Although I was born in Melbourne, I grew up and was educated in Sydney. Apart from my career taking us to Melbourne for nine years, and England for one, Sydney has been my home base.
When we talk about Sydney, we are talking about the State Capital of the Australian State of New South Wales. Indigenous Australians are believed to have been in the area for over 30,000 years. Founded as a British Colony in 1788, with the arrival of the First Fleet, Sydney is just 225 years old this year!
The largest city in Australia, with a widespread metropolitan area, has a population of over 4.6 million distributed over 12,144 km2. It is a multicultural society, with the original British & Irish stock long since diluted by migration, from Europe, especially since WWII. Subsequently, we have seen significant migration from our Asian neighbours and the sub-continent.
Sited on and around Sydney Harbour (along with San Francisco and Rio de Janeiro, one of the most attractive harbours of the world), it is a city that grew, sometimes without planning. Streets have many hills and bends which add to the visual charm but can contribute to traffic chaos. Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened in 1932 with six lanes for cars and buses, two each for trains and trams. With the demise of trams, an extra two lanes were made available to motor vehicles. When the Sydney Harbour Tunnel opened in 1988, adding 50% to the capacity for motor vehicles, it was predicted that we would be back to the same level of congestion within 20 years. 25 years later, with congestion worse than ever, there is no plan yet for any additional crossing into the city!
Two of our most recognisable visual attractions are the Sydney Opera House, opened in 1973, and the Bridge referred to above.
The Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge (aka “The Coat Hanger”) seen from the Harbour (above) and a Harbour Ferry loaded with spectators for New Year’s Day (below)
A Tall Ship on parade on New Year’s Day 2010 (above) and the modern City (below)
Many of us, when advocating the beauty of Sydney, first talk about the Harbour. The various ferries transport many people to and from work as well as providing a valuable tourist service. However, many of us rarely see the Harbour, let alone travel on it! What a privilege it was, then, for our grandson (aged nearly eleven) to sail a mirror sailing dinghy with one of Sydney’s most experienced sailors. That’s them in the picture below, in the green boat with a red, and a pink and green sail. While I have been on the Harbour many times in various craft, our grandson is the first direct ancestor or descendant in the family to actually sail on it.
