Circular Quay is the epicenter of Sydney. This is where the First Fleet landed in 1788 and established first settlements at the Rocks.

Today it is a bustling transit hub bringing together trams, trains, and ferries. And bookended by two iconic architectural masterpieces: the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

I first became aware of the quay in Eric Bogle’s antiwar song, “And the Band Plays Waltzing Matilda”. The song is narrated by an Australian man who fights in World War I in the battle of Galipoli, where he loses both legs. Here are a few verses:

And when the ship pulled into Circular Quay
I looked at the place where me legs used to be
And thank Christ there was no one there waiting for me
To grieve and to mourn and to pity 

And the Band played Waltzing Matilda
When they carried us down the gangway
Oh nobody cheered, they just stood there and stared
Then they turned all their faces away

On some days a massive cruise ship is docked in the Quay. On my visit there was a Princess Cruise ship disgorging its many passengers and their equally massive bits of luggage.

I was going to take the ferry to Manly after my Opera House tour. Before the tour, as a light drizzle puddled the pavement (it is winter after all), I sat under an umbrella at a cafe and sipped a cappuccino and started to sketch the view of the Quay before me (featured sketch).

The size of the cruise ship almost blots out the Sidney Harbour Bridge. When you are on the starboard side of the ship while it is at the terminal, the size of the floating city completely blots out the Opera House. I somehow wanted to convene it’s massive, eclipsing size in my sketch.