Sydney

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This article is  about the metropolitan area in Australia. For the local government area, see City of Sydney. For other uses, see Sydney (disambiguation).

Sydney New South Wales
Population: • Density:	4,254,900 (1st) 345.7/km²
Established:	1788
Area:	12,144.6 km²
Time zone:  • Summer (DST)	AEST (UTC+10) AEDT (UTC+11)

The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour

Sydney (pronounced /ˈsɪd.niː/) is  the most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of over 4.2 million people (2006 estimate). Sydney is  the state capital of New South Wales and  is located on the country's south-east coast.

The first European colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip who led the First Fleet from Britain. Built around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour, the city of Sydney has been called the "Harbour City". it  is Australia's largest financial centre and  a major international tourist destination, notable for its beaches and  twin landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and  the Harbour Bridge. Sydney has also played host to numerous sporting events, including the 1938 British Empire Games, 2000 Summer Olympics and  the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Sydney

A map of Sydney in 1789

It has been speculated that the Sydney region has been occupied by indigenous Australians for at least 30,000 years.^{[citation needed]} At the time of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, 4000 - 8000 Aboriginal people lived in the region.^[1] There were three different language groups in the Sydney region; these were further refined into dialects spoken by smaller clans. The principal languages were Darug (the Cadigal, original inhabitants of the City of Sydney, spoke a coastal dialect of Darug), Dharawal and  Guringai. Each clan had a territory; the location of that territory determined the resources available. Although urbanisation has destroyed most evidence of these settlements (such as shell middens), rock carvings still exist in several locations.^{[citation needed]}

Sydney in about 1828, looking north over Hyde Park towards the harbour

European interest in colonising Australia arose with the landing of British sea captain, Lieutenant James Cook in Botany Bay in 1770. Under instruction from the British government, a convict settlement was founded by Arthur Phillip in 1788. Phillip founded the colony at Sydney Cove on Port Jackson. He named it  after the British Home Secretary, Thomas Townshend, Lord Sydney, in recognition of Sydney's role in issuing the charter authorising Phillip to establish a colony.^{[citation needed]} In April 1789 a disease, thought to be smallpox, decimated the indigenous population of Sydney; a conservative estimate says that 500 to 1000 Aboriginal people died in the area between Broken and  Botany Bays.^[2] There was violent resistance to British settlement, notably by the warrior Pemulwuy in the area around Botany Bay, and  conflicts were common in the area surrounding the Hawkesbury River. By 1820 there were only a few hundred Aborigines and  Governor Macquarie had begun initiatives to 'civilise, christianise and  educate' the Aborigines by removing them from their clans.^[3]

Sydney in 1796

Macquarie's tenure as Governor of New South Wales was a period when Sydney was improved from its basic beginnings. Roads, bridges, wharves and  public buildings were constructed by British and  Irish convicts, and  by 1822 the town had banks, markets, well-established thoroughfares and  an organised constabulary. The 1830s and  1840s were periods of urban development, including the development of the first suburbs, as the town grew rapidly when ships began arriving from the British Isles with immigrants looking to start a new life in a new country. On July 20 1842 the municipal council of Sydney was incorporated and  the town was declared the first city in Australia, Charles H. Chambers was the first mayor.^[4] The first of several gold rushes started in 1851, and  the port of Sydney has since seen many waves of people arriving from around the world. Rapid suburban development began in the last quarter of the 19th century with the advent of steam powered tramways and  railways. With industrialisation Sydney expanded rapidly, and  by the early 20th century it  had a population well in excess of one million. The Great Depression hit Sydney badly. One of the highlights of the Depression era, however, was the completion of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932.^[5]

Throughout the 20th century Sydney continued to expand with various new waves of European and  (later) Asian immigration, resulting in its highly cosmopolitan atmosphere. The majority of Sydneysiders are  of British and  Irish background.^{[citation needed]} more  recent arrivals have  included Italians, Greeks, Jews, Lebanese, South Africans, South Asians (including Indians, Sri Lankans and  Pakistanis), Sudanese, Turks, Macedonians, Croatians, Serbs, South Americans (Brazilians, Chileans and  Argentinians), Armenians, Eastern Europeans (Czech, Poles, Russians, Ukrainians and  Hungarians) and  East Asians (including Chinese, Koreans and  Vietnamese).

