A Simple Guide on How to Explore Sydney's Circular Quay - All you need to know about this famous Sydney Landmark!

Circular Quay is a popular tourist destination known for being the international passenger shipping port in Sydney, Australia. It was once a commercial port, but now it serves as a public piazza, a historical monument, and a transportation hub in NSW. The Circular Quay area is a famous tourist destination with walkways, parks, restaurants, and pedestrian malls. Here is a guide taking you through everything you need to know about this famous Sydney landmark!

Jason Tong, Circular Quay, Sydney as seen from the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the Queen Mary 2 docked, CC BY-SA 2.0

History 

The Circular Quay was formerly named Warrung, which means "little child" in English. Circular Quay was built by restoring the southern section of Sydney Cove with a manmade coastline between 1837 and 1844. The port, however, had become too tiny to accommodate the growing number of merchant vessels arriving in Sydney back in the 1870s. Darling Harbour became the new home for commercial ships. Due to the lack of commercial ships, the harbour began to be used exclusively for passenger travel. From 1971 to 1989, Colonial Mutual Life purchased property around Circular Quay for a huge development. Circular Quay also had a tram station. Almost all of the Eastern Suburbs' electrical tram operations have been based there. The first-ever tram to operate in Circular Quay was, in fact, a horse-drawn tram that operated along Pitt Street starting from the former Sydney Railway Station to Circular Quay. It was built in 1861, allowing convenient access to ferry services. The Circular Quay railway station opened to the public on January 20, 1956, and then by March 24, 1958, the Cahill Expressway was declared open. These developments changed Circular Quay as people knew it back in the day!

How to Get There? 

The quay is situated on Sydney Cove, between Bennelong Point and The Rocks, right on the north side of Sydney's CBD. If tourists prefer to travel by bus or train, it has a number of bus stops, ferry quays, and also a railway station. Alternately, if you are renting a self-drive car to tour the country, you may drive down to the port at any convenient time! Besides, if you’re looking for hotels in Circular Quay, you can check out properties like Oaks Sydney North Ryde Suites, which offers easy access to all attractions and activities around the area!

Culture  

Circular Quay is a focal place for community festivities in Sydney because of its strategic location between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. This is the main focal point of Sydney's New Year's Eve celebrations. Circular Quay also houses the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art and the City of Sydney Library. Back in 1991, the Sydney Writers Walk, a set of plaques commemorating writers having a link to Sydney, was erected on the walkway around Circular Quay. Circular Quay hosted the largest open-air art display in Australia in fall 2006, when the Berlin Buddy Bears travelled through Sydney for seven weeks. Each bear represented a member of the UN, embodying the fundamental principles of friendship, tolerance, and democracy.

Things to see and do

The Museum of Contemporary Art, located just north of the harbour's transportation centre, provides a brief history of British colonialism. Visitors may also take a quick boat ride to Manly, Taronga Zoo, Watsons Bay, or to Heritage sites in Parramatta by crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Sydney Opera House's programmes’ calendar provides all of the required information on the world-class shows that are held there.

A wide range of tours starts from the Circular Quay, featuring guided walks, rapid boats, delectable lunches and supper cruises, and Aboriginal-run Tribal Warrior Harbour Cruises. From May to November, whale-watching excursions depart into the waters beyond The Heads in search of humpback whales. Tourists may also take a stroll around the waterfront while admiring the breathtaking vistas the area has to offer, or simply enjoy a delectable dinner at one of the numerous restaurants.