Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and the most
populous city in Australia and Oceania.Located on Australia's east coast, the
metropolis surrounds the world's largest natural harbour, and sprawls towards
the Blue Mountains to the west. Residents of Sydney are known as
"Sydneysiders". Sydney is the second official seat and second
official residence of the Governor-General of Australia and the Prime Minister
of Australia and many federal ministries maintain substantial presences in
Sydney.
The Sydney area has been inhabited by indigenous Australians
for at least 30,000 years.The first British settlers, led by Captain Arthur
Phillip, arrived in 1788 to found Sydney as a penal colony, the first European
settlement in Australia.Since convict transportation ended in the mid-19th
century, the city has transformed from a colonial outpost into a major global
cultural and economic centre. As at June 2015 Sydney's estimated population was
4.92 million.In the 2011 census, 34 percent of the population reported having
been born overseas, representing many different nationalities and making Sydney
one of the most multicultural cities in the world. There are more than 250
different languages spoken in Sydney and about one-third of residents speak a
language other than English at home.
Despite being one of the most expensive cities in the world,the
2014 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranks Sydney tenth in the world in terms
of quality of living,making it one of the most livable cities.It is classified
as an Alpha+ World 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 finance, manufacturing and tourism. Its gross regional
product was $337 billion in 2013, the largest in Australia.There is a
significant concentration of foreign banks and multinational corporations in
Sydney and the city is promoted as Asia Pacific's leading financial hub.
First inhabitants
The first people to inhabit the area now known as Sydney
were indigenous Australians having migrated from northern Australia and before
that from Southeast Asia. Radiocarbon dating suggests human activity first started
to occur in the Sydney area from around 30,735 years ago.However, numerous
Aboriginal stone tools were found in Western Sydney's gravel sediments that
were dated from 45,000 to 50,000 years BP,which would indicate that there was
human settlement in Sydney earlier than thought.
The earliest British settlers called them Eora people.
"Eora" is the term the indigenous population used to explain their
origins upon first contact with the British. Its literal meaning is "from
this place". Prior to the arrival of the British there were 4,000 to 8,000
native people in Sydney from as many as 29 different clans.
Sydney Cove from Port Jackson to Petersham was inhabited by
the Cadigal clan.The principal language groups were Darug, Guringai, and
Dharawal. The earliest Europeans to visit the area noted that the indigenous
people were conducting activities such as camping and fishing, using trees for
bark and food, collecting shells, and cooking fish.
Development has destroyed much of the city's history
including that of the first inhabitants. There continues to be examples of rock
art and engravings located in the protected Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.The
first meeting between the native people and the British occurred on 29 April 1770
when Lieutenant James Cook landed at Botany Bay on the Kurnell Peninsula and
encountered the Gweagal clan.He noted in his journal that they were confused
and somewhat hostile towards the foreign visitors.Cook was on a mission of exploration
and was not commissioned to start a settlement. He spent a short time
collecting food and conducting scientific observations before continuing
further north along the east coast of Australia and claiming the new land he
had discovered for Britain.
Establishment of the colony
Britain—before that, England—and Ireland had for a long time
been sending their convicts across the Atlantic to the American colonies. That
trade was ended with the Declaration of Independence by the United States in
1776. Overrun with prisoners, Britain decided in 1786 to found a new penal
outpost in the territory discovered by Cook some 16 years earlier.
The colony was at first to be titled "New Albion",
but Phillip decided on "Sydney" in recognition of The 1st Baron
Sydney—later created The 1st Viscount Sydney in 1789—and his role in
authorising the establishment of the settlement. Captain Philip led the First
Fleet of 11 ships and about 850 convicts into Botany Bay on 18 January 1788,
though deemed the location unsuitable due to poor soil and a lack of fresh
water. He travelled a short way further north and arrived at Port Jackson on 26
January 1788.This was to be the location for the new colony. Phillip described
Sydney Cove as being without exception the finest harbour in the world.The
official proclamation and naming of the colony happened on 7 February 1788.
Between 1788 and 1792 about 4,300 convicts were landed at
Sydney. The colony was not founded on the principles of freedom and prosperity.
Maps from this time show no prison buildings; the punishment for convicts was
transportation rather than incarceration, but serious offences were penalised by
flogging and hanging.
Officers and convicts alike faced starvation as supplies ran
low and little could be cultivated from the land.The region's indigenous
population was also suffering. It is estimated that half of the native people
in Sydney died during the smallpox epidemic of 1789.Some mounted violent
resistance to the British settlers. Lachlan Macquarie became Governor in 1810.