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of Sydney

 is  about a third of the way in on the south shore of the upper inlet. Click on the image and  then scroll down for an  annotated version"> is  about a third of the way in on the south shore of the upper inlet. Click on the image and  then scroll down for an  annotated version" width="250" height="190" longdesc="../../../s/y/d/Image%7ESydney_ASTER_2001_oct_12.jpg_0fa9.html" />

Image of Sydney taken by NASA RS satellite. The city centre is  about a third of the way in on the south shore of the upper inlet. Click on the image and  then scroll down for an  annotated version

Sydney is  in a coastal basin bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Blue Mountains to the west, the Hawkesbury River to the north and  the Woronora Plateau to the south. Sydney lies on a submergent coastline, where the ocean level has risen to flood deep river valleys (rias) carved in the sandstone. One of these drowned valleys, Port Jackson, better known as Sydney Harbour, is  the largest natural harbour in the world.^{[citation needed]} There are  more than 70 harbour and  ocean beaches, including the famous Bondi Beach, in the urban area. Sydney's urban area covers 1687 square kilometres (651 mi²) as at 2001.^[6] The Sydney Statistical Division, used for census data, is  the unofficial metropolitan area^[7] and  covers 12,145 square kilometres (4,689 mi²).^[8] This area includes the Central Coast and  Blue Mountains as well as broad swathes of national park and  other unurbanised land.

Geographically, Sydney sprawls over two major regions: the Cumberland Plain, a relatively flat region lying to the south and  west of the harbour, and  the Hornsby Plateau, a sandstone plateau lying mainly to the north of the harbour, dissected by steep valleys. The oldest parts of the city are  located in the flat areas south of the harbour; the North Shore was slower to develop because of its hilly topography, and  was mostly a quiet backwater until the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened in 1932, linking it  to the rest of the city.

[edit] Climate

Sydney has an  oceanic climate with warm summers and  mild winters, with rainfall spread throughout the year. The weather is  moderated by proximity to the ocean, and  more extreme temperatures are  recorded in the inland western suburbs. The warmest month is  January, with an  average air temperature range at Observatory Hill of 18.6 °C–25.8 °C and  an average of 14.6 days a year over 30 °C. The maximum recorded temperature was 45.3 °C on 14 January 1939 at the end of a 4 day nationwide heat wave.^[9] The winter is  mildly cool, with temperatures rarely dropping below 5 °C in coastal areas. The coldest month is  July, with an  average range of 8.0 °C–16.2 °C. The lowest recorded minimum was 2.1 °C. Rainfall is  fairly evenly divided between summer and  winter, but is  slightly higher during the first half of the year, when easterly winds dominate. The average annual rainfall, with moderate to low variability, is  1217.0 millimetres (47.9 in), falling on an  average 138.0 days a year.^[10][11] Snowfall last occurred in the Sydney City area in the 1830's.^[12]

Although the city does not suffer from cyclones or  significant earthquakes, the El Niño Southern Oscillation plays an  important role in determining Sydney's weather patterns: drought and  bushfire on the one hand, and  storms and  flooding on the other, associated with the opposite phases of the oscillation. Many areas of the city bordering bushland have  experienced bushfires, notably in 1994 and  2002 — these tend to occur during the spring and  summer. The city is  also prone to severe hail storms and  wind storms. One such storm occurred in Sydney's eastern and  city suburbs on the evening of 14 April 1999, producing massive hailstones of at least 9 centimetres (3.5 in) in diameter and  resulting in insurance losses of around $1.5 billion in less  than one hour.^[13] The city is  also prone to flash flooding from enormous amounts of rain caused by East Coast Lows (a low pressure depression which deepens off the state usually in winter and  early spring which can bring significant damage due to heavy rain, cyclonic winds and  huge swells). The most notable event was the great Sydney flood which occurred on 6 August 1986 and  dumped a record 327.6 millimetres (12.9 in) on the city in 24 hours. This caused major traffic chaos and  damage in many parts of the metropolitan area.^[14]

