The unique character of the city of Sydney is being given a voice – in fact, several voices. Sydney Theatre Company has joined forces with major sponsors Lend Lease to create a free app that guides users on an informative and entertaining historic walking tour of through the city.

“The app tells a very ‘Sydney’ story in a distinctive style that humanises the city’s history,” says STC Executive Director Patrick McIntyre. “For 226 years, this waterfront stretch of land has transformed to meet the demands of the city, from commerce and industry to culture and leisure. And prior to this it has been a site rich in story and activity for thousands of years.”

Historical diaries, letters and newspaper reports have been brought to life by actors, painting a tangible picture of the city and those who filled it through time. Historical imagery, descriptions and re-enacted words of past greats, including Governor Arthur Phillip, Henry Walsh (he of Walsh Bay) and Elizabeth Macarthur (the wife of grazier John Macarthur), allow the past to resonate in the present.

“It’s really pleasing to bring the stories of this burgeoning precinct to life, in such a new and engaging way,” says Andrew Upton, STC Artistic...