The story of this place
On January 26, 1788, the First Fleet dropped anchor at Sydney Cove—then called Warrane by the Gadigal people—after eight grueling months at sea carrying 1,400 convicts, marines, and settlers. Captain Arthur Phillip raised the Union Jack at 7 PM that evening, claiming the land for Britain and beginning the transformation of a sunny north-facing crescent of sand. The original landing site is now First Fleet Park, but the weight of that moment—people in chains staring at a strange new world—still echoes through the bustling ferry terminals.