Recent research by a Macquarie University atmospheric scientist suggests that land clearing in western Sydney has contributed to major changes in the city's climate.^[15] The Bureau of Meteorology have  reported that the last four years in Sydney have  been the warmest on record (since 1859). 2004 had an  average daily maximum temperature of 23.39 °C, 2005 - 23.35 °C, 2002 - 22.91 °C and  2003 - 22.65 °C. The average daily maximum between 1859 and  2004 was 21.6 °C. For the first nine months of 2006 the mean temperature was 18.41 °C; the warmest year previously was 2004 with 18.51 °C. Since the beginning of 2002, there have  been only two months in which the average daily maximum was below average: March 2005 (0.43 °C below average) and  June 2006 (0.25 °C below average).^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Urban structure

North Sydney's high-rise commercial district.

Sydney from the air

The extensive area covered by urban Sydney is  formally divided into more  than 300 suburbs (for addressing and  postal purposes), and  administered as 38 local government areas. There is  no city-wide government, but the Government of New South Wales and  its agencies have  extensive responsibilities in providing metropolitan services.^[16] The City of Sydney itself covers a fairly small area comprising the central business district and  its neighbouring inner-city suburbs. In addition, regional descriptions are  used informally to conveniently describe larger sections of the urban area. These include Eastern Suburbs, Hills District, Inner West, Lower North Shore, Northern Beaches, North Shore, Southern Sydney, South-eastern Sydney, South-western Sydney, Sutherland Shire and  Western Sydney. However, many suburbs are  not conveniently covered by any of these categories.

Sydney's central business district (CBD) extends southwards for about 2 kilometres (1.25 mi) from Sydney Cove, the point of the first European settlement. Densely concentrated skyscrapers and  other buildings including historic sandstone buildings such as the Sydney Town Hall and  Queen Victoria Building are  interspersed by several parks such as Wynyard and  Hyde Park. The Sydney CBD is  bounded on the east side by a chain of parkland that extends from Hyde Park through the Domain and  Royal Botanic Gardens to Farm Cove on the harbour. The west side is  bounded by Darling Harbour, a popular tourist and  nightlife precinct while Central station marks the southern end of the CBD. George Street serves as the Sydney CBD's main north-south thoroughfare.

Although the CBD dominated the city's business and  cultural life in the early days, other business/cultural districts have  developed in a radial pattern since World War II. As a result, the proportion of white-collar jobs located in the CBD declined from more  than 60 per cent at the end of World War II to less  than 30 per cent in 2004.^{[citation needed]} Together with the commercial district of North Sydney, joined to the CBD by the Harbour Bridge, the most significant outer business districts are  Parramatta in the central-west, Blacktown in the west, Bondi Junction in the east, Liverpool in the southwest, Chatswood to the north, and  Hurstville to the south.

[edit] Governance

Apart from the limited role of the Cumberland County Council from 1945–1964, there has never been an  overall governing body for the Sydney metropolitan area; instead, the metropolitan area is  divided into local government areas (LGAs). These areas have  elected councils which are  responsible for functions delegated to them by the New South Wales State Government, such as planning and  garbage collection.

The City of Sydney includes the central business area and  some adjoining inner suburbs, and  has in recent years been expanded through amalgamation with adjoining local government areas, such as South Sydney. it  is led by the elected Lord Mayor of Sydney and  a council. The Lord Mayor, however, is  sometimes treated as a representative of the whole city, for example during the Olympics.

