The first vaguely tasteful development in Darling Harbour, Cockle Bay Wharf occupies the harbour’s cityside frontage as far as Pyrmont Bridge. Its sharp, contemporary angles are softened by the use of timber and whimsical sculptures (we particularly like the jaunty dancing storks).

Housing upmarket restaurants and bars, Cockle Bay helped yank Darling Harbour out of the financial mire in the 1990s. Sydney’s megaclub Home set a new standard for stylish clubbing and bucked the colonial trend by spawning an offshoot in London.