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{{Short description|Capital city of New South Wales, Australia}}
{{Two other uses|the Australian metropolis|the local government area|City of Sydney}}
{{About|the Australian city|the greater metropolitan area|Greater Sydney|the local government area|City of Sydney|other uses}}
{{pp-pc|small=yes}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2014}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox Australian place {{Infobox Australian place
| type = city | type = city
| name = Sydney | name = Sydney
| state = nsw | state = nsw
| image = {{multiple image
| image = <!-- Do not change this image to a collage. There is standing consensus against use of such images in this article. Please see the talk page archives for more information. -->Sydney skyline at dusk - Dec 2008.jpg
| imagesize = 310 | total_width = 280
| border = infobox
| caption = The ] and ] at dusk from ], ] in December 2008
| force_national_map = yes | perrow = 1/2/2/1
| latd = 33 | caption_align = center
| latm = 51 | image1 = Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge Dusk (2) 2019-06-21.jpg
| lats = 35.9 | alt1 = Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge
| longd = 151 | caption1 = ] and ]
| image2 = Sydney (AU), Queen Victoria Building -- 2019 -- 3580 (cropped) - 2.jpg
| longm = 12
| longs = 34 | alt2 = Queen Victoria Building
| caption2 = ]
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pop = 4757083 | image3 = University of Sydney's Main Quadrangle.jpg
| pop_year = 2013 | alt3 = University of Sydney
| caption3 = ]
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=ABSERP13>{{Cite web |publisher=]|title=3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012–13: ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION, States and Territories – Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs) |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3218.0~2012-13~Main+Features~Main+Features|date=3 April 2014|accessdate=8 April 2014}} ERP at 30 June 2013.</ref>
| poprank = 1st | image4 = Bondi 1.jpg
| density = 380 | alt4 = Bondi Beach
| caption4 = ]
| density_footnotes = (2013)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3218.0~2011-12~Main+Features~New+South+Wales?OpenDocument#PARALINK1|title=3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012–13: New South Wales: Population Density|publisher=]|date=30 April 2013|accessdate=9 April 2014}}</ref>
| est = ] 1788 | image5 = Archibald Fountain (cropped).jpg
| area = 12367.7 | alt5 = Archibald Fountain and St Mary's Cathedral
| caption5 = ] and ]
| area_footnotes = (GCCSA)<ref name=ABSGCCSAXLS>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/CensusOutput/copsub.NSF/All%20docs%20by%20catNo/2011~Community%20Profile~1GSYD/$File/BCP_1GSYD.zip?OpenElement|title=Greater Sydney: Basic Community Profile|publisher=]|work=2011 Census Community Profiles|date=28 March 2013|format=xls|accessdate=9 April 2014}}</ref>
| timezone = ] | image6 = Sydney CBD, northeast view 20230224 1.jpg
| utc = +10 | alt6 = Sydney central business district
| timezone-dst = ] | caption6 = ]
| utc-dst = +11
| dist1 = 877
| dir1 = NE
| location1 = Melbourne
| dist2 = 923
| dir2 = S
| location2 = Brisbane
| dist3 = 287
| dir3 = NE
| location3 = Canberra
| dist4 = 3936
| dir4 = E
| location4 = Perth
| dist5 = 1404
| dir5 = E
| location5 = Adelaide
| lga = ] (38)
| county = ]
| stategov = ] (49)
| fedgov = ] (24)
| maxtemp = 22.5
| maxtemp_footnotes = <ref name="acn"/>
| mintemp = 14.5
| mintemp_footnotes = <ref name="acn"/>
| rainfall = 1222.7
| rainfall_footnotes = <ref name="acn"/>
}} }}
| image2 = Free vector map of Sydney city Australia Level 12.svg
i love geographies of social difference
| image2_alt = Map of the Sydney metropolitan area
'''Sydney''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɪ|d|n|i}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Macquarie ABC Dictionary|publisher=The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd|year=2003|page=1000|isbn=1-876429-37-2}}</ref> is the ] of ] and the ] in ] and ].<ref>http://www.blatantworld.com/feature/oceania/most_populous_cities.html</ref> It is on Australia's south-east coast, on the ]. In June 2010 the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.76 million people.<ref name=ABSERP13/> Inhabitants of Sydney are called ''Sydneysiders'', comprising a cosmopolitan and international population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/multicultural/confer/10/speech44a.htm|work=1995 Global Cultural Diversity Conference Proceedings, Sydney|title=Designing for Diversity: the Multicultural City|publisher=Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship}}</ref> Sydney has been referred to as the most multicultural city in Australia and one of the most multicultural cities in the world.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rolfe|first1=Mark|title=State of the states: New South Wales|url=http://theconversation.com/state-of-the-states-new-south-wales-17348|publisher=The Conversation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Australia's Multicultural Hub|url=http://www.abc.net.au/overnights/stories/s2008131.htm|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Tsang|first1=Henry|title=Designing for Diversity: Australia's Multicultural Hub|url=http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural-affairs/programs-policy/a-multicultural-australia/programs-and-publications/1995-global-cultural-diversity-conference-proceedings-sydney/public-policy-and-diversity/designing-for-diversity-the|publisher=Department of Social Services}}</ref>
| caption2 = Map of the Sydney metropolitan area
| coordinates = {{coord|33|52|S|151|12|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief = yes
| force_national_map = yes
| pop = 5,450,496
| pop_year = 2023
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=ABSGCCSA/>
| poprank = 1st
| density = 441
| density_footnotes = (2023){{r|ABSGCCSA}}
| established = {{Start date and age|1788|01|26|df=y}}
| area = 12367.7
| area_footnotes = (GCCSA)<ref name=ABSGCCSAXLS/>
| timezone = ]
| utc = +10
| timezone-dst = ]
| utc-dst = +11
| dist1 = 287
| dir1 = NE
| location1 = Canberra
| dist2 = 877
| dir2 = NE
| location2 = Melbourne
| dist3 = 923
| dir3 = S
| location3 = Brisbane
| dist4 = 1404
| dir4 = E
| location4 = Adelaide
| dist5 = 3936
| dir5 = E
| location5 = Perth
| lga = ] (33)
| county = ]<ref name=gnbcounty>{{NSW GNR |id=JPYbwptLTR|title=Cumberland County |access-date=20 September 2017}}</ref>
| division =
| stategov = ] (49)
| fedgov = ] (24)
| maxtemp = 22.8
| maxtemp_footnotes = <ref name="metdata"/>
| mintemp = 14.7
| mintemp_footnotes = <ref name=metdata/>
| rainfall = 1149.7
| rainfall_footnotes = <ref name=metdata/>
}}
'''Sydney''' is the ] of the ] of ] and the ] and ]. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds ] and extends about 80&nbsp;km (50&nbsp;mi) from the ] in the east to the ] in the west, and about 80&nbsp;km (50&nbsp;mi) from the ] and the ] in the north and north-west, to the ] and ] in the south and south-west.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mason |first=Herbert |year=2012 |title=Encyclopaedia of Ships and Shipping |page=266}}</ref> Greater Sydney consists of 658 suburbs, spread across 33 local government areas. Residents of the city are colloquially known as "Sydneysiders".<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Walk Sydney Streets |date=2014 |url=http://www.walksydneystreets.net/suburbssydneyall.htm |title=Complete official list of Sydney suburbs |access-date=13 July 2014 |archive-date=25 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191125072035/http://www.walksydneystreets.net/suburbssydneyall.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The estimated population in June 2023 was 5,450,496,<ref name=ABSGCCSA>{{cite web |title=Regional Population – 2022–23 final |publisher=] |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/2022-23 |access-date=26 March 2024 |archive-date=30 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330092152/https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/latest-release |url-status=live}}</ref> which is about 66% of the state's population.<ref name=ABSCapitalPop>{{cite web |title=3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2016–17: Main Features |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3218.0Main+Features12016-17 |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=24 April 2018 |access-date=13 October 2018 |archive-date=13 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013133101/http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3218.0Main+Features12016-17 |url-status=live }} Estimated resident population, 30 June 2017.</ref> The city's nicknames include the '''Emerald City''' and the '''Harbour City'''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theculturetrip.com/pacific/australia/articles/why-sydney-is-also-known-as-the-emerald-city/ |website=Culture Trip |title=Why Sydney Is Also Known As 'The Emerald City' |author=Tom Smith |date=4 November 2017 |access-date=11 September 2021 |archive-date=11 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911030853/https://theculturetrip.com/pacific/australia/articles/why-sydney-is-also-known-as-the-emerald-city/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


] have inhabited the ] region for at least 30,000 years, and ] and cultural sites are common. The ] of the land on which modern Sydney stands are the clans of the ], ] and ] peoples.<ref name="Aboriginal people and place23">{{cite web |date=2013 |title=Aboriginal people and place |url=http://www.sydneybarani.com.au/sites/aboriginal-people-and-place/ |access-date=5 July 2014 |publisher=Sydney Barani |first1=Anita |last1=Heiss |first2=Melodie-Jane |last2=Gibson |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707182950/http://www.sydneybarani.com.au/sites/aboriginal-people-and-place/ |archive-date= 7 July 2014 }}</ref> During his ] in 1770, ] charted the eastern coast of Australia, making landfall at ]. In 1788, the ] of ], led by ], founded Sydney as a British ], the first European settlement in Australia.<ref name="manly.nsw.gov.au">{{cite web |url=http://www.manly.nsw.gov.au/council/about-manly/manly-heritage--history/ |title= Manly Heritage & History |website=Manly Council |access-date=10 May 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512034452/http://www.manly.nsw.gov.au/council/about-manly/manly-heritage--history/ |archive-date= 12 May 2016 }}</ref> After ], Sydney experienced mass migration and by 2021 over 40 per cent of the population was born overseas. Foreign countries of birth with the greatest representation are mainland China, India, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and the Philippines.<ref name="auto" />
The site of the first ] in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at ] by Captain ], of the ], as a ].<ref>{{cite web|title=The First Fleet|url=http://www.myplace.edu.au/decades_timeline/1780/decade_landing_22.html?tabRank=2|work=In May 1787 the First Fleet, commanded by Captain Arthur Phillip (1738–1814), left Portsmouth in England|publisher=Australian Children's Television Foundation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2011|accessdate=30 November 2013}}</ref><ref name=VGP>{{cite web|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/15100|title=The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay|author=Arthur Phillip}}</ref> The city is built on hills surrounding one of the world's largest natural harbours, ],<ref>{{cite book|first=Herbet|last=B. Mason|title=Encyclopaedia of Ships and Shipping|publisher=Books on Demand|year=2012|page=266|isbn=9783864443992}}</ref> which is commonly known as ], where the iconic ] and the ] are prominent structures. The hinterland of the metropolitan area is surrounded by ], and the coastal regions feature many bays, rivers, inlets and ], including the famous ] and ] beaches. Within the city are many parklands, including ] and the ].


Despite being one of the most expensive cities in the world,<ref>{{cite news |last=Levy |first=Megan |date=5 March 2014 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/sydney-melbourne-more-expensive-than-new-york-says-living-index-20140305-3466w.html |title=Sydney, Melbourne more expensive than New York, says Living Index |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=1 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701174909/http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/sydney-melbourne-more-expensive-than-new-york-says-living-index-20140305-3466w.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last1=Bowman |first1=Simon J. |title=The Cost of Living with Sjögren's |date=19 May 2022 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197502112.003.0005 |work=The Sjögren's Book |pages=26–30 |access-date=1 June 2023 |publisher=Oxford University Press |last2=Fisher |first2=Benjamin |doi=10.1093/oso/9780197502112.003.0005 |isbn=978-0-19-750211-2 |archive-date=21 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221025112/https://academic.oup.com/book/41892/chapter-abstract/354733312?redirectedFrom=fulltext |url-status=live }}</ref> Sydney frequently ranks in the top ten ].<ref name="mercer.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.mercer.com.au/newsroom/2018-quality-of-living.html |title=Sydney retains #10 ranking in Mercer's global quality of living survey |website=Mercer.com.au |date=28 April 2018 |access-date=28 April 2018 |archive-date=28 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428181422/https://www.mercer.com.au/newsroom/2018-quality-of-living.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=World's most liveable cities: Vienna's win leaves Sydney and Melbourne in a spin |work=] |date=4 September 2019 |access-date=26 September 2019 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/04/worlds-most-liveable-cities-viennas-win-leaves-sydney-and-melbourne-in-a-spin |archive-date=25 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925162443/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/04/worlds-most-liveable-cities-viennas-win-leaves-sydney-and-melbourne-in-a-spin |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Mercer |date=2018 |url=https://www.mercer.com/newsroom/2018-quality-of-living-survey.html |title=2018 Quality of Living Index |access-date=28 April 2018 |archive-date=16 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416012652/https://www.mercer.com/newsroom/2018-quality-of-living-survey.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It is classified as an ] by the ], indicating its influence in the region and throughout the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=The World According to GaWC 2020 |url=https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html |website=GaWC – Research Network |publisher=Globalization and World Cities |access-date=31 August 2020 |archive-date=6 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006165159/https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite report |title=Global Power City Index 2010 |publisher=Institute for Urban Strategies at The Mori Memorial Foundation |location=Tokyo, Japan |date=October 2010 |url=http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/research/project/6/pdf/GPCI2010_English.pdf |access-date=10 August 2011 |archive-date=20 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020150104/http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/research/project/6/pdf/GPCI2010_English.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Ranked eleventh in the world for economic opportunity,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=PricewaterhouseCoopers |date=2012 |url=http://www.pwc.com/us/en/cities-of-opportunity/assets/cities-opp-2012.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210063130/http://www.pwc.com/us/en/cities-of-opportunity/assets/cities-opp-2012.pdf |archive-date=10 February 2013 |title=Cities of opportunity |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref> Sydney has an advanced market economy with strengths in education, finance, manufacturing and ].<ref name="Tough week for a Sydney success story">http://www.smh.com.au/national/tough-week-for-a-sydney-success-story-20120217-1te9q.html?skin=text-only {{dead link|date=September 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name="Another shot at making city a finance hub">{{cite news |last=Irvine |first=Jessica |date=2008 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/another-shot-at-making-a-finance-hub/2008/07/31/1217097434132.html |title=Another shot at making city a finance hub |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=26 July 2014 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924201408/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/another-shot-at-making-a-finance-hub/2008/07/31/1217097434132.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The ] and the ] are ranked 18th and 19th in the world respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-18 |title=QS World University Rankings 2025 |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Top Universities |language=en}}</ref>
Sydney has hosted multiple major international sporting events, including the ] (now known as the Commonwealth Games), the ] and the final of the ]. The main airport serving Sydney is ]<ref>{{NSW GNR|id=TRlpoeZTGH|title=Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport|accessdate=28 September 2010}}</ref> and its main port is ].

Sydney has hosted major international sporting events such as the ], the ], and the ]. The city is among the top fifteen most-visited,<ref>{{cite news |last=Dennis |first=Anthony |date=2013 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-planning/travel-news/too-expensive-sydney-slips-from-top-10-tourism-list-20130704-2pdh4.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140925110947/http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-planning/travel-news/too-expensive-sydney-slips-from-top-10-tourism-list-20130704-2pdh4.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 September 2014 |title="Too expensive" Sydney slips from top 10 tourism list |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |quote=In this year's World's Best Awards, announced in New York this week, Sydney came in as the world's number 12 ranked best city. |access-date=27 October 2016}}</ref> with millions of tourists coming each year to see the city's landmarks.<ref name="Our global city">{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/learn/research-and-statistics/the-city-at-a-glance/global-sydney/our-global-city |title=Our global city |access-date=21 July 2014 |archive-date=22 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622114124/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/learn/research-and-statistics/the-city-at-a-glance/global-sydney/our-global-city |url-status=live }}</ref> The city has over {{cvt|1,000,000|ha|acre}} of ],<ref>Benson, D. H. and Howell J. (1990) Taken for Granted: the Bushland of Sydney and Its Suburbs, Sydney</ref> and its ] include ] and ]. The ] and the World Heritage-listed ] are major tourist attractions. ] is the hub of Sydney's suburban train, metro and light rail networks and longer-distance services. The main passenger airport serving the city is ], one of the world's oldest continually operating airports.<ref name="Sydney Airport overview">{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Airport |date=2014 |url=http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/corporate/about-us/overview/fact-sheets/overview.aspx |title=Overview |access-date=10 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905042717/http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/corporate/about-us/overview/fact-sheets/overview.aspx |archive-date=5 September 2014}}</ref>

==Toponymy==
In 1788, Captain ], the first governor of New South Wales, named the cove where the first British settlement was established ] after Home Secretary ].<ref name="Egan-1999">{{Cite book |last=Egan |first=Jack |title=Buried Alive, Sydney 1788–92 |publisher=Allen and Unwin |year=1999 |isbn=1865081388 |pages=10}}</ref> The cove was called ''Warrane'' by the Aboriginal inhabitants.<ref>Attenbrow (2010), p. 11</ref> Phillip considered naming the settlement ], but this name was never officially used.<ref name="Egan-1999" /> By 1790 Phillip and other officials were regularly calling the township Sydney.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-343658027/view?partId=nla.obj-343661652#page/n4/mode/1up |title=Historical Records of New South Wales |volume=1 part 2 |pages=285, 343, 345, 436, 482, passim |access-date=17 August 2022 |archive-date=23 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220723112037/https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-343658027/view?partId=nla.obj-343661652#page/n4/mode/1up |url-status=live }}</ref> Sydney was declared a city in 1842.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Birch |first1=Alan |title=The Sydney Scene, 1788–1960 |last2=Macmillan |first2=David S. |publisher=Hale and Iremonger |year=1982 |isbn=0868060178 |edition=2nd |location=Sydney |pages=105–06}}</ref>

The ] (Cadigal) clan, whose territory stretches along the southern shore of ] from ] to ], are the traditional owners of the land on which the British settlement was initially established, and call their territory ''Gadi'' (''Cadi''). Aboriginal clan names within the Sydney region were often formed by adding the suffix "-gal" to a word denoting the name for their territory, a specific place in their territory, a food source, or totem. Greater Sydney covers the traditional lands of 28 known Aboriginal clans.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Attenbrow |first=Val |title=Sydney's Aboriginal Past, investigating the archaeological and historical records |publisher=UNSW Press |year=2010 |isbn=9781742231167 |edition=2nd |location=Sydney |pages=22–26}}</ref>


==History== ==History==
geographies of social difference is the best
{{Main|History of Sydney}} {{Main|History of Sydney}}
{{see also|Timeline of Sydney}} {{For timeline|Timeline of Sydney}}
] suggests that the Sydney region has been inhabited by ] for at least 30,000 years.<ref>{{cite news|first=Richard|last=Macey|title=Settlers' history rewritten: go back 30,000 years|date=15 September 2007|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/settlers-history-rewritten/2007/09/14/1189276983698.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=15 September 2007}}</ref> The historic indigenous inhabitants of Sydney Cove are the ] people, whose land once stretched from south of ] to ].<ref name=Barani>{{cite web|title=Sydney Barani|url=http://www.sydneybarani.com.au/sites/aboriginal-people-and-place/|work=The City acknowledges the Gadigal of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians of this place we now call Sydney.|publisher=City of Sydney|accessdate=15 November 2013}}</ref> While estimates of the population before the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 remain contentious, an estimated 4,000–8,000 Aboriginal people lived in the Sydney region before contact with British settlers. The British called the indigenous people the "]";<ref name="kohen">Kohen, J. L. 2000. "First and Last Peoples: Aboriginal Sydney", In J. Connell (Ed.). ''Sydney: The Emergence of a Global City.'' ] ISBN 0-19-550748-7, pp 76–78, 81–82, 83</ref> when asked where they came from these people would answer: ''Eora'', meaning "here", or "from this place" in their language.<ref name="Barani"/>


===First inhabitants of the region===
The three language groups in the Sydney region were divided into dialects, spoken by smaller ]s. The principal languages were ] (the '']'', inhabitants of the area of present-day City of Sydney, spoke a coastal dialect of Darug), ] and ]. Each clan had a territory, and the location of each territory determined the resources available. Although urbanisation has destroyed much earlier evidence of these settlements, such as shell ]s, a number of ], carvings and ] remain visible in the ] of the Sydney basin.<ref>{{cite news|first=Bruce|last=Elder|title=History set in stone|date=7 September 2007|work=The Age|location=Melbourne|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/new-south-wales/history-set-in-stone/2007/09/05/1188783292366.html|accessdate=18 October 2007}}</ref>
] of kangaroos in ]]]The first people to inhabit the area now known as Sydney were ] who had migrated from southeast Asia via northern Australia.<ref>Attenbrow (2010). p. 152</ref> Flaked pebbles found in Western Sydney's gravel sediments might indicate human occupation from 45,000 to 50,000 years ago,<ref name="Attenbrow-2010c">{{Cite book |last1=Attenbrow |first1=Val |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TDxldj_SLcYC&q=inauthor%3A%22Val%20Attenbrow%22&pg=PA152 |title=Sydney's Aboriginal Past: Investigating the Archaeological and Historical Records |publisher=UNSW Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-74223-116-7 |location=Sydney |pages=152–153 |access-date=11 November 2013 |archive-date=23 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923094622/https://books.google.com/books?id=TDxldj_SLcYC&q=inauthor%3A%22Val%20Attenbrow%22&pg=PA152 |url-status=live }}</ref> while ] has shown evidence of human activity in the region from around 30,000 years ago.<ref name="Settlers' history rewritten2">{{cite news |last=Macey |first=Richard |date=2007 |title=Settlers' history rewritten: go back 30,000 years |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/settlers-history-rewritten/2007/09/14/1189276983698.html |access-date=5 July 2014 |archive-date=2 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702180036/https://www.smh.com.au/news/national/settlers-history-rewritten/2007/09/14/1189276983698.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Prior to the arrival of the British, there were 4,000 to 8,000 Aboriginal people in the greater Sydney region.<ref>Attenbrow (2010). p.17</ref><ref name="Aboriginal people and place23"/>


The inhabitants subsisted on fishing, hunting, and gathering plants and shellfish. The diet of the coastal clans was more reliant on seafood whereas hinterland clans ate more forest animals and plants. The clans had distinctive equipment and weapons mostly made of stone, wood, plant materials, bone and shell. They also differed in their body decorations, hairstyles, songs and dances. Aboriginal clans had a rich ceremonial life, part of a belief system centring on ancestral, totemic and supernatural beings. People from different clans and language groups came together to participate in initiation and other ceremonies. These occasions fostered trade, marriages and clan alliances.<ref name="Attenbrow-2010a">Attenbrow (2010). pp. 28, 158</ref>
]'', painted by convict and artist ] in 1794]]


The earliest British settlers recorded the word ']' as an Aboriginal term meaning either 'people' or 'from this place'.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Keith Vincent |title=Eora People |url=https://www.eorapeople.com.au/uncategorized/eora-people/ |access-date=13 July 2022 |website=Eora People |date=June 2020 |archive-date=28 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328102026/https://www.eorapeople.com.au/uncategorized/eora-people/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Aboriginal people and place23"/> The clans of the Sydney area occupied land with traditional boundaries. There is debate, however, about which group or nation these clans belonged to, and the extent of differences in language and rites. The major groups were the coastal Eora people, the Dharug (Darug) occupying the inland area from ] to the Blue Mountains, and the Dharawal people south of Botany Bay.<ref name="Aboriginal people and place23"/> Darginung and Gundungurra languages were spoken on the fringes of the Sydney area.<ref name="Attenbrow-2010b">Attenbrow (2010). pp. 22–29</ref>
In 1770, Lieutenant ] landed at ] on the ].<ref>{{cite web|title=National Heritage Places – Cook's Landing Site – Kurnell Peninsula New South Wales|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/node/19670|work=When Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook first set foot on Australian soil at Kurnell Peninsula Headland in Botany Bay, he made history.|publisher=Australian Government|accessdate=5 November 2013}}</ref> Here Cook made first contact with an Aboriginal community known as the ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Once were warriors|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=11 November 2002|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/10/1036308574533.html|accessdate=21 December 2008}}</ref> Under instruction from the ], ] founded a ] in the area, arriving at ] with a ] on 18 January 1788. Closer examination determined the site to be unsuitable for habitation, owing to poor soil and a lack of reliable fresh water. Phillip subsequently founded the colony one inlet further north along the coast, at ] on Port Jackson on 26 January 1788. The official proclamation of the founding and naming of Sydney took place nearly two weeks later on 7 February 1788. The original name was intended to be ''Albion'', but Phillip named the settlement after the British Home Secretary, ], in recognition of Lord Sydney's role in issuing the charter authorising Phillip to establish the colony.<ref>{{cite news|title=The 10 people Who Shaped Sydney|work=Sydney Morning Herald|url=http://blogs.smh.com.au/urbanjungle/2008/11/the_10_people_w.html|accessdate=21 December 2008|date=27 November 2008}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class="nowrap" |Aboriginal clans of Sydney area, as recorded by early British settlers
!Clan
!Territory name
!Location
|-
|Bediagal
|Not recorded
|Probably north-west of ]
|-
|Birrabirragal
|Birrabirra
|Lower Sydney Harbour around Sow and Pigs reef
|-
|Boolbainora
|Boolbainmatta
|Parramatta area
|-
|Borogegal
|Booragy
|Probably ] and surrounding area
|-
|Boromedegal
|Not recorded
|Parramatta
|-
|Buruberongal
|Not recorded
|North-west of Parramatta
|-
|Darramurragal
|Not recorded
|] area
|-
|Gadigal
|Cadi (Gadi)
|South side of Port Jackson, from ] to ]
|-
|Gahbrogal
|Not recorded
|] and ] area
|-
|Gamaragal
|Cammeray
|North shore of Port Jackson
|-
|Gameygal
|Kamay
|]
|-
|Gannemegal
|Warmul
|Parramatta area
|-
|Garigal
|Not recorded
|] area
|-
|Gayamaygal
|Kayeemy
|] Cove
|-
|Gweagal
|Gwea
|Southern shore of Botany Bay
|-
|Wallumedegal
|Wallumede
|North shore of Port Jackson, opposite Sydney Cove
|-
|Wangal
|Wann
|South side of Port Jackson, from Darling Harbour to Rose Hill
|-
| colspan="3" |Clans of the Sydney region whose territory wasn't reliably recorded are: the Domaragal, Doogagal, Gannalgal, {{Break}}Gomerigal, Gooneeowlgal, Goorunggurregal, Gorualgal, Murrooredial, Noronggerragal, Oryangsoora and Wandeandegal.
|-
| colspan="3" |<small>Note:</small> <small>The names and territory boundaries do not always correspond with those used</small> <small>by contemporary Aboriginal groups of the greater Sydney area.<ref name="Attenbrow-2010b" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Troy |first=Jakelin |title=The Sydney Language |publisher=Aboriginal Studies Press |year=2019 |isbn=9781925302868 |edition=2nd |location=Canberra |pages=19–25}}</ref>{{Refn|British settlers each used different spellings for Indigenous words. The clan names in this list use Troy's (2019) orthography.}}</small>
|}


The first meeting between Aboriginals and British explorers occurred on 29 April 1770 when Lieutenant James Cook landed at ] (Kamay<ref>Attenbrow (2010). p. 13</ref>) and encountered the ] clan.<ref>{{cite news |date=2002 |title=Once were warriors |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/10/1036308574533.html |access-date=5 July 2014 |archive-date=22 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822083939/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/10/1036308574533.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Two Gweagal men opposed the landing party and one was shot and wounded.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Blainey |first=Geoffrey |title=Captain Cook's epic voyage |publisher=Viking |year=2020 |isbn=9781760895099 |location=Australia |pages=141–43}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=22 April 2020 |title=Eight days in Kamay |url=https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/eight-days-in-kamay |access-date=29 May 2022 |website=] |archive-date=3 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603002706/https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/eight-days-in-kamay/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Cook and his crew stayed at Botany Bay for a week, collecting water, timber, fodder and botanical specimens and exploring the surrounding area. Cook sought to establish relations with the Aboriginal population without success.<ref>Blainey (2020). pp. 146–57</ref>
In April 1789, a catastrophic epidemic struck the Eora people and surrounding groups, who had no ], with the result that local Aborigines died by the thousands. Their bodies could often be seen bobbing in the water in Sydney Harbour.<ref>{{cite web|author=Milo, Moryt; 700+ words |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-180278188.html |title=The origin of the smallpox outbreak in Sydney in 1789 |publisher=Highbeam.com |accessdate=6 November 2013}}</ref> By the early 1800s, the Aboriginal population of the Sydney basin "had been reduced to only 10 percent of the 1788 estimate"{{Citation needed|date=December 2013}} or an estimated 500 to 1000 Aboriginal people between ] and Botany Bay.<ref name="kohen"/>


=== Convict town (1788–1840) ===
]
] R.N., Sydney Cove.'' Painting by ].]] ] had been sending convicts to its American colonies for most of the eighteenth century, and the loss of these colonies in 1783 was the impetus to establish a penal colony at Botany Bay. Proponents of colonisation also pointed to the strategic importance of a new base in the Asia-Pacific region and its potential to provide much-needed timber and flax for the navy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Macintyre |first=Stuart |title=A concise history of Australia |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2020 |isbn=9781108728485 |edition=5th |location=Port Melbourne |pages=34–35}}</ref>


The ] of 11 ships under the command of Captain ] arrived in Botany Bay in January 1788. It comprised more than a thousand settlers, including 736 convicts.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Karskens |first=Grace |title=The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume 1, Indigenous and Colonial Australia |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2013 |isbn=9781107011533 |editor-last=Bashford |editor-first=Alison |location=Cambridge |pages=91 |chapter=The early colonial presence, 1788-1822 |editor-last2=MacIntyre |editor-first2=Stuart}}</ref> The fleet soon moved to the more suitable ] where a settlement was established at ] on 26 January 1788.<ref>Peter Hill (2008) pp.141–50</ref> The colony of New South Wales was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788. Sydney Cove offered a fresh water supply and a safe harbour, which Philip described as "the finest Harbour in the World ... Here a Thousand Sail of the Line may ride in the most perfect Security".<ref>{{cite web |date=9 October 2009 |title=SL/nsw.gov.au |url=http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/history_nation/terra_australis/letters/phillip/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203035645/http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/history_nation/terra_australis/letters/phillip/index.html |archive-date=3 February 2013 |access-date=14 July 2011 |publisher=SL/nsw.gov.au}}</ref>
Some indigenous people mounted violent resistance to British settlement, notably by the warrior ] in the area around Botany Bay. Conflicts were common in the area surrounding the ]. By 1820 only a few hundred Aborigines survived. ] had begun initiatives to 'civilise, Christianise and educate' the Aborigines by removing children from their ]s and placing them with British households.<ref name="kohen" /> Macquarie's tenure as ] was a period when Sydney was improved from its basic beginnings. Roads, bridges, wharves and public buildings were constructed by British and Irish ]. By 1822 the town had banks, markets, well-established thoroughfares and an organised constabulary.


The settlement was planned to be a self-sufficient penal colony based on subsistence agriculture. Trade and shipbuilding were banned in order to keep the convicts isolated. However, the soil around the settlement proved poor and the first crops failed, leading to several years of hunger and strict rationing. The food crisis was relieved with the arrival of the ] in mid-1790 and the ] in 1791.<ref>Macintyre (2020). pp.34–37</ref> Former convicts received small grants of land, and government and private farms spread to the more fertile lands around ], ] and ] on the ]. By 1804, the colony was self-sufficient in food.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Karskens |first=Grace |title=The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume I, Indigenous and colonial Australia |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2013 |isbn=9781107011533 |editor-last=Bashford |editor-first=Alison |location=Cambridge |pages=90–114 |chapter=The early colonial presence, 1788-1822 |editor-last2=MacIntyre |editor-first2=Stuart}}</ref>
The 1830s and 1840s were periods of urban development, which included the first suburbs. The town grew rapidly with the arrival of British and Irish immigrants seeking a new life in a new country. On 20 July 1842 the municipal council of Sydney was incorporated. The town was designated as the first city in Australia, with John Hosking elected as its first mayor.<ref>''Australian Encyclopaedia,'' Volume 2, p 524, ] Limited, 1926</ref>
Rapid suburban development began in the last quarter of the 19th century with the advent of steam-powered tramways and railways easing commutes to work. With industrialisation, Sydney expanded rapidly and, by the early 20th century, it had a population of more than a million. In 1929, the novelist ] called it the "Siren City of the South" and the "] of Australia".<ref>Adams, H. Arthur '','' University of Sydney Library, 1929, reprint 2003, p. 62.</ref>


A smallpox epidemic in April 1789 killed about half the region's Indigenous population.<ref name="Aboriginal people and place23"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Mear |first=Craig |date=2008 |title=The origin of the smallpox outbreak in Sydney in 1789 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-180278188.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831054140/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-180278188.html |archive-date=31 August 2011 |access-date=5 July 2014 |publisher=Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society}}</ref> In November 1790 ] led a group of survivors of the Sydney clans into the settlement, establishing a continuous presence of Aboriginal Australians in settled Sydney.<ref>Karskens, Grace (2013). "The early colonial presence, 1788–1822". In ''The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume 1.'' pp. 106, 117–19</ref>
The ] hit Sydney hard in comparison to other Australian cities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/great-depression|title=The Great Depression|work=Australian Government|accessdate=6 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/03/26/2857612.htm?site=sydney|title=Surviving the Great Depression|work=] Online|accessdate=6 January 2013}}</ref> One of the highlights of the Depression era, however, was the completion of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harbourbridge.com.au/hbpages/historycontx.html|title=Brief History of the Sydney Harbour Bridge|accessdate=8 October 2006|author=Harbour Bridge Views|year=2007
}}</ref>


Phillip had been given no instructions for urban development, but in July 1788 submitted a plan for the new town at ]. It included a wide central avenue, a permanent Government House, law courts, hospital and other public buildings, but no provision for warehouses, shops, or other commercial buildings. Phillip promptly ignored his own plan, and unplanned development became a feature of Sydney's topography.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Karskens |first=Grace |title=The Colony, a history of early Sydney |publisher=Allen and Unwin |year=2009 |isbn=9781741756371 |location=Crows Nest, NSW |pages=71–75}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=McGillick |first1=Paul |title=Sydney architecture |last2=Bingham-Hall |first2=Patrick |year=2005 |page=14 to 15}}</ref>]'s ''View of Sydney Cove'', {{Circa|1794}}–1796]]After Phillip's departure in December 1792, the colony's military officers began acquiring land and importing consumer goods from visiting ships. Former convicts engaged in trade and opened small businesses. Soldiers and former convicts built houses on Crown land, with or without official permission, in what was now commonly called Sydney town. Governor ] (1806{{En dash}}08) imposed restrictions on commerce and ordered the demolition of buildings erected on Crown land, including some owned by past and serving military officers. The resulting conflict culminated in the ] of 1808, in which Bligh was deposed by the ].<ref>Karskens (2009). pp. 185–188</ref><ref>{{cite Q |Q5273962 |chapter=Bligh, William (1754–1817) |mode=cs1}}</ref>
There has been a rivalry between ] since the gold rushes of the 1850s made the latter, capital of ], Australia's largest and richest city.<ref>Farrelly, Elizabeth , ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 4 November 2006</ref> Sydney overtook Melbourne in population in the early years of the 20th century,<ref>{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Robert|title=Linking a Nation: Australia's Transport and Communications 1788–1970|work=Australian Government|publisher=Australian Heritage Council|year=2003|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/ahc/publications/commission/books/linking-a-nation/chapter-6.html|accessdate=21 December 2008}}</ref> and continues to be the largest city in Australia. During the 1970s and 1980s, ], with a great number of financial institutions including the headquarters of the ], surpassed Melbourne as the nation's financial capital.<ref>Elias, David . ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 31 December 2003</ref>

Governor ] (1810{{En dash}}1821) played a leading role in the development of Sydney and New South Wales, establishing a bank, a currency and a hospital. He employed a planner to design the street layout of Sydney and commissioned the construction of roads, wharves, churches, and public buildings. ], linking Sydney and Parramatta, was opened in 1811,<ref name="broomham3">{{Citation |author1=Broomham, Rosemary |title=Vital connections: a history of NSW roads from 1788 |date=2001 |page=25 |publisher=Hale & Iremonger in association with the ] |isbn=978-0-86806-703-2}}</ref> and a road across the ] was completed in 1815, opening the way for large-scale farming and grazing west of the ].<ref name="Kingston-2006">{{Cite book |last=Kingston |first=Beverley |title=A History of New South Wales |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2006 |isbn=9780521833844 |location=Cambridge |pages=118–19}}</ref><ref>Karskens, Grace (2013). pp. 115–17</ref>

Following the departure of Macquarie, official policy encouraged the emigration of free British settlers to New South Wales. Immigration to the colony increased from 900 free settlers in 1826–30 to 29,000 in 1836–40, many of whom settled in Sydney.<ref>Haines, Robin, and Ralph Shlomowitz. "Nineteenth century government-assisted and total immigration from the United Kingdom to Australia: quinquennial estimates by colony." ''Journal of the Australian Population Association'', vol. 8, no. 1, 1991, pp. 50–61. ''JSTOR'', www.jstor.org/stable/41110599. Accessed 20 July 2021.</ref><ref name="Fitzgerald-2011">{{Cite web |last=Fitzgerald |first=Shirley |date=2011 |title=Sydney |url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney#ref-uuid=77be765d-0fa6-addb-7d2d-99c79ef76ff3 |access-date=30 July 2022 |website=Dictionary of Sydney, State Library of New South Wales |archive-date=24 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924202005/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney#ref-uuid=77be765d-0fa6-addb-7d2d-99c79ef76ff3 |url-status=live }}</ref> By the 1840s Sydney exhibited a geographic divide between poor and working-class residents living west of the ] in areas such as ], and the more affluent residents living to its east.<ref name="Fitzgerald-2011"/> Free settlers, free-born residents and former convicts now represented the vast majority of the population of Sydney, leading to increasing public agitation for responsible government and an end to transportation. Transportation to New South Wales ceased in 1840.<ref name="Sydney-2020b">{{Cite web |date=September 2020 |title=History of City of Sydney council |url=https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/history/history-city-sydney-council |access-date=30 July 2020 |website=City of Sydney |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718070716/https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/history/history-city-sydney-council |url-status=live }}</ref>] of 1804]]

==== Conflict on the Cumberland Plain ====
In 1804, Irish convicts led around 300 rebels in the ], an attempt to march on Sydney, commandeer a ship, and sail to freedom.<ref>Karskens (2009). pp. 29–297</ref> Poorly armed, and with their leader Philip Cunningham captured, the main body of insurgents were routed by about 100 troops and volunteers at ]. At least 39 convicts were killed in the uprising and subsequent executions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2021 |title=Castle Hill Rebellion |url=https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/castle-hill-rebellion |access-date=31 August 2021 |website=nma.gov.au |language=en-US |archive-date=10 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810081550/https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/castle-hill-rebellion |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="whitaker22">{{cite web |author=Whitaker, Anne-Maree |year=2009 |title=Castle Hill convict rebellion 1804 |url=http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/castle_hill_convict_rebellion_1804 |access-date=3 January 2017 |work=] |archive-date=4 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304231534/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/castle_hill_convict_rebellion_1804 |url-status=live }}</ref>

As the colony spread to the more fertile lands around the ], north-west of Sydney, conflict between the settlers and the ] people intensified, reaching a peak from 1794 to 1810. Bands of Darug people, led by ] and later by his son ], burned crops, killed livestock and raided settler stores in a pattern of resistance that was to be repeated as the ]. A military garrison was established on the Hawkesbury in 1795. The death toll from 1794 to 1800 was 26 settlers and up to 200 Darug.<ref>Flood, Josephine (2019). p. 66</ref><ref>Broome, Richard (2019). pp. 25–26</ref>

Conflict again erupted from 1814 to 1816 with the expansion of the colony into Dharawal country in the Nepean region south-west of Sydney. Following the deaths of several settlers, Governor Macquarie dispatched three military detachments into Dharawal lands, culminating in the ] (April 1816) in which at least 14 Aboriginal people were killed.<ref>Flood, Josephine (2019). p. 70</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Banivanua Mar |first1=Tracey |title=The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume I |last2=Edmonds |first2=Penelope |year=2013 |pages=344 |chapter=Indigenous and settler relations}}</ref>

=== Colonial city (1841–1900) ===
The New South Wales Legislative Council became a semi-elected body in 1842. Sydney was declared a city the same year, and a governing council established, elected on a restrictive property franchise.<ref name="Sydney-2020b"/>]The discovery of gold in New South Wales and Victoria in 1851 initially caused economic disruption as men moved to the goldfields. Melbourne soon overtook Sydney as Australia's largest city, leading to an enduring rivalry between the two. However, increased immigration from overseas and wealth from gold exports increased demand for housing, consumer goods, services and urban amenities.<ref name="Goodman-2013">Goodman, David (2013). "The gold rushes of the 1850s". ''The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume I''. pp.&nbsp;180–81.</ref> The New South Wales government also stimulated growth by investing heavily in railways, trams, roads, ports, telegraph, schools and urban services.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kingston |first=Beverley |title=A History of New South Wales |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2006 |isbn=9780521833844 |pages=74–80}}</ref> The population of Sydney and its suburbs grew from 95,600 in 1861 to 386,900 in 1891.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Coghlan |first=T. A |url=https://archive.org/details/wealth-and-progress-1893/page/310/mode/2up |title=The Wealth and progress of New South Wales |publisher=E. A. Petherick & Co., Sydney |year=1893 |edition=7th |location=Sydney |pages=311–15}}</ref> The city developed many of its characteristic features. The growing population packed into rows of terrace houses in narrow streets. New public buildings of sandstone abounded, including at the ] (1854–61),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Radford |first=Neil |date=2016 |title=The University of Sydney |url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/university_of_sydney#ref-uuid=6e6dfb0b-dbd1-a0d2-591c-32e5959e0578 |access-date=2 August 2022 |website=Dictionary of Sydney, State Library of New South Wales |archive-date=17 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817072226/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/university_of_sydney#ref-uuid=6e6dfb0b-dbd1-a0d2-591c-32e5959e0578 |url-status=live }}</ref> the ] (1858–66),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellmoos |first=Leila |date= |title=Australian Museum |url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/australian_museum |access-date=2 August 2022 |website=The Dictionary of Sydney, State Library oif New South Wales |archive-date=17 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817071732/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/australian_museum |url-status=live }}</ref> the Town Hall (1868–88),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Town Hall |url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/building/sydney_town_hall |access-date=2 August 2022 |website=Dictionary of Sydney, State Library of New South Wales |archive-date=17 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817071732/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/building/sydney_town_hall |url-status=live }}</ref> and the ] (1866–92).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellmoos |first=Laila |date=2008 |title=General Post Office |url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/general_post_office#ref-uuid=3941c435-8616-274a-c243-6eacf67fae05 |access-date=2 August 2022 |website=Dictionary of Sydney, State Library of New South Wales |archive-date=17 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817072224/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/general_post_office#ref-uuid=3941c435-8616-274a-c243-6eacf67fae05 |url-status=live }}</ref> Elaborate ]s and hotels were erected.<ref name="Noyce-2012">{{cite journal |last1=Noyce |first1=Diana Christine |date=2012 |title=Coffee Palaces in Australia: A Pub with No Beer |journal=M/C Journal |volume=15 |issue=2 |doi=10.5204/mcj.464 |doi-access=free | issn=1441-2616}}</ref> Daylight bathing at Sydney's beaches was banned, but segregated bathing at designated ocean baths was popular.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McDermott, Marie-Louise |first=Marie-Louise |date=2011 |title=Ocean baths |url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/ocean_baths#ref-uuid=a5211cd8-d260-5ed4-3c70-fa82884cc849 |access-date=2 August 2022 |website=Dictionary of Sydney, State Library of New South Wales |archive-date=17 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817072225/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/ocean_baths#ref-uuid=a5211cd8-d260-5ed4-3c70-fa82884cc849 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Drought, the winding down of public works and a financial crisis led to economic depression in Sydney throughout most of the 1890s. Meanwhile, the Sydney-based premier of New South Wales, ], became a key figure in the process of federation.<ref>KIngston (2006). pp. 88–89, 95–97</ref>

