Sydney is the capital city of the south-eastern Australian state of New South Wales, situated on Port Jackson, more commonly known as "Sydney Harbour". With a population of just over 4.25 million, Sydney—the "Harbour City"—remains the largest, oldest and most cosmopolitan city in Australia. Sydney has a reputation worldwide as one of the world's most beautiful cities, brimming with historical associations and globally influential in the realms of culture, art, fashion, cuisine and design. The city is also home to many unique architectual styles, including the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, two of the most iconic structures on the planet.
Sydney is a dynamic centre for Australian economic activity and one of the most important cities for finance in the Asia-Pacific region. Sydney was also the host of the 2000 Olympic Games, which successfully raised the city's global profile. Though comprised of a large, sometimes sprawling population, Sydney nonetheless retains many large public spaces and lush green parklands—the city is literally surrounded by national parks, which extend even into the suburbs and the shores of the Harbour.
Districts
Sydney sprawls extensively around its Harbour in Port Jackson, up the Parramatta River to the west, along the adjacent coastlines (both north and south) and across the surrounding Cumberland Plain to the Blue Mountains. The city and its suburbs (many of which are cities in their own right) form a vast metropolitan area.
Owing to the city's size and variety, the districts of Sydney remain notoriously difficult to categorise.
Central Sydney
North of the Harbour
Heading East
Heading West
Heading South
Satellite towns
Some of the areas on the far western edge of Sydney developed long before the expansion of the suburbs to their doorstep, and are still considered to some extent separate towns:
Understand
History
Sydney is the oldest European settlement in Australia, having been founded as a British penal colony on 26 January 1788 (now celebrated as Australia Day, the national public holiday, with major festivities around the city and the Harbour).
People
Sydney is one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the planet. As well as being home to the decendents of those who arrived with the original English, Irish and Scottish colonists, Sydney has attracted immigrants from all over the world - from countries as diverse as Italy, Greece, China, New Zealand, India, the Phillipines, Lebanon, Vietnam, Thailand, South Africa and the Pacific Islands. Sydney's culture, food and general outlook reflect these contributions to the majority Anglo-Celtic cultural basis.
Sydney has a prominent gay community. Every year, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is celebrated at the end of February, drawing people from all over Australia and the world for the celebrations.
Sydney became the centre of the world's attention in September 2000 when the city hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics - officially announced by the IOC Chairman at the Closing Ceremony as "the best games ever"! The Olympics saw a major building and renovation program take hold of Sydney, positioning it as one of the great world cities of the 21st century and will continue to hold its world city status.
Climate
Sydney is perhaps best described as "sub-tropical" - although Sydneysiders talk about "four seasons", it is truer to say that Sydney has but two seasons: a hot, mildly humid one (summer), and a colder one (winter). Others , citing indigenous traditions claim up to six seasons (not all in the same year) : hot/dry, hot/humid, warm/dry, warm/humid, cool/dry, cool/wet. The city is generally comfortable for travellers to visit any time of year. The average annual temperature in central Sydney is 25°C (77°F). The city enjoys in excess of 300 sunny days each year - that said, when it rains, it really can rain, varying between days of grey drizzle to over a week of bucketing downpours with occasional localised flooding (although Sydney is currently in the middle of a six year-long drought).
Summer can be extremely hot, with temperatures climbing to over 40 degrees Celsius for a number of days each year in Summer, accompanied alternately by stifling humidity and searing dry winds. Sydney is generally well equipped with air conditioning in public buildings, however, and the beaches and harbour are only a short journey away -- just remember your sun protection, as the UV exposure risk is extreme in Australia! Hot summer days frequently (though not always...) end with a "Southerly buster", a cold front sweeping up from the south, bringing a clearly noticeable drop in temperature, driving rain and thunderstorms -- a "mini monsoon". Within hours, the storm can pass and the evening continues cooler. Summer is also the season when bush fires on the margins of the city are most prevalent. For this reason, in hot weather lighting of outdoor fires (non-gas BBQ's etc) is frequently banned (reported as a "total fire ban" during weather reports) and visits to National Parks can be hindered .
Winter in Sydney is generally cool, not cold - daytime temperatures rarely drop below 13°C, but night-time temperatures can fall to below 9°C.
Most Sydney residents would agree that autumn and spring are the most equable times to visit. March and April, especially, tend to have clear, warm days with mild nights. Spring is very similar, though perhaps with the chance of more rain. If you wish to make the most of Sydney's beaches, visiting between late-October and early-April. Outside of these times it is generally considered too cold to swim in the ocean.
