Sydney scene

This panorama shows an easterly view across Sydney Cove 12 years after settlement. The Government Wharf and Dry Store are clearly visible, as is the clearing behind them where the first markets took place. Neat streets of well-constructed civic buildings and domestic dwellings fan out from the harbour foreshores, and small shops have begun to appear in The Rocks, Sydney’s first shopping centre.

Early shops were set up in the front rooms of houses, with the proprietor and family living above or behind the shop. By the early 1800s, purpose-built shops had spread along George Street and into the streets surrounding the markets. These shops had internal spaces designed for retailing and façades proclaiming the products and services available.