=== State capital (1901–present) ===
] on George Street in 1920. Sydney once had one of the largest ] in the British Empire.]]
When the six colonies federated on 1 January 1901, Sydney became the capital of the State of New South Wales. The spread of ] in 1900 prompted the state government to modernise the wharves and demolish inner-city slums. The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 saw more Sydney males volunteer for the armed forces than the Commonwealth authorities could process, and helped reduce unemployment. Those returning from the war in 1918 were promised "homes fit for heroes" in new suburbs such as Daceyville and Matraville. "Garden suburbs" and mixed industrial and residential developments also grew along the rail and tram corridors.<ref name="Fitzgerald-2011"/> The population reached one million in 1926, after Sydney had regained its position as the most populous city in Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2019 |title=Australian Historical Population Statistics, 3105.0.65.001, Population distribution |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/historical-population/latest-release |access-date=2 August 2022 |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801140830/https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/historical-population/latest-release |url-status=live }}</ref> The government created jobs with massive public projects such as the electrification of the ] and building the Sydney Harbour Bridge.<ref>Kingston (2006). p. 132</ref>
]Sydney was more severely affected by the ] of the 1930s than regional New South Wales or Melbourne.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spearritt |first=Peter |title=Sydney's century, a history |publisher=UNSW Press |year=2000 |isbn=0868405213 |location=Sydney |pages=57–58}}</ref> New building almost came to a standstill, and by 1933 the unemployment rate for male workers was 28 per cent, but over 40 per cent in working class areas such as Alexandria and Redfern. Many families were evicted from their homes and shanty towns grew along coastal Sydney and Botany Bay, the largest being "Happy Valley" at ].<ref>Spearritt (2000). pp. 58–59</ref> The Depression also exacerbated political divisions. In March 1932, when populist Labor premier ] attempted to open the Sydney Harbour Bridge he was upstaged by ] of the far-right ], who slashed the ribbon with a sabre.<ref>Spearritt (2000). p. 62</ref>

In January 1938, Sydney celebrated the ] and the sesquicentenary of European settlement in Australia. One journalist wrote, "Golden beaches. Sun tanned men and maidens...Red-roofed villas terraced above the blue waters of the harbour...Even ] seems like some grey and stately city of Northern Europe compared with Sydney's sub-tropical splendours." A congress of the "Aborigines of Australia" declared 26 January "A ]" for "the whiteman's seizure of our country."<ref>Spearritt (2000). p. 72</ref>

With the outbreak of ] in 1939, Sydney experienced a surge in industrial development. Unemployment virtually disappeared and women moved into jobs previously typically reserved for males. Sydney was attacked by ] in May and June 1942 with 21 killed. Households built ] shelters and performed drills.<ref>Kingston (2006). pp. 157–59</ref> ] in response to ] included the ], the only ] complex in Sydney, and the heritage-listed military ] systems ] and ], which were part of a total ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aussieheritage.com.au/listings/nsw/Mosman/BradleysHeadFortificationComplex/3069 |title=Bradleys Head Fortification Complex, Mosman, NSW Profile |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070518073741/http://www.aussieheritage.com.au/listings/nsw/Mosman/BradleysHeadFortificationComplex/3069 |archive-date=18 May 2007 }}</ref>

A post-war immigration and baby boom saw a rapid increase in Sydney's population and the spread of low-density housing in suburbs throughout the Cumberland Plain. Immigrants{{Em dash}}mostly from Britain and continental Europe{{Em dash}}and their children accounted for over three-quarters of Sydney's population growth between 1947 and 1971.<ref>Spearritt (2000). p. 91</ref> The newly created Cumberland County Council oversaw low-density residential developments, the largest at ] and ]. Older residential centres such as Parramatta, ] and ] became suburbs of the metropolis.<ref>Spearritt (2000). pp. 93–94, 115–16</ref> Manufacturing, protected by high tariffs, employed over a third of the workforce from 1945 to the 1960s. However, as the long post-war economic boom progressed, retail and other service industries became the main source of new jobs.<ref>Spearritt (2000). pp. 109–11</ref>

An estimated one million onlookers, most of the city's population, watched ] land in 1954 at Farm Cove where Captain Phillip had raised the Union Jack 165 years earlier, commencing her ]. It was the first time a reigning monarch stepped onto Australian soil.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=10 January 2018 |title=The 1954 Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II |url=https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/1954-royal-tour-queen-elizabeth-ii |access-date=18 August 2022 |website=] |archive-date=8 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908092035/https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/1954-royal-tour-queen-elizabeth-ii |url-status=live }}</ref>

Increasing high-rise development in Sydney and the expansion of suburbs beyond the "green belt" envisaged by the planners of the 1950s resulted in community protests. In the early 1970s, trade unions and resident action groups imposed ]s on development projects in historic areas such as The Rocks. Federal, State and local governments introduced heritage and environmental legislation.<ref name="Fitzgerald-2011" /> The Sydney Opera House was also controversial for its cost and disputes between architect ] and government officials. However, soon after it opened in 1973 it became a major tourist attraction and symbol of the city.<ref>Kingston (2006). pp. 184–86</ref> The progressive reduction in tariff protection from 1974 began the transformation of Sydney from a manufacturing centre to a "world city".<ref>Spearritt (2000). pp. 109–12, 259–62</ref> From the 1980s, ] grew rapidly, with Asia, the Middle East and Africa becoming major sources. By 2021, the population of Sydney was over 5.2 million, with 40% of the population born overseas. China and India overtook England as the largest source countries for overseas-born residents.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2021 |title=2021 Census of Population and Housing, General community profile, Greater Sydney, Table GO9(c) |url=https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/community-profiles/2021/1GSYD |access-date=4 August 2020 |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |archive-date=28 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628053554/https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/community-profiles/2021/1GSYD |url-status=live }}</ref>


==Geography== ==Geography==
Line 93: Line 228:


===Topography=== ===Topography===
] ] where the ocean level has risen to flood deep ]s.]]
Sydney is a coastal basin with the ] to the east, the ] to the west, the Hawkesbury River to the north, and the ] to the south.
] on the left and ] on the right, showing the extent of the city.]]

Sydney's urban area is in a coastal basin, which is bordered by the Tasman Sea to the east, the ] to the west, the ] to the north and the ] to the south. It lies on a ], where the ocean level has risen to flood deep river valleys (]) carved in the Hawkesbury sandstone. Port Jackson, better known as Sydney Harbour, is one such ria.<ref>{{cite web|last=Latta|first=David|title=Showcase Destinations Sydney, Australia: The Harbour City|work=Meeting Professionals International|publisher=The Meeting Professional|date=January 2006|url=http://qa.mpiweb.org/Archive?id=3918|accessdate=16 November 2013}}</ref>
Sydney spans two geographic regions. The ] lies to the south and west of the Harbour and is relatively flat. The ] is located to the north and is dissected by steep valleys. The flat areas of the south were the first to be developed; it was not until the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge that the northern reaches became more heavily populated. ] can be found along its coastline, with Bondi Beach being the most famous.


The ] wraps around the western edge of the city and becomes the Hawkesbury River before reaching ]. Most of Sydney's water storages can be found on tributaries of the Nepean River. The ] is mostly industrial and drains a large area of Sydney's western suburbs into Port Jackson. The southern parts of the city are drained by the ] and the ] into Botany Bay.
The urban area has nearly 70 harbour and ocean beaches, including the famous ]. Sydney's urban area covers {{convert|1687|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}} as of 2001.<ref name="abs_2016_0">{{cite web|title=2016.0 Census of Population and Housing: Selected Characteristics for Urban Centres, Australia|work=Government of Australia|date=26 March 2003|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/subscriber.nsf/log?openagent&20160_2001.pdf&2016.0&Publication&735A104E4E83C6E2CA256CF40001D92A&0&2001&25.03.2003&Latest|accessdate=21 December 2008}}</ref> The Sydney Statistical Division, used for census data, is the unofficial metropolitan area<ref>{{cite web|title=1217.0.55.001&nbsp;– Glossary of Statistical Geography Terminology, 2003|work=Government of Australia|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/7d12b0f6763c78caca257061001cc588/32eb1b908521ad75ca2571220079feee!OpenDocument#M|accessdate=21 December 2008}}</ref> and covers {{convert|12145|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="abs_2032_0">{{cite web|title=2032.0&nbsp;– Census of Population and Housing: Australia in Profile&nbsp;– A Regional Analysis, 2001|work=Government of Australia|date=16 January 2004|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/subscriber.nsf/log?openagent&20320_2001.pdf&2032.0&Publication&6E673B244F83579CCA257156007B9D31&0&2001&16.01.2004&Latest2016.0|accessdate=21 December 2008}}</ref> This area includes the ], the ], and national parks and other unurbanised land.


There is no single definition of the boundaries of Sydney. The Australian Statistical Geography Standard definition of Greater Sydney covers {{cvt|12369|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=off}} and includes the local government areas of ] in the north, ] in the north-west, ] in the west, ] in the south, and ] in the south-west.<ref name="AU Stats-2022">{{Cite web |date=5 October 2022 |title=Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs-edition-3/jul2021-jun2026 |access-date=29 January 2022 |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |archive-date=27 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127054537/https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs-edition-3/jul2021-jun2026 |url-status=live }}</ref> The local government area of the ] covers about 26 square kilometres from ] in the east to Bicentennial Park in the west, and south to the suburbs of Alexandria and ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 August 2020 |title=Areas of Service |url=https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/areas-of-service |access-date=29 December 2022 |website=City of Sydney |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229102646/https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/areas-of-service |url-status=live }}</ref>
Geographically, Sydney lies over two regions: the ], 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 and dissected by steep valleys. The parts of the city with the oldest European development are located in the flat areas south of the harbour. The ] was slower to develop because of its hilly topography and lack of access across the harbour. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened in 1932 and linked the North Shore to the rest of the city.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bridge History|url=http://www.bridgeclimb.com/About-Us/Bridge-History/|work=Known to the locals as 'the coathanger'|publisher=BridgeClimb Sydney|accessdate=15 November 2013}}</ref>


===Geology=== ===Geology===
].]]
{{Main|Sydney Basin}}
Sydney is made up of mostly ] rock with some recent ] dykes and ] necks (typically found in the ], west of Sydney).<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101091122/https://australian.museum/learn/minerals/shaping-earth/igneous-intrusions/ |date=1 November 2021 }} by the ]. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2021.</ref> The ] was formed in the early Triassic period.<ref name="Sydney Basin"/> The sand that was to become the sandstone of today was laid down between 360 and 200 million years ago. The sandstone has ] lenses and fossil riverbeds.<ref name="Sydney Basin"/> The ] of ] is only {{cvt|25.9|km|mi|1|abbr=off}} away from the coast of Sydney.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Exclusive Getaway|title= Game Fishing - Seasonal Guide|url=https://www.sydneyharbourexclusive.com/sydney-game-fishing-scene/ |access-date=29 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=]|title= Seabed habitat mapping of the continental shelf of NSW|url=https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Water/Coasts/Research/seabed-habitat-mapping-continental-shelf-nsw-101057.pdf |author = Alan Jordan, Peter Davies, Tim Ingleton, Edwina Foulsham, Joe Neilson and Tim Pritchard|access-date=29 December 2024}}</ref>
Sydney is mostly ] rock, with some recent ] dykes and ] necks. The ] is some {{convert|200|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} thick, with ] lenses and fossil riverbeds dotted throughout it. Almost all of the rocks exposed around Sydney are sandstone. The sand that was to become this sandstone was washed from ] and laid down in the Triassic period, about two hundred million years ago, a time when plants were ferns, reptiles were becoming dinosaurs, and mammals did not yet exist. The Sydney Basin sits on the east coast of Australia, which is made up of a ] filled with near horizontal sandstones and shales of Permian to Triassic age that overlie older basement rocks of the Lachlan Fold Belt. The ]s have been subject to uplift with gentle folding and minor faulting during the formation of the ]. ] by coastal streams has created a landscape of deep gorges and remnant ]s. The Sydney Basin bioregion includes coastal landscapes of cliffs, beaches and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/bioregions/SydneyBasin-Landform.htm|title=Environment & Heritage &#124; Sydney Basin&nbsp;– landform |publisher=Environment.nsw.gov.au |date=27 February 2011 |accessdate=10 February 2012}}</ref>

The ] bioregion includes coastal features of cliffs, beaches, and estuaries. Deep river valleys known as ]s were carved during the Triassic period in the ] of the coastal region. The rising sea level between 18,000 and 6,000 years ago flooded the rias to form estuaries and deep harbours.<ref name="Sydney Basin">{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/bioregions/SydneyBasin-Landform.htm |title=Sydney Basin |access-date=12 July 2014 |archive-date=8 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708125627/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/bioregions/SydneyBasin-Landform.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Port Jackson, better known as Sydney Harbour, is one such ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Latta |first=David |date=2006 |url=http://qa.mpiweb.org/Archive?id=3918 |title=Showcase destinations Sydney, Australia: the harbour city |access-date=12 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409105144/http://qa.mpiweb.org/Archive?id=3918 |archive-date=9 April 2014}}</ref> Sydney features two major soil types: ]s (which originate from the Hawkesbury sandstone) and ] (which are from shales and ]s), though some soils may be a mixture of the two.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=7 November 2019 |url=https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/get-involved/sydney-nature/gardens/soils |title=Soils for nature |access-date=26 September 2020 |archive-date=20 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020204913/https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/get-involved/sydney-nature/gardens/soils |url-status=live }}</ref>

Directly overlying the older Hawkesbury sandstone is the ], a geological feature found in western Sydney that was deposited in connection with a large ] during the ]. The Wianamatta shale generally comprises fine grained ]s such as shales, ]s, ]s, ]s and ]s, with less common sandstone units.<ref name="basinguide">{{cite book |first1=Chris |last1=Herbert |first2=Robin |last2=Helby |title=A Guide to the Sydney basin |edition=1 |publisher=Geological Survey of New South Wales |location=Maitland |year=1980 |isbn=0-7240-1250-8 |page=582}}</ref> The Wianamatta Group is made up of ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=William |first1=E |last2=Airey |first2=DW |title=A Review of the Engineering Properties of the Wianamatta Group Shales |journal=Proceedings 8th Australia New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics: Consolidating Knowledge |location=Barton, ACT |publisher=Australian Geomechanics Society |date=1999 |pages=641–647 |url=https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=736896154066797;res=IELENG |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080814224742/http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=736896154066797;res=IELENG |archive-date=14 August 2008 |isbn=1864450029}}</ref>

===Ecology===
{{further|Ecology of Sydney}}
] woodland in the Sydney metropolitan area]]
The most prevalent ] in the Sydney region are grassy woodlands (i.e. ]s)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/VegClass.aspx?vegclassname=Coastal+Valley+Grassy+Woodlands&habitat=C |title=Coastal Valley Grassy Woodlands |publisher=NSW Environment & Heritage |access-date=15 December 2019 |archive-date=29 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929182846/https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/VegClass.aspx?vegclassname=Coastal+Valley+Grassy+Woodlands&habitat=C |url-status=live }}</ref> and some pockets of dry ] forests,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/VegFormation.aspx?formationName=Dry+sclerophyll+forests+(shrub%2Fgrass+sub-formation) |title=Dry sclerophyll forests (shrub/grass sub-formation) |publisher=NSW Environment & Heritage |access-date=15 October 2016 |archive-date=18 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018235038/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/VegFormation.aspx?formationName=Dry+sclerophyll+forests+(shrub%2Fgrass+sub-formation) |url-status=live }}</ref> which consist of ] trees, ]s, ]s, ]s and ]s, with shrubs (typically ], ]s, ]s and ]s), and a semi-continuous grass in the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/VegFormation.aspx?formationName=Dry+sclerophyll+forests+(shrubby+sub-formation) |title=Dry sclerophyll forests (shrubby sub-formation) |publisher=NSW Environment & Heritage |access-date=16 December 2019 |archive-date=19 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719022223/https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/VegFormation.aspx?formationName=Dry+sclerophyll+forests+(shrubby+sub-formation) |url-status=live }}</ref> The plants in this community tend to have rough, spiky leaves due to low ]. Sydney also features a few areas of wet sclerophyll forests in the wetter, elevated areas in the ] and ]. These forests are defined by straight, tall tree ] with a moist understory of soft-leaved shrubs, ] and herbs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/VegFormation.aspx?formationName=Wet+sclerophyll+forests+(grassy+sub-formation) |title=Wet sclerophyll forests (grassy sub-formation) |publisher=NSW Environment & Heritage |access-date=16 March 2017 |archive-date=4 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170304072229/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/VegFormation.aspx?formationName=Wet+sclerophyll+forests+(grassy+sub-formation) |url-status=live }}</ref>

The predominant vegetation community in Sydney is the ] in ] (]),<ref>{{cite book |author=Earth Resource Analysis PL |year=1998 |title=Cumberland Plains Woodland: Trial Aerial Photographic interpretation of remnant woodlands, Sydney |type=Unpublished report |work=NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service – Sydney Zone }}</ref> followed by the ] in the Inner West and ],<ref name = environment> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220912090255/https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/nature/RecoveringCumberlandPlain.pdf |date=12 September 2022 }} Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW). (2005). Recovering Bushland on the Cumberland Plain: Best practice guidelines for the management and restoration of bushland. Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW), Sydney. Retrieved 12 September 2022.</ref> the ] in the coastline and the ] scantily present in the North Shore – all of which are critically endangered.<ref name="Sydney Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin">{{cite web|title=Sydney Blue Gum High Forest|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/pubs/sydney-blue-gum.pdf|work=Nationally Threatened Species and Ecological Communities|publisher=Environment.gov.au|access-date=16 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618175310/http://environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/pubs/sydney-blue-gum.pdf|archive-date=18 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub of the Sydney Region|work=]|url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/env/consultations/890806ae-857e-4034-914c-97791e6f2f36/files/consultation-guide-eastern-suburbs-banksia-scrub.pdf|access-date=15 September 2022|archive-date=14 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220914052316/https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/env/consultations/890806ae-857e-4034-914c-97791e6f2f36/files/consultation-guide-eastern-suburbs-banksia-scrub.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The city also includes the ] found in ] on the ] to the north.<ref name=ryde>{{cite web|title=''Urban Bushland in the Ryde LGA – Sydney Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland''|work=Ryde Council|url=https://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/files/assets/public/environment/urban-bushland-in-the-ryde-lga.pdf|access-date=15 November 2018|archive-date=22 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322021413/http://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/files/assets/public/environment/urban-bushland-in-the-ryde-lga.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sydney is home to dozens of ] species,<ref>Hindwood, K. A. and McCill, A. R., 1958. ''The Birds of Sydney'' (Cumberland Plain) New South Wales. Royal Zoological Society New South Wales.</ref> which commonly include the ], ], ], ] and the ]. ] bird species ubiquitously found in Sydney are the ], ], ] and the ].<ref>{{cite book |title=Finding Australian Birds |url=http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/6518.htm |author1=Dolby, Tim |author2=Clarke, Rohan |publisher=CSIRO Publishing |year=2014 |isbn=9780643097667 |access-date=10 July 2017 |archive-date=12 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112195115/http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/6518.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> ] species are also numerous and predominantly include ]s.<ref>Cogger, H.G. (2000). ''Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia.'' Reed New Holland.</ref><ref>Green, D., 1973. -Re reptiles of the outer north-western suburbs of Sydney. Herpetofauna 6 (2): 2–5.</ref> Sydney has a few ] and ] species, such as the ] and the ], respectively,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nqr.farmonline.com.au/news/state/agribusiness-and-general/general/sydneys-flying-foxes-now-bundys-problem/2616870.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230091602/http://nqr.farmonline.com.au/news/state/agribusiness-and-general/general/sydneys-flying-foxes-now-bundys-problem/2616870.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 December 2012 |title=Sydney's flying foxes now Bundy's problem |publisher=North Queensland Register |date=2 August 2012 |access-date=22 February 2014}}</ref><ref name="Whyte-2017">{{Cite book |title=A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia |last1=Whyte |first1=Robert |last2=Anderson |first2=Greg |publisher=CSIRO Publishing |year=2017 |location=Clayton VIC}}</ref> and has a huge diversity of ] inhabiting its harbour and beaches.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Underwater Sydney |last1=Falkner |first1=Inke |last2=Turnbull |first2=John |publisher=CSIRO Publishing |year=2019 |isbn=9781486311194 |location=Clayton South, Victoria}}</ref>


===Climate=== ===Climate===
{{Further|Climate of Sydney}} {{Main|Climate of Sydney|Severe weather events in Sydney}}
].]] ]
Under the ], Sydney has a ] (''Cfa'')<ref>{{cite web |title=Modelling and simulation of seasonal rainfall |publisher=Centre for Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications (CARMA) |quote=Brisbane and Sydney each have a humid sub-tropical or temperate climate with no pronounced dry season...the classification is Cfa |date=20 May 2014 |url=https://www.carma.newcastle.edu.au/jon/matcom.pdf |access-date=25 February 2016 |archive-date=13 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190313193032/https://www.carma.newcastle.edu.au/jon/matcom.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> with "warm, sometimes hot" summers and "generally mild",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/travel/holiday-weather/australasia/australia/sydney |title=Sydney holiday weather |publisher=] |access-date=29 August 2023 |archive-date=29 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829114341/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/travel/holiday-weather/australasia/australia/sydney |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=bom2>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/water/nwa/2017/sydney/climateandwater/climateandwater.shtml |title=Sydney: Climate and water |publisher=] |date = April 2017|access-date=20 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.australia.com/en/facts-and-planning/weather-in-australia/sydney-weather.html |title=WEATHER IN SYDNEY |website=Australia.com |date=23 May 2023 |publisher=] |access-date=29 August 2023 |archive-date=29 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829114342/https://www.australia.com/en/facts-and-planning/weather-in-australia/sydney-weather.html |url-status=live }}</ref> to <!-- Please read the note after "cool" before changing it. -->"cool"<!-- The authoritative source supporting this specifically says "cool", not "mild". Do not change it without providing more sources supporting a change and note that "cool" must be retained. For more information, please see the talk page discussion. --> winters.<ref>{{cite web |title=Climate and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games |work=Australian Government |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=24 September 2007 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article32000?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1301.0&issue=2000&num=&view= |access-date=21 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610031914/http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article32000?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1301.0&issue=2000&num=&view= |archive-date=10 June 2008}}</ref> The ], the ] and the ]<ref name= "ABC news">{{Cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-14/southern-annular-mode-and-how-it-affects-our-weather/10106134 |title=Southern Annular Mode: The climate 'influencer' you may not have heard of |website=ABC News |date=14 August 2018 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-date=19 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819004847/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-14/southern-annular-mode-and-how-it-affects-our-weather/10106134 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="BOM71">{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs71.pdf |title=Special Climate Statement 71—severe fire weather conditions in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales in September 2019 |date=24 September 2019 |website=] |access-date=5 January 2020 |archive-date=9 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200109060418/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs71.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> play an important role in determining Sydney's weather patterns: ] and ] on the one hand, and storms and flooding on the other, associated with the opposite ]. The weather is ] by proximity to the ocean, and more extreme temperatures are recorded in the inland western suburbs because Sydney CBD is more affected by the ] drivers than the western suburbs.<ref name= "MDPI">{{Cite journal |title=Impact of Accelerated Climate Change on Maximum Temperature Differences between Western and Coastal Sydney |journal=] |date=26 March 2023 |doi=10.3390/cli11040076 |doi-access=free |last1=Bubathi |first1=Varsha |last2=Leslie |first2=Lance |last3=Speer |first3=Milton |last4=Hartigan |first4=Joshua |last5=Wang |first5=Joanna |last6=Gupta |first6=Anjali |volume=11 |issue=4 |page=76 |bibcode=2023Clim...11...76B }}</ref><ref name="acn" />
Sydney has a ] (]: ''Cfa'') with warm, sometimes hot summers and mild winters, with rainfall spread throughout the year.<ref>{{cite web|title=Climate and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games|work=Australian Government|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|date=24 September 2007|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article32000?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1301.0&issue=2000&num=&view=|accessdate=21 December 2008}}; {{cite web|title=Sydney Basin&nbsp;– climate|work=New South Wales Government|publisher=Department of Environment and Climate Change|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/bioregions/SydneyBasin-Climate.htm|accessdate=21 December 2008}}; {{cite web|title=Australian climatic zones|work=Australian Government|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/environ/travel/map.shtml|accessdate=21 December 2008}}; {{cite web|title=Living in Sydney|publisher=Sydney Institute of Business & Technology|url=http://www.sibt.nsw.edu.au/index.php/about-australia/living-in-sydney.html|accessdate=21 December 2008}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> The weather is moderated by proximity to the ocean, and more extreme temperatures are recorded in the inland western suburbs. The warmest months are January and February, with an average air temperature range at ] of {{convert|18.7|–|25.9|C}} for January and {{convert|18.8|–|25.8|C}} for February.<ref name="acn"/> An average of 14.9 days a year have temperatures of more than {{convert|30|C|0}}.<ref name="acn"/>


At Sydney's primary weather station at ], extreme temperatures have ranged from {{cvt|45.8|C|1}} on 18 ] to {{cvt|2.1|C|1}} on 22 June 1932.<ref>{{BoM Aust stats|site_ref=cw_066062_All|site_name=Sydney (Observatory Hill) |access-date=15 November 2013}}</ref><ref>Bureau of Meteorology. 2006. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902015815/http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/nsw/20060201.shtml |date=2 September 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Creagh |first=Sunanda |title=Sydney smashes temperature records but heatwave nearly over |url=http://theconversation.edu.au/sydney-smashes-temperature-records-but-heatwave-nearly-over-11689 |work=The Conversation |publisher=The Conversation Media Group |access-date=21 January 2013 |archive-date=21 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221025130/https://theconversation.com/sydney-smashes-temperature-records-but-heatwave-nearly-over-11689 |url-status=live }}</ref> An average of 14.9 days a year have temperatures at or above {{cvt|30|C|0}} in the central business district (CBD).<ref name="acn">{{cite web |title=Climate statistics for Australian locations |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066062_All.shtml |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=15 November 2013 |archive-date=24 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524103834/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066062_All.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> In contrast, the metropolitan area averages between 35 and 65 days, depending on the suburb.<ref>Torok, S. and Nicholls, N. 1996. A historical annual temperature dataset for Australia. Aust. Met. Mag., 45, 251–60.</ref> The hottest day in the metropolitan area occurred in ] on 4 January 2020, where a high of {{cvt|48.9|C|F}} was recorded.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/penrith-press/penrith-hits-record-temperature-of-485c-as-heatwave-strikes-nsw/news-story/dcf054647fa47a6fb4e8195515d835fc |title=Penrith hits record temperature of 48.9C as heatwave strikes NSW |website=Daily Telegraph |access-date=6 January 2020 |archive-date=5 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105001415/https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/penrith-press/penrith-hits-record-temperature-of-485c-as-heatwave-strikes-nsw/news-story/dcf054647fa47a6fb4e8195515d835fc |url-status=live }}</ref> The average annual temperature of the sea ranges from {{cvt|18.5|C|F}} in September to {{cvt|23.7|C|F}} in February.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705123115/https://www.seatemperature.org/australia-pacific/australia/sydney.htm |date=5 July 2017 }} – seatemperature.org</ref> Sydney has an average of 7.2 hours of sunshine per day<ref>{{cite web |title=Climate statistics for Australian locations Sydney Airport AMO |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066037_All.shtml |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=19 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923225517/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066037_All.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> and 109.5 clear days annually.<ref name="metdata">{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/cvg/av?p_stn_num=066062&p_prim_element_index=0&p_comp_element_index=0&redraw=null&p_display_type=full_statistics_table&normals_years=1991-2020&tablesizebutt=normal |title=Sydney (Observatory Hill) Period 1991–2020 |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=14 April 2020 |archive-date=9 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200209095647/http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/cvg/av?p_stn_num=066062&p_prim_element_index=0&p_comp_element_index=0&redraw=null&p_display_type=full_statistics_table&normals_years=1991-2020&tablesizebutt=normal |url-status=dead }}</ref> Due to the inland location, ] is recorded early in the morning in ] a few times in winter. Autumn and spring are the transitional seasons, with spring showing a larger temperature variation than autumn.<ref>MacDonnell, Freda. Thomas Nelson (Australia) Limited, 1967. ''Before King's Cross''</ref>
In winter, temperatures rarely drop below {{convert|5|C|0}} in coastal areas. The coldest month is July, with an average range of {{convert|8.0|–|16.3|C}}.<ref name="acn"/> Rainfall is fairly evenly spread through the year, but is slightly higher during the first half of the year. The average annual rainfall, with moderate to low variability, is {{convert|1213.8|mm|2|abbr=on}}, with rain falling on an average of 143.5 days a year.<ref name="acn"/><ref>Australian ]. 2005. Ellyard, D. 1994. Droughts and Flooding Rains. Angus & Robertson ISBN 0-207-18557-3</ref> Snowfall was last reported in the Sydney City area in 1836, while a fall of ], or soft hail, mistaken by many for snow, in July 2008, has raised the possibility that the 1836 event was not snow, either.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sydney winter not snow, just hail|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/it-looked-like-snow-it-felt-like-snow/2008/07/27/1217097051268.html|work=Mr Zmijewski doubted the 1836 snow report, saying weather observers of the era lacked the expertise of today. "We are almost in the sub-tropics in Sydney," he said.|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=15 November 2013}}</ref><ref>MacDonnell, Freda. Thomas Nelson (Australia) Limited, 1967. Before King's Cross</ref> Extreme temperatures have ranged from {{convert|45.8|C|1}} on 18 January 2013 to {{convert|2.1|C|1}} on 22 June 1932, the lowest recorded minimum at Observatory Hill.<ref>{{BoM Aust stats|site_ref=cw_066062|site_name=Sydney (Observatory Hill)|accessdate=15 November 2013}}</ref><ref>Bureau of Meteorology. 2006. </ref> At the Sydney Airport station, extremes have ranged from {{convert|46.4|to|-0.1|C|1}}.<ref>{{BoM Aust stats|site_ref=cw_066037|site_name=Sydney Airport AMO|accessdate=13 December 2013}}</ref>


Sydney experiences an ] effect.<ref name="UrbanHeatIsland">{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/sydney-area-an-urban-heat-island-vulnerable-to-extreme-temperatures-20160113-gm4v14.html |title=Sydney area an 'urban heat island' vulnerable to extreme temperatures |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=14 January 2016 |access-date=14 January 2016 |archive-date=14 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114173411/http://www.smh.com.au/environment/sydney-area-an-urban-heat-island-vulnerable-to-extreme-temperatures-20160113-gm4v14.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This makes certain parts of the city more vulnerable to extreme heat, including coastal suburbs.<ref name="UrbanHeatIsland" /><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Urban Heat Island and Overheating Characteristics in Sydney, Australia. An Analysis of Multiyear Measurements |journal=Sustainability |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=712 |year=2017 |first1=Mat |last1=Santamouris |first2=Shamila |last2=Haddad |first3=Francesco |last3=Fiorito |first4=Paul |last4=Osmond |first5=Lan |last5=Ding |first6=Deo |last6=Prasad |first7=Xiaoqiang |last7=Zhai |first8=Ruzhu |last8=Wang |doi=10.3390/su9050712 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In late spring and summer, temperatures over {{cvt|35|C|0}} are not uncommon,<ref>{{cite web |title=Special Climate Statement 43 – extreme heat in January 2013 |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs43e.pdf |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=2 February 2013 |date=1 February 2013 |archive-date=23 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923232139/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs43e.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> though hot, dry conditions are usually ended by a ],<ref>Batt, K, 1995: Sea breezes on the NSW coast, Offshore Yachting, Oct/Nov 1995, Jamieson Publishing.</ref> a powerful southerly that brings ] winds and a rapid fall in temperature.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18401582 |title="Southerly Buster" Relieves City. |newspaper=] |date=17 December 1953 |access-date=27 March 2015 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia |archive-date=21 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221023753/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18401582 |url-status=live }}</ref> Since Sydney is downwind of the ], it occasionally experiences dry, westerly ] typically in winter and early spring (which are the reason for its warm maximum temperatures).<ref>Sharples, J.J. Mills, G.A., McRae, R.H.D., Weber, R.O. (2010) ''Elevated fire danger conditions associated with foehn-like winds in southeastern Australia. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology''.</ref><ref>Sharples, J.J., McRae, R.H.D., Weber, R.O., Mills, G.A. (2009) ''Foehn-like winds and fire danger anomalies in southeastern Australia''. Proceedings of the 18th IMACS World Congress and MODSIM09. 13–17 July, Cairns.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-09/sydney-temperatures-to-plummet-in-cold-snap/11097536 |title=BOM predicts NSW and ACT temperatures to plummet as cold snap sweeps through |work=ABC News |author=Bellinda Kontominas |date=9 May 2019 |access-date=5 October 2021 |archive-date=5 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005111322/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-09/sydney-temperatures-to-plummet-in-cold-snap/11097536 |url-status=live }}</ref> Westerly winds are intense when the ] (or the ]) shift towards southeastern Australia,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/12/roaring-forties-shift-south-means-more-droughts-for-southern-australia |title=Roaring Forties' shift south means more droughts for southern Australia |work=The Guardian |author=Helen Davidson |date=12 May 2014 |access-date=2 November 2022 |archive-date=31 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031230652/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/12/roaring-forties-shift-south-means-more-droughts-for-southern-australia |url-status=live }}</ref> where they may damage homes and ], in addition to ] seem ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theleader.com.au/story/6319272/update-dozens-of-flights-grounded-as-wild-winds-lash-sydney-and-melbourne/|title=Cold, damaging winds blast Sydney|work=The Leader|date=9 August 2019|access-date=2 November 2022|archive-date=9 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809215130/https://www.theleader.com.au/story/6319272/update-dozens-of-flights-grounded-as-wild-winds-lash-sydney-and-melbourne/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-09/bom-weather-warnings-nsw-roof-ripped-off-nursing-home-stockton/11399816|title=BOM warns NSW to brace for worse weather as strong winds tear roof off Newcastle nursing home|work=ABC News|date=9 August 2019|access-date=2 November 2022|archive-date=7 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107231007/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-09/bom-weather-warnings-nsw-roof-ripped-off-nursing-home-stockton/11399816|url-status=live}}</ref>
The city is rarely affected by ], although remnants of ] do affect the city. The ] 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, these tend to occur during the spring and summer. The city is also prone to severe hail storms and wind storms. One such storm was the ], which severely damaged Sydney's eastern and city suburbs. The storm produced massive hailstones of at least {{convert|9|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} in diameter and resulting in insurance losses of around ]$1.7&nbsp;billion in less than five hours.<ref name="autogenerated1999">{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/14april1999.shtml|title=The Sydney Hailstorm&nbsp;– 14&nbsp;April 1999|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|accessdate=5 October 2006}}</ref>


Rainfall has a moderate to low variability and has historically been fairly uniform throughout the year, although in recent years it has been more summer-dominant and erratic.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410151105/https://www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/assessments/11-context-statement-sydney-basin-bioregion/1123-climate |date=10 April 2021 }} by Bioregional Assessments from the ]. Retrieved 11 April 2021.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-25/australian-rainfall-zones/7200050?nw=0 |title=Australia's new seasonal rainfall zones |website=ABC News |date=25 February 2016 |access-date=11 April 2021 |archive-date=21 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021090953/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-25/australian-rainfall-zones/7200050?nw=0 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sydney future: high temps, erratic rain |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-future-high-temps-erratic-rain-20081028-5a7x.html |publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-date=18 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118051756/https://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-future-high-temps-erratic-rain-20081028-5a7x.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Commuters in Sydney and eastern NSW brace for erratic weather |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/commuters-in-sydney-and-eastern-nsw-brace-for-erratic-weather/news-story/5b8e9db5c801b8a93ce86c8ad37fc5f8 |publisher=] |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-date=24 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124034706/https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/commuters-in-sydney-and-eastern-nsw-brace-for-erratic-weather/news-story/5b8e9db5c801b8a93ce86c8ad37fc5f8 |url-status=live }}</ref> Precipitation is usually higher in summer through to autumn,<ref name=bom2/> and lower in late winter to early spring.<ref name="ABC news"/><ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/joc.1196|title=The latitude of the subtropical ridge over Eastern Australia: TheL index revisited|first=Wasyl|last=Drosdowsky|date=2 August 2005|journal=International Journal of Climatology|volume=25|issue=10|pages=1291–1299|access-date=2 July 2022|doi=10.1002/joc.1196|bibcode=2005IJCli..25.1291D|s2cid=140198125|archive-date=21 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221023739/https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/joc.1196|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="acn"/><ref>Australian ]. 2005. Ellyard, D. 1994. Droughts and Flooding Rains. Angus & Robertson {{ISBN|0-207-18557-3}}</ref> In late autumn and winter, ] may bring large amounts of rainfall, especially in the CBD.<ref name="BOMECL" >{{cite web |title=About East Coast Lows |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/sevwx/facts/ecl.shtml |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=6 April 2013 |archive-date=2 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402033212/http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/sevwx/facts/ecl.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> In the warm season ]s are usually the cause of heavy rain events, though other forms of ]s, including remnants of ], may also bring heavy deluge and afternoon thunderstorms.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15284763 |title=Black Nor-Easter. |newspaper=] |date=30 October 1911 |access-date=27 March 2015 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia |archive-date=12 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912221536/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15284763 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Power, S., Tseitkin, F., Torok, S., Lavery, B., Dahni, R. and McAvaney, B. 1998. ''Australian temperature, Australian rainfall and the Southern Oscillation, 1910–1992: coherent variability and recent changes.'' Aust. Met. Mag., 47, 85–101</ref> 'Snow' was last alleged in 1836, more than likely a fall of ], or soft hail; and in July 2008 the ] saw a fall of graupel that was mistaken by many for 'snow'.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sydney winter not snow, just hail |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/it-looked-like-snow-it-felt-like-snow/2008/07/27/1217097051268.html |quote=Mr Zmijewski doubted the 1836 snow report, saying weather observers of the era lacked the expertise of today. "We are almost in the sub-tropics in Sydney", he said. |work=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=15 November 2013 |date=27 July 2008 |archive-date=23 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723051600/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/it-looked-like-snow-it-felt-like-snow/2008/07/27/1217097051268.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2009, dry conditions brought a severe ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2009.sydney.shtml |title=Sydney in 2009 |publisher=Bom.gov.au |date=4 January 2010 |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-date=20 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320201433/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2009.sydney.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2010.sydney.shtml |title=Sydney in 2010 |publisher=Bom.gov.au |date=4 January 2011 |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-date=12 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112162124/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2010.sydney.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>
The ] has reported that 2002 through 2005 were the warmest summers in Sydney since records began in 1859.<ref> in ''Sydney Monthly Climate Summary&nbsp;– NSW Regional Office'', Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 21 October 2007.</ref> The summer of 2007–2008, however, proved to be one of the coolest summers on record.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2008.sydney.shtml |title=Sydney&nbsp;– Greater Sydney in 2008 |publisher=Bom.gov.au |date=5 January 2009 |accessdate=10 February 2012}}</ref> Warmer and drier conditions came back in 2009 and 2010, when above-average temperatures were recorded. In 2009, the dry conditions brought a severe ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2009.sydney.shtml |title=Sydney in 2009 |publisher=Bom.gov.au |date=4 January 2010 |accessdate=10 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2010.sydney.shtml |title=Sydney in 2010 |publisher=Bom.gov.au |date=4 January 2011 |accessdate=10 February 2012}}</ref> In 2011, above-average rainfall was recorded.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/sydney.shtml |title=Sydney in 2011 |publisher=Bom.gov.au |date=3 January 2012 |accessdate=10 February 2012}}</ref>
{{Sydney weatherbox|width=auto}}


==Regions==
On 18 January 2013, Sydney experienced ] with {{convert|45.8|C|0}} recorded at Observatory Hill.<ref>{{cite news|last=Creagh|first=Sunanda|title=Sydney smashes temperature records but heatwave nearly over|url=http://theconversation.edu.au/sydney-smashes-temperature-records-but-heatwave-nearly-over-11689|work=The Conversation|publisher=The Conversation Media Group|accessdate=21 January 2013}}</ref> The highest minimum temperature recorded at Observatory Hill is {{convert|27.6|C|0}}, in February 2011 while the lowest maximum temperature is {{convert|7.7|C|0}}, recorded in July 1868.<ref name="acn">{{cite web|title=Climate statistics for Australian locations|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066062_All.shtml|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|accessdate=15 November 2013}}</ref>
{{main|Regions of Sydney}}
] is bottom left, and the ] is at the far right.]]