Getting in
By plane
Sydney has one major airport (SYD, Mascot, or Kingsford-Smith):
Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) is Australia's largest and most important international and domestic airport, located 8 km from the city centre at Mascot in Southern Sydney.
Multiple daily flights link Sydney with key city destinations in the Pacific, Asia, Europe and North America. The Asian-Pacific transport hubs of Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok and Tokyo are particularly well-served, as are various European centres via Asia. Multiple flight links also exist with New Zealand. In addition, the west coast of the US and Hawaii are popular inbound / outbound destinations.
Travelers from Europe and the Middle East tend to travel into Sydney via Asia, whilst travelers from South America fly via either North America or New Zealand.
You can fly to Sydney directly from all other Australian capital cities and from many major regional airports. Otherwise, you will usually need to fly to the state capital and transfer to a Sydney flight. Sydney can be reached within an hour and a half from Melbourne and Brisbane, a little less from Canberra and just under four hours from Perth.
Airlines and Terminals
Check the terminal that you are arriving at carefully.
International terminal (T1)- handles all international flights. Sydney Airport is the only airport in Australia with connections to every continent. Domestic sectors of international flights can also arrive and depart from here. You can fly a domestic sector to Sydney or Melbourne and end up departing or arriving from the International terminal. Check your itinerary and flight number as connections, customs etc will take longer when arriving or departing from the International Terminal even on a domestic flight!
Domestic terminal 2 (T2)- largest domestic terminal at the aiport, some airlines include Qantas & Qantaslink (Qantas flights 1600 and above), Aeropelican, Regional Express (Rex), Jetstar and Virgin Blue
Domestic terminal 3 (T3)- handles only Qantas flights from 450-1599, with are mainly the inter-capital services. Qantas Cityflyer flights generally depart and arrive at Terminal 3.
Transferring between terminals
Transferring between T2 and T3 is by walking. However if you have to get between T2/T3 and T1 you cannot walk, as the terminals are on opposite sides of the airport tarmac. You will have to use one of the following methods to transfer.
Sydney airport is world class in many respects, but terminal transfers are clumsy, and will surprise those who are used to terminal shuttles in other developed airports worldwide.
Transport Options from the Airport to the City
It is worth considering what your travel arrangements will be while in Sydney before purchasing a public transport ticket to the city as many multi-day and tourist tickets include some or all of the travel cost to to the city.
Alternative Airports
There are no practical alternative airports to access the Sydney area.
By car
Sydney is within a reasonable driving distance (minimum 10 hours driving) of Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Most people allow two days to cover this distance.
If renting a car check the daily distance allowances and any one-way charge that may apply. Cars may be rented at the airport and elsewhere from major rental companies, or at smaller, less conveniently located, cheaper companies such as Bayswater Car Rental in Kings Cross.
By train
All major train links to Sydney terminate at Sydney's Central Station in the south of the CBD area. Travellers can transfer to Cityrail trains or the light rail service to Darling Harbour, as well as to taxis.
New South Wales' long distance train service CountryLink (ph 13 22 32 within Australia) runs daily services to Sydney from Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and many regions of New South Wales including the North Coast, New England, the Central West and the Southern Highlands. Travelling time from Melbourne and Brisbane is around 12 hours. Fares range between $30 and $100 for standard class seats.
The Indian Pacific train service (ph 13 21 47 within Australia or 08 8213 4592 internationally) runs from Perth to Sydney via Adelaide and Broken Hill. Adult fares from Perth are $1250 for a sleeper cabin and $513 for a seat. Children's fares are $805 for a sleeper cabin and $139 for a seat. The train departs from Perth on Wednesdays and arrives at Sydney on Saturdays. Note that these fares are much higher than return plane fares to Perth, this journey is really for train journey enthusiasts who want to see the interior of Australia.
The Cityrail network runs services several times a day from close regional cities: Newcastle via the Central Coast (New South Wales), Goulburn via the Southern Highlands, Nowra via the South Coast and Lithgow via the Blue Mountains. Fares on these trains range from $4 - $25 for adult.
Get around
Sydney has a good public transport system, especially in areas closer to the city area where many attractions are. You can find out timetables, fares, and routes by phoning 131 500 within Australia for the cost of a local call, or by visiting 131500.info. The further away from the city you travel, the less frequent and comprehensive public transport services will tend to be.
