A short walk from Town Hall Station, Darling Harbour is located just to the west of the Sydney city CBD. Darling Harbour began as a strongly industrial area, but after companies and businesses shut down their Darling Harbour locations and moved factories to the outer suburbs, the area went through a period of urban decline and decay. In the late Eighties, plans for the area to be remodified and renewed were put into place and the area began to grow in affluence and attraction, an example of change over time. Gentrification led to much of the sight becoming what it is today, like the adaptive reuse of the old industrial buildings for apartments and businesses. Such buildings add to the character and atmosphere of the area. Darling Harbour has many sites that attract tourism, including the Sydney Aquarium, the IMAX Theatre and the Chinese Garden of Friendship. The Chinese Garden acts as a green space against the harsh grey backdrop of the city and contributes to the diversity and culture of Darling Harbour. Other attractions such as Luminous, a light show on every night but Mondays at the Darling Quarter, are key examples of sustainability in the city as the light show uses 100% renewable energy that is sourced from solar panels. As well as this the Piermont Bridge is another example of adaptive reuse as it has been converted from a traffic carrying bridge that could move to allow boats into Darling Harbour, into a pedestrian crossing over the water, connecting the two halves of the area. There are different functional zones within Darling Harbour, this includes area for entertainment, food, tourism, shopping and transport. This contributes to the accessibility and use of Darling Harbour. As well it creates jobs and adds to the high socio-economic status of the area, as it increases the overall income of those working in the area. Darling Harbour has many places to eat at, relax, learn or even just have fun. Visit some places here or you can move on to the next stop of the tour!
Listen to the sound file below for an audio tour of Darling Harbour:
Listen to the sound file below for an audio tour of Darling Harbour:
darling_harbour_speech.wma | |
File Size: | 1248 kb |
File Type: | wma |