The ] divides Sydney into three "cities" and five "districts" based on the 33 LGAs in the metropolitan area. The "metropolis of three cities" comprises ''Eastern Harbour City'', ''Central River City'' and ''Western Parkland City''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Greater Cities Commission Act 2022 No 8|url=https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2022-008#sch.1|access-date=29 June 2023|date=4 November 2022|website=legislation.nsw.gov.au|archive-date=29 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629222512/https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2022-008#sch.1|url-status=live}}</ref> The Australian Bureau of Statistics also includes City of Central Coast (the former Gosford City and Wyong Shire) as part of Greater Sydney for population counts,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://itt.abs.gov.au/itt/r.jsp?RegionSummary&region=1GSYD&dataset=ABS_REGIONAL_ASGS2016&geoconcept=ASGS_2016&measure=MEASURE&datasetASGS=ABS_REGIONAL_ASGS2016&datasetLGA=ABS_REGIONAL_LGA2018&regionLGA=LGA_2018&regionASGS=ASGS_2016 |title=Greater Sydney GCCSA |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics Data by Region |access-date=25 January 2020 |archive-date=6 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406204609/https://itt.abs.gov.au/itt/r.jsp?RegionSummary&region=1GSYD&dataset=ABS_REGIONAL_ASGS2016&geoconcept=ASGS_2016&measure=MEASURE&datasetASGS=ABS_REGIONAL_ASGS2016&datasetLGA=ABS_REGIONAL_LGA2018&regionLGA=LGA_2018&regionASGS=ASGS_2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> adding 330,000 people.<ref>{{cite web |title=2016 Census QuickStats |url=https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/LGA11650?opendocument |access-date=24 April 2020 |work=Australian Bureau of Statistics |archive-date=17 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200117115246/https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/LGA11650?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The average annual temperature of the sea is above {{convert|20|C|0}}, and the monthly average ranges from {{convert|18|C|0}} in July to {{convert|23|C|0}} in January.<ref name="weather2travel">{{cite web|url=http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/australia/new-south-wales/sydney.php|title=Sydney Climate Guide|accessdate=February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bondi Beach Water Temperature and Wetsuit Guide|url=http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Bondi-Beach/seatemp|work=This has been derived from analysis of two decades of oceanographic satellite measurements of nearby open water.|publisher=Surf-Forecast.com|accessdate=15 November 2013}}</ref>


===Inner suburbs===
{{Sydney weatherbox}}
], an inner suburb north of the CBD]]
The ] extends about {{cvt|3|km|mi|1|abbr=off}} south from ]. It is bordered by ] within the ] to the east and ] to the west. Suburbs surrounding the CBD include ] and ] to the east, ] and ] to the south, ] and ] to the west, and ] and ] to the north. Most of these suburbs measure less than {{cvt|1|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=off}} in area. The Sydney CBD is characterised by narrow streets and thoroughfares, created in its convict beginnings.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sydney unprepared for terror attack |work=The Australian |date=4 September 2007 |access-date=3 June 2017 |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/news/sydney-unprepared-for-terror-attack/news-story/d46c70edc3f019be98f37168a2ca3a98}}</ref>


Several localities, distinct from suburbs, exist throughout Sydney's inner reaches. ] and ] are transport hubs with ferry, rail, and bus interchanges. ], Darling Harbour, and ] are important locations for culture, tourism, and recreation. The ], located between ] and ], is a historical ] shopping ]. Opened on 1 April 1892, its shop fronts are an exact replica of the original internal shopping facades.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13849322 |title=The Strand |newspaper=] |issue=16,858 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=2 April 1892 |access-date=27 October 2016 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> ], located beneath the ], is the largest shopping centre by area in Sydney.<ref>{{cite web |title=The largest shopping centres in Australia |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-largest-shopping-centres-in-australia.html |work=worldatlas.com |date=6 November 2019 |access-date=24 April 2020 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807165059/https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-largest-shopping-centres-in-australia.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Urban structure==
{{See also|Regions of Sydney}}
Sydney's central business district extends southwards for about {{convert|3|km|0|abbr=on}} from Sydney Cove to the area around ]. The Sydney CBD is bounded on the east side by a chain of parkland, and the west by ], a tourist and nightlife precinct.


Since the late 20th century, there has been a trend of ] amongst Sydney's inner suburbs. Pyrmont, located on the harbour, was redeveloped from a centre of shipping and international trade to an area of ], tourist accommodation, and gambling.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=]|date=2004 |url=http://www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/content/library/documents/FB43C542-0F79-96FE-68538841A8F3E24A.pdf |title=Ultimo and Pyrmont: a decade of renewal |access-date=13 July 2014 |archive-date=13 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090613103444/http://www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/content/library/documents/FB43C542-0F79-96FE-68538841A8F3E24A.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Originally located well outside of the city, Darlinghurst is the location of the historic ], manufacturing, and mixed housing. For a period it was known as an area of prostitution. The terrace-style housing has largely been retained and Darlinghurst has undergone significant gentrification since the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/business-friendly-boost-for-oxford-st-laneway/ |title=Business-friendly boost for Oxford St lane way |access-date=13 July 2014 |archive-date=18 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018042811/http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/business-friendly-boost-for-oxford-st-laneway/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dick |first=Tim |date=2014 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/17/1095394002499.html |title=At the crossroads |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=13 July 2014 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924142438/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/17/1095394002499.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Darlinghurst">{{cite web |last=Dunn |first=Mark |date=1970 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/darlinghurst |title=Darlinghurst |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019044537/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/darlinghurst |url-status=live }}</ref>
Together with the commercial district of ], joined to the CBD by the ], the most significant outer business districts are ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Draft Metropolitan Strategy for Sydney|url=http://strategies.planning.nsw.gov.au/Portals/0/Documents/MetroCommunityGuide.pdf|work=Parramatta is Sydney's second CBD and the premier regional city serving Western Sydney.|publisher=NSW Planning|accessdate=15 November 2013}}</ref> in the central-west, ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Penrith City Centre|publisher=]|url=http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/penrith/|accessdate=29 October 2007}}{{dead link|date=July 2012}}</ref> in the west, ] in the east, ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Liverpool City Centre|publisher=]}}</ref> in the southwest, ] to the north, and ] to the south.


] is a former industrial area of ] which is undergoing urban renewal worth $8&nbsp;billion. On the city harbour edge, the historic suburb and wharves of Millers Point are being built up as the new area of ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/vision/major-developments/green-square |title=Green Square |access-date=13 July 2014 |archive-date=3 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703133224/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/vision/major-developments/green-square |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Barangaroo Delivery Authority |date=2013 |url=http://www.barangaroo.com/discover-barangaroo/overview.aspx |title=Discover Barangaroo |access-date=13 July 2014 |archive-date=13 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813184345/http://barangaroo.com/discover-barangaroo/overview.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> The suburb of ] is known for its restored ], ], and shopping including the weekly Oxford Street markets.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wotherspoon |first=Garry |date=2012 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/paddington |title=Paddington |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019044652/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/paddington |url-status=live }}</ref>
The extensive area covered by urban Sydney is formally divided into 649<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Official Sydney Suburbs|date=31 May 2010|url=http://www.walksydneystreets.net/suburbssydneyall.htm|accessdate=27 July 2010}}</ref> ] (for addressing and postal purposes), and administered as 40<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Official Sydney Local Government Areas|date=2 August 2008|url=http://www.walksydneystreets.net/suburbssydneyall.htm|accessdate=2 August 2008}}</ref> local government areas. There is no metropolitan-wide government, but the ] and its agencies have extensive responsibilities in providing metropolitan services.<ref>Department of Local Government. Local Council Boundaries </ref> The ] 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 ], the ], the ], ], the ], the ], the ], the ], the ], the ], ], ], the ], the ] and ].


=== Inner West ===
{{wide image|Sydney Tower Panorama.jpg|1000px|<center>View of Sydney from ].</center>}}
], one of the inner-most parts of the Inner West, is one of the most complete ] and ] commercial precincts in Australia.]]
{{wide image|Sydney Panorama.jpg|1000px|<center>] panorama from ], North Sydney.</center>}}
The ] generally includes the ], ], ], and ]. These span up to about 11&nbsp;km west of the CBD. Historically, especially prior to the building of the Harbour Bridge,<ref>Green, A, " {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230503051831/https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/nsw/2022/guide/stra |date=3 May 2023 }}", ''Australian Broadcasting Corporation''</ref> the outer suburbs of the Inner West such as ] were the location of "country" estates for the colony's elites. By contrast, the inner suburbs in the Inner West, being close to transport and industry, have historically housed working-class industrial workers. These areas have undergone gentrification in the late 20th century, and many parts are now highly valued residential suburbs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/inner-west/seven-inner-west-suburbs-pass-the-2m-median-mark-for-houses/news-story/e644adbdea6693bea16f4588269e3b6a|title=Sydney's new prestige hotspot|newspaper=]|date=10 June 2016|last1=McIntyre|first1=Tim|access-date=3 May 2023|archive-date=25 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025175117/http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/inner-west/seven-inner-west-suburbs-pass-the-2m-median-mark-for-houses/news-story/e644adbdea6693bea16f4588269e3b6a|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2021, an Inner West suburb (Strathfield) remained one of the 20 most expensive postcodes in Australia by median house price (the others were all in metropolitan Sydney, all in Northern Sydney or the Eastern Suburbs).<ref name="top20">Sweeney, N., " {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629182304/https://www.afr.com/property/residential/sydney-dominates-melbourne-for-the-20-most-expensive-postcodes-20211213-p59h08 |date=29 June 2023 }}", ''The Australian Financial Review''</ref> The ] is located in this area, as well as the ] and a campus of the ]. The Anzac Bridge spans Johnstons Bay and connects ] to ] and the city, forming part of the ].


The Inner West is today well known as the location of village commercial centres with cosmopolitan flavours, such as the "Little Italy" commercial centres of Leichardt, Five Dock and Haberfield,<ref>Boys, C., " {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230503051831/https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/eating-out/where-is-sydneys-new-little-italy-20140419-36x15.html |date=3 May 2023 }}", ''Good Food'', 22 April 2014</ref> "Little Portugal" in Petersham,<ref>" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230503051831/https://www.smh.com.au/national/tarting-up-petersham-with-an-ethnic-flavour-20020906-gdfm08.html |date=3 May 2023 }}", ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 6 September 2002</ref> "Little Korea" in Strathfield<ref>Burke, K, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230503051832/https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/little-korea-ready-to-rise-from-melting-pot-20120525-1za3z.html |date=3 May 2023 }}", ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 26 May 2012</ref> or "Little Shanghai" in Ashfield.<ref>West, A., " {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718070506/https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/business-booms-in-little-shanghai-20110620-1gbey.html |date=18 July 2023 }}", ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 18 June 2011</ref> Large-scale shopping centres in the area include ], ] and ]. There is a large cosmopolitan community and nightlife hub on ].
===Parks and open spaces===
{{See also|Parks in Sydney}}
]]]
Sydney is well-endowed with open spaces and access to waterways, and has many natural areas, ]s and parks. Within the CBD are the ], ], ] and the ].
]
The ] area also contains prominent parks and gardens, such as the ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.auburn.nsw.gov.au/Explore/Recreation/Plans%20of%20Management%20Documents/Plan%20of%20Management%20for%20Auburn%20Botanic%20Gardens%20Precinct.pdf|title=Plan of Management for Auburn Botanic Gardens Precinct|accessdate=12 December 2012}}</ref> and national parks, including the ], the second oldest national park in the world,<ref>{{cite web|title=Royal National Park|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx?id=N0030|work=Sydney's heritage-listed Royal National Park is affectionately known to locals as the 'Nasho' or just 'the Royal'. Established in 1879, it's the world's second-oldest national park.|publisher=NSW Office of Environment and Heritage|accessdate=8 November 2013}}</ref> ] and several parks in Sydney's far west which are part of the World Heritage listed ].


The area is serviced by ]' ], ] and ] services, including the ], which was the first to be constructed in New South Wales. ] is a secondary railway hub within Sydney, and major station on the Suburban and ] lines. It was constructed in 1876.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nswrail.net/locations/show.php?name=NSW:Strathfield|title=Strathfield Station|website=Nswrail.net|access-date=2 July 2022|archive-date=2 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702144642/https://www.nswrail.net/locations/show.php?name=NSW:Strathfield|url-status=live}}</ref> The future ] will also connect this area with the City and Parramatta. The area is also serviced by the ] of ],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.beyondthewharf.com.au/rivercat-class/ |title=Rivercat Class – Transdev |access-date=23 May 2023 |archive-date=7 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207142722/https://www.beyondthewharf.com.au/rivercat-class/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> numerous bus routes and cycleways.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au/en/community/business/urban-centres/newtown/ |title=Newtown |website=Marrickville.nsw.gov.au |language=en |access-date=23 April 2018 |archive-date=6 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506120404/http://marrickville.nsw.gov.au/en/community/business/urban-centres/newtown/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The Domain was established by Governor ], just six months after the arrival of the first fleet. Originally established as being exclusive to Governors, it was opened to the public in the 1830s. ] was dedicated on 13 October 1810 by ] for the "recreation and amusement of the inhabitants of the town and a field of exercises for the troops". Hyde Park is named in honour of the original ] in ]. Containing over 580 trees, it is located in the eastern section of the inner city district.


===Eastern suburbs===
To celebrate the first 100 years of European settlement, ] was dedicated by Sir Henry Parkes in January 1888. It is the largest open space in the city, occupying 220 hectares. Similarly, ] was opened on 1 January 1988 to commemorate 200 years since European settlement.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bicentennial Park turns 25|url=http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/whats_on/news_and_media/2013/bicentennial_park_turns_25|work=When opened on 1 January 1988 as the largest Bicentennial Year project, the intention was to present a park for future generations.|publisher=Sydney Olympic Park Authority|accessdate=8 November 2013}}</ref> 1988's Bicentennial celebrations also saw the opening of the ], designed by the ]'s Chinese sister city ].
]. Sydney's eastern suburbs are made up of some of the most expensive real estate in the country<ref>{{Cite web |title=State-by-state: Find out if you're living in one of the richest, or poorest, postcodes |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/richest-and-poorest-postcodes/t41wwpk9o |access-date=5 September 2023 |website=SBS News |language=en |archive-date=5 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905133525/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/richest-and-poorest-postcodes/t41wwpk9o |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
The Eastern Suburbs encompass the ], the ], the ], and parts of the ]. They include some of the most affluent and advantaged areas in the country, with some streets being amongst the most expensive in the world. As at 2014, ], ], had a top price of $20,900 per square metre, making it the ninth-most expensive street in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/10-most-expensive-streets-in-the-world-2011-3#9-wolseley-road-point-piper-2 |title=The 10 most expensive streets in the world |last=Badkar |first=Mamta |date=2011 |website=Business Insider |access-date=13 July 2014 |archive-date=13 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713064446/http://www.businessinsider.com.au/10-most-expensive-streets-in-the-world-2011-3#9-wolseley-road-point-piper-2 |url-status=live }}</ref> More than 75% of neighbourhoods in the ] fall under the top decile of SEIFA advantage, making it the least disadvantaged area in the country.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-06/labor-greens-or-liberal-nationals-explore-disadvantage-politics/9600250 |title=Labor, Greens, Howard's battlers: Explore the politics of disadvantage |date=6 April 2018 |work=ABC News |access-date=21 April 2018 |language=en-AU |archive-date=8 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408232956/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-06/labor-greens-or-liberal-nationals-explore-disadvantage-politics/9600250 |url-status=live }}</ref> As of 2021, of the 20 most expensive postcodes in Australia by median house price, nine were in the Eastern Suburbs.<ref name="top20"/>

Major landmarks include ], which was added to the ] in 2008;<ref>''Sydney Morning Herald'', 1 January 2009, p.18</ref> and ], featuring a ] and an estimated office workforce of 6,400 by 2035,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gsc-public-1.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/forecasting_the_distribution_of_stand_alone_office_employment_across_sydney_to_2035_bis_shrapnel_2015_08_0.pdf |title=Forecasting the Distribution of Stand-Alone Office Employment across Sydney to 2035 |publisher=NSW Department of Planning and Environment |date=August 2015 |access-date=20 July 2021 |archive-date=24 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124165518/https://gsc-public-1.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/forecasting_the_distribution_of_stand_alone_office_employment_across_sydney_to_2035_bis_shrapnel_2015_08_0.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> as well as a ] on the ]. The suburb of ] contains ], the ], the ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gsc-public-1.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/eastern-district-plan-0318.pdf |title=Our Greater Sydney 2056 Eastern City District Plan – connecting communities |publisher=Greater Sydney Commission |date=March 2018 |access-date=20 July 2021 |archive-date=1 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301001314/https://gsc-public-1.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/eastern-district-plan-0318.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Construction of the ] was completed in April 2020.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402225521/https://transportnsw.info/news/2020/sydneys-new-light-rail-now-open-from-circular-quay-to-kingsford |date=2 April 2020 }} Transport for NSW 3 April 2020</ref> The project aims to provide reliable and high-capacity tram services to residents in the City and South-East.

Major shopping centres in the area include ] and ].

===Southern Sydney===
], ], and ], along with various other suburbs, face Botany Bay.]]
The Southern district of Sydney includes the suburbs in the ]s of the ] (collectively known as ]) and the ] (colloquially known as 'The Shire'), on the southern banks of the ].

The ], near ], is the site of the first landfall on the eastern coastline made by James Cook in 1770. ], a historic suburb named after the French navigator ], is notable for its old military outpost at ] and the ].

The suburb of ] in ] is close to Royal National Park, Australia's oldest national park. Hurstville, a large suburb with commercial and high-rise residential buildings dominating the skyline, has become a CBD for the southern suburbs.<ref>''The Book of Sydney Suburbs'', Compiled by Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia {{ISBN|0-207-14495-8}}, page 149</ref>

===Northern Sydney===
{{further|Northern Sydney}}
] is a major commercial district.]]
']' may also include the suburbs in the ], ] and the ].

The Northern Suburbs include several landmarks – ], ], ], ] and Curzon Hall in ]. This area includes suburbs in the ] of ], ], ], the ] and parts of the ].

The North Shore includes the commercial centres of ] and Chatswood. North Sydney itself consists of a large commercial centre, which contains the second largest concentration of high-rise buildings in Sydney after the CBD. North Sydney is dominated by advertising, marketing and associated trades, with many large corporations holding offices.

The Northern Beaches area includes ], one of Sydney's most popular holiday destinations for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The region also features ], a series of ] which form the entrance to Sydney Harbour. The Northern Beaches area extends south to the entrance of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), west to ] and north to the entrance of ]. The 2011 Australian census found the Northern Beaches to be the most ] and ] district in Australia, contrasting with its more-diverse neighbours, the North Shore and the ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rodis.com.au/Northern-Beaches-Sydney.php|title=National Regional Profile Northern Beaches Sydney|website=Rodis.com.au|access-date=2 July 2022|archive-date=2 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302151024/https://rodis.com.au/Northern-Beaches-Sydney.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

As of the end of 2021, half of the 20 most expensive postcodes in Australia (by median house price) were in Northern Sydney, including four on the Northern Beaches, two on the Lower North Shore, three on the Upper North Shore, and one straddling ] and ].<ref name="top20"/>

===Hills district===
The ] generally refers to the suburbs in north-western Sydney including the local government areas of ], parts of the ] and ]. Actual suburbs and localities that are considered to be in the Hills District can be somewhat amorphous. For example, the Hills District Historical Society restricts its definition to the Hills Shire local government area, yet its study area extends from Parramatta to the Hawkesbury. The region is so named for its characteristically comparatively hilly topography as the Cumberland Plain lifts up, joining the Hornsby Plateau. ] and ]s are the second and third roads, respectively, laid in Australia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ozroads.com.au/NSW/RouteNumbering/State%20Routes/40/oldwindsor%26windsorroad.htm|title=Ozroads: Old Windsor Road & Windsor Road|website=Ozroads.com.au|access-date=2 July 2022|archive-date=26 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426001422/https://www.ozroads.com.au/NSW/RouteNumbering/State%20Routes/40/oldwindsor%26windsorroad.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 26 May 2019, The ], which went from Chatswood to Tallawong, opened, with a large portion running through the Hills District, which meant the Hills District, for the first time, started having heavy rail.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2019-01-14|title=Major Milestone As Metro Northwest Completes Its First Full Test|url=https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/node/9580|access-date=2021-02-09|website=Transport for NSW|language=en-AU}}</ref>
Before this, The Hills was served by ].

===Western suburbs===
{{further|Greater Western Sydney}}
], a major commercial centre of ], is often referred to as Sydney's "second ]"]]
The greater western suburbs encompasses the areas of Parramatta, the sixth largest business district in Australia, settled the same year as the harbour-side colony,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Parramatta Chamber of Commerce |date=2014 |url=http://www.parramattachamber.com.au/Chamber/parramatta-capital-of-western-sydney.html |title=Parramatta |access-date=13 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140806000352/http://www.parramattachamber.com.au/Chamber/parramatta-capital-of-western-sydney.html |archive-date=6 August 2014}}</ref> ], Liverpool, ], and ]. Covering {{cvt|5800|km2}} and having an estimated population as at 2017 of 2,288,554, western Sydney has the most ] in the country – ] has earned the nickname "]" due to its ] population, Fairfield has been named "Little ]" for its predominant ] population and ] is known as "]" with its plurality of ] and ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/harris-park-re-named-little-india/6qs2sc2zj|title=This part of Australia is set to be renamed 'Little India'|author = Jennifer Scherer|publisher=]|access-date = 24 June 2024}}</ref><ref name=herald>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/what-to-do-and-see-in-the-secret-of-fairfield/news-story/fb120fa69dd18c128c5cafbe3d70d56a|title=What to do and see in the secret of Fairfield|author = Ben McLellan|publisher=]|access-date = 26 December 2023}}</ref><ref> by Christian Collet and Hiroko Furuya from Amerasia Journal 36:3 (2010): 1–27. January 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2022.</ref><ref> by Sam Holmes. ]. 21 June 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2022.</ref> The population is predominantly of a ] background, with major employment in the ] and ] trade.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://profile.id.com.au/cws/population |title=Home – WSROC Region |publisher=Profile.id.com.au |access-date=10 January 2019 |archive-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108025946/https://profile.id.com.au/cws/population |url-status=live }}</ref> Toongabbie is noted for being the third mainland settlement (after Sydney and Parramatta) set up after British colonisation began in 1788, although the site of the settlement is actually in the separate suburb of ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/old_toongabbie_and_toongabbie |title=Old Toongabbie and Toongabbie |last1=McClymont |first1=John |last2=Kass |first2=Terry |date=2010 |work=Dictionary of Sydney |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney Trust |access-date=30 July 2019 |archive-date=30 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730085650/https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/old_toongabbie_and_toongabbie |url-status=live }}</ref>

The western suburb of ], in the ], is home to ], a ] operated by ].<ref name="ABC announcement">{{cite web |title=Water theme park planned for Sydney |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/11/3009081.htm |work=ABC News |access-date=11 September 2010 |date=11 September 2010 |archive-date=13 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100913172339/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/11/3009081.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> ], a botanical garden in ], attracts thousands of visitors each year, including many from outside Australia.<ref name="chahgovau">{{cite web |url=http://www.chah.gov.au/chabg/bg-dir/auburn-nsw.html |title=Auburn Botanical Gardens |work=chah.gov.au |access-date=4 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091006140058/http://www.chah.gov.au/chabg/bg-dir/auburn-nsw.html |archive-date=6 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The greater west also includes ], a suburb created to host the 2000 Summer Olympics, and ], a ] in ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sydneymotorsportpark.com.au/visitor-information#howToGetHere |title=Visitor Information – How to Get Here |publisher=Sydney Motorsport Park | access-date=21 February 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410070447/http://www.sydneymotorsportpark.com.au/visitor-information#howToGetHere | archive-date=10 April 2013}}</ref> ], a historically significant ridge in the west and the only area in Sydney with ancient ],<ref>Jones, I., and Verdel, C. (2015). Basalt distribution and volume estimates of Cenozoic volcanism in the Bowen Basin region of eastern Australia: Implications for a waning mantle plume. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 62(2), 255–263.</ref> is also listed on the State Heritage Register.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/search-for-heritage/state-heritage-inventory/|title=State Heritage Inventory|date=22 October 2019|newspaper=Heritage NSW|access-date=2 July 2022|archive-date=4 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304000250/https://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/search-for-heritage/state-heritage-inventory/|url-status=live}}</ref>

To the northwest, ], a zoo in ], near ], is a major ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blacktown-advocate.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/featherdale-beats-opera-house-to-claim-major-tourism-award/ |title=Featherdale beats Opera House to claim major tourism award |date=23 November 2009 |author=O'Maley, Christine |work=Blacktown Advocate |access-date=18 March 2012 |archive-date=1 July 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120701155049/http://blacktown-advocate.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/featherdale-beats-opera-house-to-claim-major-tourism-award/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ], opened in 2019, is another prominent zoo situated in ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.timeout.com/sydney/news/new-sydney-zoo-announces-long-awaited-opening-date-112519 |author=Boon, Maxim |title=New Sydney Zoo announces long-awaited opening date |work=TimeOut |location=Sydney, Australia |date=25 November 2019 |access-date=24 December 2019 |archive-date=28 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128010314/https://www.timeout.com/sydney/news/new-sydney-zoo-announces-long-awaited-opening-date-112519 |url-status=live }}</ref> Established in 1799, the ], a ] and ] in Parramatta, was included in the ] on 1 August 2007 and ] in 2010 (as part of the 11 penal sites constituting the ]), making it the only site in greater western Sydney to be featured in such lists.<ref name="CourierMail01">{{cite news |url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/world-heritage-committee-approves-australian-convict-sites-as-places-of-importance/story-e6freon6-1225899640286 |author1=Chalmers, Emma |author2=Martin, Saray |date=1 August 2010 |title=World Heritage Committee approves Australian Convict Sites as places of importance |work=The Courier–Mail |location=Australia |access-date=17 April 2018 |archive-date=3 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603125525/http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/world-heritage-committee-approves-australian-convict-sites-as-places-of-importance/story-e6freon6-1225899640286 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The house is Australia's oldest surviving public building.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/old-government-house/index.html |title=National Heritage Places – Old Government House and Government Domain, Parramatta |first=Department of the Environment and |last=Energy |date=17 April 2018 |website=Environment.gov.au |access-date=16 April 2018 |archive-date=12 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012072820/http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/old-government-house/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Further to the southwest is the region of Macarthur and the city of ], a significant population centre until the 1990s considered a region separate to Sydney proper. ], a shopping complex in Campbelltown, has become one of the largest shopping complexes in Sydney.<ref>{{cite report |first=Peter |last=Degotardi |publisher=Herron Todd White Property Advisors |url=http://www.htw.com.au/pages/info_centre/review/MR%20Feb%202004.pdf |title=The Month in Review |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820135143/http://www.htw.com.au/pages/info_centre/review/MR%20Feb%202004.pdf |archive-date=20 August 2006 |date=1 February 2004}}</ref> The southwest also features ], the oldest elevated reservoir constructed in ] that is still in use and is listed on the State Heritage Register.<ref>{{cite NSW SHR|01316 |Bankstown Reservoir (Elevated) |access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref> The southwest is home to one of Sydney's oldest trees, the ], which was planted in the 1840s by ] in ].<ref name="mobbaymag">{{cite web |last=Boulous |first=Chris |title=Nothing Bland about our Oak tree |work=Fairfield City Champion |publisher=FAIRFAX REGIONAL MEDIA |date=20 April 2018 |url=https://www.fairfieldchampion.com.au/story/5354072/nothing-bland-about-our-oak-tree/#slide=2 |access-date=29 August 2018 |archive-date=29 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829105943/https://www.fairfieldchampion.com.au/story/5354072/nothing-bland-about-our-oak-tree/#slide=2 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Urban structure==
{{wide image|Sydney City Panorama (20155327722).jpg|1100px|The ] with the ] and ]. Sydney is home to the most high-rise buildings in the nation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sydney – The Skyscraper Center |url=https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/city/sydney |access-date=2020-07-16 |website=Skyscrapercenter.com |archive-date=1 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101022939/https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/city/sydney |url-status=live }}</ref>|align-cap=center}}


===Architecture=== ===Architecture===
{{See also |Architecture of Sydney|List of heritage houses in Sydney|List of tallest buildings in Sydney}}
], built in 1882 in the ] style.]]
The earliest structures in the colony were built to the bare minimum of standards. Governor Macquarie set ambitious targets for the design of new construction projects. The city now has a world heritage listed building, several national heritage listed buildings, and dozens of Commonwealth heritage listed buildings as evidence of the survival of Macquarie's ideals.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world-heritage-list |title=Australia's World Heritage List |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=19 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719130334/http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world-heritage-list |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/heritage/heritage-places/national-heritage-list |title=Australia's National Heritage List |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=19 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719064152/http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/heritage/heritage-places/national-heritage-list |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=search_results;state=NSW;list_code=CHL;legal_status=35 |title=Australian Heritage Database |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914152900/http://environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=search_results;state=NSW;list_code=CHL;legal_status=35 |url-status=live }}</ref>
] is an example of a city street in Sydney with an array of intact Victorian heritage architecture.]]
In 1814, the Governor called on a convict named ] to design ].<ref name="Macquarie Lighthouse">{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105366 |title=Macquarie Lighthouse |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=26 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426163630/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105366 |url-status=live }}</ref> The lighthouse's ] design earned Greenway a pardon from Macquarie in 1818 and introduced a culture of refined architecture that remains to this day.<ref name="Macquarie Lightstation">{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Harbour Federation Trust |date=2001 |url=http://www.harbourtrust.gov.au/topics/sitesmacquarie.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060209012719/http://www.harbourtrust.gov.au/topics/sitesmacquarie.html |archive-date=9 February 2006 |title=Macquarie Lightstation |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> Greenway went on to design the ] in 1819 and the ] style ] in 1824.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |year=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/hyde-park |title=Hyde Park Barracks |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=18 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018065631/http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/hyde-park |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Judd |first1=Stephen |last2=Cable |first2=Kenneth |year=2000 |title=Sydney Anglicans – a history of the diocese |page=12}}</ref> ] became more popular from the 1830s. ]'s ] and ] of 1856 were built in ] style along with ]'s ] of 1845.<ref name="Chronology of styles in Australian architecture">{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Architecture |date=2014 |url=http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/STYLES/search-style.htm |title=Chronology of styles in Australian architecture |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908110249/http://sydneyarchitecture.com/STYLES/search-style.htm |archive-date=8 September 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of Premier and Cabinet |date=2014 |url=http://www.governor.nsw.gov.au/government-house/ |title=Government House |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124060409/http://www.governor.nsw.gov.au/government-house |url-status=live }}</ref> Kirribilli House, completed in 1858, and St Andrew's Cathedral, Australia's oldest cathedral,<ref>{{cite news |title=Changes not music to purists' ears |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=8 September 2008 |access-date=14 November 2016 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cathedral-finds-its-organ-grinding/2008/09/07/1220725858498.html |archive-date=27 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527105742/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cathedral-finds-its-organ-grinding/2008/09/07/1220725858498.html |url-status=live }}</ref> are rare examples of ] construction.<ref name="Chronology of styles in Australian architecture"/><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105451 |title=Kirribilli House |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=26 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426163624/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105451 |url-status=live }}</ref>
]]]
From the late 1850s there was a shift towards Classical architecture. ] designed the ] in 1857.<ref>{{cite web |title=A short history of the Australian Museum |url=https://australian.museum/about/history/ |website=] |publisher=Australia Museum |access-date=21 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822022326/https://australian.museum/about/history/ |archive-date=22 August 2020 |date=20 July 2014 |url-status=live }} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718224809/http://australianmuseum.net.au/A-short-history-of-the-Australian-Museum |date=18 July 2014 }}</ref> The ], completed in 1891 in ] style, was designed by ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105509 |title=General Post Office |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904020740/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105509 |url-status=live }}</ref> Barnet also oversaw the 1883 reconstruction of Greenway's Macquarie Lighthouse.<ref name="Macquarie Lighthouse"/><ref name="Macquarie Lightstation"/> ] was built in 1844.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105436 |title=Sydney Customs House |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904020740/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105436 |url-status=live }}</ref> The neo-Classical and ] style ] was completed in 1889.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Town Hall |date=2014 |url=http://www.sydneytownhall.com.au/discover-learn/building-history/coonstruction/ |title=Construction of Sydney Town Hall |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=20 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720024240/http://www.sydneytownhall.com.au/discover-learn/building-history/coonstruction/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Town Hall |date=2014 |url=http://www.sydneytownhall.com.au/discover-learn/building-history/features/ |title=Features of Sydney Town Hall |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=20 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720024245/http://www.sydneytownhall.com.au/discover-learn/building-history/features/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ] designs gained favour from the early 1890s. ] was completed in 1893 using both Romanesque Revival and ] approaches.<ref name="Sydney Technical College">{{cite web |last=Freyne |first=Catherine |date=2010 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney_technical_college |title=Sydney Technical College |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=10 August 2014 |archive-date=26 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426114930/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney_technical_college |url-status=live }}</ref> The ] was designed in Romanesque Revival fashion by ]; completed in 1898,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Queen Victoria Building |date=2014 |url=http://www.qvb.com.au/about-qvb/history-of-qvb |title=History of Queen Victoria Building |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=19 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819141915/http://www.qvb.com.au/about-qvb/history-of-qvb |url-status=live }}</ref> it accommodates 200 shops across its three storeys.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ellmoos |first=Laila |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/queen_victoria_building |title=Queen Victoria Building |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-date=29 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729112404/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/queen_victoria_building |url-status=live }}</ref>


As the wealth of the settlement increased and Sydney developed into a metropolis after Federation in 1901, its buildings became taller. Sydney's first tower was Culwulla Chambers which topped out at {{cvt|50|m|ft|abbr=off}} making 12 floors. The Commercial Traveller's Club, built in 1908, was of similar height at 10 floors. It was built in a brick stone veneer and demolished in 1972.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/GON/GON125.htm |work=Sydney Architecture Images |title=Commercial Travellers Club |access-date=14 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023182833/http://sydneyarchitecture.com/GON/GON125.htm |archive-date=23 October 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This heralded a change in Sydney's cityscape and with the lifting of height restrictions in the 1960s there came a surge of high-rise construction.<ref name="Sydney architecture">{{cite book |title=Sydney architecture |last2=Bingham-Hall |first2=Patrick |year=2005 |page=14 to 15 |last1=McGillick |first1=Paul}}</ref>
{{See also|Buildings and architecture of Sydney|Heritage homes of Sydney|List of tallest buildings in Sydney}}


The Great Depression had a tangible influence on Sydney's architecture. New structures became more restrained with far less ornamentation. The most notable architectural feat of this period is the Harbour Bridge. Its steel arch was designed by ] and completed in 1932. A total of 39,000 tonnes of structural steel span the {{cvt|503|m|ft|0|abbr=off}} between Milsons Point and ].<ref name="Sydney Harbour Bridge">{{cite web |date=2014 |title=Sydney Harbour Bridge |url=http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/sydney-harbour-bridge |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512054556/http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/sydney-harbour-bridge |archive-date=12 May 2012 |access-date=6 July 2014 |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105888 |title=Sydney Harbour Bridge |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=25 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825100313/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105888 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Sydney has various heritage listed buildings, including ] (1816), ] (1889), the ] (1898), and the ]. There is no particular architecture style that entirely characterises the whole of Sydney. Prominent styles include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], as well as more contemporary styles. The first substantial buildings designed for Sydney were by transported convict ], who designed such buildings and structures as the ], ], ] and ].<ref>''The Heritage of Australia'', Macmillan Company, 1981</ref> Other prominent architects were ], who designed the ] (1891), The ] (1845), and various court houses; and ], who designed the ] style ] and ].
], a contemporary example of Sydney's architecture.]] ]'s ]]]
] and ] came to Sydney from the 1940s. Since its completion in 1973 the city's Opera House has become a World Heritage Site and one of the world's most renowned pieces of Modern design. ] was awarded the ] in 2003 for his work on the Opera House.<ref name="Sydney Opera House">{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105738 |title=Sydney Opera House |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=13 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140213204033/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105738 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sydney is home to Australia's first building by renowned Canadian-American architect ], the ] (2015). An entrance from ]–a pedestrian pathway and former railway line–is located on the eastern border of the site.
More contemporary architecture includes the ] (1973), designed by Danish architect ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sydney Opera House History|url=http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/about/house_history_landing.aspx|publisher=Sydney Opera House|accessdate=15 November 2013}}</ref> Described as an "artistic monument", it is one of the most recognisable landmarks in both Sydney and Australia and is a ].<ref name="UNESCO Sydney Opera House">{{cite web|title=Sydney Opera House|url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/166|publisher=]|accessdate=18 September 2011}}</ref> ] (2013), an urban renewal development in Ultimo, is a prominent example of ] in Australian buildings and features ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afr.com/p/202020_vision/sydney_central_park_project_shows_IFwlwOc7VqwlXPkqUD85GN|title=Central Park project shows sustainable living|work=]|date=28 November 2013|accessdate=11 January 2014}}</ref>
] mostly contain ]-style terraces.]]
Residential architectural styles vary, with Victorian ] being most common in the inner city regions, while single detached family homes with mid to large gardens are prevalent in the suburbs. ] built modernist homes and skyscrapers in Sydney, and designed prominent buildings such as the ], the ], and ]. Seidler's designs contrasted with the "Sydney school" of the 1950s and 1960s, who favoured more natural and organic designs, often hidden from view in bushland. This style of architecture often utilised natural local materials as structural elements.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/property/so-last-century/2006/04/11/1144521327752.html?page=fullpage|work=Sydney Morning Herald|title=So last century|date=13 April 2006}}</ref>


Contemporary buildings in the CBD include ],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/citigroupcentre-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107184211/http://www.emporis.com/building/citigroupcentre-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=7 November 2012 |title=Citigroup Centre |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/auroraplace-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910062454/http://www.emporis.com/building/auroraplace-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=10 September 2012 |title=Aurora Place |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/chifleytower-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107185132/http://www.emporis.com/building/chifleytower-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=7 November 2012 |title=Chifley Tower |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ellmoos |first=Laila |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/chifley_tower |title=Chifley Tower |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=8 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019051251/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/chifley_tower |url-status=live }}</ref> the ] building,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105456 |title=Reserve Bank |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904020740/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105456 |url-status=live }}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/deutschebankplace-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105210049/http://www.emporis.com/building/deutschebankplace-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=5 November 2012 |title=Deutsche Bank Place |access-date=20 July 2004}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/mlccentre-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107192858/http://www.emporis.com/building/mlccentre-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=7 November 2012 |title=MLC Centre |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/castlereagh-centre-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011142800/http://www.emporis.com/building/castlereagh-centre-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=11 October 2012 |title=Castlereagh Centre |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> The tallest structure is ], designed by Donald Crone and completed in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dunn |first=Mark |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/centrepoint_tower |title=Centrepoint Tower |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=8 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019051249/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/centrepoint_tower |url-status=live }}</ref> Due to the proximity of ], a maximum height restriction was imposed, now sitting at 330 metres (1083 feet).<ref>{{Cite web |title='It's held Sydney back': Council reveals plan to raise CBD skyline by 100 metres |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-25/sydney-planning-controls-could-see-city-skyline-rise-by-100m/11997462 |date=25 February 2020 |website=Abc.net.au |language=en-AU |access-date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=20 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820152935/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-25/sydney-planning-controls-could-see-city-skyline-rise-by-100m/11997462 |url-status=live }}</ref> ]s and ]s have been in place since at least 1977 to protect Sydney's heritage after controversial demolitions in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Unlocked: Demolished Sydney |url=https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/unlocked-demolished-sydney |work=SydneyLivingMuseums.com.au |date=16 January 2017 |access-date=14 December 2018 |archive-date=13 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413133421/https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/unlocked-demolished-sydney |url-status=live }}</ref>
The first skyscraper built in the city was Culwulla Chambers, on the corner of ] and ] to a height of {{convert|50|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}. It was designed by Spain, Cosh and Minnett and consisted of 14 floors. This had been preceded by various lower structures in the late 1910s and 1920s, notably the grey sandstone Commercial Travelers Club Building on ] (demolished in the 1970s), the ] style Trust Building on Castlereagh Street, and the rebuilt ] in ]. The ] at {{convert|309|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} is currently the tallest building in Sydney.<ref>http://www.sydneytowereye.com.au/explore/about-sydney-tower</ref>


===Housing===
Regulations limit future buildings to the height of {{convert|235|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, in part due to the proximity of ]. In 2012, the city had a total of 914 high-rise buildings, with 20 under construction, 105 planned and 36 at proposal stage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emporis.com/city/sydney-australia |title=Emporis Skyline Ranking |publisher= 2000–2012 Emporis Corporation. All rights reserved|accessdate=2 December 2012}}</ref>
] in ]]]
Sydney surpasses both ] and ] real estate prices, having some of the most expensive in the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sydney houses are so 'severely unaffordable', it's cheaper to buy in New York |work=] (Australia) |url=http://www.businessinsider.com.au/sydney-houses-are-so-severely-unaffordable-its-cheaper-to-buy-in-new-york-2017-1 |date=24 January 2017 |access-date=25 January 2017 |archive-date=25 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125071309/http://www.businessinsider.com.au/sydney-houses-are-so-severely-unaffordable-its-cheaper-to-buy-in-new-york-2017-1 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.domain.com.au/news/how-sydney-house-prices-compare-with-other-global-cities-20150723-gihntf/ |title=How Sydney house prices compare with other global cities |work=] |date=25 July 2015 |access-date=25 January 2017 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202023659/https://www.domain.com.au/news/how-sydney-house-prices-compare-with-other-global-cities-20150723-gihntf/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city remains Australia's most expensive housing market, with the median house price at $1,595,310 as of December 2023<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heagney-Bayliss |first=Tawar Razaghi, Melissa |date=2024-01-23 |title=Sydney's median house price reaches a new peak of almost $1.6 million |url=https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/sydney-s-median-house-price-reaches-a-new-peak-of-almost-1-6-million-20240123-p5ezcm.html |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref> It is only second to Hong Kong with the average property costing 14 times the annual Sydney salary as of December 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.buildsydney.com/sydney-housing-ratio-14-times-annual-pre-tax-salary/ |title=Sydney Housing Ratio 14 Times Annual Pre-Tax Salary |year=2017 |access-date=6 March 2017 |archive-date=7 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307050614/https://www.buildsydney.com/sydney-housing-ratio-14-times-annual-pre-tax-salary/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

There were 1.83&nbsp;million dwellings in Sydney in 2021 including 900,000 (54%) detached houses, 218,000 (13%) semi-detached terrace houses and 550,000 (33%) units and apartments.<ref name="Greater Sydney QuickStats">{{Cite web |title=2021 Sydney, Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/1031 |access-date=27 May 2023 |website=www.abs.gov.au |archive-date=27 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527140855/https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/1031 |url-status=live }}</ref> Whilst terrace houses are common in the inner city areas, detached houses dominate the landscape in the outer suburbs. Due to environmental and economic pressures, there has been a noted trend towards denser housing, with a 30% increase in the number of apartments between 1996 and 2006.<ref name="Housing Sydney">{{cite web |last=Darcy |first=Michael |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/housing_sydney |title=Housing Sydney |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019051320/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/housing_sydney |url-status=live }}</ref> Public housing in Sydney is managed by the ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Housing New South Wales |date=2012 |url=http://www.housing.nsw.gov.au/About+Us/What+We+Do.htm |title=Services offered |access-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019062237/http://www.housing.nsw.gov.au/About+Us/What+We+Do.htm |archive-date=19 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Suburbs with large concentrations of public housing include ], ], ], and ].