The 38 LGAs in Sydney are:

Most citywide government activities are  controlled by the state government. These include public transport, main roads, traffic control, policing, education above preschool level, and  planning of major infrastructure projects. Because a large proportion of New South Wales' population lives in Sydney, state governments have  traditionally been reluctant to allow the development of citywide governmental bodies, which would tend to rival the state government. For this reason, Sydney has always been a focus for the politics of both State and  Federal Parliaments. For example, the boundaries of the City of Sydney LGA have  been significantly altered by state governments on at least four occasions since 1945, with expected advantageous effect to the governing party in the New South Wales Parliament at the time.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of Sydney

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The City District is  home to most of Sydney's financial centers, and  the Australian Stock Exchange

The largest economic sectors in Sydney, measured by numbers of people employed, include property and  business services, retail, manufacturing, and  health and  community services.^[17] Since the 1980s, jobs have  moved from manufacturing to the services and  information sectors. Sydney provides approximately 25% of the country's total GDP^[18].

Sydney is  the largest corporate and  financial centre in Australia and  is also an  important financial centre in the Asia Pacific.^[19] The Australian Stock Exchange and  the Reserve Bank of Australia are  located in Sydney, as are  the headquarters of 90 banks and  more than half of Australia's top companies, and  the regional headquarters for around 500 multinational corporations.^[20] Fox Studios Australia has large movie studios in the city.

The Sydney Futures Exchange (SFE) is  one of the Asia Pacific's largest financial futures and  options exchanges, with 64.3 million contracts traded during 2005. In global terms it  is the 12th largest futures market in the world and  the 19th largest including options.^[21] With the increasing commercial role of Sydney's many medical laboratories and  research centres, science and  research is  another strong growth sector.^{[citation needed]}

Tourism plays an  important role in Sydney's economy, with 7.8 million domestic visitors and  2.5 million international visitors in 2004.^[22]

As of September 2003, the unemployment rate in Sydney was 5.3%.^[23] According to The Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide cost of living survey, Sydney is  the sixteenth most expensive city in the world, while a UBS survey ranks Sydney as 26th in the world in terms of net earnings.^[24]

As of December 2005, Sydney has the highest median house price of any Australian capital city at $485 000.^[25] A report published by the OECD in November 2005, shows that Australia has the Western World's highest housing prices when measured against rental yields.^[26]

Sydney has been classified as a "Beta" global city by the Globalization and  World Cities Study Group and  Network.^[27]

[edit] Demographics

3,455,110 people lived in Sydney's urban area as at 2001.^[6] As of 2005 there are  an estimated 4,254,894 people living in the Sydney Statistical Division^[28] with a population density of 345.7 persons per square kilometre,^[29] Inner Sydney being the most densely populated place in Australia with 4023 persons per square kilometre.^[30] The statistical division is  larger in area than the urban area, as it  allows for predicted growth. A resident of Sydney is  commonly referred to as a Sydneysider.^[31]

Sydney's Chinatown

In the 2001 census, the most common self-described ancestries identified for Sydney residents were Australian, English, Irish, and  Italian. The Census also recorded that 1% of Sydney's population identified as being of indigenous origin and  31.2% were born overseas. The three major sources of immigrants are  the United Kingdom, China and  New Zealand. Significant numbers of immigrants also came from Vietnam, Lebanon, Italy, India and  the Philippines. Most Sydneysiders are  native speakers of English; many have  a second language, the most common being Chinese languages, Arabic (including Lebanese) and  Greek.^[17] Sydney has the seventh largest percentage of a foreign born population, ahead of cities such as the highly multicultural London and  Paris.^[32]

Some ethnic groups are  associated with the suburbs where they first settled: the Italians with Leichhardt, Greeks with Rockdale and  Hurstville, Lebanese with Lakemba and  Bankstown, Koreans with Campsie, Jews with Bondi St Ives and  Rose Bay, Indians with Westmead and  Parramatta, Chinese with Haymarket (where Sydney's Chinatown has emerged) and  Vietnamese with Cabramatta. Samoans with Mount Druitt and  Campbelltown, Tongans with Wollongong and  Manly. Redfern and  parts of Western Sydney have  a high concentration of indigenous Australians.^[17]