Macquarie did make the most of less than ideal
circumstances. His first task was to restore order after the Rum Rebellion of
1808 against the previous Governor. Conditions in the colony were not conducive
to the development of a thriving new metropolis, but the more regular arrival
of ships and the beginnings of maritime trade helped to lessen the burden of
isolation.
Macquarie undertook an extensive building programme of some
265 separate works.Roads, bridges, wharves, and public buildings were
constructed using convict labour and come 1822 the town had banks, markets, and
well-established thoroughfares. Part of Macquarie's effort to transform the
colony was his authorisation for convicts to re-enter society as free citizens.
Geography
Topography
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. The inner city measures 25 square kilometres (10
square miles), the Greater Sydney region covers 12,367 square kilometres (4,775
square miles), and the city's urban area is 1,687 square kilometres (651 square
miles) in size.
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 as the city grew. It was not
until the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge that the northern reaches
of the coast became more heavily populated. Seventy beaches can be found along
its coastline with Bondi Beach being one of the most famous.
Aerial view of Sydney from May 2012 looking east
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.
In 1820s, Peter Miller Cunningham described the region west
of Parramatta and Liverpool as "a fine timbered country, perfectly clear
of bush, through which you might, generally speaking, drive a gig in all
directions, without any impediment in the shape of rocks, scrubs, or close
forest". This confirmed earlier accounts by Governor Phillip, who suggested
that the trees were "growing at a distance of some twenty to forty feet
from each other, and in general entirely free from brushwood..."
Vegetation
The most prevalent plant communities in the Sydney region are
Dry Sclerophyll Forests,which mainly consist of eucalyptus trees and
sclerophyll shrubs in the understory. Sclerophyll forests developed as a result
of the extreme age of the continent combined with Aboriginal fire use. Deep
weathering of the crust leached chemicals out of the rock, leaving Australian
soils deficient in nutrients.
The most widespread eucalyptus species within the biome
include Angophora costata (Sydney red gum), Eucalyptus piperita (Sydney
peppermint), Eucalyptus sieberi (Silvertop Ash), Eucalyptus oblonga
(stringybark), Eucalyptus capitellata (Brown Stringybark), Corymbia gummifera
(red bloodwood), Eucalyptus racemosa (scribbly gum) and Eucalyptus haemastoma
(scribbly gum). Most common shrub species include, but are not limited to,
Banksia serrata, Ceratopetalum gummiferum, Banksia spinulosa and Xanthosia
pilosa.
Geology
Sydney is made up of mostly Triassic rock with some recent
igneous dykes and volcanic necks. The Sydney Basin was formed when the Earth's
crust expanded, subsided, and filled with sediment in the early Triassic
period.The sand that was to become the sandstone of today was washed from
Broken Hill and laid down about 200 million years ago. The sandstone has shale
lenses and fossil riverbeds dotted throughout and it is some 200 metres (656
feet) thick. The Basin's sedimentary rocks have been subject to uplift with
gentle folding and minor faulting during the formation of the Great Dividing
Range.
Erosion by coastal streams has created a landscape of deep
gorges and remnant plateaus. 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 where Sydney now lies. 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.
Climate
Under the Köppen–Geiger classification, Sydney has a humid
subtropical climate (Cfa)[64] with warm summers, cool winters and uniform
rainfall throughout the year.[65] 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;[66][67] whereas at the
Sydney Airport station, extremes have ranged from 46.4 to −0.1 °C (115.5 to
31.8 °F).[68][69] An average of 14.9 days a year have temperatures at or above
30 °C (86 °F) in the CBD.[70] In contrast, the metropolitan area averages
between 35 and 65 days, depending on the suburb.[71] The highest minimum
temperature recorded at Observatory Hill is 27.6 °C (82 °F), in February 2011
while the lowest maximum temperature is 7.7 °C (46 °F), recorded in July
1868.[70]
The weather is moderated by proximity to the ocean, and more
extreme temperatures are recorded in the inland western suburbs.[70] Sydney
experiences an urban heat island effect.[72] This makes certain parts of the
city more vulnerable to extreme heat.[72] In late spring and summer,
temperatures over 35 °C (95 °F) are not uncommon,[73] though hot, dry
conditions are usually ended by a southerly buster.[74] This powerful storm
brings gale winds and rapid fall in temperature, followed by brief heavy rain
and thunder.[75] Due to the inland location, frost is recorded in Western
Sydney a few times in winter. Autumn and spring are the transitional seasons,
with spring showing a larger temperature variation than autumn.[76]
Lightning as seen from the Sydney Harbour
The rainfall has a moderate to low variability and it is evenly
spread through the months, though is slightly higher during the first half of
the year.In late autumn and winter, east coast lows may bring large amounts of
rainfall, especially in the CBD.Depending on the wind direction, summer weather
may be humid or dry, with the late summer/autumn period having a higher average
humidity and dewpoints than late spring/early summer. In summer, most rain
falls from thunderstorms and in winter from cold fronts.Snowfall was last
reported in the Sydney City area in 1836, while a fall of graupel, or soft
hail, mistaken by many for snow, in July 2008, has raised the possibility that
the 1836 event was not snow, either.