A range of heritage housing styles can be found throughout Sydney. Terrace houses are found in the inner suburbs such as ], ], ] and ], many of which have been the subject of ].<ref>{{cite book |first1=Terry |last1=Irving |first2=Terrence H. |last2=Irving |first3=Rowan J. |last3=Cahill |title=Radical Sydney: Places, Portraits and Unruly Episodes |year=2010 |publisher=UNSW Press |isbn=9781742230931 |page=306}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=A public housing terrace in Sydney sold for a staggering $2.2 million above reserve |work=] |date=10 December 2016 |url=http://www.businessinsider.com.au/a-former-public-housing-terrace-in-sydney-has-sold-for-a-staggering-2-2-million-above-reserve-2015-12 |access-date=23 January 2017 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202024440/http://www.businessinsider.com.au/a-former-public-housing-terrace-in-sydney-has-sold-for-a-staggering-2-2-million-above-reserve-2015-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> These terraces, particularly those in suburbs such as The Rocks, were historically home to Sydney's miners and labourers. In the present day, terrace houses now make up some of the most valuable real estate in the city.<ref>{{cite news |title=This $13 million Sydney property is the most expensive terrace in Australia |work=] |date=15 April 2016 |first=Sarah |last=Kimmorley |url=http://www.businessinsider.com.au/this-13-million-sydney-property-is-the-most-expensive-terrace-in-australia-2016-4 |access-date=23 January 2017 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202024920/http://www.businessinsider.com.au/this-13-million-sydney-property-is-the-most-expensive-terrace-in-australia-2016-4 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Surviving large mansions from the Victorian era are mostly found in the oldest suburbs, such as ], ], ] and ].<ref>H.J. Samuell, ''How to Know Sydney'', 1895</ref>

] homes, constructed around the time of Federation in 1901, are located in a large number of suburbs that developed thanks to the arrival of railways in the late 19th century, such as ] and ], and in large-scale planned "garden suburbs" such as ]. Workers cottages are found in ], ], and Balmain. ]s are common in ], ], and ]. Larger modern homes are predominantly found in the outer suburbs, such as ], ], ] to the northwest, ], ], and ] to the west, and ], ], and ] to the southwest.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Charles Sturt University |date=2014 |url=http://hsc.csu.edu.au/geography/urban/urban/4370/sydney_culture.htm |title=Sydney's culture of place |access-date=26 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025075259/http://hsc.csu.edu.au/geography/urban/urban/4370/sydney_culture.htm |archive-date=25 October 2014}}</ref>

===Parks and open spaces===
{{Main|Parks in Sydney}}The ] in ] is a public memorial dedicated to the ] of ].

The ] is the most iconic green space in the region, hosting both scientific and leisure activities.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ |title=Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |website=Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |access-date=21 November 2016 |archive-date=1 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201075627/https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ |url-status=live }}</ref> There are 15 separate parks under the City administration.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/explore/facilities/parks/major-parks |title=Major parks |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=23 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140623194514/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/explore/facilities/parks/major-parks |url-status=live }}</ref> Parks within the city centre include ], ] and Prince Alfred Park.
] is the largest park in the City of Sydney, comprising {{cvt|189|ha|acre}}.<ref name="CPMPT cp">{{cite web |title=Centennial Park |url=http://www.centennialparklands.com.au/places_to_visit/centennial_park |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218074857/http://www.centennialparklands.com.au/places_to_visit/centennial_park |archive-date=18 February 2017 |access-date=18 February 2017 |work=Centennial Parklands |publisher=Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust }}</ref>]]
The ] is the largest park in the City of Sydney, comprising {{cvt|189|ha|acre}}.

The inner suburbs include ] and ] in the east (both within the City of Sydney local government area), while the outer suburbs contain ] and Royal National Park in the south, ] in the north, and ] in the west, which is ] in the world. The Royal National Park was proclaimed in 1879 and with {{cvt|13200|ha|sqmi|0|abbr=off}} is the second oldest national park in the world.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx?id=N0030 |title=Royal National Park |access-date=13 July 2014 |archive-date=14 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414214842/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx?id=N0030 |url-status=live }}</ref>
] in ] is a public memorial dedicated to the achievement of the ] of ].<ref>" {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509035601/http://www.anzacday.org.au/education/tff/memorials/nsw.html|date=9 May 2015}}", ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee (Qld) Incorporated, 1998.</ref>]]
Hyde Park is the oldest parkland in the country.<ref name=MP>{{cite web |title=Hyde Park: Plan of Management and Masterplan |volume=1 |date=October 2006 |publisher=Sydney City Council |access-date=7 September 2012 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/138761/Vol1_HydePark_PoMAndMasterplan_Oct2006.pdf |pages=7–11 |archive-date=22 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622110417/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/138761/Vol1_HydePark_PoMAndMasterplan_Oct2006.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The largest park in the Sydney metropolitan area is Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, established in 1894 with an area of {{cvt|15400|ha|sqmi|0|abbr=off}}.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHistory.aspx?id=N0019 |title=Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park history |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=8 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008012351/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHistory.aspx?id=N0019 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is regarded for its well-preserved records of indigenous habitation – more than 800 rock engravings, cave drawings and middens.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkAboriginalHeritage.aspx?id=N0019 |title=Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park heritage |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=19 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319072905/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkAboriginalHeritage.aspx?id=N0019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The area now known as The Domain was set aside by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1788 as his private reserve.<ref name="Royal Botanic Gardens history">{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=2014 |url=http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/welcome/royal_botanic_garden/history |title=Royal Botanic Gardens history |access-date=19 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708201747/http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/welcome/royal_botanic_garden/history |archive-date=8 July 2014}}</ref> Under the orders of Macquarie the land to the immediate north of The Domain became the Royal Botanic Garden in 1816. This makes them the oldest botanic garden in Australia.<ref name="Royal Botanic Gardens history" /> The Gardens host scientific research with herbarium collections, a library and laboratories.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/royal_botanic_gardens |title=Royal Botanic Gardens |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019051841/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/royal_botanic_gardens |url-status=live }}</ref> The two parks have a total area of {{cvt|64|ha|sqmi|1|abbr=off}} with 8,900 individual plant species and receive over 3.5&nbsp;million annual visits.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=2014 |url=http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/welcome/royal_botanic_garden/fast_facts |title=Royal Botanic Gardens fast facts |access-date=19 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708170735/http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/welcome/royal_botanic_garden/fast_facts |archive-date=8 July 2014}}</ref>

To the south of The Domain is Hyde Park, the oldest public parkland in Australia which measures {{cvt|16.2|ha|sqmi|1|abbr=off}}.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2006 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/138761/Vol1_HydePark_PoMAndMasterplan_Oct2006.pdf |title=Hyde Park plan of management and masterplan |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=22 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622110417/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/138761/Vol1_HydePark_PoMAndMasterplan_Oct2006.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Its location was used for both relaxation and ] of animals from the earliest days of the colony.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/learn/sydneys-history/people-and-places/park-histories/hyde-park |title=Hyde Park |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=22 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622125424/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/learn/sydneys-history/people-and-places/park-histories/hyde-park |url-status=live }}</ref> Macquarie dedicated it in 1810 for the "recreation and amusement of the inhabitants of the town" and named it in honour of ] in ].


==Economy== ==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Sydney}} {{Main|Economy of Sydney}}
]. Sydney is the financial and economic centre of Australia, having the largest economy and contributing a quarter of Australia's total ]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Financial Centres of the World: Sydney, Australia |url=http://www.ecdconference.org/sydney.htm |access-date=16 July 2020 |website=Ecdconference.org |archive-date=21 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221001502/http://www.ecdconference.org/sydney.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
] wharf at dusk.]]
Researchers from ] have ranked Sydney amongst the top ten world cities that are highly integrated into the global economy.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Loughborough University |date=2012 |url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2012t.html |title=The world according to GaWC 2012 |access-date=31 August 2014 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305015239/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2097720_2097718_2097716,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Global Economic Power Index ranks Sydney eleventh in the world.<ref>{{cite news |last=Florida |first=Richard |date=2014 |url=http://www.citylab.com/work/2011/09/25-most-economically-powerful-cities-world/109/ |title=The 25 most economically powerful cities in the world |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |publisher=CityLab |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=3 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203195432/http://www.citylab.com/work/2011/09/25-most-economically-powerful-cities-world/109/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Global Cities Index recognises it as fourteenth in the world based on global engagement.<ref name="2014 Global Cities Index">{{cite web |publisher=AT Kearney |date=2014 |url=http://www.atkearney.com/documents/10192/4461492/Global+Cities+Present+and+Future-GCI+2014.pdf |title=2014 Global Cities Index |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016172215/http://www.atkearney.com/documents/10192/4461492/Global+Cities+Present+and+Future-GCI+2014.pdf |archive-date=16 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> There is a significant concentration of foreign banks and multinational corporations in Sydney and the city is promoted as Australia's financial capital and one of ]'s leading financial hubs.<ref name="Economic powerhouse">{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/learn/research-and-statistics/the-city-at-a-glance/global-sydney/economic-powerhouse |title=Economic powerhouse |access-date=21 July 2014 |archive-date=22 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622114017/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/learn/research-and-statistics/the-city-at-a-glance/global-sydney/economic-powerhouse |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Economic profile">{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://economy.id.com.au/sydney |title=Economic profile |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=23 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140623211419/http://economy.id.com.au/sydney |url-status=live }}</ref>
As the financial, manufacturing<ref>http://www.australianmanufacturing.com.au/13580/sydney-overtakes-melbourne-as-australias-biggest-manufacturing-centre</ref> and economic hub of Australia, Sydney has grown to become a wealthy and prosperous city and its residents enjoy the world's second highest earnings when measured using domestic purchasing power, among world cities. The largest economic sectors in Sydney, as measured by the number of people employed, include property and business services, retail, manufacturing, and health and community services.<ref name="2001census">Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2002. {{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> Since the 1980s, jobs have moved from manufacturing to the services and information sectors. Sydney provides approximately 25 percent of the country's total GDP.<ref name="sydneymedia">{{dead link|date=February 2012}}&nbsp;– City of Sydney Media Centre. Retrieved 21 July 2006.</ref> The ] and the ] 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.<ref name="sydneymedia"/>


The prevailing economic theory during early colonial days was ], as it was throughout most of Western Europe.<ref name="Economy">{{cite web |last=Wotherspoon |first=Garry |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/economy |title=Economy |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019060911/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/economy |url-status=live }}</ref> The economy struggled at first due to difficulties in cultivating the land and the lack of a stable monetary system. Governor Macquarie created ] from every ] in circulation.<ref name="Economy"/> The economy was ] in nature by the 1840s as the proportion of free settlers increased, the maritime and wool industries flourished, and the powers of the ] were curtailed.<ref name="Economy"/>
Of the ten largest corporations in Australia by revenue,<ref>/</ref> four have headquarters in Sydney: ] Australia, the ], ], and ]. Of the 54 authorised deposit-taking banks in Australia, 44 are based in Sydney including nine of the 11 foreign subsidiary banks in Australia and all of the 29 local branches of foreign banks. Major authorised foreign banks in Sydney include ], UBS Australia, Mizuho Corporate Bank, HSBC Bank Australia and ]. Shopping locations in Sydney include ], ], ], ], and Castlereagh Street, shopping complexes such as the ] and ], arcades such as ] and ], and department stores such as ] and ], all of which are in the shopping district in the city centre, a place to find major international brand name labels. Also in the city centre is Chinatown, which includes Paddys Markets, which is Sydney's city markets, a place for bargain hunting. Newly opened on the Southern edge of the city is Central mall, which is part of the Central Park development in Chippendale.
]
Outside the city centre there are a number of other shopping destinations of interest. Inner eastern suburbs such as ], ] and ] provide a diverse range of shops for the culturally creative and alternative lifestyle groups that live there, whilst other inner eastern areas like ] and ] are home to boutiques selling more niche products. Inner western suburbs like ] and ] cater more towards students and alternative lifestyles. ] in Sydney's harbourside eastern suburbs is an upmarket area known for its expensive boutiques. Seaside areas, including ] in the eastern beaches area and ] in the northern beaches area, have a retail scene based upon their beach locations, with many surfing and surfer style clothing shops. Sydney received 7.8&nbsp;million domestic visitors and 2.5&nbsp;million international visitors in 2004.<ref>Tourism NSW. 2004 {{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> In 2007, the (then) Premier of New South Wales, Morris Iemma established ] to "market Sydney and NSW as a leading global events destination". ], formerly known as Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau, also markets Sydney and New South Wales as a destination for Australian and international business meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions. ] has large film studios in the city.


Wheat, gold, and other minerals became export industries towards the end of the 1800s.<ref name="Economy"/> Significant capital began to flow into the city from the 1870s to finance roads, railways, bridges, docks, courthouses, schools and hospitals. ] policies after ] allowed for the creation of a manufacturing industry which became the city's largest employer by the 1920s.<ref name="Economy"/> These same policies helped to relieve the effects of the Great Depression during which the unemployment rate in New South Wales reached as high as 32%.<ref name="Economy"/> From the 1960s onwards Parramatta gained recognition as the city's second CBD and finance and tourism became major industries and sources of employment.<ref name="Economy"/>
<!-- The city has the highest ] of any major city in Australia (]). -->In 2013, the unemployment rate in Sydney was 5.6 per cent. According to '']'' Intelligence Unit's Worldwide cost of living survey, Sydney is the sixteenth most expensive city in the world, while a ] survey ranks Sydney as 7th in the world in terms of net earnings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ubs.com/global/en/about_ubs/media/global/releases/news_display_media_global.html/en/2012/09/14/20120914a.html |title=Latest media releases &#124; UBS Global home |publisher=Ubs.com |date=14 September 2012 |accessdate=6 November 2013}}</ref> In December 2011, Sydney had the highest median ] of any Australian capital city at $636,822, and a median unit price of $449,231.<ref>{{cite web|title=Australian Property Monitor|url=http://www.domain.com.au/content/files/apm/reports/APM_House_Price_Report_Dec_11_FINAL.pdf|work=Sydney's median house price is now $636,822 and the median unit price is $449,231|publisher=domain.com.au|accessdate=15 November 2013}}</ref> Sydney also has the highest median rent prices of any Australian city at $450 a week. The Sydney Region accounts for 12 percent (approximately $1&nbsp;billion per annum) of the total agricultural production, by value, of NSW.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gillespie|first=P|last2=Mason|first2=D|title=NSW Agriculture Environmental Planning and Management Sub-program: The Value of Agriculture in the Sydney Region|place=Sydney|publisher=NSW Agriculture|year=2003}}</ref> Sydney provides 55% of NSW's flower production and 58% of its turf production, as well as 44% of the state's nurseries.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Sinclair|first=I|title=A view from the edge: issues in rural and metropolitan fringe planning&nbsp;– Sydney's Agricultural land|journal=New Planner|issue=27|pages=24–25|year=1996}}</ref>

In 1994–1995 Sydney produced 44% of New South Wales' poultry meat and 48% of the state's eggs.<ref>{{cite book|last=McManus|first=Phil|title=Vortex Cities to Sustainable Cities: Australia's Urban Challenge|publisher=UNSW Press|year=2005|location=Sydney|page=231|doi=|isbn=978-0-86840-701-2}}</ref>
Sydney's nominal gross domestic product was AU$400.9&nbsp;billion and AU$80,000 per capita<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sgsep.com.au/publications/gdp-major-capital-city-2015-2016 |title=GDP report: Economic Performance of Australia's Cities and Regions |website=sgsep.com.au |date=16 December 2019 |access-date=20 July 2021 |archive-date=21 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321173338/https://www.sgsep.com.au/publications/gdp-major-capital-city-2015-2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> in 2015.<ref name="Australian cities accounts"/><ref name="Economic profile"/> Its gross domestic product was AU$337&nbsp;billion in 2013, the largest in Australia.<ref name="Australian cities accounts">{{cite web |publisher=SGS Economics and Planning |date=2014 |url=http://www.sgsep.com.au/assets/GDP-by-Major-Capital-City-1213-.pdf |title=Australian cities accounts |access-date=31 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141005092254/http://www.sgsep.com.au/assets/GDP-by-Major-Capital-City-1213-.pdf |archive-date=5 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The financial and insurance services industry accounts for 18.1% of gross product, ahead of professional services with 9% and manufacturing with 7.2%. The creative and technology sectors are also focus industries for the City of Sydney and represented 9% and 11% of its economic output in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/business/business-support/business-in-your-sector/key-industries/creative-and-digital |title=Creative and digital |access-date=22 July 2014 |archive-date=20 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820035711/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/business/business-support/business-in-your-sector/key-industries/creative-and-digital |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wade |first=Matt |date=2014 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-dominates-creative-industries-report-20140629-zspzy.html |title=NSW dominates creative industries: report |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=26 July 2014 |archive-date=28 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828135556/http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-dominates-creative-industries-report-20140629-zspzy.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Businesses===
There were 451,000 businesses based in Sydney in 2011, including 48% of the top 500 companies in Australia and two-thirds of the regional headquarters of multinational corporations.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Regional Development Australia |date=2010 |url=http://www.rdasydney.org.au/the-sydney-region/economic-profile/ |title=Economic profile |access-date=26 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016221054/http://www.rdasydney.org.au/the-sydney-region/economic-profile/ |archive-date=16 October 2014}}</ref> Global companies are attracted to the city in part because its time zone spans the closing of business in North America and the opening of business in Europe. Most foreign companies in Sydney maintain significant sales and service functions but comparably less production, research, and development capabilities.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Australian Business Foundation |date=2009 |url=http://www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au/NSWBC/media/Misc/Ask%20Us%20How/Global-Connections-a-study-of-multinational-companies-in-Sydney.pdf |title=Global connections: a study of multinational companies in Sydney |access-date=26 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826061145/http://www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au/NSWBC/media/Misc/Ask%20Us%20How/Global-Connections-a-study-of-multinational-companies-in-Sydney.pdf |archive-date=26 August 2014}}</ref> There are 283 multinational companies with regional offices in Sydney.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Parliament of New South Wales |date=2000 |url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/la/qala.nsf/0/ca25708400173f67ca25706c0022f5a5 |title=Multinational companies regional headquarters |access-date=26 July 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019002708/http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/la/qala.nsf/0/ca25708400173f67ca25706c0022f5a5 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Domestic economics===
], a major street in the ], runs from ] in the north to ] in the south, and is home to many large high-end retailers.<ref>City of Sydney, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112195451/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/aboutsydney/historyandarchives/SydneyHistory/StreetNames.asp |date=12 January 2013 }} 22 May 2009</ref>]]
Sydney has been ranked between the fifteenth and the fifth most expensive city in the world and is the most expensive city in Australia.<ref name="Prices and earnings">{{cite web |publisher=UBS |date=2012 |url=http://www.ubs.com/pricesandearnings |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140925110920/http://www.ubs.com/pricesandearnings |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 September 2014 |title=Prices and earnings |access-date=20 July 2014 }}</ref> Of the 15 categories only measured by UBS in 2012, workers receive the seventh highest wage levels of 77 cities in the world.<ref name="Prices and earnings"/> Working residents of Sydney work an average of 1,846 hours per annum with 15 days of leave.<ref name="Prices and earnings"/>

The labour force of Greater Sydney Region in 2016 was 2,272,722 with a participation rate of 61.6%.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://profile.id.com.au/australia/employment-status?WebID=250 |title=Employment status, Greater Sydney |work=ID: The Population Experts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118100544/http://profile.id.com.au/australia/employment-status?WebID=250 |archive-date=18 November 2016 |url-status=dead |access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref> It comprised 61.2% full-time workers, 30.9% part-time workers, and 6.0% unemployed individuals.<ref name="Greater Sydney QuickStats"/><ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://profile.id.com.au/sydney/employment-status |title=Employment status |access-date=26 July 2014 |archive-date=6 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206105606/http://profile.id.com.au/sydney/employment-status |url-status=live }}</ref> The largest reported occupations are professionals, clerical and administrative workers, managers, technicians and trades workers, and community and personal service workers.<ref name="Greater Sydney QuickStats"/> The largest industries by employment across Greater Sydney are Health Care and Social Assistance (11.6%), Professional Services (9.8%), Retail Trade (9.3%), Construction (8.2%), Education and Training (8.0%), Accommodation and Food Services (6.7%), and Financial and Insurance Services (6.6%).<ref name=ABSGCCSAXLS>{{cite web |url=http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/CensusOutput/copsub.NSF/All%20docs%20by%20catNo/2011~Community%20Profile~1GSYD/$File/BCP_1GSYD.zip?OpenElement |title=Greater Sydney: Basic Community Profile |publisher=] |work=2011 Census Community Profiles |date=28 March 2013 |format=xls |access-date=9 April 2014 |archive-date=7 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221107230439/https://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/CensusOutput/copsub.NSF/All%20docs%20by%20catNo/2011~Community%20Profile~1GSYD/%24File/BCP_1GSYD.zip?OpenElement |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Professional Services and Financial and Insurance Services industries account for 25.4% of employment within the City of Sydney.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://profile.id.com.au/sydney/industries |title=Industry sector of employment |date=2016 |publisher=City of Sydney |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103143546/http://profile.id.com.au/sydney/industries |archive-date=3 November 2012 |url-status=dead |access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref>

In 2016, 57.6% of working-age residents had a weekly income of less than $1,000 and 14.4% had a weekly income of $1,750 or more.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://profile.id.com.au/australia/individual-income?WebID=250 |title=Individual income {{!}} Greater Sydney {{!}} profile.id |website=profile.id.com.au |language=en |access-date=29 March 2018 |archive-date=15 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170515024755/http://profile.id.com.au/australia/individual-income?WebID=250 |url-status=live }}</ref> The median weekly income for the same period was $719 for individuals, $1,988 for families, and $1,750 for households.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/1GSYD?opendocument |title=2016 Census QuickStats: Greater Sydney |website=Censusdata.abs.gov.au |language=en |access-date=29 March 2018 |archive-date=20 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320091948/http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/1GSYD?opendocument |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Unemployment in the City of Sydney averaged 4.6% for the decade to 2013, much lower than the current rate of unemployment in Western Sydney of 7.3%.<ref name="Economic profile"/><ref name="The daily exodus from western Sydney">{{cite news |last=Wade |first=Matt |date=2014 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/the-daily-exodus-from-western-sydney-20140404-363zz.html |title=The daily exodus from western Sydney |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=26 July 2014 |archive-date=17 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717043059/http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/the-daily-exodus-from-western-sydney-20140404-363zz.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Western Sydney continues to struggle to create jobs to meet its population growth despite the development of commercial centres like Parramatta. Each day about 200,000 commuters travel from Western Sydney to the CBD and suburbs in the east and north of the city.<ref name="The daily exodus from western Sydney"/>

Home ownership in Sydney was less common than renting prior to the Second World War but this trend has since reversed.<ref name="Housing Sydney"/> Median house prices have increased by an average of 8.6% per annum since 1970.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Abelson |first1=Peter |last2=Chung |first2=Demi |date=2004 |url=http://www.econ.mq.edu.au/Econ_docs/research_papers2/2004_research_papers/Abelson_9_04.pdf |title=Housing prices in Australia: 1970 to 2003 |publisher=Macquarie University |access-date=26 July 2014 |archive-date=28 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228091902/http://www.econ.mq.edu.au/Econ_docs/research_papers2/2004_research_papers/Abelson_9_04.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=2014 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/6416.0Main+Features1Mar%202014?OpenDocument |title=Residential property price indexes: eight capital cities |access-date=26 July 2014 |archive-date=18 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718081354/http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/6416.0Main+Features1Mar%202014?OpenDocument |url-status=live }}</ref> The median house price in March 2014 was $630,000.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=RP Data |date=2014 |url=http://www.rpdata.com/images/stories/content/pressreleases/2014-04-01--rpdata-rismark-home-value-index.pdf |title=Home value index results |access-date=26 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415214139/http://www.rpdata.com/images/stories/content/pressreleases/2014-04-01--rpdata-rismark-home-value-index.pdf |archive-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> The primary cause of rising prices is the increasing cost of land and scarcity.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rebecca |first=Thistleton |url=https://www.afr.com/property/residential/housing-land-so-scarce-so-expensive-20140325-ixb49 |title=Housing land: so scarce so expensive |work=Australian Financial Review |access-date=7 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407004824/https://www.afr.com/property/residential/housing-land-so-scarce-so-expensive-20140325-ixb49 |url-status=live }}</ref> 31.6% of dwellings in Sydney are rented, 30.4% are owned outright and 34.8% are owned with a mortgage.<ref name="Greater Sydney QuickStats"/> 11.8% of mortgagees in 2011 had monthly loan repayments of less than $1,000 and 82.9% had monthly repayments of $1,000 or more.<ref name=ABSGCCSAXLS/> 44.9% of renters for the same period had weekly rent of less than $350 whilst 51.7% had weekly rent of $350 or more. The median weekly rent in Sydney in 2011 was $450.<ref name=ABSGCCSAXLS/>

===Financial services===
]]]
Macquarie gave a charter in 1817 to form the first bank in Australia, the ].<ref name="Australia's banking history">{{cite web |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=1998 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/money/currency/features/feat3.htm |title=Australia's banking history |access-date=26 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730142737/http://www.abc.net.au/money/currency/features/feat3.htm |archive-date=30 July 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> New private banks opened throughout the 1800s but the financial system was unstable. Bank collapses were frequent and a crisis point was reached in 1893 when 12 banks failed.<ref name="Australia's banking history"/>

The Bank of New South Wales exists to this day as ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/bank_of_new_south_wales |title=Bank of New South Wales |access-date=8 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019064205/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/bank_of_new_south_wales |url-status=live }}</ref> The Commonwealth Bank of Australia was formed in Sydney in 1911 and began to issue notes backed by the resources of the nation. It was replaced in this role in 1959 by the ], also based in Sydney.<ref name="Australia's banking history"/> The ] began operating in 1987 and with a market capitalisation of $1.6&nbsp;trillion is now one of the ten largest exchanges in the world.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=ASX |date=2014 |url=http://www.asx.com.au/about/history.htm |title=History |access-date=31 August 2014 |archive-date=2 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140902024549/http://www.asx.com.au/about/history.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Financial and Insurance Services industry now constitutes 43% of the economic product of the City of Sydney.<ref name="Economic powerhouse"/> Sydney makes up half of Australia's finance sector and has been promoted by consecutive Commonwealth Governments as ]'s leading financial centre.<ref name="Tough week for a Sydney success story"/><ref name="Another shot at making city a finance hub"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Murray |first=Lisa |date=2005 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Sydneys-niche-in-global-finance/2005/04/26/1114462041806.html |title=Sydney's niche in global finance |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=26 July 2014 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924193743/http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Sydneys-niche-in-global-finance/2005/04/26/1114462041806.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the 2017 ], Sydney was ranked as having the eighth most competitive financial centre in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.longfinance.net/images/gfci/gfci_21.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611000617/http://www.longfinance.net/images/gfci/gfci_21.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 June 2017 |title=The Global Financial Centres Index 21 |date=March 2017 |publisher=Long Finance}}</ref>

In 1985 the Federal Government granted 16 banking licences to foreign banks and now 40 of the 43 foreign banks operating in Australia are based in Sydney, including the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref name="Economic powerhouse"/><ref name="Australia's banking history"/><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of Trade and Investment |date=2014 |url=http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/doing-business-in-nsw/industry-sectors/finance-and-banking/financial-services |title=Financial services |access-date=26 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140621101231/http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/doing-business-in-nsw/industry-sectors/finance-and-banking/financial-services |archive-date=21 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Australian Prudential Regulation Authority |date=2014 |url=http://www.apra.gov.au/adi/pages/adilist.aspx |title=List of authorised deposit-taking institutions |access-date=26 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730182132/http://www.apra.gov.au/adi/Pages/adilist.aspx |archive-date=30 July 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Manufacturing===
{{Main|Manufacturing in Australia}}
Sydney has been a manufacturing city since the 1920s. By 1961 the industry accounted for 39% of all employment and by 1970 over 30% of all Australian manufacturing jobs were in Sydney.<ref name="Sydney">{{cite web |last=Fitzgerald |first=Shirley |date=2011 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney |title=Sydney |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019062156/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney |url-status=live }}</ref> Its status has declined in recent decades, making up 12.6% of employment in 2001 and 8.5% in 2011.<ref name=ABSGCCSAXLS/><ref name="Sydney"/> Between 1970 and 1985 there was a loss of 180,000 manufacturing jobs.<ref name="Sydney"/> Despite this, Sydney still overtook Melbourne as the largest manufacturing centre in Australia in the 2010s,<ref>{{cite news |title=Sydney takes manufacturing capital crown from Melbourne |work=] |date=8 February 2014 |access-date=4 April 2020 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-takes-manufacturing-capital-crown-from-melbourne-20140207-327c3.html |archive-date=6 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406184950/http://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-takes-manufacturing-capital-crown-from-melbourne-20140207-327c3.html |url-status=live }}</ref> with a manufacturing output of $21.7&nbsp;billion in 2013.<ref name="Sydney takes manufacturing capital crown from Melbourne">{{cite news |last=Wade |first=Matt |date=2014 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-takes-manufacturing-capital-crown-from-melbourne-20140207-327c3.html |title=Sydney takes manufacturing capital crown from Melbourne |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=6 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406184950/http://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-takes-manufacturing-capital-crown-from-melbourne-20140207-327c3.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Observers have credited Sydney's focus on the domestic market and high-tech manufacturing for its resilience against the high ] of the early 2010s.<ref name="Sydney takes manufacturing capital crown from Melbourne"/> The ''Smithfield-Wetherill Park Industrial Estate'' in ] is the largest ] in the Southern Hemisphere and is the centre of manufacturing and distribution in the region.<ref> by Marie Hogg and Simon Benson, The Daily Telegraph, 13 November 2015</ref>

===Tourism and international education===
{{Main|Tourism in Sydney}}
] is a major entertainment and tourism precinct. ]]
Sydney is a gateway to Australia for many international visitors and ranks among the top sixty most visited cities in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ceoworld.biz/2019/12/05/these-are-the-worlds-most-visited-cities-among-international-travelers-2019/ |work=CEO World |title=These Are The World's Most Visited Cities Among International Travelers, 2019 |last=Ireland |first=Sophie |date=5 December 2020 |access-date=1 April 2023 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801055349/https://ceoworld.biz/2019/12/05/these-are-the-worlds-most-visited-cities-among-international-travelers-2019/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It has hosted over 2.8&nbsp;million international visitors in 2013, or nearly half of all international visits to Australia. These visitors spent 59&nbsp;million nights in the city and a total of $5.9&nbsp;billion.<ref name="Our global city"/> The countries of origin in descending order were China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Germany, Hong Kong, and India.<ref name="Travel to Sydney">{{cite web |publisher=Destination New South Wales |date=2014 |url=http://www.destinationnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Sydney-YE-Dec-13.pdf |title=Travel to Sydney |access-date=26 July 2014 |archive-date=14 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814164520/http://www.destinationnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Sydney-YE-Dec-13.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The city also received 8.3&nbsp;million domestic overnight visitors in 2013 who spent a total of $6&nbsp;billion.<ref name="Travel to Sydney" /> 26,700 workers in the City of Sydney were directly employed by tourism in 2011.<ref name="Tourism">{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2013 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/business/business-support/business-in-your-sector/key-industries/tourism |title=Tourism |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref> There were 480,000 visitors and 27,500 people staying overnight each day in 2012.<ref name="Tourism" /> On average, the tourism industry contributes $36&nbsp;million to the city's economy per day.<ref name="Tourism" />

Popular destinations include the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, ], ], Sydney Tower, ], the Royal Botanic Garden, the ], the ], the ], the ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Greenwood |first1=Justine |last2=White |first2=Richard |date=2011 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/tourism |title=Tourism |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref>

Major developmental projects designed to increase Sydney's tourism sector include a ] at Barangaroo and the redevelopment of ], which involves a new ], now Australia's largest.<ref>{{cite news |title=For the good of Sydney, back this plan |url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/for-the-good-of-sydney-back-this-plan-20121102-28p9t.html#ixzz2BFtdMao9 |newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Barangaroo timeline |url=http://barangaroo.com.au/discover-barangaroo/timeline.aspx |publisher=Barangaroo Delivery Authority |access-date=2 June 2016 |archive-date=15 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215072208/http://barangaroo.com.au/discover-barangaroo/timeline.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="beabeats.com.au">{{cite web |url=http://www.beabeats.com.au/business-events-australia-newsletter-march-2015/ |title=BEA – Business Events Australia Newsletter – March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610203820/http://www.beabeats.com.au/business-events-australia-newsletter-march-2015/ |archive-date=10 June 2015}}</ref>

Sydney is the highest-ranking city in the world for international students. More than 50,000 international students study at the city's universities and a further 50,000 study at its ] and English language schools.<ref name="2014 Global Cities Index"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Alexandra |date=2014 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/sydney-named-top-destination-in-the-world-for-international-students-20140427-zqz2a.html |title=Sydney named top destination in the world for international students |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=26 July 2014}}</ref> International education contributes $1.6&nbsp;billion to the local economy and creates demand for 4,000 local jobs each year.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/business/business-support/business-in-your-sector/key-industries/international-education |title=International education |access-date=23 July 2014}}</ref>

===Housing affordability===
In 2023, Sydney was ranked the least affordable city to buy a house in Australia and the second least affordable city in the world, after Hong Kong,<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf |title=Demographia International Housing Affordability - 2024 Edition |last=Cox |first=Wendell}}</ref> with the average Sydney house price in late 2023 costing A$1.59 million, and the average unit price costing A$795,000.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.afr.com/property/residential/sydney-median-house-price-hits-record-1-6m-unit-values-fall-behind-20240122-p5ez7v#:~:text=Sydney%20house%20prices%20increased%20by,peak%20recorded%20in%20March%202022 | title=Sydney median house price hits record | date=23 January 2024 }}</ref> As of early 2024, Sydney is often described in the media as having a housing shortage, or suffering a housing crisis.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/homelessness-tsunami-housing-shortage-crisis-facing-sydney/news-story/d0b425b3fda8cf66c948e12ac6702e3e |title='Homelessness tsunami': Housing shortage crisis facing Sydney |last=Wang |first=Jessica |date=12 February 2024 |publisher=NCA NewsWire}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/the-shocking-statistic-that-illustrates-sydney-s-housing-crisis-20231229-p5eu87.html | title=The shocking statistic that illustrates Sydney's housing crisis | date=January 2024 }}</ref>


==Demographics== ==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Sydney}} {{Main|Demographics of Sydney}}
] celebrations in ]. Sydney is home to the nation's largest population of ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/CensusOutput/copsub.NSF/All%20docs%20by%20catNo/2011~Community%20Profile~1GSYD/%24File/BCP_1GSYD.zip?OpenElement |title=Archived copy |website=www.censusdata.abs.gov.au |access-date=24 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620142956/http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/CensusOutput/copsub.NSF/All%20docs%20by%20catNo/2011~Community%20Profile~1GSYD/%24File/BCP_1GSYD.zip?OpenElement |archive-date=20 June 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>]]
{| class="infobox" style="float:right;"
The population of Sydney in 1788 was less than 1,000.<ref name="Immigration">{{cite web |last=Jupp |first=James |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/immigration |title=Immigration |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> With convict transportation it almost tripled in ten years to 2,953.<ref name="Australian historical population statistics">{{cite web |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=2006 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3105.0.65.001Main+Features12006 |title=Australian historical population statistics, 2006 |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref> For each decade since 1961 the population has increased by more than 250,000.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=2008 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/3105.0.65.001 |title=Australian historical population statistics, 2008 |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref> The 2021 census recorded the population of Greater Sydney as 5,231,150.{{r|ABSGCCSA}} The Australian Treasury expects the population will grow to 6.5 million in 2033–34.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-12-20 |title=Australians to vote with feet for crowded city life, Treasury predicts |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-20/treasury-predicts-capital-city-population-growth-outpace-regions/104750974 |access-date=2024-12-20 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref> The four most densely populated suburbs in Australia are located in Sydney with each having more than 13,000 residents per square kilometre (33,700 residents per square mile).<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=2013 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/lookup/3218.0Media%20Release12011-12 |title=Regional population growth, Australia, 2011 to 2012 |access-date=18 October 2014}}</ref> Between 1971 and 2018, Sydney experienced a net loss of 716,832 people to the rest of Australia, but its population grew due to overseas arrivals and a healthy birth rate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hanna |first=Conal |title=The world loves Sydney. Australians aren't that fussed |url=https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2018/the-world-loves-sydney-australians-arent-that-fussed/ |access-date=25 February 2021 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | '''Significant overseas born populations'''<ref name="Where do migrants live">{{cite web|title=Where do migrants live?|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0main+features102014#SYDNEY|publisher=]|accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref>

The median age of Sydney residents is 37 and 14.8% of people are 65 or older.<ref name="Greater Sydney QuickStats"/> 48.6% of Sydney's population is married whilst 36.7% have never been married.<ref name="Greater Sydney QuickStats"/> 49.0% of families are couples with children, 34.4% are couples without children, and 14.8% are single-parent families.<ref name="Greater Sydney QuickStats"/>

===Ancestry and immigration===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right;"
|+ Country of birth (2021)<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/community-profiles/2021/1GSYD|title=2021 Greater Sydney, Census Community Profiles |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics |access-date=2 July 2022}}</ref>
! Birthplace{{refn|group="N"|In accordance with the Australian Bureau of Statistics source, ], ], ] and the Special Administrative Regions of ] and ] are listed separately.}}!! Population
|- |-
| Australia ||2,970,737
! Country of Birth || Population (2011)
|- |-
| ] ||238,316 <!-- Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau SARs are listed separately as per the source. Do not combine -->
| ] ||155,065
|- |-
| China ||146,853 | India||187,810
|- |-
| England ||153,052<!-- England and Scotland are listed separately as per the source. Do not combine -->
| ] ||86,767
|- |-
| Vietnam||93,778
| ] ||77,297
|- |-
| ] ||69,405 | Philippines||91,339
|- |-
| ] ||61,122 | New Zealand ||85,493
|- |-
| ] ||54,215 | Lebanon ||61,620
|- |-
| ] ||39,694 | Nepal ||59,055
|- |-
| ] ||39,155 | Iraq ||52,604
|- |-
| ] ||36,804 | South Korea ||50,702
|-
| Hong Kong SAR ||46,182 <!-- Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau SARs are listed separately as per the source. Do not combine -->
|-
| South Africa ||39,564
|-
| Italy ||38,762
|-
| Indonesia ||35,413
|-
| Malaysia ||35,002
|-
| Fiji ||34,197
|-
| Pakistan ||31,025
|} |}
Most immigrants to Sydney between 1840 and 1930 were ], ] or ]. At the 2021 census, the most common ancestries were:<ref name="auto"/> <!-- Only ancestries with >1% are listed. -->
{{columns-list|colwidth=12em|
* ] (21.8%)
* ] (20.4%){{refn|group="N"|The Australian Bureau of Statistics has stated that most who nominate "Australian" as their ancestry are part of the ] group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/49f609c83cf34d69ca2569de0025c182!OpenDocument|title=Feature Article – Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Australia (Feature Article)|first=c=AU; o=Commonwealth of Australia; ou=Australian Bureau of|last=Statistics|website=www.abs.gov.au|date=January 1995}}</ref>}}
* ] (11.6%)
* ] (7.2%)
* ] (5.6%)
* ] (4.9%)
* ] (4.3%)
* ] (3.5%)
* ] (2.7%)
* ] (2.6%)
* ] (2.5%)
* ] (2.2%)
* ] (1.4%)
* ] (1.4%)
* ] (1.4%){{refn|Indigenous identification is separate to the ancestry question on the Australian Census and persons identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may identify any ancestry.}}
* ] (1.1%)
}}


At the 2021 census, 40.5%<!-- This is correct. Australian born minus total persons doesn't equal overseas born, as 5% didn't state their place of birth. --> of Sydney's population was born overseas. Foreign countries of birth with the greatest representation are mainland China, India, England, Vietnam, Philippines and New Zealand.<ref name="auto" />
The answer is its not reliable.The 2011 census reported 4,391,674 residents in ]. In the 2011 census, the most common self-described ancestries identified for Sydney residents were Australian, ], ], ], and ].<ref>http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/quickstat/1GSYD?opendocument&navpos=220</ref>


At the 2021 census, 1.7% of Sydney's population identified as being ] — ] and ].{{refn|group="N"|Indigenous identification is separate to the ancestry question on the Australian Census and persons identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may identify any ancestry.}}<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |title=2021 Greater Sydney, Census All persons QuickStats &#124; Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/1GSYD |access-date=2 July 2022 |website=Abs.gov.au}}</ref>
Sydney is an important entry point for many new arrivals to Australia, and many migrant communities including the Lebanese, Fijian and Korean communities are focused in disproportionately large numbers in Sydney.<ref name="Where do migrants live"/>


===Language===
The ''2006'' census reported 4,119,190 residents in the ],<ref name="2006quickstats">{{Census 2006 AUS|id=105|name=Sydney (Statistical Division)|quick=on|accessdate=31 October 2007}}</ref> of which 3,641,422 lived in Sydney's Urban Centre.<ref name="2006UCL">{{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL171400|name=Sydney (Urban Centre/Locality)|quick=on|accessdate=2 November 2007}}</ref> Inner Sydney was the most densely populated place in Australia with {{convert|4023|PD/km2|abbr=on}}.<ref>Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2005. {{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref>
42% of households in Sydney use a language other than English, with the most common being Mandarin (5%), Arabic (4.2%), Cantonese (2.8%), Vietnamese (2.2%) and ] (1.5%).<ref name="auto1"/>


===Religion===
]s made up 18.8% of the population in Sydney's Urban Centre and 16.9% of the wider Statistical Division.<ref name="censusdata.abs.gov.au">{{cite web|url=http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/TopicList?newmethod=Place+of+Usual+Residence&newtopic=Ancestry&newproductlabel=Ancestry+%28Region%29+by+Country+of+Birth+of+Parents&submitbutton=Select+Location+%3E&collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=&geography=&method=Place+of+Usual+Residence&productlabel=&producttype=&topic=Ancestry&navmapdisplayed=true&javascript=true&breadcrumb=T&topholder=0&leftholder=0&currentaction=301&action=104&textversion=false|title=Australian Census 2006, Ancestry by Region|publisher=Censusdata.abs.gov.au|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>
] is the ] church of the ].]]
The 2006 Census also recorded that 1.1% of Sydney's population identified as being of ], and 39.6% were born overseas.<ref name=2006quickstats/> The three major sources of ] are the United Kingdom, China and ], followed by <!--over 40,000 people born overseas--->Vietnam, Lebanon, India, Italy, and the Philippines.<ref name=2006quickstats/> The majority of residents are native speakers of ]; many residents also speak another language, the most common being Arabic (predominantly ]), ], ], Greek and ].<ref name=2006quickstats/> Sydney has the seventh-largest percentage of foreign-born individuals in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webdiary.com.au/cms/?q=node/2622|title=When diversity means cultural richness|publisher=Webdiary|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>
In 2021, ] was the largest religious affiliation at 46%, the largest denominations of which were ] at 23.1% and ] at 9.2%. 30.3% of Sydney residents identified as having no religion. The most common non-Christian religious affiliations were ] (6.3%), ] (4.8%), ] (3.8%), ] (0.7%), and ] (0.7%). About 500 people identified with traditional Aboriginal religions.<ref name="auto"/>


The ] was the only recognised church before Governor Macquarie appointed official Catholic chaplains in 1820.<ref name="O'Brien-2013">O'Brien, Anne (2013). "Religion". ''The Cambridge History of Australia, Volume I''. pp. 419–20</ref> Macquarie also ordered the construction of ] such as St Matthew's, St Luke's, St James's, and St Andrew's. Religious groups, alongside secular institutions, have played a significant role in education, health and charitable services throughout Sydney's history.<ref name="Religion">{{cite web |last=Carey |first=Hilary |date=2008 |title=Religion |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/religion |access-date=9 August 2014 |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney}}</ref>
The ] of Sydney residents is 36; 15.4% of the population is over 65 years old.<ref name="census-2011">{{cite web|url=http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/quickstat/1GSYD?opendocument&navpos=220 |title=2011 Census Data – Greater Sydney |publisher=Censusdata.abs.gov.au |accessdate=6 November 2013}}</ref> 16.5% of residents have educational from University or tertiary institutions. In the 2011 census, 60.9% of the residents identified themselves as ], 17.6% had no religion, 7.6% did not answer, 4.7% were ], 4.1% were ], 2.6% were ], 0.9% were ] and 1.6% were other religions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/communityprofile/1GSYD |title=2011 Census Data – Greater Sydney Community Profile |publisher=Censusdata.abs.gov.au |accessdate=6 November 2013}}</ref>

===Crime===
{{Main|Crime in Sydney}}
Crime in Sydney is low, with '']'' ranking Sydney as the fifth safest city in the world in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tokyo ranks as the world's safest city for the third time |work=The Independent |date=30 August 2019 |access-date=1 September 2019 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/tokyo-safest-cities-world-singapore-osaka-amsterdam-economist-intelligence-unit-safe-cities-index-a9083236.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/tokyo-safest-cities-world-singapore-osaka-amsterdam-economist-intelligence-unit-safe-cities-index-a9083236.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}</ref> However, drug use is a significant problem. Methamphetamine is heavily consumed compared to other countries, while heroin is less common.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 June 2022 |title=Australia is high on ice, eclipsing 24 other countries |url=https://unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2022/australia-is-high-on-ice-eclipsing-24-other-countries/ |access-date=25 August 2022 |website=UniSA |language=en}}</ref> One of the biggest crime-related issues in recent times was the introduction of ] in February 2014,<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/media-news/media-releases/2014/lockouts-to-commence-feb.aspx |first=Barry |last=O'Farrell |author-link=Barry O'Farrell |date=5 February 2014 |title=Lockout to commence from 24 February |publisher=NSW Government |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615154959/http://www.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/media-news/media-releases/2014/lockouts-to-commence-feb.aspx |archive-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> in an attempt to curb alcohol-fuelled violence. Patrons could not enter clubs or bars in the inner-city after 1:30am, and last drinks were called at 3am. The lockout laws were removed in January 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-14/nsw-police-increase-patrols-after-sydney-lockout-laws-scrapped/11863296 |title=Bars, clubs celebrate as Sydney's lockout laws get lifted |date=14 January 2020 |website=ABC News |language=en-AU |access-date=6 March 2020}}</ref>


==Culture== ==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Sydney}} {{Main|Culture of Sydney}}
], located in ], is the fourth largest public gallery in Australia.]]