The median age of a Sydney resident is  34, with 12% of the population over 65 years.^[23] 15.2% of Sydney residents have  educational attainment equal to at least a bachelor's degree,^[33] which is  lower than the national average of 19%.^{[citation needed]} Approximately 67% of Sydney residents describe themselves as Christian, the most common denominations being Catholic and  Anglican. About 9% of the population practises a non-Christian religion, the most common being Islam, at 3.4% of Sydney's total population and  Buddhism. About 12% of Sydney residents are  not religious.^[17]

[edit] Education

 and  is the oldest university in Australia"> and  is the oldest university in Australia" width="250" height="188" longdesc="../../../u/n/i/Image%7EUniversity_of_Sydney_Main_Quadrangle.jpg_1687.html" />

The University of Sydney has been operating since 1850 and  is the oldest university in Australia

Sydney is  home to some of Australia's most prominent universities, and  is the site of Australia's first university, the University of Sydney, established in 1850.^[34] There are  five other public universities operating primarily in Sydney: the University of New South Wales, Macquarie University, the University of Technology, Sydney, the University of Western Sydney, and  the Australian Catholic University (two out of six campuses). Other universities which operate secondary campuses in Sydney include the University of Notre Dame Australia and  the University of Wollongong.

There are  four multicampus government funded  and  Further Education">Technical and  Further Education (TAFE) institutes in Sydney which provide vocational training at a tertiary level: the Sydney Institute of Technology, Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE, Western Sydney Institute of TAFE and  South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE.

Sydney has public, denominational, and  independent schools. Public schools, including pre-schools, primary and  secondary schools, and  special schools are  administered by the  and  Training">New South Wales Department of Education and  Training. There are  four state administered education areas in Sydney, that together coordinate 919 schools.^{[citation needed]} Out of the thirty selective high schools in the state, twenty-five of those are  located in Sydney.

[edit] Culture

Main article: Culture of Sydney

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Many of Sydney's cultural attractions are  in the CBD.

[ and  entertainment">edit] Arts and  entertainment

Sydney has a wide variety of cultural sites and  institutions. Sydney's iconic Opera House has five theatres capable of hosting a range of performance styles; it  is the home of Opera Australia—the third busiest opera company in the world, and  the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.^[35] Other venues include the Sydney Town Hall, City Recital Hall, the State Theatre and  the Wharf Theatre.

The Sydney Dance Company under the leadership of Graeme Murphy during the late 20th century has also gained acclaim. The Sydney Theatre Company has a regular roster of local plays, such as noted playwright David Williamson, classics and  international playwrights. Other important theatre companies in Sydney include Company B and  Griffin Theatre Company. From the 1940s through to the 1970s the Sydney Push, a group of authors and  political activists whose members included Germaine Greer, influenced the city's cultural life.

Luna Park

The National Institute of Dramatic Art, based in Kensington, boasts internationally famous alumni such as Mel Gibson and  Baz Luhrmann. Sydney's role in the film industry has increased since the opening of Fox Studios Australia in 1998. Prominent films which have  been filmed in the city include Moulin Rouge!, Mission Impossible II, Star Wars episodes II and  III, Superman Returns and  The Matrix. Films using Sydney as a setting include Finding Nemo, Strictly Ballroom, Mission Impossible II, Muriels Wedding, Dirty Deeds and  Dil Chahta Hai. As of 2006, over 229 films have  been set, or  featured Sydney.^[36]

Sydney hosts many different festivals including the Sydney Festival, a celebration involving both indoor and  free outdoor performances throughout January; the Big Day Out, a travelling  and  roll">rock music festival which originated in Sydney; the  and  Lesbian Mardi Gras">Gay and  Lesbian Mardi Gras along Oxford Street; the Sydney Film Festival and  many other smaller festivals such as Tropfest and  Archibald Prize, a competition organised by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Australian rock bands which formed in Sydney include Midnight Oil, INXS, Radio Birdman, Wolfmother, indie rockers The Clouds and  The Crystal Set, electronic music pioneers Severed Heads, Single Gun Theory and   and  Scratch-E">Itch-E and  Scratch-E. Jazz groups such as the Sydney-based The Necks have  performed at The Basement and  the Harbourside Brasserie.