The cheapest way to use the buses, trains and ferries is to purchase one of the many travel cards: multi-use tickets typically sold at a 10-20% discount. Some (for trains, buses or multi-modal) are unlimited use within a time limit (e.g. 1 day or 1 week), others (for buses and ferries only) let you travel for ten trips but have no time limit. Information about the discounted commuter tickets and leisure tickets is available from Cityrail; otherwise a quick visit to the TransitShops in Circular Quay (cnr of Loftus & Alfred Sts) or outside the Queen Victoria Building or the information booth at Central Station will get you all the info you need. Most newsagents also stock travel cards. If you are in Sydney for a week or more, or even planning a busy day on the ferries then one of these passes will save you a few dollars, maybe even enough for an extra cold beer at the end of your travels at one of Sydney's many pubs.
Of particular interest to short-term visitors are the CityHopper ticket ($6.80 adults and $3.40 children, cheaper if bought after 10am) which allows unlimited train travel for a day in the centre of the train network; the DayTripper ticket ($15 adults and $7 children) which allows unlimited travel on all metropolitan Cityrail trains, Sydney Bus services and Sydney Ferry services; and the longer term SydneyPass tickets, allowing unlimited travel for up to 8 days including tourist services. An alternative is the week-long Red TravelPass which includes all trains, buses and ferries in the inner Sydney area for around $30.
Note that there are private buses and ferries away from the city that do not accept the abovementioned travel cards and will require the purchase of cash tickets.
By car
Outside of peak times (7am to 9am, and 4pm until 6pm) you can drive around Sydney reasonably freely. Outside of peak times travelling by car is usually at least as quick as any method of public transport. Roads are generally well signposted to the next major suburb or suburbs along the route. Only a handful of cross-city met-roads are signposted by number.
Many outlying areas are served by freeways many of which charge tolls ranging from from $2 to $6. On some tollways there is the option to pay in cash but three roads: the Cross-City Tunnel (which passes underneath the CBD area), the Westlink M7 (the western ring freeway) and the Lane Cove tunnel, are exclusively electronic tollways with no traditional tollbooths. Tolls may only be paid by purchasing an electronic pass from the tollway management up to 24 hours before or after using the road. The number to call or website to visit is displayed as you go pass the tolling point. Beware that if you are in a rental car and do not call in to pay the toll, the rental car company charge a substantial fee to your credit card.
Driving your car in the Sydney CBD is possible but parking is expensive. Expect to pay up to $50 per day at some central parking lots, and around $25 even with specials. CBD hotels invariably charge for parking for the guests.
As with the rest of Australia, driving is on the left hand side of road. Travel times from the CBD to outlying suburbs can range from 30 minutes if you use freeways to 60+ minutes if tolls are avoided. As an indication, travelling between Sydney CBD and Penrith, one of the furthest West suburbs at the base of the Blue Mountains takes approximately 60 minutes if using the M4 motorway outside of peak hour.
Speed limits are posted in kilometres. Stay alert for speed limit changes and for school speed zones enforced at certain times of day. It is not unusual for high speed roads to drop to 40km/h for school zones or to 50km/h for areas with high pedestrian activity. Speed cameras often monitor these locations.
By taxi
Taxis are a convenient way to get around Sydney if you don't know it. They can also be the only transport option available late at night when the trains and buses stop. All Sydney taxis are metered: it's rare for drivers to forget to turn the meter on, but it's important to check the meter because there are two meter rates: a day rate (rate 1) with a flag fall of $2.90, a distance rate of $1.68 a kilometre, a waiting rate of $0.72 a minute and a booking fee of $1.50; and a night rate (rate 2) which adds a 20% surcharge to the distance rate. The night rate applies for journeys commencing between 10pm and 6am: check the meter of your taxi at other times for a 1 or a 2 next to the current charge: if it's set to 2, remind your driver to switch to the day rate.
Passengers are expected to pay all tolls for their trip. In addition, passengers who are taken north over the Harbour Bridge, for which there is no toll, are expected to pay the driver's southbound toll for the return into the city (currently $3). Drivers will sometimes take toll roads without asking you, and will simply add the toll amounts before quoting the fare. Do ask if you are unsure why they are asking for an amount above that shown on the meter.
Multiple taxi companies provide services to potential passengers; Taxis Combined (tel 131 008) perhaps provide the most extensive coverage.
Tipping is never expected anywhere in Australia, but it might be nice if you round a taxi fare up to the next dollar (or five or ten dollars, depending on the base fare).