===Science, art, and history===
As a dynamic cultural hub, Sydney has many fine and internationally known museums, galleries and art spaces, such as the ], the ], the ], ], ], ] and the ], in addition to a thriving commercial gallery scene of contemporary art, mainly in the inner-city areas of ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].
], located in ], is the fourth largest public gallery in Australia.]]
] is rich in ] heritage, containing around 1,500 pieces of ] – the largest cluster of Indigenous sites in Australia. The park's indigenous sites include ]s, art sites, ]s, ]s, marriage areas, birthing areas, ] sites, and tool manufacturing locations, which are dated to be around 5,000 years old. The inhabitants of the area were the ] people.<ref name="abhe">{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkAboriginalHeritage.aspx?id=N0019 |title=Aboriginal heritage |work=Office of Environment and Heritage |publisher=] |access-date=7 May 2011}}</ref><ref name="discover">{{Cite book |title=Discover Australia's National Parks |last=Hema Maps |year=1997 |publisher=] Australia |location=Milsons Point, New South Wales |isbn=1-875992-47-2 |pages=116{{endash}}7 }}</ref> Other ] exist in the Sydney region, such as in ] and ], although the locations of most are not publicised to prevent damage by vandalism, and to retain their quality, as they are still regarded as sacred sites by Indigenous Australians.<ref>Basedow, H. 1914. "Aboriginal rock carvings of great antiquity in S.A." ''J. R. Anthropol. Inst.'', 44, 195–211.</ref>
] holds the oldest library collections in Australia.]]
The ] opened in Sydney in 1827 with the purpose of collecting and displaying the natural wealth of the colony.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ellmoos |first=Laila |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/australian_museum |title=Australian Museum |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=8 August 2014}}</ref> It remains Australia's oldest natural history museum. In 1995 the ] opened on the site of the first ]. It recounts the story of the city's development.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ellmoos |first1=Laila |last2=Walden |first2=Inara |date=2011 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/museum_of_sydney |title=Museum of Sydney |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> Other museums include the ] and the ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Powerhouse Museum |date=2014 |url=http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/about/about-museum.php |title=About the Powerhouse Museum |access-date=11 October 2014 |archive-date=3 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003062038/http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/about/about-museum.php |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Australian National Maritime Museum |date=2014 |url=http://www.anmm.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are/our-museum |title=Our Museum: history and vision |access-date=11 October 2014 |archive-date=11 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011090848/http://www.anmm.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are/our-museum |url-status=dead }}</ref>


The ] holds the oldest library collections in Australia, being established as the ] in 1826.<ref name="History1">{{cite web |url=http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/about/history/index.html |title=History of the Library <nowiki>|</nowiki> State Library of New South Wales | access-date=7 February 2011 |publisher=State Library of New South Wales}}</ref> The ], formed in 1866, encourages "studies and investigations in science, art, literature, and philosophy". It is based in a terrace house in ] owned by the ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Tyler |first=Peter |date=2010 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/royal_society_of_new_south_wales |title=Royal Society of New South Wales |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> The ] building was constructed in 1859 and used for astronomy and meteorology research until 1982 before being converted into a museum.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ellmoos |first=Laila |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney_observatory_building |title=Sydney Observatory building |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref>
Sydney hosts many different festivals and some of Australia's largest social and cultural events. These include the ], Australia's largest arts festival which is a celebration involving both indoor and free outdoor performances throughout January; the ] dedicated to international and Australian contemporary art; the ], a travelling rock-music festival which originated in Sydney; the ] along ]; the ] and many other smaller film festivals such as the short film ] and Flickerfest. ], Australia's largest outdoor sculpture exhibit, began at ] in 1996. ], an annual outdoor festival featuring lit up art installations, light projections, music and ideas began in 2009.


The ] was opened in 1991 and occupies an ] building in ]. Its collection was founded in the 1940s by artist and art collector John Power and has been maintained by the University of Sydney.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ellmoos |first=Laila |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/museum_of_contemporary_art |title=Museum of Contemporary Art |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> Sydney's other significant art institution is the ] which coordinates the ] for portraiture.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Art Gallery of New South Wales |date=2014 |url=http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/about-us/ |title=About us |access-date=11 October 2014}}</ref> Sydney is also home to contemporary art gallery ], housed in the historic ] in ], fronting ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=NSW Department of Customer Service |first=Transport for NSW |date=28 April 2023 |title=Artspace Sydney {{!}} NSW Government |url=https://www.nsw.gov.au/visiting-and-exploring-nsw/locations-and-attractions/artspace-sydney |access-date=14 September 2023 |website=www.nsw.gov.au |language=en-AU}}</ref>
Australia's premier prize for portraiture, the ] is organised by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The ] is held every year at Sydney Olympic Park. Various final episodes of ] have taken place at the Opera House.<ref>{{cite news|title=Wes Carr wins ''Australian Idol''|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-11-23/wes-carr-wins-australian-idol/216228|publisher=ABC News|date=24 November 2008|accessdate=11 January 2014}}</ref> Sydney's New Year's Eve and ] celebrations are the largest in Australia.<ref>{{cite news|title=Where to Party in Australia on New Year's Eve: 5 Places to Be in Sydney on Last Night Of 2013|url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/531947/20131227/party-new-year-s-eve-australia-sydney.htm#.UtD3Cf3pj1o|first=Jaskiran|last=Kaur|date=27 December 2013|accessdate=11 January 2014}}</ref> Sydney also hosts ] in Autumn.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fashion Week Has A New Home for 2013: Carriageworks, Sydney|url=http://www.popsugar.com.au/fashion/2013-Mercedes-Benz-Fashion-Week-Australia-New-Dates-April-8th-12th-Home-Carriageworks-Eveleigh-Confirmed-25491443|work=Sydney's Carriageworks in Redfern|publisher=Popsugar|accessdate=15 February 2014}}</ref> A survey based on tracking the frequency of words and phrases in the media cited Sydney as number 9 on a list of the world's top fashion cities in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE56J0RA20090720?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true|title=Milan strides past New York as world's fashion capital: poll|publisher=]|date=20 July 2009|accessdate=15 September 2009|first=Belinda|last=Goldsmith}}</ref>


===Entertainment and performing arts=== ===Entertainment===
] on ] was opened in 1929.]]
] is one of the oldest and most prestigious music schools in Australia]]


Sydney's cultural institutions include the Sydney's famous Opera House. It has five halls, including a large concert hall and opera and drama theatres; it is the home of ]—the third-busiest opera company in the world, and the ] under the leadership of ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitvictoria.com/displayobject.cfm/objectid.0C4C8443-E83A-4CA6-8E5033B9A6089DD3/|title=Autumn Opera Season|publisher=Tourism Victoria|accessdate=15 October 2007}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> Other venues include the ], ], the ], the ], the ] and ], the ] and the Lyric and Star Theatres at The Star. The ] is located adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens and serves the Australian music community through music education and biannual ] exams. The ] was under the leadership of ] during the late 20th century. The ] has a regular roster of local plays, such as noted playwright ], classics and international playwrights. In 2007, The ] celebrated 75 years of continuous production in Sydney. Other important theatre companies in Sydney include ] and ]. From the 1940s through to the 1970s the ], a group of authors and political activists whose members included ], influenced the city's cultural life. The ], based in ], boasts internationally famous alumni such as ], ], ] and ]. Sydney's role in the film industry has increased since the opening of ] in 1998. Sydney's first commercial theatre opened in 1832 and nine more had commenced performances by the late 1920s. The live medium lost much of its popularity to the cinema during the Great Depression before experiencing a revival after World War II.<ref>{{cite web |last=McPherson |first=Ailsa |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/theatre |title=Theatre |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> Prominent theatres in the city today include ], ], ], ], and ]. ] maintains a roster of local, classical, and international plays. It occasionally features Australian theatre icons such as ], ], and ]. The city's other prominent theatre companies are ], ], and ]. Sydney is also home to ]' first theatre, which opened on ] in 1913, under its former Greater Union brand; the theatre currently operates, and is regarded as one of Australia's busiest cinema locations.


The Sydney Opera House is the home of ] and ]. It has staged over 100,000 performances and received 100&nbsp;million visitors since opening in 1973.<ref name="Sydney Opera House"/> Two other important performance venues in Sydney are ] and the ]. The ] is located adjacent to the Royal Botanic Garden and serves the Australian music community through education and its biannual ] exams.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Conservatorium of Music |date=2014 |url=http://music.sydney.edu.au/about/history/ |title=History |access-date=11 October 2014}}</ref>
There have been many prominent films that have used Sydney as a filming location or setting including ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and '']'', the most recent Hollywood production shot in Sydney.<ref name="Hollywood110906">{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/baz-luhrmanns-125-milllion-great-231833 |title=Baz Luhrmann's $125 Million 'The Great Gatsby' Begins Production in Sydney |last=Bulbeck |first=Pip |work=] |date=6 September 2011 |accessdate=6 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/baz-luhrmann-shoot-great-gatsby-159533 |title=Baz Luhrmann to Shoot 'Great Gatsby' in Sydney |work=] |publisher=] |first=Pip |last=Bulleck |date=19 February 2011 |accessdate=20 February 2011}}</ref> Additionally, many ] movies have also been filmed in Sydney including ], ], ], ]. By 2006 over 229 films had been set in, or featured Sydney.<ref></ref> Sydney's most popular nightspots include ], ], ], ] and ], which all contain various bars, nightclubs and restaurants. ] is Sydney's only casino and is situated around Darling Harbour. There are many traditional pubs, cafes and restaurants in inner-city areas such as ], ], ] and ]. Sydney's main live music hubs include areas such as Newtown and ], which nurtured acts such as ], ], Sparkadia, ] and ]. Other popular nightspots tend to be spread throughout the city in areas such as ], ], ] and ].


]]]
===Tourism===
], situated on ], is one of the most recognisable buildings in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/most_famous_landmarks2.htm||title=Most Famous Landmarks and Cultural Monuments in the World|publisher=Nations Online|accessdate=8 January 2014}}</ref>]]


Many writers have originated in and set their work in Sydney. Others have visited the city and commented on it. Some of them are commemorated in the ] at Circular Quay. The city was the headquarters for Australia's first published newspaper, the '']''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Isaacs |first=Victor |title=Two hundred years of Sydney newspapers: a short history |year=2003 |publisher=Rural Press |location=North Richmond |pages=3–5 |url=http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:11092/sydnews.pdf}}</ref> Watkin Tench's ''A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay'' (1789) and ''A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson in New South Wales'' (1793) have remained the best-known accounts of life in early Sydney.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/literature |title=The Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=3 March 2018}}</ref> Since the infancy of the establishment, much of the literature set in Sydney were concerned with life in the city's slums and working-class communities, notably ]'s ''The Working Man's Paradise'' (1892), ]'s '']'' (1934) and ]'s '']'' (1948).<ref name="RuthPark">{{Cite news |last=Maunder |first=Patricia |title=Novelist shone a light on slums |newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald |date=17 December 2010 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/novelist-shone-a-light-on-slums-20101216-18zid.html |access-date=6 March 2018}}</ref> The first Australian-born female novelist, ], set several novels in Sydney.<ref>Maguire, M., 'Atkinson, (Caroline) Louisa Waring', in R. Aitken and M. Looker (eds), ''Oxford Companion to Australian Gardens'', South Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 35.</ref> Contemporary writers, such as ], were born in the city and set most of their work there–Harrower's debut novel '']'' (1957) was mostly set in a ] apartment.<ref name="Harrower">{{cite magazine |title=Rediscovering Elizabeth Harrower |magazine=] |date=20 October 2014 |access-date=6 March 2018 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/20/time-lies}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Text Publishing – Down in the City |url=https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/down-in-the-city |date=23 October 2013 |access-date=22 March 2018 |isbn=9781922147042 |last1=Harrower |first1=Elizabeth|publisher=Text Publishing Company }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Review: Down in the City by Elizabeth Harrower |work=Readings.com.au |date=25 October 2013 |access-date=22 March 2018 |url=https://www.readings.com.au/review/down-in-the-city-by-elizabeth-harrower}}</ref> Well known contemporary novels set in the city include ]'s '']'' (1992), ]'s ''30 Days in Sydney: A Wildly Distorted Account'' (1999), ]'s '']'' (2007) and ]'s '']'' (2010). The ] is held annually between April and May.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.swf.org.au/about-us/ |work=Sydney Writers' Festival (SWF) Official Site |access-date=25 March 2018}}</ref>
{{Main|Tourism in Sydney}}
{{See also|List of museums in Sydney|List of markets in Sydney}}
In the year ending 2012, Sydney received a total of 10.5 million international and domestic visitors, which injected $11.7 billion into the state of New South Wales' economy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.destinationnsw.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/185118/Sydney-YE-Dec-12.pdf|title=Travel to Sydney|publisher=Tourism NSW|accessdate=8 April 2013}}</ref> The most well-known attractions include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Other attractions include ], ], ], ]<!--I put 40 so it's not a deceptive "dictionary" link; can someone check exactly?--> and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mpiweb.org/CMS/mpiweb/mpicontent.aspx?id=3918|title=Showcase Destinations Sydney;Australia: The Harbour City|publisher=Mpiweb.org|accessdate=1 June 2010}}{{dead link|date=July 2012}}</ref> The ] operates two programs relevant to Sydney as part of the NSW Tourism Strategy, they are: ''Brand Sydney'' (to revitalise and strengthen the image and appeal of Sydney) and ''Visit Sydney'' (to increase promotion of Sydney as a tourist destination through a strengthened dedicated business unit within Destination NSW).


Filmmaking in Sydney was prolific until the 1920s when spoken films were introduced and American productions gained dominance.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Balint |first1=Ruth |last2=Dolgopolov |first2=Greg |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/film |title=Film |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> The ] saw a resurgence in film production, with many notable features shot in the city between the 1970s and 80s, helmed by directors such as ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Australian pride is its 'new wave' of films |work=] |date=1981 |access-date=25 March 2018 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/15/movies/australia-s-pride-is-it-s-new-wave-of-films.html}}</ref> ] commenced production in Sydney in 1998. Successful films shot in Sydney since then include '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''. The ] is based in Sydney and has several famous alumni such as ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=National Institute of Dramatic Art |date=2014 |url=http://www.nida.edu.au/about-nida/history |title=History |access-date=11 October 2014 |archive-date=17 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017134650/http://www.nida.edu.au/about-nida/history |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Sydney also has several popular museums, such as the ] (natural history and anthropology), the ] (science, technology and design), the ], the ] and the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sydney.com/things-to-do/arts-and-culture/museums|title=Museum's & Art Galleries in Sydney Australia|publisher=Sydney|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>


Sydney hosts several festivals throughout the year. The city's ] celebrations are the largest in Australia.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kaur |first=Jaskiran |date=2013 |url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/531947/20131227/party-new-year-s-eve-australia-sydney.htm |title=Where to party in Australia on New Year's Eve |website=International Business Times |access-date=27 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708231528/http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/531947/20131227/party-new-year-s-eve-australia-sydney.htm |archive-date=8 July 2014}}</ref> The ] is held every year at Sydney Olympic Park. ] is Australia's largest arts festival.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Festival |date=2014 |url=http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/About/About-Us/ |title=About us |access-date=11 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140927103437/http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/About/About-Us/ |archive-date=27 September 2014}}</ref> The travelling rock music festival ] originated in Sydney. The city's two largest film festivals are ] and ]. ] is an annual outdoor exhibition of art installations, light projections, and music. In 2015, Sydney was ranked the 13th top ] in the world.<ref> – The ], 2016</ref> It hosts the ] in autumn. ] has commenced each February since 1979.
===Casinos===
], (formerly Star City) at Darling Harbour is currently Sydney's only legal casino. A second casino owned by ] is proposed for ] to be opened in 2019.


Sydney's ] has had numerous locations since the 1850s. It moved from ] to Campbell Street to its current setting in Dixon Street in 1980.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fitzgerald |first=Shirley |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/chinatown |title=Chinatown |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> Little Italy is located in Stanley Street.<ref name="Economy"/>
===Sport and outdoor activities===
{{See also|Sport in New South Wales}}
] is played in Sydney at Stadium Australia]]
Sport is an important part of Sydney's culture. Prominent sporting venues in Sydney include the ] (SCG), ], the ], ], ] and ]. Large sporting events such as the ] and ] games are regularly held at ], the main stadium for the ].


Restaurants, bars and nightclubs can be found in the entertainment hubs in the Sydney CBD (], ], ] and ]), ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nightlife Archives |url=https://concreteplayground.com/melbourne/category/food-drink/nightlife |access-date=28 January 2021 |website=Concrete Playground |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=The best clubs in Sydney |url=https://www.timeout.com/sydney/nightlife/the-best-clubs-in-sydney |access-date=28 January 2021 |website=Time Out Sydney |language=en}}</ref> ] was previously considered the red-light district. ] is the city's casino and is situated next to ] while the new ] resort is in nearby ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Discover the best of Crown Sydney |url=http://www.crownsydney.com.au/home |access-date=28 January 2021 |website=Crown Sydney |archive-date=25 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025131306/https://www.crownsydney.com.au/home |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Rugby League began in Sydney in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canbet.com/sport/rugby-league-betting.aspx|title=Rugby League Betting&nbsp;– NRL, Super League, State of Origin|publisher=Canbet.com|date=5 February 2010|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref> The city is home to nine of the sixteen teams in the ] competition: the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. The ] contests the annual ] against the ], with at least one game each series played in Sydney.


===Media===
Rugby Union is also played during winter. The ] that play in the elite Southern Hemisphere ] competition are based in Sydney. The Suburban rugby competition is the ] which provides many Super 15 players. The ] play international games such as the ], ], ] and other international fixtures at Stadium Australia. The most notable game played in Sydney was the ] final against ].
{{Main|Media in Sydney}}
], is headquartered in ].]]
The '']'' is Australia's oldest newspaper still in print; it has been published continuously since 1831.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lagan |first=Bernard |date=2012 |url=http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/breaking-news-and-hearts-at-the-herald/277/ |title=Breaking: news and hearts at the Herald |work=] |access-date=27 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623194413/http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/breaking-news-and-hearts-at-the-herald/277/ |archive-date=23 June 2012}}</ref> Its competitor is '']'', in print since 1879.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Clancy |first=Laurie |date=2004 |title=The media and cinema |journal=Culture and Customs of Australia |page=126}}</ref> Both papers have Sunday tabloid editions called '']'' and '']'' respectively. '']'' was founded in Sydney in 1880 and became Australia's longest running magazine. It closed after 128 years of continuous publication.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wotherspoon |first=Garry |date=2010 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/the_bulletin |title=The Bulletin |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref> Sydney heralded Australia's first newspaper, the '']'', published until 1842.


Each of Australia's three commercial television networks and two public broadcasters is headquartered in Sydney. ] offices and news studios are in ], ] is based in ], and ] is based in ] in ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Channel 9 to move into North Sydney skyscraper | date=6 March 2017|last=Wilmot|first=Ben|url=https://www.realcommercial.com.au/news/channel-9-to-move-into-north-sydney-skyscraper |access-date=28 August 2023 |website=www.realcommercial.com.au |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=] |url=http://tenplay.com.au/contact-us |title=Contact us |access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=26 June 2023 |title=7NEWS Sydney to broadcast from new home after 19 years at Martin Place |url=https://7news.com.au/business/media/7news-sydney-to-broadcast-from-new-home-after-19-years-at-martin-place-c-11091970 |access-date=28 August 2023 |website=7NEWS |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mediaweek |date=27 June 2023 |title=In Pictures: 7NEWS Sydney's new newsroom and studios at South Eveleigh |url=https://www.mediaweek.com.au/in-pictures-7news-sydneys-new-newsroom-and-studios-at-south-eveleigh/ |access-date=28 August 2023 |website=Mediaweek |language=en-AU}}</ref> The ] is located in ],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=] |date=2014 |url=http://about.abc.net.au/where-to-find-us/abc-offices/ |title=ABC offices |access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref> and the ] is based in ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=] |date=2014 |url=http://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/contact/index/id/141/h/Contact-Details |title=Contact |access-date=24 August 2014 |archive-date=18 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718023845/http://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/contact/index/id/141/h/Contact-Details |url-status=dead}}</ref> Multiple digital channels have been provided by all five networks since 2000. ] is based in ] and sells subscription cable television to most of the urban area.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=] |date=2014 |url=http://www.foxtel.com.au/about-foxtel/contact/default.htm |title=Contact Foxtel |access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref> Sydney's first ] commenced broadcasting in the 1920s. Radio has managed to survive despite the introduction of television and the Internet.<ref name="Commercial radio">{{cite web |last=Griffen-Foley |first=Bridget |author-link=Bridget Griffen-Foley |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/commercial_radio |title=Commercial radio |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref> ] was founded in 1925 and under the ownership of Nine Entertainment is the oldest station still broadcasting.<ref name="Commercial radio"/> Competing stations include the more popular ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Bodey |first=Michael |date=2010 |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/major-players-maintain-leading-shares-in-second-radio-ratings-survey-of-2010/story-e6frg996-1225847441946 |title=Major players maintain leading shares in second radio ratings survey of 2010 |work=The Australian |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref>
Cricket is the most popular summer sport in the city. ] Series between Australia and England is widely popular among the people. As the state capital, Sydney is also the home of the ] in the ], as well as the ] and ] in the ] Twenty20 competition. ] and ], popularly known as the ANZ Stadium, host both domestic and international cricket matches. The city has also hosted games in the ] and will also host games in the ].
]
], often referred to as soccer is played in a number of leagues in Sydney. Sydney is represented by ] and ] of the ]. The second tier competitions ] and ] provide many players to the A-League. Sydney also hosts international fixtures of the national team, the ], most notably the ] in 2005.


==Sport and outdoor activities==
Sydney has two teams in the Australian rules football competition, the ], the ] and the ]. The city is represented in ] by the ]. A women's team, the ], compete in the ]. Sydney also has a women's netball team (]), a ABL baseball team (]), a field hockey team (]), two ice hockey teams (] and ]) The city also plays host to the Australian ] Nationals each year at Sydney Dragway.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://andra.com.au/component/content/article/1591-2012-australian-nationals-at-sydney-dragway.html |title=2012 Australian Nationals at Sydney Dragway |publisher=Andra.com.au |accessdate=6 November 2013}}</ref> Other events in Sydney include the start of the ], the ] horse race, and the ] race.
{{Main|Sport in Sydney}}
Sydney's earliest migrants brought with them a passion for sport but were restricted by the lack of facilities and equipment. The first organised sports were ], ], and horse racing from 1810 in ].<ref name="Sport">{{cite web |last=Cashman |first=Richard |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sport |title=Sport |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref> Horse racing remains popular and events such as the ] attract widespread attention. The first cricket club was formed in 1826 and matches were played within Hyde Park throughout the 1830s and 1840s.<ref name="Sport"/> Cricket is a favoured sport in summer and big matches have been held at the ] since 1878. The ] compete in the ] league and the ] and ] contest the national ] Twenty20 competition.


First played in Sydney in 1865, rugby grew to be the city's most popular football code by the 1880s. One-tenth of the state's population attended a New South Wales versus New Zealand rugby match in 1907.<ref name="Sport"/> Rugby league separated from rugby union in 1908. The ] contest the ] competition, while the ] represent the city in the ]. The national ] rugby union team competes in Sydney in international matches such as the ], ], and ]. Sydney is home to nine of the seventeen teams in the ] competition: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. ] contests the annual ] against ].
Sydney has numerous golf courses, the most notable being the ] at Rose Bay.


] and the ] compete in the ] and ] competitions. The ] and ] are local ] clubs that play in the ] and the ]. The ] compete in the ]. The ] play in the ]. The ] contest the ]. The ] are a member of the ]. The ] and ] play in the ]. The ] are competitors in the national women's netball league.
With rivers, inland waterways and coastal waters from ] to ] Sydney has many sailing, motorboat and waterski clubs. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has held the annual ] since 1945.


=== Major sporting venues ===
Tennis has had a long history in Sydney, including several ] finals against the US. The ] was played at ] from 1922 to 1999. Since the 2000 Olympics, the event has been played at the ], in Homebush.
<gallery widths="200">
File:State of Origin Game II 2018 (cropped).jpg|]
File:Sydney Cricket Ground (24509044622).jpg|]
File:View Inside Western Sydney Stadium on Opening Day (cropped).jpg|]
File:SydneyFootballStadium Aug2022 Pre-open.jpg|]
</gallery>]]]
Women were first allowed to participate in recreational swimming when separate baths were opened at ] in the 1830s. From being illegal at the beginning of the century, sea bathing gained immense popularity during the early 1900s and the first ] club was established at ].<ref name="Sport"/><ref>{{cite journal |last=Fenner |first=Peter |date=2005 |title=Surf Life Saving Australia |journal=South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal |pages=33–43}}</ref> ] for surf bathing surfaced occasionally and concerned men as well as women. The ] is an annual {{cvt|14|km|mi|1|abbr=off|adj=on}} running race from the CBD to Bondi Beach and has been held since 1971. In 2010, 80,000 runners participated which made it the largest run of its kind in the world.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City2Surf |date=2014 |url=http://www.city2surf.com.au/timeline/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222180620/http://www.city2surf.com.au/timeline/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 February 2014 |title=Timeline |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref>


Sailing races have been held on ] since 1827.<ref>{{cite web |last=de Montfort |first=Carlin |date=2010 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sailing |title=Sailing |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> Yachting has been popular amongst wealthier residents since the 1840s and the ] was founded in 1862. The ] is a {{cvt|1170|km|mi|0|abbr=off|adj=on}} event that starts from Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=About.com |date=2014 |url=http://goaustralia.about.com/od/eventsandfestivals/a/sydhob.htm |title=Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race |access-date=27 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712074730/http://goaustralia.about.com/od/eventsandfestivals/a/sydhob.htm |archive-date=12 July 2014}}</ref> Since its inception in 1945 it has been recognised as one of the most difficult yacht races in the world.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=2001 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/sailing/1721104.stm |title=Tough legacy of a Sydney classic |access-date=27 July 2014}}</ref> Six sailors died and 71 vessels of 115 failed to finish in the 1998 edition.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney_to_hobart_yacht_race |title=Sydney to Hobart yacht race |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref>
===Media===
] was built for the ] and has become a major sporting and recreational precinct.]]
{{Main|Media in Sydney}}
The ] is based in ] and since its opening in 1893 has hosted the ] on 13 occasions.<ref name="Sport"/> ] opened in 1833 and holds several major cups throughout the year.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Royal Randwick Racecourse |date=2014 |url=http://www.randwickracecourse.com.au |title=Randwick Race Course |access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref>
Sydney has two main daily newspapers. '']'' is the oldest newspaper in Australia, having been published regularly since 1831. The Herald's competitor, '']'', is a ]-owned tabloid. Both papers have tabloid counterparts published on Sunday, The ''Sun-Herald'' and the ''Sunday Telegraph'', respectively. Defunct Sydney newspapers include ] and the ].


Sydney benefitted from the construction of significant sporting infrastructure in preparation for its hosting of the 2000 Summer Olympics. The Sydney Olympic Park accommodates athletics, aquatics, tennis, hockey, archery, baseball, cycling, equestrian, and rowing facilities. It also includes the high capacity ] used for rugby, soccer, and Australian rules football. The ] was completed in 1988 and was used for rugby and soccer matches. Sydney Cricket Ground was opened in 1878 and is used for both cricket and Australian rules football fixtures.<ref name="Sport"/>
The three commercial television networks (], ], ]), as well as the government national broadcast services (] and ]) are headquartered in Sydney. Also a community television station, ], broadcasts in the Sydney area. Historically, the networks have been based in the northern suburbs, but the last decade has seen several move to the inner city. ''Nine'' has kept its headquarters north of the harbour, in ]. ''Ten'' has its studios in a redeveloped section of the inner-city suburb of ], and ''Seven'' also has headquarters in Pyrmont, as well as a purpose-built news studio in ] in the CBD. Seven had former studios at ], Ten had former studios at ], and ABC TV have former studios at ] (now licenced by Fox Sports)


Sydney was one of the host cities during the ]. Sydney Football Stadium and Stadium Australia were selected as venues, with the later hosting the ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Football Australia celebrates hosting the most successful FIFA Women's World Cup ever|url=https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news/football-australia-celebrates-hosting-most-successful-fifa-womens-world-cup-ever|work=Football Australia|access-date=2 June 2024}}</ref>
The ABC has a large headquarters and production facility in the inner-city suburb of ] and SBS has its studios at ]. ] and ] both supply pay-TV over their cable services to most parts of the urban area, and both have their national headquarters in the northern suburb of ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxtel.com.au/default.htm|title=Foxtel Official Website|publisher=Foxtel.com.au|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Austar It-Sysdev|url=http://www.austar.com.au/|title=Austar Official Website|publisher=Austar.com.au|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>


The ] tennis tournament is held here at the beginning of each year as the warm-up for ]. Two of the most successful ] players in history (] and ]) were born in and live in the city.
The five free-to-air networks have provided digital television transmissions in Sydney since January 2000. There are also nine additional ] Digital Services. These include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and TVS.


Sydney co-hosted the ] in 1979, 1985, 1989, 1995, 2007, 2009 and 2011.
Many ] and ] government, commercial and community radio services broadcast in the Sydney area. The local ] radio station is ] (formerly 2BL).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/sydney/|title=702 ABC Sydney website|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=16 April 2010|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref> The ] genre is dominated by the perennial rivals ] and ]. Popular ] stations include ], ], ], ] and ], which generally target people under 40. In the older end of the music radio market, ] targets the 35–54 age group. ] (ABC), ] and ] 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sydneymusicweb.com/radio_stations.htm|title=Radio Stations Sydney NSW|publisher=Sydneymusicweb.com|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>

On 1 July 2009, ] officially started. ABC and commercial radios provide full programming.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalradioplus.com.au|title=Digital Radio Plus Official Site|publisher=Digitalradioplus.com.au|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>


==Government== ==Government==
{{See also|Local government areas of New South Wales}} {{See also|Local government areas of New South Wales}}
]


===Historical governance===
Apart from the limited role of the ] from 1945–1964, there has never been an overall governing body for the Sydney metropolitan area; instead, the metropolitan area is divided into ] (LGAs, commonly: 'councils' and 'shires') which are comparable to boroughs in cities such as London. These areas have elected councils which are responsible for functions delegated to them by the ], such as planning and garbage collection.
] holds the ] and is the oldest public building in Australia.]]The first five governors had near autocratic power in the colony of New South Wales, subject only to the laws of England and the supervision of the Colonial Office in London. Sydney was the seat of government for the colony which encompassed over half the Australian continent.<ref name="Kingston-2006b">Kingston (2006). pp. 1–2, 27–28</ref> The first Legislative Council met in 1826,<ref name="Kingston-2006c">Kingston (2006). p. 28</ref> and in 1842, the imperial parliament expanded and reformed the council, making it partly elected.<ref name="Hirst-2014">Hirst, John (2014), pp. 51–54</ref> In the same year, the town of Sydney officially became a city and an elected municipal council was established.<ref name="scc">{{cite web |title=History of Sydney City Council |url=https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/-/media/corporate/files/publications/history/history-of-sydney-city-council/hs_chos_history_of_council_1001.pdf?download=true |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617055655/https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/-/media/corporate/files/publications/history/history-of-sydney-city-council/hs_chos_history_of_council_1001.pdf?download=true |archive-date=17 June 2021 |access-date=17 June 2021 |publisher=City of Sydney |format=PDF }}</ref><ref name="Golder-1995">{{cite book |author=Hilary Golder |url=https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/-/media/corporate/files/publications/history/history-of-sydney-city-council/hs_chos_electoral_history.pdf?download=true |title=A Short Electoral History of the Sydney City Council 1842–1992 |publisher=City of Sydney |year=1995 |isbn=0-909368-93-7 |format=PDF |access-date=17 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617055958/https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/-/media/corporate/files/publications/history/history-of-sydney-city-council/hs_chos_electoral_history.pdf?download=true |archive-date=17 June 2021 }}</ref> The council had limited powers, mostly relating to services such as street lighting and drainage.<ref name="uow">{{cite conference |author=Kelly, A. H. |date=4–8 July 2011 |title=The Development of Local Government in Australia, Focusing on NSW: From Road Builder to Planning Agency to Servant of the State Government and Developmentalism |url=http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1542&context=lawpapers |format=Paper |location=Perth |publisher=] |access-date=1 January 2017 |event=World Planning Schools Congress 2011 |archive-date=11 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011225005/http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1542&context=lawpapers |url-status=dead }}</ref> Its boundaries were restricted to an area of 11.6 square kilometres, taking in the city centre and the modern suburbs of ], ], ], and ].<ref name="Sydney-2020b"/> As Sydney grew, other municipal councils were formed to provide local administration.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fitzgerald |first=Shirley |date=2011 |title=Sydney |url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney |access-date=21 January 2023 |website=The Dictionary of Sydney, State Library of New South Wales}}</ref>
]
The ] 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 ] and a council. The Lord Mayor, however, is sometimes treated as a representative of the whole city, for example during the Olympics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/Entity.aspx?Path=%5COrganisation%5C21|title=Organisation Detail|publisher=State Records Archives Investigator|accessdate=22 September 2011}}</ref>


In 1856, New South Wales achieved responsible government with the introduction of a bicameral parliament, based in Sydney, comprising a directly elected ] and a nominated ].<ref name="Kingston-2006a">Kingston, Beverley (2006). pp. 36, 55–57, 61–62</ref> With the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901, Sydney became the capital of the state of New South Wales and its administration was divided between the Commonwealth, State and constituent local governments.<ref name="Kingston-2006a" />
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/Fact_Sheets/three_lvls.htm|title=Three levels of government|publisher=Australian Electoral Commission|accessdate=22 September 2011}}</ref> Because a large proportion of the 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.<ref>Golder, Hilary, ''Sacked: Removing and Remaking the Sydney City Council'', Sydney, 2004.</ref>


===Government in the present===
According to the ], the 38 LGAs making up Sydney are:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/dlg/dlghome/dlg_regions.asp?mi=0&ml=8&region=SI&regiontype=1|title=Suburb Search&nbsp;– Local Council Boundaries&nbsp;– Sydney Inner (SI)|publisher=]|accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/dlg/dlghome/dlg_regions.asp?mi=0&ml=8&region=SO&regiontype=1|title=Suburb Search&nbsp;– Local Council Boundaries&nbsp;– Sydney Outer (SO)|publisher=]|accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref>
] is the seat of the ]; the oldest ] in the city]]
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In common with other Australian capital cities, Sydney has no single local government covering its whole area. ] have responsibilities such as local roads, libraries, child care, community services and waste collection, whereas the state government retains responsibility for main roads, traffic control, public transport, policing, education, and major infrastructure project.<ref>{{cite web |date=2014 |title=Three levels of government |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/Fact_Sheets/three_lvls.htm |access-date=27 July 2014 |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission}}</ref> There are 33 local government areas which are wholly or mostly within Greater Sydney as defined by the Australian Statistical Geography Standard.<ref name="AU Stats-2022" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=ABS maps |url=https://maps.abs.gov.au/ |access-date=21 January 2023 |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics}}</ref>
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] is the official residence of the ]]]
Sydney is the location of the secondary official residences of the ] and ] – ] and ] respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gg.gov.au/about-governor-general/official-residences |title=Official Residences |publisher=] |access-date=1 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530161014/http://www.gg.gov.au/about-governor-general/official-residences |archive-date=30 May 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The ] sits in ] on ]. This building was completed in 1816 and first served as a hospital. The Legislative Council moved into its northern wing in 1829 and by 1852 had entirely supplanted the surgeons from their quarters.<ref name="Governor Lachlan Macquarie">{{cite web |date=2014 |title=Governor Lachlan Macquarie |url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/HistoryGovernorLachlanMacquarie |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912191250/https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/HistoryGovernorLachlanMacquarie |archive-date=12 September 2014 |access-date=17 August 2014 |publisher=Parliament of New South Wales}}</ref> Several additions have been made as the Parliament has expanded, but it retains its original ] façade.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ellmoos |first=Laila |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/parliament_house |title=Parliament House |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> ] was completed in 1845 and has served as the home of 25 Governors and 5 Governors-General.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Living Museums |date=2014 |url=http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/behold-palace |title=Behold a palace |access-date=23 August 2014 |archive-date=1 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701172133/http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/behold-palace |url-status=dead }}</ref> The ] also ] in Sydney when needed.


