Sydney Largest City in Australia

Sydney is Australia's oldest and largest city. It is the capital of the state of New South Wales in Australia,and the commercial capital of Australia.

About 3.8 million people live in the greater Sydney area. The defining symbols of Sydney are its Opera House and "coat hanger bridge".

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House Facts

It took 14 years to build the Sydney Opera House.
And cost $102,000,0000 when completed in 1973.
It covers an area of 1.8 hectares (4.5 acres).
The opera house is 185 metres (611 feet) long and 120 metres (380 feet) wide.
The tip of its highest arch is 67 metres (221 feet) above sea level.
Its roofs are made up of 2,194 pre-cast concert sections held together by 350 kilometres (217 miles) of steel cable.
These roofs are covered with over 1,056,000 tiles.
Hosts over 3000 events each year with audiences of around 2 million people.

The Opera House, situated at Bennelong Point, is an absolutely exquisite building. Its roof-line symbolises the bellowing "sails" of sailing ships of a bygone era and the spinnakers of the racing yachts that ply the harbour today.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge took seven years to build and was opened in 1932.

Bondi Beach

Almost 80% of the Australian population live within a few hours drive from the beach. Sydney more than any other city is renowned for its beaches (Bondi being the most famous) and of course its lifeguards.

History of Sydney

The Aboriginal people lived around the area that is now Sydney for thousands of years before the first European settlers arrived in the 1770's.

The area that is now Sydney was named Port Jackson by Captain James Cook when he visited the east coast of Australia in 1770. Port Jackson was selected by Captain Arthur Phillip as the most suitable site for the first European settlement in Australia in 1788. He named the place after the British Prime Minister at the time: Lord Sydney.

The colony faced many hardships and near starvation trying to grow crops in this new land. After the initial difficulties however the colony grew rapidly as new migrates arrived in larger numbers.