Sydney has several museums. The biggest are  the Australian Museum (natural history and  anthropology), the Powerhouse Museum (science, technology and  design), the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and  the Australian National Maritime Museum.

The Chinese Garden of Friendship

Sydney is  well endowed with open spaces, and  has many natural areas even within the city centre. Within the Sydney central business district are  the Chinese Garden of Friendship and  Hyde Park, and  the Royal Botanical Gardens. The metropolitan area contains several national parks, including the Royal National Park, the second oldest national park in the world.^[37]

[edit] Media

Main article: Media in Sydney

Sydney has two main daily newspapers. The Sydney Morning Herald is  a centrist broadsheet, and  is Sydney's newspaper of record with extensive coverage of domestic and  international news, culture and  business. it  is also the oldest extant newspaper in Australia, having been published regularly since 1831. The Herald's competitor, The Daily Telegraph, is  a populist and  often sensationalist News Corporation-owned tabloid. Both papers have  tabloid counterparts published on Sunday, the Sun-Herald and  the Sunday Telegraph respectively.

 is  one of the first major world cities to bring in the New Year, and  is famed for its fireworks"> is  one of the first major world cities to bring in the New Year, and  is famed for its fireworks" width="250" height="188" longdesc="../../../s/y/d/Image%7ESydney_New_Year%27s_Eve_2.jpg_5d62.html" />

Sydney is  one of the first major world cities to bring in the New Year, and  is famed for its fireworks

The three commercial television networks (Seven, Nine and  Ten), as well as the government national broadcast services (ABC and  SBS) each have  their headquarters in Sydney. Historically, the networks have  been based on the north shore, but the last decade has seen several move to the inner city. Nine have  kept their headquarters north of the harbour, in Willoughby. Ten have  their studios in a redeveloped section of the inner-city suburb of Pyrmont. Seven also have  headquarters in Pyrmont, a studio in Epping, as well as a new purpose built news studio in Martin Place in the CBD. The ABC has a large headquarters and  production facility in the neighbouring suburb of Ultimo and  SBS have  their studios at Artarmon. Foxtel and  Optus both supply pay-TV over their cable services to most parts of the urban area. The five free-to-air networks have  provided digital transmissions in Sydney since January 2001. Additional services recently introduced include the ABC's second channel ABC2 (Channel 21), SBS's world news service SBS2, an  on-air program guide (Channel 4), ABC news, sport, and  weather items (Channel 41), ChannelNSW: Government and  Public Information (Channel 45), Australian Christian Channel (Channel 46), MacquarieBank TV (Channel 47), SportsTAB (Channel 48), Expo Home Shopping (Channel 49), and  Federal parliamentary broadcasts.

Many AM and  FM government, commercial and  community radio services broadcast in the Sydney area. The local ABC radio station is  702 ABC Sydney (formerly 2BL). The talkback radio genre is  dominated by the perennial rivals 2GB and  2UE. Vega is  a new talk radio station on the FM band. Popular music stations include Triple M, 2Day FM and  Nova 96.9. Triple J, 2SER, FM 103.2, and  FBi Radio provide a more  independent, local and  alternative sound. There are  also a number of community stations broadcasting to a particular language group or  local area. For a full list see here.