The highest court in the state is the Supreme Court of New South Wales, located in Queen's Square.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Supreme Court of New South Wales |date=2014 |url=http://www.supremecourt.justice.nsw.gov.au/supremecourt/SCO2_court_locations.html |title=Court locations |access-date=17 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141125221814/http://www.supremecourt.justice.nsw.gov.au/supremecourt/SCO2_court_locations.html |archive-date=25 November 2014}}</ref> The city is also the home of numerous branches of the intermediate ] and the lower ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=New South Wales Courts |date=2014 |url=http://nswcourts.com.au/courts/ |title=Find a court |access-date=17 August 2014}}</ref>
The classification of which councils make up Sydney varies. The Local Government Association of New South Wales considers all LGAs lying entirely in ] as part of its 'Metro' group, which excludes Camden (classed in its 'Country' group).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lgsa.org.au/www/html/323-local-government-association.asp?intSiteID=1|publisher="Local Government and Shires Associations of New South Wales"|title=About the Local Government Association of NSW|date=17 January 2011|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110716022603/http://www.lgsa.org.au/www/html/323-local-government-association.asp?intSiteID=1|archivedate=16 July 2011}}</ref> The ] defines a Sydney Statistical Division (the population figures of which are used in this article) that includes all of the above councils as well as ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/1216.0Jul%202007?OpenDocument|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|title=1216.0&nbsp;– Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), July 2007}}</ref>


In the past, the state has tended to resist amalgamating Sydney's more populated local government areas as merged councils could pose a threat to its governmental power.<ref>{{cite book |last=Golder |first=Hilary |year=2004 |title=Sacked: removing and remaking the Sydney City Council}}</ref> Established in 1842, the City of Sydney is one such local government area and includes the CBD and some adjoining inner suburbs.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2005 |url=http://cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/AboutSydney/documents/history/hs_chos_history_of_council_1001.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050709222141/http://cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/AboutSydney/documents/history/hs_chos_history_of_council_1001.pdf |archive-date=9 July 2005 |title=History of Sydney City Council |access-date=13 July 2014}}</ref> It is responsible for fostering development in the local area, providing local services (waste collection and recycling, libraries, parks, sporting facilities), promoting the interests of residents, supporting organisations that target the local community, and attracting and providing infrastructure for commerce, tourism, and industry.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/council/about-council |title=About Council |access-date=17 August 2014}}</ref> The City of Sydney is led by an elected Council and ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=State Records |date=2014 |url=http://investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/Entity.aspx?Path=%5COrganisation%5C21 |title=Organisation detail |access-date=12 October 2014}}</ref>
==Education==
{{Main|Education in Sydney}}
], established in 1850, is the oldest university in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sydney.edu.au/about/|title=About the University – The University of Sydney|website=The University of Sydney|accessdate=28 May 2014}}</ref>]]


In federal politics, Sydney was initially considered as a ]; the newly created city of ] ultimately filled this role.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Oxford Companion to Australian History |editor1-last=Davison |editor1-first=Graeme |editor2-last=Hirst |editor2-first=John |editor3-last=Macintyre |editor3-first=Stuart |year=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=464–465, 662–663 |isbn=9780195535976}}</ref> Seven Australian ] Sydney, more than any other city, including first Prime Minister ] and current Prime Minister ].
Australia's oldest university, the ], was established in 1850 and is the largest and highest ranked university in Sydney and New South Wales.<ref>. Top Universities (14 February 2012). Retrieved on 16 July 2013.</ref><ref>. Top Universities (13 December 2012). Retrieved on 16 July 2013.</ref> Other ] located in Sydney include the ], the ], ], the ] and the ] (two out of six campuses). Other universities which operate secondary campuses in Sydney include the ], the ] and ].


Essential public emergency services are provided and managed by the State Government. Greater Sydney is served by:
There are four multi-campus government-funded ] (TAFE) institutes in Sydney, which provide ] at a tertiary level: the ], ], ] and ]. Sydney has ], ] and independent schools. Public schools, including pre-schools, primary and secondary schools, and special schools are administered by the ]. There are four state-administered ] in Sydney, that together co-ordinate 932 public schools.<ref>{{cite web|title=NSW Public Schools|url=http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?|publisher=NSW Department of Education and Communities|accessdate=12 November 2013}}</ref> Of the 30 ] in the state, 25 are in Sydney.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/types/shs_ahs_details.php|title=List of selective and agricultural high schools|accessdate=8 August 2007|author=New South Wales Department of Education and Training|authorlink=New South Wales Department of Education and Training|year=2005}}</ref>
* ]
* ]
* ]


==Infrastructure== ==Infrastructure==


===Housing=== ===Education===
{{Main|Education in Sydney}}
{{expand section|date=March 2014}}
]]]
The New South Wales state government manages public housing properties in Sydney, including around 300 properties located in the harbourfront area. Considered historic structures, the harbourfront properties are located at Millers Point, The Rocks and on Gloucester Street, and include the ], a high-rise, 79-unit apartment complex near the Harbour Bridge that is a notable example of ].<ref name="Hash">{{cite news|title=Sydney waterfront public housing properties to be sold off|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-waterfront-public-housing-properties-to-be-sold-off-20140319-351fs.html|accessdate=21 March 2014|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=19 March 2014|author=Nicole Hasham}}</ref>
Education became a focus for the colony from the 1870s when public schools began to form and schooling became compulsory.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Craig |last2=Sherington |first2=Geoffrey |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/education |title=Education |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> By 2011, 90% of working age residents had completed some schooling and 57% had completed the highest level of school.<ref name="ABSGCCSAXLS" /> 1,390,703 people were enrolled in an educational institution in 2011 with 45.1% of these attending school and 16.5% studying at a university.<ref name="Greater Sydney QuickStats" /> Undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications are held by 22.5% of working age Sydney residents and 40.2% of working age residents of the City of Sydney.<ref name="ABSGCCSAXLS" /><ref>{{cite web |publisher=.id |date=2014 |url=http://profile.id.com.au/sydney/qualifications |title=Educational qualifications |access-date=27 July 2014 |archive-date=23 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223221803/http://profile.id.com.au/sydney/qualifications |url-status=dead }}</ref> The most common fields of tertiary qualification are commerce (22.8%), engineering (13.4%), society and culture (10.8%), health (7.8%), and education (6.6%).<ref name="ABSGCCSAXLS" />
The Sydney housing market recorded strong levels of buyer activity through 2013 and its median house price increased by over 10 percent in 2013.<ref>http://www.smsfadviseronline.com.au/columns/item/193-where-is-the-property-market-headed</ref>
]]]
There are six public universities based in Sydney: The ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Five public universities maintain secondary campuses in the city: the ], ], ], ], and ]. ] and ] operate secondary campuses only designated for international students. In addition, four public universities offer programs in Sydney through third-party providers: ], ], ] and ]. 5.2% of residents of Sydney are attending a university.<ref name="Education institution attending">{{cite web |publisher=.id |date=2014 |url=http://profile.id.com.au/sydney/education |title=Education institution attending |access-date=27 July 2014 |archive-date=26 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226220401/http://profile.id.com.au/sydney/education |url-status=dead }}</ref> The University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney are ranked equal 19th in the world,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=UNSW Sydney rockets into the global top 20 in latest QS Rankings |url=https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2023/06/unsw-sydney-rockets-into-the-global-top-20-in-latest-qs-rankings |access-date=14 April 2024 |website=UNSW Sites |language=en}}</ref> the University of Technology Sydney is ranked in the top 100,<ref name=":0" /> while Macquarie University is ranked 237, and Western Sydney University is ranked 474.<ref>{{cite web |title=QS World University Rankings 2021 |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2021 |website=Top Universities |access-date=2 January 2020 |language=en |date=5 June 2019}}</ref>
Sydney has public, denominational, and independent schools. 7.8% of Sydney residents are attending primary school and 6.4% are enrolled in secondary school.<ref name="Education institution attending"/> There are 935 public preschool, primary, and secondary schools in Sydney that are administered by the ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of Education and Communities |date=2014 |url=http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/? |title=School locator |access-date=27 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709210937/http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/ |archive-date=9 July 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 14 of the 17 selective secondary schools in New South Wales are based in Sydney.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of Education and Communities |date=2014 |url=http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/gotoschool/types/shs_ahs_details.php |title=List of selective and agricultural high schools |access-date=27 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140613233227/http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/gotoschool/types/shs_ahs_details.php |archive-date=13 June 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


Public vocational education and training in Sydney are run by ] and began with the opening of the ] in 1878.<ref name="Sydney Technical College"/> The college became the ] in 1992 and now operates alongside its sister TAFE facilities across the Sydney metropolitan area, namely the ], the ], and the ]. At the 2011 census, 2.4% of Sydney residents are enrolled in a TAFE course.<ref name="Education institution attending"/>
===Health systems===
Health services in Sydney are delivered through a mix of public and private systems, funded by government (from tax revenue) and private health insurance. The ], in particular the ], operates several large public hospitals in the Sydney metropolitan region. Management of these hospitals and other specialist health facilities is coordinated by the eight metropolitan Local Health Districts<ref>http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/services/index.asp</ref> (LHDs). These eight LHDs cover the Sydney metropolitan region, and seven more cover rural and regional NSW. In addition, two specialist networks focus on Children's and Paediatric Services, and Forensic Mental Health. A third network operates across the public health services provided in three Sydney facilities operated by St Vincent's Health: these include St Vincent's Hospital and the Sacred Heart Hospice at Darlinghurst and St Joseph’s at Auburn.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}


===Health===
The largest teaching hospitals are: the ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}
], completed in 1816]]
The first hospital in the new colony was a collection of tents at ]. Many of the convicts that survived the trip suffered from ], smallpox, ], and ]. Healthcare facilities remained inadequate despite the arrival of a prefabricated hospital with the ] and the construction of new hospitals at Parramatta, ], and ] in the 1790s.<ref name="Hospitals">{{cite web |last=Godden |first=Judith |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/hospitals |title=Hospitals |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref>


Governor Macquarie arranged for the construction of ], completed in 1816.<ref name="Hospitals"/> Parts of the facility have been repurposed for use as ] but the hospital itself still operates. The city's first emergency department was established at Sydney Hospital in 1870. Demand for emergency medical care increased from 1895 with the introduction of an ambulance service.<ref name="Hospitals"/> The Sydney Hospital also housed Australia's first teaching facility for nurses, the Nightingale Wing, established with the input of ] in 1868.<ref name="ALadyDisplaced">Judith Godden, ''Lucy Osburn, A Lady Displaced'', Sydney: Sydney University Press, 2006</ref>
===Ports===

] has surpassed ] as the major shipping port in Sydney. Cruise ship terminals are located at Sydney Cove and White Bay. The ] maintains a home base at ].
Healthcare was recognised as a right in the early 1900s and Sydney's public hospitals came under the oversight of the Government of New South Wales.<ref name="Hospitals"/> The administration of healthcare across Sydney is handled by eight local health districts: Central Coast, Illawarra Shoalhaven, Sydney, Nepean Blue Mountains, Northern Sydney, South Eastern Sydney, South Western Sydney, and Western Sydney.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Government of New South Wales |date=2014 |url=http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/lhd/Pages/default.aspx |title=Local health districts |access-date=23 August 2014}}</ref> The ] was established in 1852 and became the first of several major hospitals to be opened.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=South Eastern Sydney Local Health District |date=2014 |url=http://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/POWH/history/powhistory.asp |title=Prince of Wales Hospital |access-date=23 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019082609/http://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/POWH/history/powhistory.asp |archive-date=19 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ] was founded in 1857,<ref name="Darlinghurst"/> followed by ] in 1880,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=The Children's Hospital at Westmead |date=2014 |url=http://bandagedbear.org.au/about-us/our-history/ |title=Our history |access-date=23 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140621081851/http://bandagedbear.org.au/about-us/our-history/ |archive-date=21 June 2014}}</ref> the ] in 1881,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=South Eastern Sydney Local Health District |date=2014 |url=http://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/POWH/history/henryhistory.asp |title=Prince Henry Hospital |access-date=23 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019082311/http://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/POWH/history/henryhistory.asp |archive-date=19 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> the ] in 1882,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Local Health District |date=2014 |url=http://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/rpa/about_us.html |title=Royal Prince Alfred Hospital |access-date=23 August 2014 |archive-date=18 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218045210/http://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/rpa/about_us.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> the ] in 1885,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Northern Sydney Local Health District |date=2014 |url=http://www.nslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/Hospitals/RNSH/Pages/Aboutus.aspx |title=About us |access-date=23 August 2014}}</ref> the ] in 1894,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=South Eastern Sydney Local Health District |date=2014 |url=http://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/SGH/about_us.asp |title=About us |access-date=23 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816045336/http://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/SGH/about_us.asp |archive-date=16 August 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the ] in 1895.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District |date=2014 |url=http://www.nbmlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/Nepean-Hospital/About-Us |title=About Nepean Hospital |access-date=23 August 2014}}</ref> ] in 1978 was the last major facility to open.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Western Sydney Local Health District |date=2014 |url=http://www.wslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/Westmead-Hospital/About-us/Our-History |title=Our history |access-date=23 August 2014}}</ref>


===Transport=== ===Transport===
{{Main|Public transport in Sydney}} {{Main|Transport in Sydney}}
] is an important piece of transport infrastructure, carrying trains, buses, other motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. It was also used by Sydney's former tram network.]]
], spanning Johnstons Bay between ] and ] in proximity to Sydney's CBD, with the ] in the background.]]
]
Road transport and the motor vehicle are the main form of transports. The road system consists of an extensive network of ] and ]s (known as motorways). The most important ]s in the metropolitan area are the nine ]s, which include the {{convert|110|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} ]. According to the 2006 Census, 85% of households own at least one automobile at an average of 1.5 per household and there are a total of over 2.1 million cars in the metropolitan area. 61.8% of all Sydneysiders travel to work as either driver or passenger with a total of over 350,000 cars using the road infrastructure simultaneously during ], causing significant ].<ref name="Transport Sydney Dictionary">{{cite web|url=http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/transport|title=Transport |publisher=Dictionaryofsydney.org |accessdate=6 November 2013}}</ref>


====Roads====
Public transport in Sydney consists of an extensive network of road transport as well as rail transport and ] modes. According to the 2006 Census, in terms of travel to work or study Sydney has the highest rate of public transport usage among the Australian capital cities of 26.3%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Chapter10102008 |title=4102.0 – Australian Social Trends, 2008 |publisher=Abs.gov.au |accessdate=6 November 2013}}</ref> According to the ], the state has Australia's largest public transport system.
], the largest of its kind in Australia]]


The motor vehicle, more than any other factor, has determined the pattern of Sydney's urban development since ].<ref name="Transport">{{cite web |last=Wotherspoon |first=Garry |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/transport |title=Transport |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> The growth of low-density housing in the city's outer suburbs has made car ownership necessary for hundreds of thousands of households. The percentage of trips taken by car has increased from 13% in 1947 to 50% in 1960 and 70% in 1971.<ref name="Transport"/> The most important roads in Sydney were the nine ]s, including the {{cvt|110|km|mi|0|abbr=off|adj=on}} ]. Sydney's reliance on motor vehicles and its sprawling road network has been criticised by proponents of mass public transport and high-density housing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Australian Social Trends, July 2013 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features40July+2013 |work=] |access-date=21 August 2016 |date=5 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sydney is Australia's most valuable location, but public transport is its weakness |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=4 April 2015 |first=Matt |last=Wade |url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-is-australias-most-valuable-location-but-public-transport-is-its-weakness-20150402-1mdv7i.html |access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/sydney-not-yet-a-true-global-city-20140411-zqtpy.html |title=Sydney not yet a true global city |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=14 April 2014 |access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> The ] in western Sydney is the largest in the southern hemisphere.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westlinkm7.com.au/cmsAdmin/uploads/Fact_Sheet_Light_Horse_Interchange.pdf |title=Fact Sheet – Light Horse Interchange |publisher=Westlink Motorway Limited |date=May 2006 |access-date=3 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233919/http://www.westlinkm7.com.au/cmsAdmin/uploads/Fact_Sheet_Light_Horse_Interchange.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
] are run by ], a statutory authority of the ]. Trains run as suburban commuter rail services in the outer suburbs, then converge in an underground city loop service in the central business district. In the years following the 2000 Olympics, CityRail's performance declined significantly.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yearly On-Time Running|publisher=]|year=2006|url=http://www.cityrail.info/aboutus/our_performance/otr_year_tot_chart.jsp|accessdate=28 October 2007|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070929124332/http://www.cityrail.info/aboutus/our_performance/otr_year_tot_chart.jsp <!-- Bot retrieved archive -->|archivedate=29 September 2007}}</ref> In 2005, CityRail introduced a revised timetable and employed more drivers.<ref>CityRail (2005). {{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> ], a large infrastructure project to ease rail congestion was finally completed in 2014.<ref>CityRail (2004). from Archive.</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kerr|first=J.|author2=A. Smith. |date=22 July 2004|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/21/1090089220976.html|title=Panic stations over CityRail driver exodus|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=28 October 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kerr|first=J.|date=4 December 2004|url=http://smh.com.au/news/National/Terminal-dilemma/2004/12/03/1101923341685.html|title=Terminal dilemma|work=Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=28 October 2007}}</ref>
In 2007 a report found Cityrail performed poorly compared to many metro services from other world cities.<ref>{{cite news|date=21 March 2007|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21418282-2,00.html|title=Aussie train services 'among world's worst'|publisher=News.com.au|accessdate=11 January 2008}}</ref>
Figures released by RailCorp show that during the period of 2011/2012, 95.4% of trains arrived on time<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cityrail.info/about/our_performance/otr_year.jsp |title=CityRail&nbsp;– Our Performance |publisher=Cityrail.info |date=1 July 2005 |accessdate=10 February 2012}}</ref> and 99.6% of services ran as scheduled.<ref>{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> However, a survey conducted in September 2011 revealed that 6 of the 13 lines had a maximum load that exceeded 135% (of the seated capacity) during the peak morning commute.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cityrail.info/about/our_performance/service_capacity.jsp#section1d |title=CityRail&nbsp;– Our Performance |publisher=Cityrail.info |accessdate=10 February 2012}}</ref>


There can be up to 350,000 cars using Sydney's roads simultaneously during peak hour, leading to significant traffic congestion.<ref name="Transport"/> 84.9% of Sydney households own a motor vehicle and 46.5% own two or more.<ref name="Greater Sydney QuickStats"/> With a rate of 26.3% in 2014, Sydney has the highest utilisation of public transport for travel to work of any Australian capital.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=2008 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Chapter10102008 |title=Australian social trends |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> In contrast, in 2014 only 25.2% of working residents in the City of Sydney use a car, whilst 15.8% take a train, 13.3% use a bus, and 25.3% walk.<ref>{{cite web |date=2014 |title=Method of travel to work |url=http://profile.id.com.au/sydney/travel-to-work |access-date=27 July 2014 |publisher=.id |archive-date=23 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223224108/http://profile.id.com.au/sydney/travel-to-work |url-status=dead }}</ref> Several significant infrastructure projects have been completed since. The CBD features a ] that provide ] vehicular access to city buildings and as well as pedestrian routes through city buildings.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=1 January 1993 |url=https://archives.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/1750473 |title=Policy for the management of laneways in Central Sydney/ Sydney City Council |access-date=18 November 2022}}</ref>
Sydney was once served by one of the ] in the world, with routes covering {{convert|181|mi|km|0|abbr=on}}, but this was closed in February 1961.<ref>Improve Sydney Public Transport. </ref> A modern ] currently consists of a single line, with a second line in the planning stages. Most parts of the metropolitan area are served by buses. The inner ] are served by the state-owned ]. Many of Sydney Buses routes follow the pre-1961 tram routes. In the outer suburbs, service is contracted to private bus companies. Sydney has two ] called ]s, built in areas of the western suburbs not previously well served by public transport.


====Suburban trains====
State government-owned ] runs numerous commuter and tourist ferry services on Sydney Harbour and the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sydneyferries.info/|title=Official Sydney Ferries Website|publisher=Sydneyferries.info|date=6 May 2010|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>
{{Main|Sydney Trains}}
] is located in close proximity to the city.]]
].]]
], in the suburb of ], is Sydney's main airport, and is one of the oldest continually operated airports in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/NR/rdonlyres/353DC91E-A259-449B-8B68-C8E88CB58691/0/FactSheetHistory1.pdf|title=Fact Sheet&nbsp;– Airport History|publisher=]|accessdate=18 November 2008}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}}</ref> The smaller ] mainly serves private and ]. There is a light aviation airfield at ]. ] lies to the north-west of the city. The question of the need for a ] has raised much controversy. A 2003 study found that Sydney Airport can manage as Sydney's sole international airport for 20 years, with a significant increase in airport traffic predicted.<ref>Finding of "The Sydney Airport Master Plan (2003)" referred to in: {{cite web|url=http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=2422677&TABLE=HANSARDR|title=Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport (Question No. 421)|publisher=]|work=]|date=10 May 2005|accessdate=28 October 2007}}</ref> Land has been acquired at ] for a second airport, the site acting as a focal point of political argument.<ref>{{cite news|date=19 August 2007|work=The Sunday Telegraph|last=Dickens|first=Jim|title=Airport row to lift off again}}</ref> In April 2014, the ] confirmed the construction of the ] at Badgerys Creek, scheduling construction to commence in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-confirms-badgerys-creek-as-site-of-second-sydney-airport-20140415-zqv0d.html|title=Tony Abbott confirms Badgerys Creek as site of second Sydney airport|publisher=]|accessdate=15 April 2014}}</ref>


] is the busiest railway station in Australia, and the city's main public transport hub.]]
The ], which ran in a loop around the main shopping district and ] ceased operations in June 2013.
Established in 1906, ] is the largest and busiest railway station in the state and is the main hub of the city's ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Trains |date=2014 |url=http://www.sydneytrains.info/about/history/central_station.htm |title=Central Station |access-date=10 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625093221/http://sydneytrains.info/about/history/central_station.htm |archive-date=25 June 2014}}</ref> ] is the ] service. Its tracks form part of the New South Wales railway network. It serves 168 stations across the city and had an annual ridership of 302&nbsp;million passenger journeys in 2023–24.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 December 2024 |year=2024 |title=Sydney Trains Annual Report |url=https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/system/files/media/documents/2024/sydney-trains-annual-report-2023-24-volume-1.pdf |access-date=19 December 2024 |website=Transport for NSW}}</ref> Sydney's railway was first constructed in 1854 with progressive extension to the network to serve both freight and passengers. The main station is the ] in the southern part of the CBD. In the 1850s and 1860s, the railway reached areas that are now outer suburbs of Sydney.<ref name="Transport" />


===Transport museums=== ==== Metro ====
{{main|Sydney Metro}}
Sydney has a number of museums devoted partly or solely to transport. They include the ], the ], the ] and the ]. The ] has relocated to renovated premises in ] and is not open for display as at April 2014.
]]]
], a driverless ] system separate from the suburban commuter network, commenced operation in May 2019 and was extended through the city to Sydenham on 19 August 2024. This line will be extended to Bankstown in 2025 and a new line through the inner west to Parramatta is planned to be built by 2030.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/transport-minister-andrew-constance-says-new-sydney-metro-train-line-a-massive-city-shaping-project-20150616-ghoy0v.html |title=Transport minister Andrew Constance says new Sydney Metro train line a 'massive city shaping project' |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=16 June 2015 |access-date=20 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/north-shore/new-metro-train-stations-in-sydney-could-be-built-in-crows-nest-or-st-leonards-and-artarmon-by-2024/story-fngr8h9d-1227392848894 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150921142445/http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/north-shore/new-metro-train-stations-in-sydney-could-be-built-in-crows-nest-or-st-leonards-and-artarmon-by-2024/story-fngr8h9d-1227392848894 |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 September 2015 |title=New metro train stations in Sydney could be built in Crows Nest or St Leonards and Artarmon by 2024 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=11 June 2015 |access-date=20 June 2015 }}</ref> It currently serves 21 stations. A line to serve the greater west is planned for 2026 and will include a station for the ].

====Light rail====
{{Main|Light rail in Sydney}}
] connects Sydney's CBD with the Eastern Suburbs.]]
Sydney once had one of the ] in the British Empire after London.<ref>{{cite web |date=12 May 2014 |title=Shooting Through: Sydney by Tram |url=https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/shooting-through-sydney-tram |access-date=31 May 2019 |work=Sydney Living Museums}}</ref> It served routes covering {{cvt|291|km|mi|0|abbr=off}}. The internal combustion engine made buses more flexible than trams and consequently more popular, leading to the progressive closure of the network with the final tram operating in 1961.<ref name="Transport" /> From 1930 there were 612 buses across Sydney carrying 90&nbsp;million passengers per annum.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wotherspoon |first=Garry |date=2008 |title=Buses |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/buses |access-date=8 August 2014 |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney}}</ref>

In 1997, the ] opened between Central station and ]. It was extended to ] in 2000 and then ] in 2014. It links the ] and ] with ] and facilitated 9.1&nbsp;million journeys in the 2016–17 financial year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 June 2017 |title=Light Rail Patronage – Monthly Comparison |url=https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/performance-and-analytics/passenger-travel/light-rail-patronage/light-rail-patronage-monthly |access-date=25 August 2017 |website=] |language=en-AU}}</ref> A second, the ] {{cvt|12|km|1}} line serving the CBD and Eastern Suburbs opened in 2019–2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=CBD and South East Light Rail contract awarded with earlier delivery date |url=http://www.sydneylightrail.transport.nsw.gov.au/latest/media-releases/2013-(1)/transforming-sydney-cbd-and-south-east-light-rail |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513081808/http://www.sydneylightrail.transport.nsw.gov.au/latest/media-releases/2013-(1)/transforming-sydney-cbd-and-south-east-light-rail |archive-date=13 May 2015 |website=Sydney Light Rail |publisher=Transport for NSW}}</ref> A ] serving Western Sydney opened in 2024.

====Buses====
{{Main|Buses in Sydney}}

Bus services are conducted by private operators under contract to ]. Integrated tickets called ]s operate on bus routes. In total, nearly 225&nbsp;million boardings were recorded across the bus network.<ref>{{Cite report |url=http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/b2b/publications/annual_reports/tfnsw-annual-report-2013-2014.pdf |title=TfNSW 2013–2014 Annual Report |author=Transport for NSW |date=2014 |pages=35, 36 |author-link=Transport for NSW |access-date=29 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529174646/http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/b2b/publications/annual_reports/tfnsw-annual-report-2013-2014.pdf |archive-date=29 May 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ] is a nightly bus service that operate between midnight and 5am.

====Ferries====
{{Main|Sydney Ferries|List of Sydney Harbour ferries|Timeline of Sydney Harbour ferries}}
] Departing ] to Manly]]
At the time the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in 1932, the city's ] was the largest in the world.<ref name="Sydney Ferries">{{cite web |publisher=Transport for New South Wales |date=2014 |url=http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/content/sydney-ferries |title=Sydney Ferries |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> Patronage declined from 37&nbsp;million passengers in 1945 to 11&nbsp;million in 1963 but has recovered somewhat in recent years.<ref name="Transport" /> From its hub at ], the ] extends from ] to ].<ref name="Sydney Ferries" /> Ferries in sydney are operated by ] and operates 10 routes.

====Airports====
], officially "Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport", is located in ]. It services 46 international and 23 domestic destinations.<ref name="Sydney Airport overview"/> As the busiest airport in Australia, it handled 37.9&nbsp;million passengers in 2013 and 530,000 tonnes of freight in 2011.<ref name="Sydney Airport overview"/>
It has been announced that a new facility named ] will be constructed at ] from 2016 at a cost of $2.5&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cox |first1=Lisa |last2=Massola |first2=James |date=2014 |url=http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-confirms-badgerys-creek-as-site-of-second-sydney-airport-20140415-zqv0d.html |title=Tony Abbott confirms Badgerys Creek as site of second Sydney airport |newspaper=The Age |access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref> ] is Sydney's second busiest airport, and serves general aviation, charter and some scheduled cargo flights. Bankstown is also the fourth busiest airport in Australia by number of aircraft movements.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/wp-content/uploads/Airport_Movement_Calendar_Year_2011.pdf |title=Movements at Australian Airports |date=17 February 2012 |website=Airservices Australia |access-date=6 November 2016 |archive-date=30 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530202523/http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/wp-content/uploads/Airport_Movement_Calendar_Year_2011.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref> ] has surpassed Port Jackson as the city's major shipping port. Cruise ship terminals are located at ] and ].


===Utilities=== ===Utilities===
] is Sydney's largest water supply dam.]]
Water storage for Sydney is managed by the ], water supply is managed by ]. Water in the Sydney catchment is chiefly stored in dams in the ], the ], ], ] and the ].<ref>Sydney Catchment Authority. </ref> Historically low water levels in the catchment have led to water use ]. The ] was completed and operational in late 2009 supplying Sydney with 250ML per day of potable water during times of drought. Sydney Water also manages the city's sewage scheme.
Obtaining sufficient fresh water was difficult during early colonial times. A catchment called the ] sourced water from what is now the CBD but was little more than an open sewer by the end of the 1700s.<ref name="Water">{{cite web |last=North |first=MacLaren |date=2011 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/water |title=Water |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref> The Botany Swamps Scheme was one of several ventures during the mid-1800s that saw the construction of wells, tunnels, steam pumping stations, and small dams to service Sydney's growing population.<ref name="Water"/>


The ] came into operation in 1886. It transports water {{cvt|100|km|mi|0|abbr=off}} from the ], ], and ] rivers and continues to service about 15% of Sydney's water needs.<ref name="Water"/> Dams were built on these three rivers between 1907 and 1935.<ref name="Water"/> In 1977 the ] brought several more dams into service.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Water |date=2014 |url=http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/teachers-students/facts-about-water/secondary-students/history-of-water-in-sydney/sydney-water-timeline/index.htm |title=Sydney Water timeline |access-date=10 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630004351/http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/teachers-students/facts-about-water/secondary-students/history-of-water-in-sydney/sydney-water-timeline/index.htm |archive-date=30 June 2014}}</ref>
Two distributors supply electricity to Sydney: ] (previously Energy Australia), and ] (previously Integral Energy). There are several retailers including TRUenergy, Origin Energy, AGL Energy, ] and others. Several companies supply natural gas to Sydney through retailers: ], ], ] and others. <!--are there more?--> The natural gas supply for the city is sourced from the ] in South Australia. Numerous telecommunications companies operate in Sydney providing terrestrial and mobile telecommunications services.

The state-owned corporation ] now manages eleven major dams: ], one of the largest domestic water supply dams in the world,<ref>{{cite web |title=Sydney's Largest Water Supply Dam |url=http://www.waternsw.com.au/supply/visit/warragamba-dam |website=Water NSW |access-date=15 February 2016}}</ref> ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], the ], and ].<ref name="Dams and reservoirs">{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Catchment Authority |date=2014 |url=http://www.sca.nsw.gov.au/water/supply/dams |title=Dams and reservoirs |access-date=10 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926021711/http://www.sca.nsw.gov.au/water/supply/dams |archive-date=26 September 2014}}</ref> Water is collected from five catchment areas covering {{cvt|16000|km2|mi2|0|abbr=off}} and total storage amounts to {{cvt|2.6|TL|mi3|1|abbr=off}}.<ref name="Dams and reservoirs"/> The ] came into operation in 2010.<ref name="Water"/> WaterNSW supplies bulk water to ], a state-owned corporation that operates water distribution, sewerage and storm water management services.

Sydney's electricity infrastructure is maintained by ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Ausgrid |year=2014 |url=http://www.ausgrid.com.au/Common/About-us/Contact-us/About-Ausgrid.aspx |title=About Ausgrid |access-date=12 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019073329/http://www.ausgrid.com.au/Common/About-us/Contact-us/About-Ausgrid.aspx |archive-date=19 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Endeavour Energy |year=2014 |url=http://www.endeavourenergy.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/EE/NSW/NSW+Homepage/aboutUsNav |title=About us |access-date=12 October 2014 |archive-date=13 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013005639/http://www.endeavourenergy.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/EE/NSW/NSW+Homepage/aboutUsNav |url-status=dead}}</ref> Their combined networks include over 815,000 poles and {{cvt|83000|km|mi|abbr=off}} of cables. ] systems in Sydney include the ], ] and the ], which link Australia and countries in the Pacific.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.southerncrosscables.com/home/company/faq|title=FAQ|website=www.southerncrosscables.com|access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ajcable.com/ajc-network/cable-system-facts/ |title = Cable System Facts| website= Australia-Japan Cable| access-date= 30 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telstra.com.au/aboutus/media/media-releases/telstra-hits-100g-on-key-asia-pac-submarine-cables|title=Telstra hits 100G on key Asia-Pac submarine cables|website=]|access-date=21 July 2023|archive-date=21 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721131200/https://www.telstra.com.au/aboutus/media/media-releases/telstra-hits-100g-on-key-asia-pac-submarine-cables|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Environmental issues and pollution reduction==
{{Main|Environmental issues in Australia}}
{{Further|Climate change in Australia|Renewable energy in Australia}}

===Air quality===
] and bushfire smoke in December 2019]]
As ], ] and pollution have become a major issue for Australia, Sydney has in the past been criticised for its lack of focus on reducing pollution and emissions and maintaining ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/water-issues/look-whos-polluting-sydney-waters-shame-20111022-1mdjr.html |title=Look who's polluting: Sydney Water's shame |date=23 October 2011 |access-date=3 February 2015}}</ref> The release of the Metropolitan Air Quality Scheme (MAQS) led to a broader understanding of the causation of pollution in Sydney, allowing the government to form appropriate responses.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.nsf/0/5CBB690F207683B5CA256ECF000843DE/$File/11-98.pdf |title=Air Pollution in Sydney: An Update Briefing Paper |date=August 1998 |access-date=3 February 2015 |archive-date=23 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140623064945/http://parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.nsf/0/5CBB690F207683B5CA256ECF000843DE/$File/11-98.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The ] significantly impacted outer Sydney and dramatically reduced air quality, leading to a smoky haze that lingered for days. The ] was 11 times the ]ous level in some days,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/sydney-smoke-haze-reaches-11-times-the-hazardous-level/video/1d45b28f8c2459ee9ecfb9fee65fbbfe |title=Sydney smoke haze reaches 11 times the hazardous level |date=10 December 2019 |access-date=1 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/gallery/2019/dec/10/sydneys-top-landmarks-smothered-in-smoke-in-pictures |title=Sydney smoke: bushfires haze smothers landmarks – in pictures |newspaper=The Guardian |date=10 December 2019 |access-date=1 January 2020 |last1=Hromas |first1=Jessica}}</ref> worse than ]'s;<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/temperature-inversion-traps-smoke-in-sydney/news-story/b6d804cc21eaaaf9b88ec6a448285be8 |title=Bushfire smoke makes Sydney air quality worse than Delhi |date=3 December 2019 |access-date=1 January 2020}}</ref> it was compared to "smoking 32 cigarettes" by Brian Oliver, a respiratory diseases scientist at the ].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/sydney-fire-haze-equal-to-smoking-32-cigarettes/news-story/7ab680a39edd6d87ae76e35894f949f6 |title=Sydney fire haze equal to 'smoking 32 cigarettes' |newspaper=News |date=22 November 2019 |access-date=1 January 2020}}</ref> Since Sydney is surrounded by bushland and forest,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/lessons-learnt-and-perhaps-forgotten-from-australia-s-worst-fires-20190108-p50qol.html |title=Lessons learnt (and perhaps forgotten) from Australia's 'worst fires'|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=11 January 2019}}</ref> bushfires can ring the region in a ] that is labelled "ring of fire".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-bushfires-idUSKBN1YM2KN |title=Ring of fire: Australian state declares emergency as wildfires approach Sydney|work=]|date=19 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wionews.com/photos/ring-of-fire-australian-declares-state-emergency-as-wildfires-approach-sydney-269117/#three-blazes-ringing-sydney-269110 |title=Ring of fire: Australian state declares emergency as wildfires approach Sydney|work=]|date=19 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/ring-of-fire-surrounds-sydney-20191221-p53m53.html |title=Ring of fire surrounds Sydney|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=21 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/teenagers-arrested-as-ring-of-fire-surrounds-sydney-1.408598 |title=Teenagers arrested as ring of fire surrounds Sydney|work=]|date=28 December 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://mashable.com/article/sydney-blade-runner-smoke-photos-australia-bushfires|title=Blade Runner 2019: Smoke from terrifying 'ring of fire' turns Sydney's skies apocalypse red|work=]|date=9 December 2019}}</ref>

The City of Sydney became the first council in Australia to achieve formal certification as ] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Sydney-Water-to-become-carbon-neutral/2007/07/19/1184559926917.html |title=Sydney Water to become carbon neutral |work=] |date=19 July 2007 |access-date=3 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/sydney-becomes-australias-first-carbon-neutral-government-body.html |title=Sydney Becomes Australia's First Carbon-Neutral Government Body |work=treehugger.com |date=5 September 2008 |access-date=3 February 2015}}</ref> The city has reduced its 2007 carbon emissions by 6% and since 2006 has reduced carbon emissions from city buildings by up to 20%.<ref name="SustainableSydney2030">{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/vision/sustainable-sydney-2030/achievements |title=Achievements: City of Sydney |work=cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au |access-date=3 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/4772-its-official-sydney-is-first-carbon-neutral-council/ |title=It's official, Sydney is first carbon neutral council |date=9 November 2011 |publisher=City of Sydney |access-date=3 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203061048/http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/4772-its-official-sydney-is-first-carbon-neutral-council/ |archive-date=3 February 2015}}</ref> The ''Sustainable Sydney 2030'' program presented a guide to reducing energy in homes and offices by 30%.<ref name="SustainableSydney2030" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.climatecontrolnews.com.au/news/building-owners-applaud-city-s-ambitious-master-plan |title=Building owners applaud city's ambitious master plan |date=25 February 2015 |website=climatecontrolnews.com.au |access-date=18 March 2015}}</ref> Reductions in energy consumption have slashed energy bills by $30&nbsp;million a year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/18/sydney-businesses-cotton-on-climate-change-action-is-good-for-the-bottom-line |title=Sydney businesses cotton on: climate change action is good for the bottom line |work=The Guardian (UK) |date=18 March 2015 |access-date=19 March 2015}}</ref> ] have been established on many CBD buildings to minimise carbon pollution by around 3,000 tonnes a year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/city-sydney-extends-solar-roll-historic-rocks-88330 |title=City of Sydney extends solar roll out to historic Rocks |date=16 June 2014 |access-date=3 February 2015 |work=RenewEconomy.com}}</ref>

The city also has an "] growth strategy", in which it aims to regular increase the ] in the city by frequently planting trees with strong leaf density and ] to provide cleaner air and create moisture during hot weather, thus lowering city temperatures.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/132249/Urban-Forest-Strategy-Adopted-Feb-2013.pdf |title=Urban Forest Strategy |date=February 2013 |access-date=6 May 2015}}</ref> Sydney has also become a leader in the development of ] and enforcing the requirement of all building proposals to be energy-efficient. The ] development, completed in 2013, is an example of this implementation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/greenest-sydney-building-using-rainforest-timber-20110727-1hz71.html |title='Greenest' Sydney building using rainforest timber |work=] |date=27 July 2011 |access-date=3 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.centralparksydney.com/gardens/ |title=One Central Park Gardens |publisher=Frasers Property |access-date=3 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130923041440/http://www.centralparksydney.com/gardens/ |archive-date=23 September 2013}}</ref><ref name="OCP arc">{{cite web |url=http://www.centralparksydney.com/architecture/ |title=Central Park Sydney – Architecture |publisher=Frasers Property |access-date=3 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005163802/http://www.centralparksydney.com/architecture |archive-date=5 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.afr.com/p/202020_vision/sydney_central_park_project_shows_IFwlwOc7VqwlXPkqUD85GN |title=Sydney Central Park project shows sustainable living |work=] |date=28 November 2013 |access-date=3 February 2015 |last1=Gliddon |first1=Josh }}</ref>

===Car-dependency===
] on the ], ]]]
Australian cities are some of the most ] cities in the world,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.socsci.flinders.edu.au/geog/geos/PDF%20Papers/Amphlett.pdf |title=Car dependence in Australian cities: a discussion of causes, environmental impact and possible solutions |work=] study |access-date=3 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301005900/http://www.socsci.flinders.edu.au/geog/geos/PDF%20Papers/Amphlett.pdf |archive-date=1 March 2011}}</ref> especially by world city standards, although Sydney's is the lowest of Australia's major cities at 66%.<ref name="Charting Transport-2023">, retrieved 27 October 2017</ref> Sydney also has the ] in an Australian city, at 27%–comparable with New York City, Shanghai and Berlin. Despite its high ranking for an Australian city, Sydney has a low level of mass-transit services, with a historically low-density layout and significant ], thus increasing the likelihood of car dependency.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/sydney-not-yet-a-true-global-city-20140412-zqtpy.html |title=Sydney not yet a true global city |work=] |date=12 April 2014 |access-date=3 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/cbds-turning-into-no-car-zones-as-the-great-divide-grows/story-e6frg9jx-1226493122243 |title=CBDs turning into no-car zones as the great divide grows |work=] |date=11 October 2015 |access-date=3 February 2015}}</ref>

Strategies have been implemented to reduce private ] by encouraging ] and ],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statetransit.info/bus-fleet/buses-and-the-environment |title=Buses and the Environment |work=statetransit.info |access-date=3 February 2015 |archive-date=3 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203054323/http://www.statetransit.info/bus-fleet/buses-and-the-environment |url-status=dead}}</ref> initiating the development of high density housing and introducing a fleet of 10 new ], the largest order of the pollution-free vehicle in Australia.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/city-clears-the-way-on-pollution-free-car-fleet/ |title=City clears the way on pollution-free car fleet |publisher=City of Sydney |date=15 February 2013 |access-date=3 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504082128/http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/city-clears-the-way-on-pollution-free-car-fleet/ |archive-date=4 May 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Electric cars do not produce carbon monoxide and ], which contribute to climate change.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/causes.html |title=Causes of Climate Change |work=epa.gov |date=12 August 2013 |access-date=10 February 2015}}</ref><ref name="ipcc">{{cite book |date=2021 |author=IPCC|title=Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |chapter=Global carbon and other biogeochemical cycles and feedbacks |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, US |chapter-url= https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Chapter_05.pdf |url=https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1 }}</ref> ] increased by 113% across Sydney's inner-city from 2010 to 2015, at which point about 2,000 bikes were passing through top peak-hour intersections on an average weekday.<ref name="SustainableSydney2030" /> Transport developments in the ] and east of the city have been designed to encourage use of the expanding public transportation system.

== Sister cities ==
] of Sydney include:

* ], ]
* ], ]
* ], ]
* ], ]
* ], ]


==See also== ==See also==
{{Portal|New South Wales}}
*]
*] * ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=N}}


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|30em}} {{Reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
*
{{Spoken Misplaced Pages-2|2006-07-09|En-Sydney-article-part1.ogg|En-Sydney-article-part2.ogg}}
{{Sister project links|Sydney|voy=Sydney}}
* {{Commons-inline|Sydney Architecture}}
*
* *
* on the ] of Australia's * on the ] of Australia's
* {{YouTube|id=itQaxQMZfCk|title=Qantas Farewell Flight B747-400 Queen of the Skies – Sydney Final Flight QF747}} – includes a low-level joyflight around Sydney showing various aspects of the city on 13 July 2020 (starts at 05:20)
* {{OSM relation|5750005}}
* ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324110321/http://home.dictionaryofsydney.org/ |date=24 March 2019 }})
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Latest revision as of 15:50, 5 January 2025

Capital city of New South Wales, Australia This article is about the Australian city. For the greater metropolitan area, see Greater Sydney. For the local government area, see City of Sydney. For other uses, see Sydney (disambiguation).

