Museum of Contemporary Art and Catering

During the building of the Rockpool in 1989 I would walk down George Street, thinking of things that had to be done, things we hadn’t addressed so far, such as the 300-odd drawings, plans for staff and staff rule books, and all other important stuff. Out of the corner of my eye I’d see people playing handball one level down from George Street against a beautiful old building that was at that time the Maritime Services Board building. I have always loved the way it stood out from across the quay of the Opera House, like something from the city of Metropolis; as you looked back across the vista I’ve always expected Superman to leap off and fly to the rescue of some fair maiden. As Rockpool began life, the beautiful building seemed to die when the Maritime Services left for a more modern - one suspects more computer-friendly - building. It lay dormant, and seemed to disappear in the minds of most Sydneysiders. It was still there, reflected in the windows of the Rockpool, but it was as if a mysterious force had shadowed it from view.