[edit] Sport

Sydney is  the headquarters of the Australian Rugby League and  is home to 8 of the 16 National Rugby League (NRL) teams (Sydney Roosters, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Parramatta Eels, Cronulla Sharks, Wests Tigers, Penrith Panthers, Canterbury Bulldogs and  Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles), as well as being the northern home of the St George Illawarra Dragons (this team is  half-based in Wollongong). Telstra Stadium in Sydney is  the venue for the NRL Grand Final.

 and  field events in Stadium Australia (now Telstra Stadium) during the 2000 Summer Olympics"> and  field events in Stadium Australia (now Telstra Stadium) during the 2000 Summer Olympics" width="240" height="113" longdesc="../../../s/y/d/Image%7ESydney_olympic_stadium_track_and_field.jpg_3f5a.html" />

Track and  field events in Stadium Australia (now Telstra Stadium) during the 2000 Summer Olympics

The first Australia rugby union club established was at Sydney University in 1864, and  in 1882 the first inter-colonial games was held against Queensland. Today the state team plays as the New South Wales Waratahs in the Super 14. Sydney will also host two teams in the National Rugby Competition. Traditional club competitions include the Shute Shield. Sydney is  also a regular host for Wallabies internationals.

In addition to rugby football Sydney has teams in most national competitions including the Sydney Swans (AFL), Sydney FC (A-League), Sydney Kings and  the West Sydney Razorbacks (NBL), Sydney Uni Flames (WNBL), Sydney Blues (Australian Major League Baseball) and  the Sydney Swifts in Australian netball's Commonwealth Bank Trophy and  New South Wales team New South Wales Blues (First-class cricket).

Bondi Beach

Sydney hosted the 1938 British Empire Games and  the 2000 Summer Olympics. Sydney's most famous sports grounds include Sydney Olympic Park which includes Telstra Stadium, home to such events as the NRL Grand Final, the rugby league State of Origin series and  most recently the football World Cup qualifier between Australia and  Uruguay. it  also hosted a semi-final at the 1987 Rugby World Cup, and  the final of the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Sydney Football Stadium (also known as Aussie Stadium) is  home to such clubs as Sydney Roosters, Sydney FC and  the NSW Waratahs, and  the neighbouring Sydney Cricket Ground has been home to numerous sports for over a century, but is  the main home for cricket and  Australian rules football in the city. The Sydney Swans play most of their home games on the Sydney Cricket Ground. They were the Australian Football League premiers of 2005.

Sydney Harbour is  famous for its yacht racing, the Boxing Day start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and  18 foot (5.5 m) skiffs. The harbour is  used for recreational boating, racing small yachts, recreational fishing, and  occasional Dragon Boat racing. Sydney's beaches are  popular recreation and  sporting locations with both tourists and  locals. Famous Sydney beaches include Bondi Beach, Manly Beach, Palm Beach and  Cronulla Beach .

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] Health

Sydney Monorail above Market Street, Sydney

The Government of New South Wales operates 13 public hospitals in the Sydney metropolitan region.^[38] Management of these hospitals and  other specialist health facilities are  coordinated by 4 health services, Sydney South West (SSWAHS), Sydney West (SWAHS), Northern Sydney and  Central Coast (NSCCAHS) and  the South Eastern Sydney and  Illawarra (SESIAHS) Area Health Services. There are  also a number of private hospitals in the city, many of which are  aligned with religious organisations.

[edit] Transport

Main article: Transport in Sydney

Most Sydney residents travel by car through the system of roads, freeways and  tollways (known as motorways). The most important trunk routes in the urban area form the Metroad system. Sydney is  also served by extensive train, bus and  ferry networks.

Sydney trains are  run by CityRail, a corporation of the New South Wales State Government. Trains run as suburban commuter rail services in the outer suburbs, then converge in an  underground city loop service in the CBD. In the years following the 2000 Olympics, CityRail's performance declined significantly.^[39] In 2005, CityRail introduced a revised timetable and  employed more  drivers.^[40] A large infrastructure project, the Clearways project, is  scheduled to be completed by 2010.^[41][42][43]

Sydney has one privately operated light rail line, the Metro Light Rail, running from Central Station to Lilyfield along a former goods train line. There is  also a small monorail which runs in a loop around the main shopping district and  Darling Harbour. Sydney was formerly served by an  extensive tram network, which was progressively closed in the 1950s and  1960s. Most parts of the metropolitan area are  served by buses, many of which follow the pre-1961 tram routes. In the city and  inner suburbs the state-owned Sydney Buses has a monopoly. In the outer suburbs, service is  contracted to many private bus companies. Construction of a network of rapid bus transitways in areas not previous well served by public transport began in 1999, and  the first of these, the Liverpool-Parramatta Rapid Bus Transitway opened in February 2003. Sydney Ferries, another State government-owned organisation, runs numerous commuter and  tourist ferry services on Sydney Harbour and  the Parramatta River.

