Governing through institutionalised networks: the governance of Sydney Harbour

The governing of Sydney Harbour offers a classic case for the application of the ‘governance’ framework: there were many governmental bodies involved, with few institutionalised modes of coordination, and as an experiment, a position of ‘Sydney Harbour Manager’ was created, with no powers to direct but much scope to seek cooperation. This paper explores the practice of the Sydney Harbour Manager in the context of the academic discussion about the emergence of ‘governance’ as a new analytical construct, and a new mode of practice, in relation to the activity of governing.