Facts About Sydney: History, Climate, Landmarks and More

Contents

1 Introduction
2 A brief history of Sydney
3 Sydney climate
4 Sydney City Layout
5 Sydney Population and Demographics
6 Industry in Sydney
7 Famous Landmarks in Sydney, Plus Awesome Facts
8 Other facts about Sydney
9 Other Great Sydney Guides
10 Need Help Moving? Let Us Help!

Introduction

From its world-famous port and gorgeous natural surroundings of the Blue Mountains, through to its booming arts, cultural, and nightlife sectors, the world-famous city of Sydney has heaps to offer.

With more than 5 million people living in the metropolitan region, there’s an abundance of culture and history to discover from this coastal city. Join us as we take a closer look at these interesting facts about Sydney.

A brief history of Sydney

Starting out as a penal colony, Sydney was founded in 1788, when the first British fleet consisting of 1,000 settlers (most of whom were convicts) docked on the shores of Australia.

The Sydney Observatory, the Australian Museum, Sydney Town Hall, and the Queen Victoria Building were all constructed in the 1850s as the city flourished. A gold rush in the mid-nineteenth century also contributed to the city’s growth.

Sydney became the capital of the Australian state of New South Wales when the Commonwealth of Australia was established in January 1901, and through accelerated industrialization, the city grew swiftly.

Despite the great depression, the famed Sydney Harbour Bridge (which connects the city’s northern and southern banks) debuted in 1932, taking 1,400 workers eight years to finish the project.

Following WWII, Sydney continued to grow, and successive waves of European and Asian immigration resulted in a cultural melting pot. New skyscrapers began to appear in the 1960s, with the renowned Opera House following in 1973.

More recently, the Sydney Olympics in 2000 sparked a new wave of tourism and immigration, as spectators fell in love with the city. Millions of tourists visit Sydney’s shores each year, making it one of the world’s most popular tourist sites.

Sydney climate

sun Sydney is located at 34 degrees south latitude and has an average mean temperature of 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit) in January and 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) in July.

The annual precipitation averages 47 inches (1,200 mm) and is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year. With brief tropical deluges in summer (December–February), the most rain occurs in late autumn and the least comes in early spring.

There are a few days in each year where winds from the desert hit Sydney, making the temperature skyrocket.

Sydney City Layout

Greater Sydney runs from the Blue Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, and from the southern shores of Lake Macquarie in the north to Botany Bay in the south.

Although just around a third of this territory is classed as urban, the urban area is home to the vast majority of the region’s people.

Sydney is unique in that it is nearly completely surrounded by dozens of national and regional parks, as well as many leisure areas.

National parks within the city limits include Sydney Harbour, Garigal, and Lane Cove, with Kur-ring-gai Chase National Park to the north, and Botany Bay and Royal national parks to the south.

Sydney Population and Demographics

Sydney has a metropolitan population of 2.7 million and a population of around 170,000 within the inner city. Of the two main financial, trade and cultural centres of Australia (the other being Melbourne), it is home to a range of different demographics.

Founded by the British, the majority of Sydney residents are still of British and Irish ancestry. However, in the years following WWII, Australia welcomed a considerable number of immigrants from various European nations and Asia, including Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Turkish, and Vietnamese nationals.

This is why many of the inner suburbs have a particular Greek or Italian flavour, and ethnic eateries can be found in practically every neighbourhood.

In terms of religion, The Anglican and Roman Catholic churches (each with its own cathedral) are the two main religious denominations in Sydney, although there are also many mosques, synagogues, and temples.

Industry in Sydney

Sydney is known across the world for its capabilities in the financial and professional services, information technology, health, education, and research industries.

Sydney is also home to more than 600 global corporations with operations in Asia and the Pacific. Cooperative research centers, centers of excellence, specialised research centers, and medical health institutes all support these industries.

The digital and information communication technology (ICT) sectors in Australia are headquartered in Sydney. The Sydney Startup Hub, the Southern Hemisphere’s greatest start-up powerhouse, is located in the harbour city. Sydney is the preferred site for 60 of Australia’s 64 banks, as well as several of the country’s main industry groups, financial institutions, and insurers.