The new Sydney millennium train operates in the Sydney metropolitan area

Kingsford Smith International Airport, located in the suburb of Mascot, is  Sydney's main airport, and  the oldest continuously operating commercial airport in the world. The smaller Bankstown Airport mainly serves private and  general aviation. There are  light aviation airfields at Hoxton Park and  Camden. RAAF Base Richmond lies to the north-west of the city. The question of whether Sydney needs a second international airport has raised much controversy. A 2003 study found that Kingsford Smith can manage as Sydney's sole international airport for 20 years with a significant increase in airport traffic predicted. The resulting expansion of the airport will have  a substantial impact on the community, including additional aircraft noise affecting residents. Land has been acquired at Badgerys Creek for a second airport and  alternative sites have  been mooted.

[edit] Utilities

Water storage and  supply for Sydney is  managed by the Sydney Catchment Authority, which is  an agency of the NSW Government that sells bulk water to Sydney Water and  other agencies. Water in the Sydney catchment is  chiefly stored in dams in the Upper Nepean Scheme, the Blue Mountains, Woronora Dam, Warragamba Dam and  the Shoalhaven Scheme.^[44] Historically low water levels in the catchment have  led to water use restrictions and  the NSW government is  investigating alternative water supply options, including grey water recycling and  the construction of a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant at Kurnell.^[45] Sydney Water also collects the wastewater and  sewerage produced by the city.

Three companies supply natural gas and  electricity to Sydney: Energy Australia, AGL and  Integral Energy. Numerous telecommunications companies operate in Sydney providing terrestrial and  mobile telecommunications services.

 and  Sydney Harbour Bridge on the right"> and  Sydney Harbour Bridge on the right" width="800" height="180" longdesc="../../../s/y/d/Image%7ESydney_Harbour_Bridge_night.jpg_a212.html" />

A panorama of Sydney Harbour at night, with the Sydney Opera House on the left, the central business district in the image centre and  Sydney Harbour Bridge on the right

[edit] See also

• 2000 Summer Olympics
• List of attractions in Sydney
• Museums in Sydney
•  and  architecture of Sydney">Buildings and  architecture of Sydney
• Markets in Sydney
• History of New South Wales
• Sydney Riot of 1879
• 2005 Cronulla riots
• Crime in Sydney
• Westies (people)
• Sydney Opera House

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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• WikiSatellite view of Sydney at WikiMapia
• Australian Museum: Aboriginal people of coastal Sydney
• Sydney Metropolitan Strategy
• Sydney Weather: Current temperatures and  Forecast (NSW Government)
• Sydney Weather Forecast (Bureau of Met)
• Sydney travel guide from Wikitravel
• Google Maps: Sydney (satellite photographs)
• Historic photographs of Sydney buildings
• Sydney Exposed - Photographic collection from the State Library of NSW

v • d • e

Summer Olympic Games host cities

1896: Athens • 1900: Paris • 1904: St. Louis • 1908: London • 1912: Stockholm • 1920: Antwerp • 1924: Paris • 1928: Amsterdam • 1932: Los Angeles • 1936: Berlin • 1948: London • 1952: Helsinki • 1956: Melbourne • 1960: Rome • 1964: Tokyo • 1968: Mexico City • 1972: Munich • 1976: Montreal • 1980: Moscow • 1984: Los Angeles • 1988: Seoul • 1992: Barcelona • 1996: Atlanta • 2000: Sydney • 2004: Athens • 2008: Beijing • 2012: London

Coordinates: 33°52′06″S, 151°12′31″E