The city is rarely affected by cyclones, although remnants
of ex-cyclones do affect the city. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation plays an
important role in determining Sydney's weather patterns: drought and bushfire
on the one hand, and storms and flooding on the other, associated with the
opposite phases of the oscillation. Many areas of the city bordering bushland
have experienced bushfires these tend to occur during the spring and summer.
The city is also prone to severe storms. One such storm was the 1999 hailstorm,
which produced massive hailstones of at least 9 cm (3.5 in) in diameter.
The Bureau of Meteorology has reported that 2002 through
2005 were the warmest summers in Sydney since records began in 1859.The summer
of 2007–08, however, proved to be the coolest since 1996–97 and is the only
summer this century to be at or below average in temperatures.In 2009, dry
conditions brought a severe dust storm towards eastern Australia.The average
annual temperature of the sea is above 21 °C (70 °F), and the monthly average
ranges from 18 °C (64 °F) in July to 24 °C (75 °F) in January.
Architecture
The earliest structures in the colony were built to the bare
minimum of standards. Upon his appointment, Governor Lachlan Macquarie set
ambitious targets for the architectural 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.
In 1814 the Governor called on a convict named Francis
Greenway to design Macquarie Lighthouse.The lighthouse and its 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.
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 to the specifications of Lewis, with
additions from Barnet in 1887 and W L Vernon in 1899.The neo-Classical and
French Second Empire style Town Hall was completed in 1889.Romanesque designs
gained favour amongst Sydney's architects 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 and completed in 1898.It was built on the site of the
Sydney Central Markets and accommodates 200 shops across its three storeys.
The Great Depression had a tangible influence on Sydney's
architecture. New structures became more restrained with far less ornamentation
than was common before the 1930s. The most notable architectural feat of this
period is the Harbour Bridge. Its steel arch was designed by John Jacob Crew
Bradfield and completed in 1932. A total of 39,000 tonnes of structural steel
span the 503 metres (1,650 feet) between Milsons Point and Dawes Point.
The atrium of 1 Bligh Street, an example of Sydney's
contemporary architecture
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. It was conceived by Jørn Utzon with contributions from Peter Hall,
Lionel Todd, and David Littlemore. 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 architect Frank Gehry, the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building (2015),
based on the design of a tree house. An entrance from The Goods Line–a
pedestrian pathway and former railway line–is located on the eastern border of
the site.
Sydney's first tower was Culwulla Chambers on the corner of
King Street and Castlereagh Street which topped out at 50 metres (160 feet).
With the lifting of height restrictions in the 1960s there came a surge of
high-rise construction. Acclaimed architects such as Jean Nouvel, Harry
Seidler, Richard Rogers, Renzo Piano, Norman Foster, and Frank Gehry have each
made their own contribution to the city's skyline.
Important 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.Regulations limit new buildings to a height of 235 metres
(771 feet) due to the proximity of Sydney Airport, although strict restrictions
employed in the early 2000s have slowly been relaxed in the past ten years.
Housing
Sydney real estate prices are some of the most expensive in
the world, surpassing both New York City and Paris.There were 1.5 million
dwellings in Sydney in 2006 including 940,000 detached houses and 180,000 semi-detached
terrace houses.Units or apartments make up 25.8% of Sydney's dwellings, more
than the 12.8% which are semi-detached but less than the 60.9% which are
separate houses.Whilst terrace houses are common in the inner city areas, it is
detached houses that dominate the landscape in the outer suburbs.
About 80% of all dwellings in Western Sydney are separate
houses.Due to environmental and economic pressures there has been a noted trend
towards denser housing. There was a 30% increase in the number of apartments in
Sydney 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. The Government has
announced plans to sell nearly 300 historic public housing properties in the
harbourside neighbourhoods of Millers Point, Gloucester Street, and The Rocks.