Famous Landmarks in Sydney, Plus Awesome Facts

There’s a lot to do and see in the city, but here is a quick look at some of the more popular and famous destinations:

Sydney Opera House Facts

The Sydney Opera House was originally estimated to cost $7 million to construct. The total cost was $102 million, with most of the money coming from a state lottery.
In 1956, 233 designs were submitted for the worldwide design competition for the Sydney Opera House. Jorn Utzon of Denmark was named the winner and was awarded $5,000 for his design.
It was estimated that construction would take four years. It took fourteen years. The project began in 1959 and employed 10,000 construction workers.
In 2007, the Sydney Opera House was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Opera House attracts more than 10.9 million visitors each year.

Sydney Harbour Bridge Facts

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The building of Sydney Harbour Bridge began on July 28, 1923, and was finished March 19, 1932 with the work of 1,400 builders.
Paul Hogan, also known as Crocodile Dundee, worked as a painter on the Sydney Harbour Bridge before becoming a famous actor and comic.
BridgeClimb, which opened to the public in 1998, has allowed over 3 million visitors to scale the bridge.
The four massive granite-faced pylons at either end of the bridge are for decorative purposes and don’t support the structure at all.
The construction used over six million hand-driven rivets, 53,000 tonnes of steel, and 272,000 gallons of paint.

Taronga Zoo Facts

Taronga zoo has over 2,600 animals and around 340 species spread over 21 hectares.
The zoo is separated into eight different geographical areas. The part dedicated to Australian animals is the largest. There are also multiple aviaries and a seal and penguin aquarium component.
Taronga Zoo was established in 1916, replacing New South Wales’ original zoo, which opened in Moore Park in 1884.
Over 120,000 schoolchildren visited the zoo in the month leading up to its formal opening, an average of 3000 youngsters each day.
Sir David Attenborough has spent time at Taronga Zoo. Along with comedian John Cleese and actress Naomi Watts, he is one of the zoo’s centennial ambassadors.

Facts About Sydney Tower

A truly “stand-out” landmark, in the city, it is known as Sydney’s tallest structure and the second tallest observation tower in the whole of the Southern Hemisphere. Here are some other facts:

The height of Sydney Tower is 309 meters from the ground to the very tip of the spire.
A semi-automatic cleaning machine named ‘Charlie’ recycles and filters 50 gallons of water and cleans all 420 windows in two days.
The tower is stabilized by 56 cables that, if placed end to end, would stretch from Sydney to Alice Springs or from Sydney to New Zealand.
In September 1981, the Sydney Tower was opened to the public.
The golden turret has a capacity of 960 people and has two levels of restaurants, an observation deck, two telecommunication transmission levels, and three plant levels.
The name Sydney Tower has had various names in the past which include some of the following: Centrepoint Tower, The AMP Tower. Other names include The Flower Tower, Glower Tower, and Big Poke.

Facts about Darling Harbour

Darling Harbour was named after Lieutenant-General Ralph Darling, Governor of New South Wales from 1825 to 1831.
The original residents of the region around Sydney Cove called it ’Tumbalong’, which means “place where seafood is found.”
Darling Harbour is home to the Australian Maritime Museum, Chinese Garden of Friendship, Panasonic IMAX Theatre, Powerhouse Museum, an Outback Centre, Star City, the Sydney Aquarium, and the Sydney Art Gallery.
On the 4th of May, 1988, HRH Queen Elizabeth II formally inaugurated Darling Harbour. The Sydney Aquarium was the first attraction to open.

Facts about Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach set a Guinness World Record for the largest ever swimsuit photoshoot in 2007 with 1010 women participating.
“Bondi” is derived from an Aboriginal term meaning “water crashing over rocks.”
Bondi Beach is a crescent-shaped beach that stretches for around one kilometer (0.62 miles).
The warmest day on the beach was in January 2018, when the temperature reached 47.3 degrees Celsius.
Bondi Beach is known for its surf with waves that can reach 4 metres.

Other facts about Sydney

Nearly 40% of Sydneysiders were born overseas.
British colonisers were originally going to call the settlement New Albion, later changing the name to honour Lord Sydney, Tommy Townshend— who ended up never setting foot in Australia.
Sydney’s postcode is 2000, after the year in which they hosted the Olympic Games.
Sydney Has More Than 100 Beaches
Sydney is always the first major city in the world to see in the New Year, due to its location near the International Date Line.
Sydney Harbour is also the world’s largest natural harbour. The harbour has a single entrance and covers an area of 11 miles.

Other Great Sydney Guides

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