Sydney
New South Wales
Sydney Opera House and Harbour BridgeSydney Opera House and Harbour BridgeQueen Victoria BuildingQueen Victoria BuildingUniversity of SydneyUniversity of SydneyBondi BeachBondi BeachArchibald Fountain and St Mary's CathedralArchibald Fountain and St Mary’s CathedralSydney central business districtSydney central business district
Map of the Sydney metropolitan areaMap of the Sydney metropolitan area
Sydney is located in AustraliaSydneySydney
Coordinates33°52′S 151°12′E / 33.867°S 151.200°E / -33.867; 151.200
Population5,450,496 (2023) (1st)
 • Density441/km (1,140/sq mi) (2023)
Established26 January 1788; 236 years ago (1788-01-26)
Area12,367.7 km (4,775.2 sq mi)(GCCSA)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10)
 • Summer (DST)AEDT (UTC+11)
Location
LGA(s)Various (33)
CountyCumberland
State electorate(s)Various (49)
Federal division(s)Various (24)
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
22.8 °C
73 °F
14.7 °C
58 °F
1,149.7 mm
45.3 in

Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 km (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 km (50 mi) from the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west. Greater Sydney consists of 658 suburbs, spread across 33 local government areas. Residents of the city are colloquially known as "Sydneysiders". The estimated population in June 2023 was 5,450,496, which is about 66% of the state's population. The city's nicknames include the Emerald City and the Harbour City.

Aboriginal Australians have inhabited the Greater Sydney region for at least 30,000 years, and their engravings and cultural sites are common. The traditional custodians of the land on which modern Sydney stands are the clans of the Darug, Dharawal and Eora peoples. During his first Pacific voyage in 1770, James Cook charted the eastern coast of Australia, making landfall at Botany Bay. In 1788, the First Fleet of convicts, led by Arthur Phillip, founded Sydney as a British penal colony, the first European settlement in Australia. After World War II, Sydney experienced mass migration and by 2021 over 40 per cent of the population was born overseas. Foreign countries of birth with the greatest representation are mainland China, India, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Despite being one of the most expensive cities in the world, Sydney frequently ranks in the top ten most liveable cities. It is classified as an Alpha+ city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, indicating its influence in the region and throughout the world. Ranked eleventh in the world for economic opportunity, Sydney has an advanced market economy with strengths in education, finance, manufacturing and tourism. The University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales are ranked 18th and 19th in the world respectively.

Sydney has hosted major international sporting events such as the 2000 Summer Olympics, the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final, and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Final. The city is among the top fifteen most-visited, with millions of tourists coming each year to see the city's landmarks. The city has over 1,000,000 ha (2,500,000 acres) of nature reserves and parks, and its notable natural features include Sydney Harbour and Royal National Park. The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House are major tourist attractions. Central Station is the hub of Sydney's suburban train, metro and light rail networks and longer-distance services. The main passenger airport serving the city is Kingsford Smith Airport, one of the world's oldest continually operating airports.

Toponymy

In 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip, the first governor of New South Wales, named the cove where the first British settlement was established Sydney Cove after Home Secretary Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney. The cove was called Warrane by the Aboriginal inhabitants. Phillip considered naming the settlement Albion, but this name was never officially used. By 1790 Phillip and other officials were regularly calling the township Sydney. Sydney was declared a city in 1842.

The Gadigal (Cadigal) clan, whose territory stretches along the southern shore of Port Jackson from South Head to Darling Harbour, are the traditional owners of the land on which the British settlement was initially established, and call their territory Gadi (Cadi). Aboriginal clan names within the Sydney region were often formed by adding the suffix "-gal" to a word denoting the name for their territory, a specific place in their territory, a food source, or totem. Greater Sydney covers the traditional lands of 28 known Aboriginal clans.

History

Main article: History of Sydney For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Sydney.

First inhabitants of the region

Charcoal drawing of kangaroos in Heathcote National Park

The first people to inhabit the area now known as Sydney were Aboriginal Australians who had migrated from southeast Asia via northern Australia. Flaked pebbles found in Western Sydney's gravel sediments might indicate human occupation from 45,000 to 50,000 years ago, while radiocarbon dating has shown evidence of human activity in the region from around 30,000 years ago. Prior to the arrival of the British, there were 4,000 to 8,000 Aboriginal people in the greater Sydney region.

The inhabitants subsisted on fishing, hunting, and gathering plants and shellfish. The diet of the coastal clans was more reliant on seafood whereas hinterland clans ate more forest animals and plants. The clans had distinctive equipment and weapons mostly made of stone, wood, plant materials, bone and shell. They also differed in their body decorations, hairstyles, songs and dances. Aboriginal clans had a rich ceremonial life, part of a belief system centring on ancestral, totemic and supernatural beings. People from different clans and language groups came together to participate in initiation and other ceremonies. These occasions fostered trade, marriages and clan alliances.

The earliest British settlers recorded the word 'Eora' as an Aboriginal term meaning either 'people' or 'from this place'. The clans of the Sydney area occupied land with traditional boundaries. There is debate, however, about which group or nation these clans belonged to, and the extent of differences in language and rites. The major groups were the coastal Eora people, the Dharug (Darug) occupying the inland area from Parramatta to the Blue Mountains, and the Dharawal people south of Botany Bay. Darginung and Gundungurra languages were spoken on the fringes of the Sydney area.

Aboriginal clans of Sydney area, as recorded by early British settlers
Clan Territory name Location
Bediagal Not recorded Probably north-west of Parramatta
Birrabirragal Birrabirra Lower Sydney Harbour around Sow and Pigs reef
Boolbainora Boolbainmatta Parramatta area
Borogegal Booragy Probably Bradleys Head and surrounding area
Boromedegal Not recorded Parramatta
Buruberongal Not recorded North-west of Parramatta
Darramurragal Not recorded Turramarra area
Gadigal Cadi (Gadi) South side of Port Jackson, from South Head to Darling Harbour
Gahbrogal Not recorded Liverpool and Cabramatta area
Gamaragal Cammeray North shore of Port Jackson
Gameygal Kamay Botany Bay
Gannemegal Warmul Parramatta area
Garigal Not recorded Broken Bay area
Gayamaygal Kayeemy Manly Cove
Gweagal Gwea Southern shore of Botany Bay
Wallumedegal Wallumede North shore of Port Jackson, opposite Sydney Cove
Wangal Wann South side of Port Jackson, from Darling Harbour to Rose Hill
Clans of the Sydney region whose territory wasn't reliably recorded are: the Domaragal, Doogagal, Gannalgal,
Gomerigal, Gooneeowlgal, Goorunggurregal, Gorualgal, Murrooredial, Noronggerragal, Oryangsoora and Wandeandegal.
Note: The names and territory boundaries do not always correspond with those used by contemporary Aboriginal groups of the greater Sydney area.

The first meeting between Aboriginals and British explorers occurred on 29 April 1770 when Lieutenant James Cook landed at Botany Bay (Kamay) and encountered the Gweagal clan. Two Gweagal men opposed the landing party and one was shot and wounded. Cook and his crew stayed at Botany Bay for a week, collecting water, timber, fodder and botanical specimens and exploring the surrounding area. Cook sought to establish relations with the Aboriginal population without success.

Convict town (1788–1840)

The Founding of Australia, 26 January 1788, by Captain Arthur Phillip R.N., Sydney Cove. Painting by Algernon Talmage.

Britain had been sending convicts to its American colonies for most of the eighteenth century, and the loss of these colonies in 1783 was the impetus to establish a penal colony at Botany Bay. Proponents of colonisation also pointed to the strategic importance of a new base in the Asia-Pacific region and its potential to provide much-needed timber and flax for the navy.

The First Fleet of 11 ships under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip arrived in Botany Bay in January 1788. It comprised more than a thousand settlers, including 736 convicts. The fleet soon moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where a settlement was established at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. The colony of New South Wales was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788. Sydney Cove offered a fresh water supply and a safe harbour, which Philip described as "the finest Harbour in the World ... Here a Thousand Sail of the Line may ride in the most perfect Security".

The settlement was planned to be a self-sufficient penal colony based on subsistence agriculture. Trade and shipbuilding were banned in order to keep the convicts isolated. However, the soil around the settlement proved poor and the first crops failed, leading to several years of hunger and strict rationing. The food crisis was relieved with the arrival of the Second Fleet in mid-1790 and the Third Fleet in 1791. Former convicts received small grants of land, and government and private farms spread to the more fertile lands around Parramatta, Windsor and Camden on the Cumberland Plain. By 1804, the colony was self-sufficient in food.

A smallpox epidemic in April 1789 killed about half the region's Indigenous population. In November 1790 Bennelong led a group of survivors of the Sydney clans into the settlement, establishing a continuous presence of Aboriginal Australians in settled Sydney.

Phillip had been given no instructions for urban development, but in July 1788 submitted a plan for the new town at Sydney Cove. It included a wide central avenue, a permanent Government House, law courts, hospital and other public buildings, but no provision for warehouses, shops, or other commercial buildings. Phillip promptly ignored his own plan, and unplanned development became a feature of Sydney's topography.

Thomas Watling's View of Sydney Cove, c. 1794–1796

After Phillip's departure in December 1792, the colony's military officers began acquiring land and importing consumer goods from visiting ships. Former convicts engaged in trade and opened small businesses. Soldiers and former convicts built houses on Crown land, with or without official permission, in what was now commonly called Sydney town. Governor William Bligh (1806–08) imposed restrictions on commerce and ordered the demolition of buildings erected on Crown land, including some owned by past and serving military officers. The resulting conflict culminated in the Rum Rebellion of 1808, in which Bligh was deposed by the New South Wales Corps.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie (1810–1821) played a leading role in the development of Sydney and New South Wales, establishing a bank, a currency and a hospital. He employed a planner to design the street layout of Sydney and commissioned the construction of roads, wharves, churches, and public buildings. Parramatta Road, linking Sydney and Parramatta, was opened in 1811, and a road across the Blue Mountains was completed in 1815, opening the way for large-scale farming and grazing west of the Great Dividing Range.

Following the departure of Macquarie, official policy encouraged the emigration of free British settlers to New South Wales. Immigration to the colony increased from 900 free settlers in 1826–30 to 29,000 in 1836–40, many of whom settled in Sydney. By the 1840s Sydney exhibited a geographic divide between poor and working-class residents living west of the Tank Stream in areas such as The Rocks, and the more affluent residents living to its east. Free settlers, free-born residents and former convicts now represented the vast majority of the population of Sydney, leading to increasing public agitation for responsible government and an end to transportation. Transportation to New South Wales ceased in 1840.

The Castle Hill convict rebellion of 1804

Conflict on the Cumberland Plain

In 1804, Irish convicts led around 300 rebels in the Castle Hill Rebellion, an attempt to march on Sydney, commandeer a ship, and sail to freedom. Poorly armed, and with their leader Philip Cunningham captured, the main body of insurgents were routed by about 100 troops and volunteers at Rouse Hill. At least 39 convicts were killed in the uprising and subsequent executions.

As the colony spread to the more fertile lands around the Hawkesbury River, north-west of Sydney, conflict between the settlers and the Darug people intensified, reaching a peak from 1794 to 1810. Bands of Darug people, led by Pemulwuy and later by his son Tedbury, burned crops, killed livestock and raided settler stores in a pattern of resistance that was to be repeated as the colonial frontier expanded. A military garrison was established on the Hawkesbury in 1795. The death toll from 1794 to 1800 was 26 settlers and up to 200 Darug.

Conflict again erupted from 1814 to 1816 with the expansion of the colony into Dharawal country in the Nepean region south-west of Sydney. Following the deaths of several settlers, Governor Macquarie dispatched three military detachments into Dharawal lands, culminating in the Appin massacre (April 1816) in which at least 14 Aboriginal people were killed.

Colonial city (1841–1900)

The New South Wales Legislative Council became a semi-elected body in 1842. Sydney was declared a city the same year, and a governing council established, elected on a restrictive property franchise.

Aerial illustration of Sydney, 1888

The discovery of gold in New South Wales and Victoria in 1851 initially caused economic disruption as men moved to the goldfields. Melbourne soon overtook Sydney as Australia's largest city, leading to an enduring rivalry between the two. However, increased immigration from overseas and wealth from gold exports increased demand for housing, consumer goods, services and urban amenities. The New South Wales government also stimulated growth by investing heavily in railways, trams, roads, ports, telegraph, schools and urban services. The population of Sydney and its suburbs grew from 95,600 in 1861 to 386,900 in 1891. The city developed many of its characteristic features. The growing population packed into rows of terrace houses in narrow streets. New public buildings of sandstone abounded, including at the University of Sydney (1854–61), the Australian Museum (1858–66), the Town Hall (1868–88), and the General Post Office (1866–92). Elaborate coffee palaces and hotels were erected. Daylight bathing at Sydney's beaches was banned, but segregated bathing at designated ocean baths was popular.

Drought, the winding down of public works and a financial crisis led to economic depression in Sydney throughout most of the 1890s. Meanwhile, the Sydney-based premier of New South Wales, George Reid, became a key figure in the process of federation.

State capital (1901–present)

A tramcar on George Street in 1920. Sydney once had one of the largest tram networks in the British Empire.

When the six colonies federated on 1 January 1901, Sydney became the capital of the State of New South Wales. The spread of bubonic plague in 1900 prompted the state government to modernise the wharves and demolish inner-city slums. The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 saw more Sydney males volunteer for the armed forces than the Commonwealth authorities could process, and helped reduce unemployment. Those returning from the war in 1918 were promised "homes fit for heroes" in new suburbs such as Daceyville and Matraville. "Garden suburbs" and mixed industrial and residential developments also grew along the rail and tram corridors. The population reached one million in 1926, after Sydney had regained its position as the most populous city in Australia. The government created jobs with massive public projects such as the electrification of the Sydney rail network and building the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sydney Harbour Bridge opening day, 19 March 1932

Sydney was more severely affected by the Great Depression of the 1930s than regional New South Wales or Melbourne. New building almost came to a standstill, and by 1933 the unemployment rate for male workers was 28 per cent, but over 40 per cent in working class areas such as Alexandria and Redfern. Many families were evicted from their homes and shanty towns grew along coastal Sydney and Botany Bay, the largest being "Happy Valley" at La Perouse. The Depression also exacerbated political divisions. In March 1932, when populist Labor premier Jack Lang attempted to open the Sydney Harbour Bridge he was upstaged by Francis de Groot of the far-right New Guard, who slashed the ribbon with a sabre.

In January 1938, Sydney celebrated the Empire Games and the sesquicentenary of European settlement in Australia. One journalist wrote, "Golden beaches. Sun tanned men and maidens...Red-roofed villas terraced above the blue waters of the harbour...Even Melbourne seems like some grey and stately city of Northern Europe compared with Sydney's sub-tropical splendours." A congress of the "Aborigines of Australia" declared 26 January "A Day of Mourning" for "the whiteman's seizure of our country."

With the outbreak of Second World War in 1939, Sydney experienced a surge in industrial development. Unemployment virtually disappeared and women moved into jobs previously typically reserved for males. Sydney was attacked by Japanese submarines in May and June 1942 with 21 killed. Households built air raid shelters and performed drills. Military establishments in response to World War II in Australia included the Garden Island Tunnel System, the only tunnel warfare complex in Sydney, and the heritage-listed military fortification systems Bradleys Head Fortification Complex and Middle Head Fortifications, which were part of a total defence system for Sydney Harbour.

A post-war immigration and baby boom saw a rapid increase in Sydney's population and the spread of low-density housing in suburbs throughout the Cumberland Plain. Immigrants—mostly from Britain and continental Europe—and their children accounted for over three-quarters of Sydney's population growth between 1947 and 1971. The newly created Cumberland County Council oversaw low-density residential developments, the largest at Green Valley and Mount Druitt. Older residential centres such as Parramatta, Bankstown and Liverpool became suburbs of the metropolis. Manufacturing, protected by high tariffs, employed over a third of the workforce from 1945 to the 1960s. However, as the long post-war economic boom progressed, retail and other service industries became the main source of new jobs.

An estimated one million onlookers, most of the city's population, watched Queen Elizabeth II land in 1954 at Farm Cove where Captain Phillip had raised the Union Jack 165 years earlier, commencing her Australian Royal Tour. It was the first time a reigning monarch stepped onto Australian soil.

Increasing high-rise development in Sydney and the expansion of suburbs beyond the "green belt" envisaged by the planners of the 1950s resulted in community protests. In the early 1970s, trade unions and resident action groups imposed green bans on development projects in historic areas such as The Rocks. Federal, State and local governments introduced heritage and environmental legislation. The Sydney Opera House was also controversial for its cost and disputes between architect Jørn Utzon and government officials. However, soon after it opened in 1973 it became a major tourist attraction and symbol of the city. The progressive reduction in tariff protection from 1974 began the transformation of Sydney from a manufacturing centre to a "world city". From the 1980s, overseas immigration grew rapidly, with Asia, the Middle East and Africa becoming major sources. By 2021, the population of Sydney was over 5.2 million, with 40% of the population born overseas. China and India overtook England as the largest source countries for overseas-born residents.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Sydney

Topography

Sydney lies on a submergent coastline where the ocean level has risen to flood deep rias.

Sydney is a coastal basin with the Tasman Sea to the east, the Blue Mountains to the west, the Hawkesbury River to the north, and the Woronora Plateau to the south.

Sydney spans two geographic regions. The Cumberland Plain lies to the south and west of the Harbour and is relatively flat. The Hornsby Plateau is located to the north and is dissected by steep valleys. The flat areas of the south were the first to be developed; it was not until the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge that the northern reaches became more heavily populated. Seventy surf beaches can be found along its coastline, with Bondi Beach being the most famous.

The Nepean River wraps around the western edge of the city and becomes the Hawkesbury River before reaching Broken Bay. Most of Sydney's water storages can be found on tributaries of the Nepean River. The Parramatta River is mostly industrial and drains a large area of Sydney's western suburbs into Port Jackson. The southern parts of the city are drained by the Georges River and the Cooks River into Botany Bay.

There is no single definition of the boundaries of Sydney. The Australian Statistical Geography Standard definition of Greater Sydney covers 12,369 km (4,776 sq mi) and includes the local government areas of Central Coast in the north, Hawkesbury in the north-west, Blue Mountains in the west, Sutherland Shire in the south, and Wollondilly in the south-west. The local government area of the City of Sydney covers about 26 square kilometres from Garden island in the east to Bicentennial Park in the west, and south to the suburbs of Alexandria and Rosebery.

Geology

Almost all of the exposed rocks around Sydney are Sydney sandstone.

Sydney is made up of mostly Triassic rock with some recent igneous dykes and volcanic necks (typically found in the Prospect dolerite intrusion, west of Sydney). The Sydney Basin was formed in the early Triassic period. The sand that was to become the sandstone of today was laid down between 360 and 200 million years ago. The sandstone has shale lenses and fossil riverbeds. The continental shelf of Australia is only 25.9 km (16.1 mi) away from the coast of Sydney.

The Sydney Basin bioregion includes coastal features of cliffs, beaches, and estuaries. Deep river valleys known as rias were carved during the Triassic period in the Hawkesbury sandstone of the coastal region. The rising sea level between 18,000 and 6,000 years ago flooded the rias to form estuaries and deep harbours. Port Jackson, better known as Sydney Harbour, is one such ria. Sydney features two major soil types: sandy soils (which originate from the Hawkesbury sandstone) and clay (which are from shales and volcanic rocks), though some soils may be a mixture of the two.

Directly overlying the older Hawkesbury sandstone is the Wianamatta shale, a geological feature found in western Sydney that was deposited in connection with a large river delta during the Middle Triassic. The Wianamatta shale generally comprises fine grained sedimentary rocks such as shales, mudstones, ironstones, siltstones and laminites, with less common sandstone units. The Wianamatta Group is made up of Bringelly Shale, Minchinbury Sandstone and Ashfield Shale.

Ecology

Further information: Ecology of Sydney
Typical grassy woodland in the Sydney metropolitan area

The most prevalent plant communities in the Sydney region are grassy woodlands (i.e. savannas) and some pockets of dry sclerophyll forests, which consist of eucalyptus trees, casuarinas, melaleucas, corymbias and angophoras, with shrubs (typically wattles, callistemons, grevilleas and banksias), and a semi-continuous grass in the understory. The plants in this community tend to have rough, spiky leaves due to low soil fertility. Sydney also features a few areas of wet sclerophyll forests in the wetter, elevated areas in the north and northeast. These forests are defined by straight, tall tree canopies with a moist understory of soft-leaved shrubs, tree ferns and herbs.

The predominant vegetation community in Sydney is the Cumberland Plain Woodland in Western Sydney (Cumberland Plain), followed by the Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest in the Inner West and Northern Sydney, the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub in the coastline and the Blue Gum High Forest scantily present in the North Shore – all of which are critically endangered. The city also includes the Sydney Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland found in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park on the Hornsby Plateau to the north.

Sydney is home to dozens of bird species, which commonly include the Australian raven, Australian magpie, crested pigeon, noisy miner and the pied currawong. Introduced bird species ubiquitously found in Sydney are the common myna, common starling, house sparrow and the spotted dove. Reptile species are also numerous and predominantly include skinks. Sydney has a few mammal and spider species, such as the grey-headed flying fox and the Sydney funnel-web, respectively, and has a huge diversity of marine species inhabiting its harbour and beaches.

Climate

Main articles: Climate of Sydney and Severe weather events in Sydney
A summer storm passing over Sydney Harbour

Under the Köppen–Geiger classification, Sydney has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with "warm, sometimes hot" summers and "generally mild", to "cool" winters. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation, the Indian Ocean Dipole and the Southern Annular Mode play 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 in Australia. The weather is moderated by proximity to the ocean, and more extreme temperatures are recorded in the inland western suburbs because Sydney CBD is more affected by the oceanic climate drivers than the western suburbs.

At Sydney's primary weather station at Observatory Hill, extreme temperatures have ranged from 45.8 °C (114.4 °F) on 18 January 2013 to 2.1 °C (35.8 °F) on 22 June 1932. An average of 14.9 days a year have temperatures at or above 30 °C (86 °F) in the central business district (CBD). In contrast, the metropolitan area averages between 35 and 65 days, depending on the suburb. The hottest day in the metropolitan area occurred in Penrith on 4 January 2020, where a high of 48.9 °C (120.0 °F) was recorded. The average annual temperature of the sea ranges from 18.5 °C (65.3 °F) in September to 23.7 °C (74.7 °F) in February. Sydney has an average of 7.2 hours of sunshine per day and 109.5 clear days annually. Due to the inland location, frost is recorded early in the morning in Western Sydney a few times in winter. Autumn and spring are the transitional seasons, with spring showing a larger temperature variation than autumn.

Sydney experiences an urban heat island effect. This makes certain parts of the city more vulnerable to extreme heat, including coastal suburbs. In late spring and summer, temperatures over 35 °C (95 °F) are not uncommon, though hot, dry conditions are usually ended by a southerly buster, a powerful southerly that brings gale winds and a rapid fall in temperature. Since Sydney is downwind of the Great Dividing Range, it occasionally experiences dry, westerly foehn winds typically in winter and early spring (which are the reason for its warm maximum temperatures). Westerly winds are intense when the Roaring Forties (or the Southern Annular Mode) shift towards southeastern Australia, where they may damage homes and affect flights, in addition to making the temperature seem colder than it actually is.

Rainfall has a moderate to low variability and has historically been fairly uniform throughout the year, although in recent years it has been more summer-dominant and erratic. Precipitation is usually higher in summer through to autumn, and lower in late winter to early spring. In late autumn and winter, east coast lows may bring large amounts of rainfall, especially in the CBD. In the warm season black nor'easters are usually the cause of heavy rain events, though other forms of low-pressure areas, including remnants of ex-cyclones, may also bring heavy deluge and afternoon thunderstorms. 'Snow' was last alleged in 1836, more than likely a fall of graupel, or soft hail; and in July 2008 the Upper North Shore saw a fall of graupel that was mistaken by many for 'snow'. In 2009, dry conditions brought a severe dust storm towards the city.

Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 45.8
(114.4)
42.1
(107.8)
39.8
(103.6)
35.4
(95.7)
30.0
(86.0)
26.9
(80.4)
26.5
(79.7)
31.3
(88.3)
34.6
(94.3)
38.2
(100.8)
41.8
(107.2)
42.2
(108.0)
45.8
(114.4)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 36.8
(98.2)
34.1
(93.4)
32.2
(90.0)
29.7
(85.5)
26.2
(79.2)
22.3
(72.1)
22.9
(73.2)
25.4
(77.7)
29.9
(85.8)
33.6
(92.5)
34.1
(93.4)
34.4
(93.9)
38.8
(101.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 27.0
(80.6)
26.8
(80.2)
25.7
(78.3)
23.6
(74.5)
20.9
(69.6)
18.3
(64.9)
17.9
(64.2)
19.3
(66.7)
21.6
(70.9)
23.2
(73.8)
24.2
(75.6)
25.7
(78.3)
22.8
(73.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 23.5
(74.3)
23.4
(74.1)
22.1
(71.8)
19.5
(67.1)
16.6
(61.9)
14.2
(57.6)
13.4
(56.1)
14.5
(58.1)
17.0
(62.6)
18.9
(66.0)
20.4
(68.7)
22.1
(71.8)
18.8
(65.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 20.0
(68.0)
19.9
(67.8)
18.4
(65.1)
15.3
(59.5)
12.3
(54.1)
10.0
(50.0)
8.9
(48.0)
9.7
(49.5)
12.3
(54.1)
14.6
(58.3)
16.6
(61.9)
18.4
(65.1)
14.7
(58.5)
Mean minimum °C (°F) 16.1
(61.0)
16.1
(61.0)
14.2
(57.6)
11.0
(51.8)
8.3
(46.9)
6.5
(43.7)
5.7
(42.3)
6.1
(43.0)
8.0
(46.4)
9.8
(49.6)
12.0
(53.6)
13.9
(57.0)
5.3
(41.5)
Record low °C (°F) 10.6
(51.1)
9.6
(49.3)
9.3
(48.7)
7.0
(44.6)
4.4
(39.9)
2.1
(35.8)
2.2
(36.0)
2.7
(36.9)
4.9
(40.8)
5.7
(42.3)
7.7
(45.9)
9.1
(48.4)
2.1
(35.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 91.1
(3.59)
131.5
(5.18)
117.5
(4.63)
114.1
(4.49)
100.8
(3.97)
142.0
(5.59)
80.3
(3.16)
75.1
(2.96)
63.4
(2.50)
67.7
(2.67)
90.6
(3.57)
73.0
(2.87)
1,149.7
(45.26)
Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm) 8.2 9.0 10.1 7.9 7.9 9.3 7.2 5.6 5.8 7.6 8.7 7.9 95.2
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) 60 62 59 58 58 56 52 47 49 53 57 58 56
Average dew point °C (°F) 16.5
(61.7)
17.2
(63.0)
15.4
(59.7)
12.7
(54.9)
10.3
(50.5)
7.8
(46.0)
6.1
(43.0)
5.4
(41.7)
7.8
(46.0)
10.2
(50.4)
12.6
(54.7)
14.6
(58.3)
11.4
(52.5)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 232.5 205.9 210.8 213.0 204.6 171.0 207.7 248.0 243.0 244.9 222.0 235.6 2,639
Percent possible sunshine 53 54 55 63 63 57 66 72 67 61 55 55 60
Source 1: Bureau of Meteorology
Source 2: Bureau of Meteorology, Sydney Airport (sunshine hours)

Regions

Main article: Regions of Sydney
Sydney area at night, facing west. Wollongong is bottom left, and the Central Coast is at the far right.

The Greater Sydney Commission divides Sydney into three "cities" and five "districts" based on the 33 LGAs in the metropolitan area. The "metropolis of three cities" comprises Eastern Harbour City, Central River City and Western Parkland City. The Australian Bureau of Statistics also includes City of Central Coast (the former Gosford City and Wyong Shire) as part of Greater Sydney for population counts, adding 330,000 people.

Inner suburbs

Historical buildings in Millers Point, an inner suburb north of the CBD

The CBD extends about 3 km (1.9 mi) south from Sydney Cove. It is bordered by Farm Cove within the Royal Botanic Garden to the east and Darling Harbour to the west. Suburbs surrounding the CBD include Woolloomooloo and Potts Point to the east, Surry Hills and Darlinghurst to the south, Pyrmont and Ultimo to the west, and Millers Point and The Rocks to the north. Most of these suburbs measure less than 1 km (0.4 sq mi) in area. The Sydney CBD is characterised by narrow streets and thoroughfares, created in its convict beginnings.

Several localities, distinct from suburbs, exist throughout Sydney's inner reaches. Central and Circular Quay are transport hubs with ferry, rail, and bus interchanges. Chinatown, Darling Harbour, and Kings Cross are important locations for culture, tourism, and recreation. The Strand Arcade, located between Pitt Street Mall and George Street, is a historical Victorian-style shopping arcade. Opened on 1 April 1892, its shop fronts are an exact replica of the original internal shopping facades. Westfield Sydney, located beneath the Sydney Tower, is the largest shopping centre by area in Sydney.

Since the late 20th century, there has been a trend of gentrification amongst Sydney's inner suburbs. Pyrmont, located on the harbour, was redeveloped from a centre of shipping and international trade to an area of high density housing, tourist accommodation, and gambling. Originally located well outside of the city, Darlinghurst is the location of the historic Darlinghurst Gaol, manufacturing, and mixed housing. For a period it was known as an area of prostitution. The terrace-style housing has largely been retained and Darlinghurst has undergone significant gentrification since the 1980s.

Green Square is a former industrial area of Waterloo which is undergoing urban renewal worth $8 billion. On the city harbour edge, the historic suburb and wharves of Millers Point are being built up as the new area of Barangaroo. The suburb of Paddington is known for its restored terrace houses, Victoria Barracks, and shopping including the weekly Oxford Street markets.

Inner West

Newtown, one of the inner-most parts of the Inner West, is one of the most complete Victorian and Edwardian era commercial precincts in Australia.

The Inner West generally includes the Inner West Council, Municipality of Burwood, Municipality of Strathfield, and City of Canada Bay. These span up to about 11 km west of the CBD. Historically, especially prior to the building of the Harbour Bridge, the outer suburbs of the Inner West such as Strathfield were the location of "country" estates for the colony's elites. By contrast, the inner suburbs in the Inner West, being close to transport and industry, have historically housed working-class industrial workers. These areas have undergone gentrification in the late 20th century, and many parts are now highly valued residential suburbs. As of 2021, an Inner West suburb (Strathfield) remained one of the 20 most expensive postcodes in Australia by median house price (the others were all in metropolitan Sydney, all in Northern Sydney or the Eastern Suburbs). The University of Sydney is located in this area, as well as the University of Technology, Sydney and a campus of the Australian Catholic University. The Anzac Bridge spans Johnstons Bay and connects Rozelle to Pyrmont and the city, forming part of the Western Distributor.

The Inner West is today well known as the location of village commercial centres with cosmopolitan flavours, such as the "Little Italy" commercial centres of Leichardt, Five Dock and Haberfield, "Little Portugal" in Petersham, "Little Korea" in Strathfield or "Little Shanghai" in Ashfield. Large-scale shopping centres in the area include Westfield Burwood, DFO Homebush and Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre. There is a large cosmopolitan community and nightlife hub on King Street, Newtown.

The area is serviced by Sydney Trains' T1, T2 and T3 services, including the Main Suburban Line, which was the first to be constructed in New South Wales. Strathfield railway station is a secondary railway hub within Sydney, and major station on the Suburban and Northern lines. It was constructed in 1876. The future Sydney Metro West will also connect this area with the City and Parramatta. The area is also serviced by the Parramatta River services of Sydney Ferries, numerous bus routes and cycleways.

Eastern suburbs

Residences in Bellevue Hill. Sydney's eastern suburbs are made up of some of the most expensive real estate in the country

The Eastern Suburbs encompass the Municipality of Woollahra, the City of Randwick, the Waverley Municipal Council, and parts of the Bayside Council. They include some of the most affluent and advantaged areas in the country, with some streets being amongst the most expensive in the world. As at 2014, Wolseley Road, Point Piper, had a top price of $20,900 per square metre, making it the ninth-most expensive street in the world. More than 75% of neighbourhoods in the Electoral District of Wentworth fall under the top decile of SEIFA advantage, making it the least disadvantaged area in the country. As of 2021, of the 20 most expensive postcodes in Australia by median house price, nine were in the Eastern Suburbs.

Major landmarks include Bondi Beach, which was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2008; and Bondi Junction, featuring a Westfield shopping centre and an estimated office workforce of 6,400 by 2035, as well as a railway station on the T4 Eastern Suburbs Line. The suburb of Randwick contains Randwick Racecourse, the Royal Hospital for Women, the Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney Children's Hospital, and University of New South Wales Kensington Campus.

Construction of the CBD and South East Light Rail was completed in April 2020. The project aims to provide reliable and high-capacity tram services to residents in the City and South-East.

Major shopping centres in the area include Westfield Bondi Junction and Westfield Eastgardens.

Southern Sydney

Kurnell, La Perouse, and Cronulla, along with various other suburbs, face Botany Bay.

The Southern district of Sydney includes the suburbs in the local government areas of the Georges River Council (collectively known as St George) and the Sutherland Shire (colloquially known as 'The Shire'), on the southern banks of the Georges River.

The Kurnell peninsula, near Botany Bay, is the site of the first landfall on the eastern coastline made by James Cook in 1770. La Perouse, a historic suburb named after the French navigator Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse, is notable for its old military outpost at Bare Island and the Botany Bay National Park.

The suburb of Cronulla in southern Sydney is close to Royal National Park, Australia's oldest national park. Hurstville, a large suburb with commercial and high-rise residential buildings dominating the skyline, has become a CBD for the southern suburbs.

Northern Sydney

Further information: Northern Sydney
Chatswood is a major commercial district.

'Northern Sydney' may also include the suburbs in the Upper North Shore, Lower North Shore and the Northern Beaches.

The Northern Suburbs include several landmarks – Macquarie University, Gladesville Bridge, Ryde Bridge, Macquarie Centre and Curzon Hall in Marsfield. This area includes suburbs in the local government areas of Hornsby Shire, Ku-ring-gai Council, City of Ryde, the Municipality of Hunter's Hill and parts of the City of Parramatta.

The North Shore includes the commercial centres of North Sydney and Chatswood. North Sydney itself consists of a large commercial centre, which contains the second largest concentration of high-rise buildings in Sydney after the CBD. North Sydney is dominated by advertising, marketing and associated trades, with many large corporations holding offices.

The Northern Beaches area includes Manly, one of Sydney's most popular holiday destinations for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The region also features Sydney Heads, a series of headlands which form the entrance to Sydney Harbour. The Northern Beaches area extends south to the entrance of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), west to Middle Harbour and north to the entrance of Broken Bay. The 2011 Australian census found the Northern Beaches to be the most white and mono-ethnic district in Australia, contrasting with its more-diverse neighbours, the North Shore and the Central Coast.

As of the end of 2021, half of the 20 most expensive postcodes in Australia (by median house price) were in Northern Sydney, including four on the Northern Beaches, two on the Lower North Shore, three on the Upper North Shore, and one straddling Hunters Hill and Woolwich.

Hills district

The Hills district generally refers to the suburbs in north-western Sydney including the local government areas of The Hills Shire, parts of the City of Parramatta Council and Hornsby Shire. Actual suburbs and localities that are considered to be in the Hills District can be somewhat amorphous. For example, the Hills District Historical Society restricts its definition to the Hills Shire local government area, yet its study area extends from Parramatta to the Hawkesbury. The region is so named for its characteristically comparatively hilly topography as the Cumberland Plain lifts up, joining the Hornsby Plateau. Windsor and Old Windsor Roads are the second and third roads, respectively, laid in Australia.

On 26 May 2019, The Sydney Metro Northwest, which went from Chatswood to Tallawong, opened, with a large portion running through the Hills District, which meant the Hills District, for the first time, started having heavy rail. Before this, The Hills was served by Bus Rapid Transit.

Western suburbs

Further information: Greater Western Sydney
Parramatta, a major commercial centre of Greater Western Sydney, is often referred to as Sydney's "second CBD"

The greater western suburbs encompasses the areas of Parramatta, the sixth largest business district in Australia, settled the same year as the harbour-side colony, Bankstown, Liverpool, Penrith, and Fairfield. Covering 5,800 km (2,200 sq mi) and having an estimated population as at 2017 of 2,288,554, western Sydney has the most multicultural suburbs in the country – Cabramatta has earned the nickname "Little Saigon" due to its Vietnamese population, Fairfield has been named "Little Assyria" for its predominant Assyrian population and Harris Park is known as "Little India" with its plurality of Indian and Hindu population. The population is predominantly of a working class background, with major employment in the heavy industries and vocational trade. Toongabbie is noted for being the third mainland settlement (after Sydney and Parramatta) set up after British colonisation began in 1788, although the site of the settlement is actually in the separate suburb of Old Toongabbie.

The western suburb of Prospect, in the City of Blacktown, is home to Raging Waters, a water park operated by Parques Reunidos. Auburn Botanic Gardens, a botanical garden in Auburn, attracts thousands of visitors each year, including many from outside Australia. The greater west also includes Sydney Olympic Park, a suburb created to host the 2000 Summer Olympics, and Sydney Motorsport Park, a circuit in Eastern Creek. Prospect Hill, a historically significant ridge in the west and the only area in Sydney with ancient volcanic activity, is also listed on the State Heritage Register.

To the northwest, Featherdale Wildlife Park, a zoo in Doonside, near Blacktown, is a major tourist attraction. Sydney Zoo, opened in 2019, is another prominent zoo situated in Bungaribee. Established in 1799, the Old Government House, a historic house museum and tourist spot in Parramatta, was included in the Australian National Heritage List on 1 August 2007 and World Heritage List in 2010 (as part of the 11 penal sites constituting the Australian Convict Sites), making it the only site in greater western Sydney to be featured in such lists. The house is Australia's oldest surviving public building.

Further to the southwest is the region of Macarthur and the city of Campbelltown, a significant population centre until the 1990s considered a region separate to Sydney proper. Macarthur Square, a shopping complex in Campbelltown, has become one of the largest shopping complexes in Sydney. The southwest also features Bankstown Reservoir, the oldest elevated reservoir constructed in reinforced concrete that is still in use and is listed on the State Heritage Register. The southwest is home to one of Sydney's oldest trees, the Bland Oak, which was planted in the 1840s by William Bland in Carramar.

Urban structure

The Sydney CBD with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Sydney is home to the most high-rise buildings in the nation.

Architecture

See also: Architecture of Sydney, List of heritage houses in Sydney, and List of tallest buildings in Sydney

The earliest structures in the colony were built to the bare minimum of standards. Governor Macquarie set ambitious targets for the design of new construction projects. The city now has a world heritage listed building, several national heritage listed buildings, and dozens of Commonwealth heritage listed buildings as evidence of the survival of Macquarie's ideals.

York Street is an example of a city street in Sydney with an array of intact Victorian heritage architecture.

In 1814, the Governor called on a convict named Francis Greenway to design Macquarie Lighthouse. The lighthouse's Classical design earned Greenway a pardon from Macquarie in 1818 and introduced a culture of refined architecture that remains to this day. Greenway went on to design the Hyde Park Barracks in 1819 and the Georgian style St James's Church in 1824. Gothic-inspired architecture became more popular from the 1830s. John Verge's Elizabeth Bay House and St Philip's Church of 1856 were built in Gothic Revival style along with Edward Blore's Government House of 1845. Kirribilli House, completed in 1858, and St Andrew's Cathedral, Australia's oldest cathedral, are rare examples of Victorian Gothic construction.

General Post Office

From the late 1850s there was a shift towards Classical architecture. Mortimer Lewis designed the Australian Museum in 1857. The General Post Office, completed in 1891 in Victorian Free Classical style, was designed by James Barnet. Barnet also oversaw the 1883 reconstruction of Greenway's Macquarie Lighthouse. Customs House was built in 1844. The neo-Classical and French Second Empire style Town Hall was completed in 1889. Romanesque designs gained favour from the early 1890s. Sydney Technical College was completed in 1893 using both Romanesque Revival and Queen Anne approaches. The Queen Victoria Building was designed in Romanesque Revival fashion by George McRae; completed in 1898, it accommodates 200 shops across its three storeys.

As the wealth of the settlement increased and Sydney developed into a metropolis after Federation in 1901, its buildings became taller. Sydney's first tower was Culwulla Chambers which topped out at 50 m (160 ft) making 12 floors. The Commercial Traveller's Club, built in 1908, was of similar height at 10 floors. It was built in a brick stone veneer and demolished in 1972. This heralded a change in Sydney's cityscape and with the lifting of height restrictions in the 1960s there came a surge of high-rise construction.

The Great Depression had a tangible influence on Sydney's architecture. New structures became more restrained with far less ornamentation. The most notable architectural feat of this period is the Harbour Bridge. Its steel arch was designed by John Bradfield and completed in 1932. A total of 39,000 tonnes of structural steel span the 503 m (1,650 ft) between Milsons Point and Dawes Point.

Frank Gehry's Dr Chau Chak Wing Building

Modern and International architecture came to Sydney from the 1940s. Since its completion in 1973 the city's Opera House has become a World Heritage Site and one of the world's most renowned pieces of Modern design. Jørn Utzon was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2003 for his work on the Opera House. Sydney is home to Australia's first building by renowned Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building (2015). An entrance from The Goods Line–a pedestrian pathway and former railway line–is located on the eastern border of the site.

Contemporary buildings in the CBD include Citigroup Centre, Aurora Place, Chifley Tower, the Reserve Bank building, Deutsche Bank Place, MLC Centre, and Capita Centre. The tallest structure is Sydney Tower, designed by Donald Crone and completed in 1981. Due to the proximity of Sydney Airport, a maximum height restriction was imposed, now sitting at 330 metres (1083 feet). Green bans and heritage overlays have been in place since at least 1977 to protect Sydney's heritage after controversial demolitions in the 1970s.