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.Federation
homes, constructed around the time of Federation in 1901, are located in
Penshurst, Turramurra, and in Haberfield. Haberfield is known as "The
Federation Suburb" due to the extensive number of Federation homes.
Workers cottages are found in Surry Hills, Redfern, and Balmain. California
bungalows are common in Ashfield, Concord, and Beecroft.
Parks and open spaces
The Royal Botanic Garden is the most important green space
in the Sydney region, hosting both scientific and leisure activities.There are
15 separate parks under the administration of the City of Sydney.Parks within
the city centre include Hyde Park, The Domain and Prince Alfred Park.
The outer suburbs include Centennial Park and Moore Park in
the east, Sydney Park and Royal National Park in the south, Ku-ring-gai Chase
National Park in the north, and the Western Sydney Parklands in the west. The
Royal National Park was proclaimed on 26 April 1879 and with 13,200 hectares
(51 square miles) is the second oldest national park in the world.The largest
park in the Sydney metropolitan region is Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park,
established in 1894 with an area of 15,400 hectares (59 square miles).It is
regarded for its well-preserved records of indigenous habitation and more than
800 rock engravings, cave drawings, and middens have been located in the park.
The area now known as The Domain was set aside by Governor
Arthur Phillip in 1788 as his private reserve.[156] 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 are not just a place for exploration and relaxation, but also for
scientific research with herbarium collections, a library, and laboratories.The
two parks have a total area of 64 hectares (0.2 square miles) with 8,900 individual
plant species and receive over 3.5 million annual visits.
To the south of The Domain is Hyde Park. It is the oldest
public parkland in Australia and measures 16.2 hectares (0.1 square miles) in
area.Its location was used for both relaxation and the 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 the original Hyde Park in London.
Economy
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 number eleven in the
world.The Global Cities Index recognises it as number fourteen in the world based
on global engagement.
The prevailing economic theory in effect 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 Lachlan Macquarie solved the
second problem by creating two coins from every Spanish silver dollar in circulation.The
economy was clearly 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 additional 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 central business district and finance and tourism became
major industries and sources of employment.
Sydney's gross regional product was $337.45 billion in 2013
with the City of Sydney responsible for $95.18 billion of this total.The
Financial and Insurance Services industry accounts for 18.1% of gross product
and is ahead of Professional Services with 9% and Manufacturing with 7.2%. In
addition to Financial Services and Tourism, the Creative and Technology sectors
are focus industries for the City of Sydney and represented 9% and 11% of its
economic output in 2012.
Tourism and international education
Sydney is a gateway to Australia for many international
visitors. 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.
Tourists visiting the Sydney Opera House
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 Royal National Park, the Australian
Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the
Queen Victoria Building, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach, the Blue Mountains, 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
that will become Australia's largest upon completion.
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.
Culture
The Australian Museum opened in Sydney in 1857 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 based in Sydney include the Powerhouse Museum
and the Australian National Maritime Museum.
In 1866 then Queen Victoria gave her assent to the formation
of the Royal Society of New South Wales. The Society exists "for the
encouragement of 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 Anzac War Memorial in Hyde Park is a public memorial
dedicated to the achievement of the Australian Imperial Force of World War I.
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 coveted Archibald Prize for
portraiture.Contemporary art galleries are found in Waterloo, Surry Hills,
Darlinghurst, Paddington, Chippendale, Newtown, and Woollahra.
Sport and outdoor activities
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 to this day 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.
International Twenty20 cricket matches have been hosted
annually at Stadium Australia since 2012.
Rugby was played from 1865 as sport in general gained more
popularity and better organisation. One-tenth of the colony 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. 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 sixteen teams in the National Rugby League
competition: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Manly
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 soccer tournament and Sydney frequently hosts matches for the
Australian national team, the Socceroos. The Sydney Swans and the Greater
Western Sydney Giants are local Australian football clubs that play in the
Australian Football League. 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 Waratahs are a
member of the Australian Hockey 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.
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
from time to time and concerned men as well as women. The City2Surf is an
annual 14-kilometre (8.7-mile) running race from the central business district
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-kilometre (727-mile) 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 the fleet of 115 failed
to finish in the 1998 edition.
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.
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 football.
Sydney Football Stadium was completed in 1988 and is used for rugby and soccer
matches. Sydney Cricket Ground was opened in 1878 and is used for both cricket
and Australian football fixtures.
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