Map of Port Jackson, Showing Shipping Facilities

Excerpt from an article titled Commercial Relations by R. L. Nash – published in “New South Wales: the mother colony of the Australias” (1896)

Naturally, with the largest share of the trade of these colonies, the shipping returns of New South Wales are likewise the most extensive.  The harbour of Sydney, not seldom with nearly a hundred great ocean steamers and sailing ships on its waters, affords the most indisputable evidence of being a busy port, for which its natural advantages entirely fit it.  It is, indeed, the busiest port in the Southern Hemisphere.  For many miles the depth of water is ample for tonnage of the deepest draught; its tides average but 3 feet 4 inches, and the flow and ebb of water in the centre of the stream is almost imperceptible.  Again, the harbour is almost entirely landlocked, even the comparatively narrow opening through the Heads being unseen from any part of Sydney, while the great rollers coming in from the Pacific expend their entire force upon the rocks which face the entrance of upon the nearest shores of Middle Harbour, anther extensive water-way at present given over to the Sydney excursionist, but which will some day add to the importance of Sydney as a port.  The accompanying plan of Sydney Harbour will serve to show the dimensions of the port better than many pages of description would do; and the multitudinous bays and covers, separated for the most part by high land, afford ample protection in all weathers.

Provenance: “New South Wales: the mother colony of the Australias“. Frank Hutchinson, Edited by F. Hutchinson.
Author: Frank Hutchinson
Date of Publication: 1896
Publisher: C. Potter
Place of Publishing: Sydney
Copyright status: Out of copyright
Courtesy: The British Library