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

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

George_Street_Sydney_1883 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.