Housing

Terraces in Kirribilli

Sydney surpasses both New York City and Paris real estate prices, having some of the most expensive in the world. The city remains Australia's most expensive housing market, with the median house price at $1,595,310 as of December 2023 It is only second to Hong Kong with the average property costing 14 times the annual Sydney salary as of December 2016.

There were 1.83 million dwellings in Sydney in 2021 including 900,000 (54%) detached houses, 218,000 (13%) semi-detached terrace houses and 550,000 (33%) units and apartments. Whilst terrace houses are common in the inner city areas, detached houses dominate the landscape in the outer suburbs. Due to environmental and economic pressures, there has been a noted trend towards denser housing, with a 30% increase in the number of apartments between 1996 and 2006. Public housing in Sydney is managed by the Government of New South Wales. Suburbs with large concentrations of public housing include Claymore, Macquarie Fields, Waterloo, and Mount Druitt.

A range of heritage housing styles can be found throughout Sydney. Terrace houses are found in the inner suburbs such as Paddington, The Rocks, Potts Point and Balmain, many of which have been the subject of gentrification. These terraces, particularly those in suburbs such as The Rocks, were historically home to Sydney's miners and labourers. In the present day, terrace houses now make up some of the most valuable real estate in the city. Surviving large mansions from the Victorian era are mostly found in the oldest suburbs, such as Double Bay, Darling Point, Rose Bay and Strathfield.

Federation homes, constructed around the time of Federation in 1901, are located in a large number of suburbs that developed thanks to the arrival of railways in the late 19th century, such as Penshurst and Turramurra, and in large-scale planned "garden suburbs" such as Haberfield. Workers cottages are found in Surry Hills, Redfern, and Balmain. California bungalows are common in Ashfield, Concord, and Beecroft. Larger modern homes are predominantly found in the outer suburbs, such as Stanhope Gardens, Kellyville Ridge, Bella Vista to the northwest, Bossley Park, Abbotsbury, and Cecil Hills to the west, and Hoxton Park, Harrington Park, and Oran Park to the southwest.

Parks and open spaces

Main article: Parks in Sydney

The Anzac War Memorial in Hyde Park is a public memorial dedicated to the Australian Imperial Force of World War I.

The Royal Botanic Garden is the most iconic green space in the region, hosting both scientific and leisure activities. There are 15 separate parks under the City administration. Parks within the city centre include Hyde Park, The Domain and Prince Alfred Park.

The Centennial Parklands is the largest park in the City of Sydney, comprising 189 ha (470 acres).

The Centennial Parklands is the largest park in the City of Sydney, comprising 189 ha (470 acres).

The inner suburbs include Centennial Park and Moore Park in the east (both within the City of Sydney local government area), while the outer suburbs contain Sydney Park and Royal National Park in the south, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in the north, and Western Sydney Parklands in the west, which is one of the largest urban parks in the world. The Royal National Park was proclaimed in 1879 and with 13,200 ha (51 sq mi) is the second oldest national park in the world.

The Anzac War Memorial in Hyde Park is a public memorial dedicated to the achievement of the Australian Imperial Force of World War I.

Hyde Park is the oldest parkland in the country. The largest park in the Sydney metropolitan area is Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, established in 1894 with an area of 15,400 ha (59 sq mi). It is regarded for its well-preserved records of indigenous habitation – more than 800 rock engravings, cave drawings and middens.

The area now known as The Domain was set aside by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1788 as his private reserve. Under the orders of Macquarie the land to the immediate north of The Domain became the Royal Botanic Garden in 1816. This makes them the oldest botanic garden in Australia. The Gardens host scientific research with herbarium collections, a library and laboratories. The two parks have a total area of 64 ha (0.2 sq mi) with 8,900 individual plant species and receive over 3.5 million annual visits.

To the south of The Domain is Hyde Park, the oldest public parkland in Australia which measures 16.2 ha (0.1 sq mi). Its location was used for both relaxation and grazing of animals from the earliest days of the colony. Macquarie dedicated it in 1810 for the "recreation and amusement of the inhabitants of the town" and named it in honour of Hyde Park in London.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Sydney
The central business district. Sydney is the financial and economic centre of Australia, having the largest economy and contributing a quarter of Australia's total GDP.

Researchers from Loughborough University have ranked Sydney amongst the top ten world cities that are highly integrated into the global economy. The Global Economic Power Index ranks Sydney eleventh in the world. The Global Cities Index recognises it as fourteenth in the world based on global engagement. There is a significant concentration of foreign banks and multinational corporations in Sydney and the city is promoted as Australia's financial capital and one of Asia Pacific's leading financial hubs.

The prevailing economic theory during early colonial days was mercantilism, as it was throughout most of Western Europe. The economy struggled at first due to difficulties in cultivating the land and the lack of a stable monetary system. Governor Macquarie created two coins from every Spanish silver dollar in circulation. The economy was capitalist in nature by the 1840s as the proportion of free settlers increased, the maritime and wool industries flourished, and the powers of the East India Company were curtailed.

Wheat, gold, and other minerals became export industries towards the end of the 1800s. Significant capital began to flow into the city from the 1870s to finance roads, railways, bridges, docks, courthouses, schools and hospitals. Protectionist policies after federation allowed for the creation of a manufacturing industry which became the city's largest employer by the 1920s. These same policies helped to relieve the effects of the Great Depression during which the unemployment rate in New South Wales reached as high as 32%. From the 1960s onwards Parramatta gained recognition as the city's second CBD and finance and tourism became major industries and sources of employment.

Sydney's nominal gross domestic product was AU$400.9 billion and AU$80,000 per capita in 2015. Its gross domestic product was AU$337 billion in 2013, the largest in Australia. The financial and insurance services industry accounts for 18.1% of gross product, ahead of professional services with 9% and manufacturing with 7.2%. The creative and technology sectors are also focus industries for the City of Sydney and represented 9% and 11% of its economic output in 2012.

Businesses

There were 451,000 businesses based in Sydney in 2011, including 48% of the top 500 companies in Australia and two-thirds of the regional headquarters of multinational corporations. Global companies are attracted to the city in part because its time zone spans the closing of business in North America and the opening of business in Europe. Most foreign companies in Sydney maintain significant sales and service functions but comparably less production, research, and development capabilities. There are 283 multinational companies with regional offices in Sydney.

Domestic economics

Pitt Street, a major street in the CBD, runs from Circular Quay in the north to Waterloo in the south, and is home to many large high-end retailers.

Sydney has been ranked between the fifteenth and the fifth most expensive city in the world and is the most expensive city in Australia. Of the 15 categories only measured by UBS in 2012, workers receive the seventh highest wage levels of 77 cities in the world. Working residents of Sydney work an average of 1,846 hours per annum with 15 days of leave.

The labour force of Greater Sydney Region in 2016 was 2,272,722 with a participation rate of 61.6%. It comprised 61.2% full-time workers, 30.9% part-time workers, and 6.0% unemployed individuals. The largest reported occupations are professionals, clerical and administrative workers, managers, technicians and trades workers, and community and personal service workers. The largest industries by employment across Greater Sydney are Health Care and Social Assistance (11.6%), Professional Services (9.8%), Retail Trade (9.3%), Construction (8.2%), Education and Training (8.0%), Accommodation and Food Services (6.7%), and Financial and Insurance Services (6.6%). The Professional Services and Financial and Insurance Services industries account for 25.4% of employment within the City of Sydney.

In 2016, 57.6% of working-age residents had a weekly income of less than $1,000 and 14.4% had a weekly income of $1,750 or more. The median weekly income for the same period was $719 for individuals, $1,988 for families, and $1,750 for households.

Unemployment in the City of Sydney averaged 4.6% for the decade to 2013, much lower than the current rate of unemployment in Western Sydney of 7.3%. Western Sydney continues to struggle to create jobs to meet its population growth despite the development of commercial centres like Parramatta. Each day about 200,000 commuters travel from Western Sydney to the CBD and suburbs in the east and north of the city.

Home ownership in Sydney was less common than renting prior to the Second World War but this trend has since reversed. Median house prices have increased by an average of 8.6% per annum since 1970. The median house price in March 2014 was $630,000. The primary cause of rising prices is the increasing cost of land and scarcity. 31.6% of dwellings in Sydney are rented, 30.4% are owned outright and 34.8% are owned with a mortgage. 11.8% of mortgagees in 2011 had monthly loan repayments of less than $1,000 and 82.9% had monthly repayments of $1,000 or more. 44.9% of renters for the same period had weekly rent of less than $350 whilst 51.7% had weekly rent of $350 or more. The median weekly rent in Sydney in 2011 was $450.

Financial services

State Savings Bank

Macquarie gave a charter in 1817 to form the first bank in Australia, the Bank of New South Wales. New private banks opened throughout the 1800s but the financial system was unstable. Bank collapses were frequent and a crisis point was reached in 1893 when 12 banks failed.

The Bank of New South Wales exists to this day as Westpac. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia was formed in Sydney in 1911 and began to issue notes backed by the resources of the nation. It was replaced in this role in 1959 by the Reserve Bank of Australia, also based in Sydney. The Australian Securities Exchange began operating in 1987 and with a market capitalisation of $1.6 trillion is now one of the ten largest exchanges in the world.

The Financial and Insurance Services industry now constitutes 43% of the economic product of the City of Sydney. Sydney makes up half of Australia's finance sector and has been promoted by consecutive Commonwealth Governments as Asia Pacific's leading financial centre. In the 2017 Global Financial Centres Index, Sydney was ranked as having the eighth most competitive financial centre in the world.

In 1985 the Federal Government granted 16 banking licences to foreign banks and now 40 of the 43 foreign banks operating in Australia are based in Sydney, including the People's Bank of China, Bank of America, Citigroup, UBS, Mizuho Bank, Bank of China, Banco Santander, Credit Suisse, Standard Chartered, State Street, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Royal Bank of Canada, Société Générale, Royal Bank of Scotland, Sumitomo Mitsui, ING Group, BNP Paribas, and Investec.

Manufacturing

Main article: Manufacturing in Australia

Sydney has been a manufacturing city since the 1920s. By 1961 the industry accounted for 39% of all employment and by 1970 over 30% of all Australian manufacturing jobs were in Sydney. Its status has declined in recent decades, making up 12.6% of employment in 2001 and 8.5% in 2011. Between 1970 and 1985 there was a loss of 180,000 manufacturing jobs. Despite this, Sydney still overtook Melbourne as the largest manufacturing centre in Australia in the 2010s, with a manufacturing output of $21.7 billion in 2013. Observers have credited Sydney's focus on the domestic market and high-tech manufacturing for its resilience against the high Australian dollar of the early 2010s. The Smithfield-Wetherill Park Industrial Estate in Western Sydney is the largest industrial estate in the Southern Hemisphere and is the centre of manufacturing and distribution in the region.

Tourism and international education

Main article: Tourism in Sydney
Darling Harbour is a major entertainment and tourism precinct.

Sydney is a gateway to Australia for many international visitors and ranks among the top sixty most visited cities in the world. It has hosted over 2.8 million international visitors in 2013, or nearly half of all international visits to Australia. These visitors spent 59 million nights in the city and a total of $5.9 billion. The countries of origin in descending order were China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Germany, Hong Kong, and India.

The city also received 8.3 million domestic overnight visitors in 2013 who spent a total of $6 billion. 26,700 workers in the City of Sydney were directly employed by tourism in 2011. There were 480,000 visitors and 27,500 people staying overnight each day in 2012. On average, the tourism industry contributes $36 million to the city's economy per day.

Popular destinations include the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Watsons Bay, The Rocks, Sydney Tower, Darling Harbour, the Royal Botanic Garden, the Australian Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Queen Victoria Building, Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach, Luna Park and Sydney Olympic Park.

Major developmental projects designed to increase Sydney's tourism sector include a casino and hotel at Barangaroo and the redevelopment of East Darling Harbour, which involves a new exhibition and convention centre, now Australia's largest.

Sydney is the highest-ranking city in the world for international students. More than 50,000 international students study at the city's universities and a further 50,000 study at its vocational and English language schools. International education contributes $1.6 billion to the local economy and creates demand for 4,000 local jobs each year.

Housing affordability

In 2023, Sydney was ranked the least affordable city to buy a house in Australia and the second least affordable city in the world, after Hong Kong, with the average Sydney house price in late 2023 costing A$1.59 million, and the average unit price costing A$795,000. As of early 2024, Sydney is often described in the media as having a housing shortage, or suffering a housing crisis.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Sydney
Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown. Sydney is home to the nation's largest population of Chinese Australians.

The population of Sydney in 1788 was less than 1,000. With convict transportation it almost tripled in ten years to 2,953. For each decade since 1961 the population has increased by more than 250,000. The 2021 census recorded the population of Greater Sydney as 5,231,150. The Australian Treasury expects the population will grow to 6.5 million in 2033–34. The four most densely populated suburbs in Australia are located in Sydney with each having more than 13,000 residents per square kilometre (33,700 residents per square mile). Between 1971 and 2018, Sydney experienced a net loss of 716,832 people to the rest of Australia, but its population grew due to overseas arrivals and a healthy birth rate.

The median age of Sydney residents is 37 and 14.8% of people are 65 or older. 48.6% of Sydney's population is married whilst 36.7% have never been married. 49.0% of families are couples with children, 34.4% are couples without children, and 14.8% are single-parent families.

Ancestry and immigration

Country of birth (2021)
Birthplace Population
Australia 2,970,737
Mainland China 238,316
India 187,810
England 153,052
Vietnam 93,778
Philippines 91,339
New Zealand 85,493
Lebanon 61,620
Nepal 59,055
Iraq 52,604
South Korea 50,702
Hong Kong SAR 46,182
South Africa 39,564
Italy 38,762
Indonesia 35,413
Malaysia 35,002
Fiji 34,197
Pakistan 31,025

Most immigrants to Sydney between 1840 and 1930 were British, Irish or Chinese. At the 2021 census, the most common ancestries were:

At the 2021 census, 40.5% of Sydney's population was born overseas. Foreign countries of birth with the greatest representation are mainland China, India, England, Vietnam, Philippines and New Zealand.

At the 2021 census, 1.7% of Sydney's population identified as being IndigenousAboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.

Language

42% of households in Sydney use a language other than English, with the most common being Mandarin (5%), Arabic (4.2%), Cantonese (2.8%), Vietnamese (2.2%) and Hindi (1.5%).

Religion

St Mary's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

In 2021, Christianity was the largest religious affiliation at 46%, the largest denominations of which were Catholicism at 23.1% and Anglicanism at 9.2%. 30.3% of Sydney residents identified as having no religion. The most common non-Christian religious affiliations were Islam (6.3%), Hinduism (4.8%), Buddhism (3.8%), Sikhism (0.7%), and Judaism (0.7%). About 500 people identified with traditional Aboriginal religions.

The Church of England was the only recognised church before Governor Macquarie appointed official Catholic chaplains in 1820. Macquarie also ordered the construction of churches such as St Matthew's, St Luke's, St James's, and St Andrew's. Religious groups, alongside secular institutions, have played a significant role in education, health and charitable services throughout Sydney's history.

Crime

Main article: Crime in Sydney

Crime in Sydney is low, with The Independent ranking Sydney as the fifth safest city in the world in 2019. However, drug use is a significant problem. Methamphetamine is heavily consumed compared to other countries, while heroin is less common. One of the biggest crime-related issues in recent times was the introduction of lockout laws in February 2014, in an attempt to curb alcohol-fuelled violence. Patrons could not enter clubs or bars in the inner-city after 1:30am, and last drinks were called at 3am. The lockout laws were removed in January 2020.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Sydney

Science, art, and history

The Art Gallery of New South Wales, located in The Domain, is the fourth largest public gallery in Australia.

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is rich in Indigenous Australian heritage, containing around 1,500 pieces of Aboriginal rock art – the largest cluster of Indigenous sites in Australia. The park's indigenous sites include petroglyphs, art sites, burial sites, caves, marriage areas, birthing areas, midden sites, and tool manufacturing locations, which are dated to be around 5,000 years old. The inhabitants of the area were the Garigal people. Other rock art sites exist in the Sydney region, such as in Terrey Hills and Bondi, although the locations of most are not publicised to prevent damage by vandalism, and to retain their quality, as they are still regarded as sacred sites by Indigenous Australians.

The State Library of New South Wales holds the oldest library collections in Australia.

The Australian Museum opened in Sydney in 1827 with the purpose of collecting and displaying the natural wealth of the colony. It remains Australia's oldest natural history museum. In 1995 the Museum of Sydney opened on the site of the first Government House. It recounts the story of the city's development. Other museums include the Powerhouse Museum and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

The State Library of New South Wales holds the oldest library collections in Australia, being established as the Australian Subscription Library in 1826. The Royal Society of New South Wales, formed in 1866, encourages "studies and investigations in science, art, literature, and philosophy". It is based in a terrace house in Darlington owned by the University of Sydney. The Sydney Observatory building was constructed in 1859 and used for astronomy and meteorology research until 1982 before being converted into a museum.

The Museum of Contemporary Art was opened in 1991 and occupies an Art Deco building in Circular Quay. Its collection was founded in the 1940s by artist and art collector John Power and has been maintained by the University of Sydney. Sydney's other significant art institution is the Art Gallery of New South Wales which coordinates the Archibald Prize for portraiture. Sydney is also home to contemporary art gallery Artspace, housed in the historic Gunnery Building in Woolloomooloo, fronting Sydney Harbour.

Entertainment

The State Theatre on Market Street was opened in 1929.

Sydney's first commercial theatre opened in 1832 and nine more had commenced performances by the late 1920s. The live medium lost much of its popularity to the cinema during the Great Depression before experiencing a revival after World War II. Prominent theatres in the city today include State Theatre, Theatre Royal, Sydney Theatre, The Wharf Theatre, and Capitol Theatre. Sydney Theatre Company maintains a roster of local, classical, and international plays. It occasionally features Australian theatre icons such as David Williamson, Hugo Weaving, and Geoffrey Rush. The city's other prominent theatre companies are New Theatre, Belvoir, and Griffin Theatre Company. Sydney is also home to Event Cinemas' first theatre, which opened on George St in 1913, under its former Greater Union brand; the theatre currently operates, and is regarded as one of Australia's busiest cinema locations.

The Sydney Opera House is the home of Opera Australia and Sydney Symphony. It has staged over 100,000 performances and received 100 million visitors since opening in 1973. Two other important performance venues in Sydney are Town Hall and the City Recital Hall. The Sydney Conservatorium of Music is located adjacent to the Royal Botanic Garden and serves the Australian music community through education and its biannual Australian Music Examinations Board exams.

A concert at the Sydney Opera House

Many writers have originated in and set their work in Sydney. Others have visited the city and commented on it. Some of them are commemorated in the Sydney Writers Walk at Circular Quay. The city was the headquarters for Australia's first published newspaper, the Sydney Gazette. Watkin Tench's A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay (1789) and A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson in New South Wales (1793) have remained the best-known accounts of life in early Sydney. Since the infancy of the establishment, much of the literature set in Sydney were concerned with life in the city's slums and working-class communities, notably William Lane's The Working Man's Paradise (1892), Christina Stead's Seven Poor Men of Sydney (1934) and Ruth Park's The Harp in the South (1948). The first Australian-born female novelist, Louisa Atkinson, set several novels in Sydney. Contemporary writers, such as Elizabeth Harrower, were born in the city and set most of their work there–Harrower's debut novel Down in the City (1957) was mostly set in a King's Cross apartment. Well known contemporary novels set in the city include Melina Marchetta's Looking for Alibrandi (1992), Peter Carey's 30 Days in Sydney: A Wildly Distorted Account (1999), J. M. Coetzee's Diary of a Bad Year (2007) and Kate Grenville's The Secret River (2010). The Sydney Writers' Festival is held annually between April and May.

Filmmaking in Sydney was prolific until the 1920s when spoken films were introduced and American productions gained dominance. The Australian New Wave saw a resurgence in film production, with many notable features shot in the city between the 1970s and 80s, helmed by directors such as Bruce Beresford, Peter Weir and Gillian Armstrong. Fox Studios Australia commenced production in Sydney in 1998. Successful films shot in Sydney since then include The Matrix, Lantana, Mission: Impossible 2, Moulin Rouge!, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Australia, Superman Returns, and The Great Gatsby. The National Institute of Dramatic Art is based in Sydney and has several famous alumni such as Mel Gibson, Judy Davis, Baz Luhrmann, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Jacqueline Mckenzie.

Sydney hosts several festivals throughout the year. The city's New Year's Eve celebrations are the largest in Australia. The Royal Easter Show is held every year at Sydney Olympic Park. Sydney Festival is Australia's largest arts festival. The travelling rock music festival Big Day Out originated in Sydney. The city's two largest film festivals are Sydney Film Festival and Tropfest. Vivid Sydney is an annual outdoor exhibition of art installations, light projections, and music. In 2015, Sydney was ranked the 13th top fashion capital in the world. It hosts the Australian Fashion Week in autumn. Sydney Mardi Gras has commenced each February since 1979.

Sydney's Chinatown has had numerous locations since the 1850s. It moved from George Street to Campbell Street to its current setting in Dixon Street in 1980. Little Italy is located in Stanley Street.

Restaurants, bars and nightclubs can be found in the entertainment hubs in the Sydney CBD (Darling Harbour, Barangaroo, The Rocks and George Street), Oxford Street, Surry Hills, Newtown and Parramatta. Kings Cross was previously considered the red-light district. The Star is the city's casino and is situated next to Darling Harbour while the new Crown Sydney resort is in nearby Barangaroo.

Media

Main article: Media in Sydney
Australia's national broadcaster, the ABC, is headquartered in Ultimo.

The Sydney Morning Herald is Australia's oldest newspaper still in print; it has been published continuously since 1831. Its competitor is The Daily Telegraph, in print since 1879. Both papers have Sunday tabloid editions called The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Telegraph respectively. The Bulletin was founded in Sydney in 1880 and became Australia's longest running magazine. It closed after 128 years of continuous publication. Sydney heralded Australia's first newspaper, the Sydney Gazette, published until 1842.

Each of Australia's three commercial television networks and two public broadcasters is headquartered in Sydney. Nine's offices and news studios are in North Sydney, Ten is based in Pyrmont, and Seven is based in South Eveleigh in Redfern. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is located in Ultimo, and the Special Broadcasting Service is based in Artarmon. Multiple digital channels have been provided by all five networks since 2000. Foxtel is based in North Ryde and sells subscription cable television to most of the urban area. Sydney's first radio stations commenced broadcasting in the 1920s. Radio has managed to survive despite the introduction of television and the Internet. 2UE was founded in 1925 and under the ownership of Nine Entertainment is the oldest station still broadcasting. Competing stations include the more popular 2GB, ABC Radio Sydney, KIIS 106.5, Triple M, Nova 96.9 and 2Day FM.

Sport and outdoor activities

Main article: Sport in Sydney

Sydney's earliest migrants brought with them a passion for sport but were restricted by the lack of facilities and equipment. The first organised sports were boxing, wrestling, and horse racing from 1810 in Hyde Park. Horse racing remains popular and events such as the Golden Slipper Stakes attract widespread attention. The first cricket club was formed in 1826 and matches were played within Hyde Park throughout the 1830s and 1840s. Cricket is a favoured sport in summer and big matches have been held at the Sydney Cricket Ground since 1878. The New South Wales Blues compete in the Sheffield Shield league and the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder contest the national Big Bash Twenty20 competition.

First played in Sydney in 1865, rugby grew to be the city's most popular football code by the 1880s. One-tenth of the state's population attended a New South Wales versus New Zealand rugby match in 1907. Rugby league separated from rugby union in 1908. The New South Wales Waratahs contest the Super Rugby competition, while the Sydney Rays represent the city in the National Rugby Championship. The national Wallabies rugby union team competes in Sydney in international matches such as the Bledisloe Cup, Rugby Championship, and World Cup. Sydney is home to nine of the seventeen teams in the National Rugby League competition: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Penrith Panthers, Parramatta Eels, South Sydney Rabbitohs, St George Illawarra Dragons, Sydney Roosters, and Wests Tigers. New South Wales contests the annual State of Origin series against Queensland.

Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers compete in the A-League Men and A-League Women competitions. The Sydney Swans and Greater Western Sydney Giants are local Australian rules football clubs that play in the Australian Football League and the AFL Women's. The Sydney Kings compete in the National Basketball League. The Sydney Uni Flames play in the Women's National Basketball League. The Sydney Blue Sox contest the Australian Baseball League. The NSW Pride are a member of the Hockey One League. The Sydney Bears and Sydney Ice Dogs play in the Australian Ice Hockey League. The Swifts are competitors in the national women's netball league.

Major sporting venues

Sailing on Sydney Harbour

Women were first allowed to participate in recreational swimming when separate baths were opened at Woolloomooloo Bay in the 1830s. From being illegal at the beginning of the century, sea bathing gained immense popularity during the early 1900s and the first surf lifesaving club was established at Bondi Beach. Disputes about appropriate clothing for surf bathing surfaced occasionally and concerned men as well as women. The City2Surf is an annual 14 km (8.7 mi) running race from the CBD to Bondi Beach and has been held since 1971. In 2010, 80,000 runners participated which made it the largest run of its kind in the world.

Sailing races have been held on Sydney Harbour since 1827. Yachting has been popular amongst wealthier residents since the 1840s and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron was founded in 1862. The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is a 1,170 km (727 mi) event that starts from Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day. Since its inception in 1945 it has been recognised as one of the most difficult yacht races in the world. Six sailors died and 71 vessels of 115 failed to finish in the 1998 edition.

Sydney Olympic Park was built for the 2000 Olympics and has become a major sporting and recreational precinct.

The Royal Sydney Golf Club is based in Rose Bay and since its opening in 1893 has hosted the Australian Open on 13 occasions. Royal Randwick Racecourse opened in 1833 and holds several major cups throughout the year.

Sydney benefitted from the construction of significant sporting infrastructure in preparation for its hosting of the 2000 Summer Olympics. The Sydney Olympic Park accommodates athletics, aquatics, tennis, hockey, archery, baseball, cycling, equestrian, and rowing facilities. It also includes the high capacity Stadium Australia used for rugby, soccer, and Australian rules football. The Sydney Football Stadium was completed in 1988 and was used for rugby and soccer matches. Sydney Cricket Ground was opened in 1878 and is used for both cricket and Australian rules football fixtures.

Sydney was one of the host cities during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Sydney Football Stadium and Stadium Australia were selected as venues, with the later hosting the final.

The Sydney International tennis tournament is held here at the beginning of each year as the warm-up for the Grand Slam in Melbourne. Two of the most successful tennis players in history (Ken Rosewall and Todd Woodbridge) were born in and live in the city.

Sydney co-hosted the FIBA Oceania Championship in 1979, 1985, 1989, 1995, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

Government

See also: Local government areas of New South Wales

Historical governance

Parliament House holds the Government of New South Wales and is the oldest public building in Australia.

The first five governors had near autocratic power in the colony of New South Wales, subject only to the laws of England and the supervision of the Colonial Office in London. Sydney was the seat of government for the colony which encompassed over half the Australian continent. The first Legislative Council met in 1826, and in 1842, the imperial parliament expanded and reformed the council, making it partly elected. In the same year, the town of Sydney officially became a city and an elected municipal council was established. The council had limited powers, mostly relating to services such as street lighting and drainage. Its boundaries were restricted to an area of 11.6 square kilometres, taking in the city centre and the modern suburbs of Woolloomooloo, Surry Hills, Chippendale, and Pyrmont. As Sydney grew, other municipal councils were formed to provide local administration.

In 1856, New South Wales achieved responsible government with the introduction of a bicameral parliament, based in Sydney, comprising a directly elected Legislative Assembly and a nominated Legislative Council. With the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901, Sydney became the capital of the state of New South Wales and its administration was divided between the Commonwealth, State and constituent local governments.

Government in the present

The Sydney Town Hall is the seat of the City of Sydney; the oldest local government in the city

In common with other Australian capital cities, Sydney has no single local government covering its whole area. Local government areas have responsibilities such as local roads, libraries, child care, community services and waste collection, whereas the state government retains responsibility for main roads, traffic control, public transport, policing, education, and major infrastructure project. There are 33 local government areas which are wholly or mostly within Greater Sydney as defined by the Australian Statistical Geography Standard.

Government House is the official residence of the Governor of New South Wales

Sydney is the location of the secondary official residences of the Governor-General and Prime MinisterAdmiralty House and Kirribilli House respectively. The Parliament of New South Wales sits in Parliament House on Macquarie Street. This building was completed in 1816 and first served as a hospital. The Legislative Council moved into its northern wing in 1829 and by 1852 had entirely supplanted the surgeons from their quarters. Several additions have been made as the Parliament has expanded, but it retains its original Georgian façade. Government House was completed in 1845 and has served as the home of 25 Governors and 5 Governors-General. The Cabinet of Australia also meets in Sydney when needed.

The highest court in the state is the Supreme Court of New South Wales, located in Queen's Square. The city is also the home of numerous branches of the intermediate District Court of New South Wales and the lower Local Court of New South Wales.

In the past, the state has tended to resist amalgamating Sydney's more populated local government areas as merged councils could pose a threat to its governmental power. Established in 1842, the City of Sydney is one such local government area and includes the CBD and some adjoining inner suburbs. It is responsible for fostering development in the local area, providing local services (waste collection and recycling, libraries, parks, sporting facilities), promoting the interests of residents, supporting organisations that target the local community, and attracting and providing infrastructure for commerce, tourism, and industry. The City of Sydney is led by an elected Council and Lord Mayor.

In federal politics, Sydney was initially considered as a possibility for Australia's capital city; the newly created city of Canberra ultimately filled this role. Seven Australian Prime Ministers have been born in Sydney, more than any other city, including first Prime Minister Edmund Barton and current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Essential public emergency services are provided and managed by the State Government. Greater Sydney is served by:

Infrastructure

Education

Main article: Education in Sydney
The University of Sydney

Education became a focus for the colony from the 1870s when public schools began to form and schooling became compulsory. By 2011, 90% of working age residents had completed some schooling and 57% had completed the highest level of school. 1,390,703 people were enrolled in an educational institution in 2011 with 45.1% of these attending school and 16.5% studying at a university. Undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications are held by 22.5% of working age Sydney residents and 40.2% of working age residents of the City of Sydney. The most common fields of tertiary qualification are commerce (22.8%), engineering (13.4%), society and culture (10.8%), health (7.8%), and education (6.6%).

The University of Technology Sydney

There are six public universities based in Sydney: The University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, University of Technology Sydney, Macquarie University, Western Sydney University, and Australian Catholic University. Five public universities maintain secondary campuses in the city: the University of Notre Dame Australia, Central Queensland University, Victoria University, University of Wollongong, and University of Newcastle. Charles Sturt University and Southern Cross University operate secondary campuses only designated for international students. In addition, four public universities offer programs in Sydney through third-party providers: University of the Sunshine Coast, La Trobe University, Federation University Australia and Charles Darwin University. 5.2% of residents of Sydney are attending a university. The University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney are ranked equal 19th in the world, the University of Technology Sydney is ranked in the top 100, while Macquarie University is ranked 237, and Western Sydney University is ranked 474. Sydney has public, denominational, and independent schools. 7.8% of Sydney residents are attending primary school and 6.4% are enrolled in secondary school. There are 935 public preschool, primary, and secondary schools in Sydney that are administered by the New South Wales Department of Education. 14 of the 17 selective secondary schools in New South Wales are based in Sydney.

Public vocational education and training in Sydney are run by TAFE New South Wales and began with the opening of the Sydney Technical College in 1878. The college became the Sydney Institute in 1992 and now operates alongside its sister TAFE facilities across the Sydney metropolitan area, namely the Northern Sydney Institute, the Western Sydney Institute, and the South Western Sydney Institute. At the 2011 census, 2.4% of Sydney residents are enrolled in a TAFE course.

Health

The Sydney Hospital, completed in 1816

The first hospital in the new colony was a collection of tents at The Rocks. Many of the convicts that survived the trip suffered from dysentery, smallpox, scurvy, and typhoid. Healthcare facilities remained inadequate despite the arrival of a prefabricated hospital with the Second Fleet and the construction of new hospitals at Parramatta, Windsor, and Liverpool in the 1790s.

Governor Macquarie arranged for the construction of Sydney Hospital, completed in 1816. Parts of the facility have been repurposed for use as Parliament House but the hospital itself still operates. The city's first emergency department was established at Sydney Hospital in 1870. Demand for emergency medical care increased from 1895 with the introduction of an ambulance service. The Sydney Hospital also housed Australia's first teaching facility for nurses, the Nightingale Wing, established with the input of Florence Nightingale in 1868.

Healthcare was recognised as a right in the early 1900s and Sydney's public hospitals came under the oversight of the Government of New South Wales. The administration of healthcare across Sydney is handled by eight local health districts: Central Coast, Illawarra Shoalhaven, Sydney, Nepean Blue Mountains, Northern Sydney, South Eastern Sydney, South Western Sydney, and Western Sydney. The Prince of Wales Hospital was established in 1852 and became the first of several major hospitals to be opened. St Vincent's Hospital was founded in 1857, followed by Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children in 1880, the Prince Henry Hospital in 1881, the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1882, the Royal North Shore Hospital in 1885, the St George Hospital in 1894, and the Nepean Hospital in 1895. Westmead Hospital in 1978 was the last major facility to open.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Sydney

Roads

Light Horse Interchange, the largest of its kind in Australia

The motor vehicle, more than any other factor, has determined the pattern of Sydney's urban development since World War II. The growth of low-density housing in the city's outer suburbs has made car ownership necessary for hundreds of thousands of households. The percentage of trips taken by car has increased from 13% in 1947 to 50% in 1960 and 70% in 1971. The most important roads in Sydney were the nine Metroads, including the 110 km (68 mi) Sydney Orbital Network. Sydney's reliance on motor vehicles and its sprawling road network has been criticised by proponents of mass public transport and high-density housing. The Light Horse Interchange in western Sydney is the largest in the southern hemisphere.

There can be up to 350,000 cars using Sydney's roads simultaneously during peak hour, leading to significant traffic congestion. 84.9% of Sydney households own a motor vehicle and 46.5% own two or more. With a rate of 26.3% in 2014, Sydney has the highest utilisation of public transport for travel to work of any Australian capital. In contrast, in 2014 only 25.2% of working residents in the City of Sydney use a car, whilst 15.8% take a train, 13.3% use a bus, and 25.3% walk. Several significant infrastructure projects have been completed since. The CBD features a series of alleyways and lanes that provide off-street vehicular access to city buildings and as well as pedestrian routes through city buildings.

Suburban trains

Main article: Sydney Trains
Central station is the busiest railway station in Australia, and the city's main public transport hub.

Established in 1906, Central station is the largest and busiest railway station in the state and is the main hub of the city's rail network. Sydney Trains is the suburban rail service. Its tracks form part of the New South Wales railway network. It serves 168 stations across the city and had an annual ridership of 302 million passenger journeys in 2023–24. Sydney's railway was first constructed in 1854 with progressive extension to the network to serve both freight and passengers. The main station is the Central railway station in the southern part of the CBD. In the 1850s and 1860s, the railway reached areas that are now outer suburbs of Sydney.

Metro

Main article: Sydney Metro
Victoria Cross Station on the Sydney Metro

Sydney Metro, a driverless rapid transit system separate from the suburban commuter network, commenced operation in May 2019 and was extended through the city to Sydenham on 19 August 2024. This line will be extended to Bankstown in 2025 and a new line through the inner west to Parramatta is planned to be built by 2030. It currently serves 21 stations. A line to serve the greater west is planned for 2026 and will include a station for the second international airport.

Light rail

Main article: Light rail in Sydney
The CBD and South East Light Rail connects Sydney's CBD with the Eastern Suburbs.

Sydney once had one of the largest tram networks in the British Empire after London. It served routes covering 291 km (181 mi). The internal combustion engine made buses more flexible than trams and consequently more popular, leading to the progressive closure of the network with the final tram operating in 1961. From 1930 there were 612 buses across Sydney carrying 90 million passengers per annum.

In 1997, the Inner West Light Rail opened between Central station and Wentworth Park. It was extended to Lilyfield in 2000 and then Dulwich Hill in 2014. It links the Inner West and Darling Harbour with Central station and facilitated 9.1 million journeys in the 2016–17 financial year. A second, the CBD and South East Light Rail 12 km (7.5 mi) line serving the CBD and Eastern Suburbs opened in 2019–2020. A light rail line serving Western Sydney opened in 2024.

Buses

Main article: Buses in Sydney

Bus services are conducted by private operators under contract to Transport for NSW. Integrated tickets called Opal cards operate on bus routes. In total, nearly 225 million boardings were recorded across the bus network. NightRide is a nightly bus service that operate between midnight and 5am.

Ferries

Main articles: Sydney Ferries, List of Sydney Harbour ferries, and Timeline of Sydney Harbour ferries
A Freshwater-class ferry Departing Circular Quay to Manly

At the time the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in 1932, the city's ferry service was the largest in the world. Patronage declined from 37 million passengers in 1945 to 11 million in 1963 but has recovered somewhat in recent years. From its hub at Circular Quay, the ferry network extends from Manly to Parramatta. Ferries in sydney are operated by Transdev Sydney Ferries and operates 10 routes.

Airports

Sydney Airport, officially "Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport", is located in Mascot. It services 46 international and 23 domestic destinations. As the busiest airport in Australia, it handled 37.9 million passengers in 2013 and 530,000 tonnes of freight in 2011. It has been announced that a new facility named Western Sydney Airport will be constructed at Badgerys Creek from 2016 at a cost of $2.5 billion. Bankstown Airport is Sydney's second busiest airport, and serves general aviation, charter and some scheduled cargo flights. Bankstown is also the fourth busiest airport in Australia by number of aircraft movements. Port Botany has surpassed Port Jackson as the city's major shipping port. Cruise ship terminals are located at Sydney Cove and White Bay.

Utilities

Warragamba Dam is Sydney's largest water supply dam.

Obtaining sufficient fresh water was difficult during early colonial times. A catchment called the Tank Stream sourced water from what is now the CBD but was little more than an open sewer by the end of the 1700s. The Botany Swamps Scheme was one of several ventures during the mid-1800s that saw the construction of wells, tunnels, steam pumping stations, and small dams to service Sydney's growing population.

The Upper Nepean Scheme came into operation in 1886. It transports water 100 km (62 mi) from the Nepean, Cataract, and Cordeaux rivers and continues to service about 15% of Sydney's water needs. Dams were built on these three rivers between 1907 and 1935. In 1977 the Shoalhaven Scheme brought several more dams into service.

The state-owned corporation WaterNSW now manages eleven major dams: Warragamba, one of the largest domestic water supply dams in the world, Woronora, Cataract, Cordeaux, Nepean, Avon, Wingecarribee Reservoir, Fitzroy Falls Reservoir, Tallowa, the Blue Mountains Dams, and Prospect Reservoir. Water is collected from five catchment areas covering 16,000 km (6,178 sq mi) and total storage amounts to 2.6 TL (0.6 cu mi). The Sydney Desalination Plant came into operation in 2010. WaterNSW supplies bulk water to Sydney Water, a state-owned corporation that operates water distribution, sewerage and storm water management services.

Sydney's electricity infrastructure is maintained by Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy. Their combined networks include over 815,000 poles and 83,000 km (52,000 mi) of cables. Submarine communications cable systems in Sydney include the Australia–Japan Cable, Telstra Endeavour and the Southern Cross Cable, which link Australia and countries in the Pacific.

Environmental issues and pollution reduction

Main article: Environmental issues in Australia Further information: Climate change in Australia and Renewable energy in Australia

Air quality

George Street and bushfire smoke in December 2019

As climate change, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution have become a major issue for Australia, Sydney has in the past been criticised for its lack of focus on reducing pollution and emissions and maintaining water quality. The release of the Metropolitan Air Quality Scheme (MAQS) led to a broader understanding of the causation of pollution in Sydney, allowing the government to form appropriate responses.

The 2019–20 Australian bushfire season significantly impacted outer Sydney and dramatically reduced air quality, leading to a smoky haze that lingered for days. The air quality was 11 times the hazardous level in some days, worse than New Delhi's; it was compared to "smoking 32 cigarettes" by Brian Oliver, a respiratory diseases scientist at the University of Technology Sydney. Since Sydney is surrounded by bushland and forest, bushfires can ring the region in a natural phenomena that is labelled "ring of fire".

The City of Sydney became the first council in Australia to achieve formal certification as carbon-neutral in 2008. The city has reduced its 2007 carbon emissions by 6% and since 2006 has reduced carbon emissions from city buildings by up to 20%. The Sustainable Sydney 2030 program presented a guide to reducing energy in homes and offices by 30%. Reductions in energy consumption have slashed energy bills by $30 million a year. Solar panels have been established on many CBD buildings to minimise carbon pollution by around 3,000 tonnes a year.

The city also has an "urban forest growth strategy", in which it aims to regular increase the tree coverage in the city by frequently planting trees with strong leaf density and vegetation to provide cleaner air and create moisture during hot weather, thus lowering city temperatures. Sydney has also become a leader in the development of green office buildings and enforcing the requirement of all building proposals to be energy-efficient. The One Central Park development, completed in 2013, is an example of this implementation.

Car-dependency

Traffic congestion on the Warringah Freeway, Milsons Point

Australian cities are some of the most car-dependent cities in the world, especially by world city standards, although Sydney's is the lowest of Australia's major cities at 66%. Sydney also has the highest usage of public transport in an Australian city, at 27%–comparable with New York City, Shanghai and Berlin. Despite its high ranking for an Australian city, Sydney has a low level of mass-transit services, with a historically low-density layout and significant urban sprawl, thus increasing the likelihood of car dependency.

Strategies have been implemented to reduce private vehicle pollution by encouraging mass and public transit, initiating the development of high density housing and introducing a fleet of 10 new electric cars, the largest order of the pollution-free vehicle in Australia. Electric cars do not produce carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide, which contribute to climate change. Cycling trips increased by 113% across Sydney's inner-city from 2010 to 2015, at which point about 2,000 bikes were passing through top peak-hour intersections on an average weekday. Transport developments in the north-west and east of the city have been designed to encourage use of the expanding public transportation system.

Sister cities

Sister cities of Sydney include:

See also

Notes

  1. In accordance with the Australian Bureau of Statistics source, England, Scotland, Mainland China and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau are listed separately.
  2. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has stated that most who nominate "Australian" as their ancestry are part of the Anglo-Celtic group.
  3. Indigenous identification is separate to the ancestry question on the Australian Census and persons identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may identify any ancestry.

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