reef resembled the form of a sow with her feeding piglets, hence the name. Hazardous to shipping, a decision was made to blast the reef in order to reduce its height. Explosives carried out the deed and the harbour became a safer place to travel. You can only see the top of the reef at very low tide these days.

The weather beacon was commissioned in the 1990s and it provides wind and temperature data for the Bureau of Meteorology. It's known locally as 'the wedding cake'.

Answer: Crimean War

Sydney and all the colonies of what is now Australia were a part of the United Kingdom in the 1850s. During the Crimean War, it was feared that Russian ships might enter the harbour, perhaps to stop vital exports of wool and food to the UK.

The island was originally a rocky outcrop named Rock Island. (Well, they had a lot of new things and places to name. I suppose they didn't want to waste time!) Once a 15m (49ft) high lump of sandstone, it was levelled in the early days of Sydney. The stone quarried by prisoners was used to construct what is now Sydney's major ferry terminal, Circular Quay. In 1839, two American battleships had enough audacity to enter the harbour and were discovered in the morning. Construction of a fort commenced on the remains of Rock Island but wasn't finished. The Crimean War meant Russia might invade and was the inspiration for the completion of the fort. Fort Denison was named after the NSW Governor of the time, Sir William Denison.

After levelling Rock Island decades earlier, 8,000 tons of Sydney sandstone from the nearby suburb of Neutral Bay was quarried and used to construct the fort. It was pretty much obsolete by the time it was completed as the Crimean War had ended but it was armed nevertheless. Several cannons were installed, three of which remain today. Fort Denison does bear some minor scars of battle from World War II, but not from the enemy. Japanese midget submarines entered the harbour in 1942. The USS Chicago fired some shots in the defence of Sydney and managed to hit Fort Denison.

Fort Denison is still in use today but as a function centre, restaurant, museum, tidal gauge and beacon. It also performs the function of a clock once a day. Back in 1906, a tradition of firing off guns at precisely 1pm every day began. This allowed ship masters to precisely set their chronometers. This practice ceased in World War II for fear of scaring and confusing residents and others around the harbour. In 1986, the guns started firing at 1pm again.