By train
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Sydney has an extensive suburban rail network operated by CityRail. Sydney trains are often very crowded in peak hour, but a CityRail train may be the fastest way to get to the CBD. The complex rail network sometimes experiences delays, especially during rain.
Cityrail operates with 30 minute frequency to all metropolitan stations and 10 minute frequencies to major destinations and transit hubs such as Chatswood, Bondi Junction, Hurstville, Parramatta, Bankstown, Blacktown and Liverpool. The Cityrail timetable has a weekday service and a weekend and holiday service.
Cityrail also operates lines to regional cities such as Newcastle and Wollongong and into the Blue Mountains at hourly frequency. This allows you to sit back and enjoy the journey rather than suffer the hassle of driving in foreign conditions, but offers limited travel options when arriving at the destination.
All stations are fully equipped with CCTV and trains at night have designated NightSafe carriages and station areas with emergency intercoms and security patrols, making catching trains at night a viable (and cheaper) alternative to taxis.
In addition to the discounted tickets discussed above, Cityrail has single trip and return trip tickets valid until 4am the day after purchase. There are discounted single and return trip tickets for children, students and pensioners. A return trip ticket is much cheaper than two single tickets if you purchase it after 9am (called off peak).
Outside of operating hours, between 12am (1am on Fridays and Saturdays) and 5am, NightRide buses are available on most routes within Sydney. Any CityRail train ticket is valid for the equivalent NightRide bus except a single. If you don't have a ticket, you'll need to buy a NightRide single from the driver, which is more expensive than a single for the train. NightRide buses stop at most CityRail stations and a few additional stops. They don't travel on the same routes. If you intend catching a NightRide bus home, check the NightRide route map on the back cover of each timetable or at the station while you are waiting for your train.
On weekends check for trackwork before leaving for the station; CityRail will transfer passengers to buses if lines are closed for trackwork, and the process will add about half an hour to a typical journey. Trackwork will be advertised at the station for about a week before it begins. Train tickets, single, return or travel card, are valid on trackwork buses between the same stations.
You must always purchase a ticket for the entire journey before boarding a train from either the ticket office or from the ticket machines that are located on most stations. Ticket offices have limited opening hours at suburban stations. There is no opportunity to buy a ticket onboard or at the destination. If you are caught by an inspector travelling without a ticket the fine is at least $200 and up to $550. If you are found with a student or pensioner ticket and you don't have the appropriate authorisation card, the same fine applies. Be aware that the ticket machines accept up to $50 notes but will only give $20 in change.
Within the city area there is a light rail system run by Metro Light Rail. It connects Central station to Darling Harbour, Star City Casino and the inner western suburbs.
By bus
Sydney has an extensive bus network.
Sydney Buses (Government Buses)
Most of the buses in the inner city and inner suburbs are run by the government owned Sydney Buses. Their buses are mainly blue and white, with The rest of the commuter network is run by private bus companies. These services don't compete so you'll usually only have one way of getting somewhere by bus.
A Sydney bus fare depends on how far you are travelling, measured in "sections" of about 1.8 kilometres. Tickets can be bought in cash when boarding the bus. State your destination to the driver. Drivers may be able to give change for a $20 note, but it pays to use lower-denomination coins and notes. One day bus-only tickets (Bustripper/$11.70) are also available when boarding the bus. All other discount tickets (10-ride/Travelten|7-day/Travelpass) must be bought in advance from newsagents or railway stations before getting on the bus.
There are two main bus termination points in the , at Wynyard and Citcular Quay. These two point are about 10 minutes walk from each other or a one-stop train trip. You will need to make this walk if connection from buses from North to the East. Check the destination of the bus.
From late night to dawn, most buses cease running with the exception of a few trunk routes that run at a reduced frequency.
Private Buses
Outside of the city and inner suburbs, private bus companies provide services to varying degrees of frequency and reliability (but generally significantly less frequent during off-peak periods and weekends). They do not accept tickets from government buses or multi-modal tickets, although single fares cost the same.
Tourist Buses
By ferry
Sydney Ferries run all around the harbour and up the Parramatta River. The central hub is at Circular Quay at the north of the CBD. More than just a utilitarian means of transport, the ferries are a great way to see the harbourside. The best ferry excursion for visitors is from Circular Quay to Manly. Be prepared to take a stunning photograph of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge as you leave Circular Quay.
Metro and Monorail
In 1997 the Metro Light Rail opened, and now operates one route from Central to Lilyfield in Sydney's Inner West. The Sydney Monorail was built for the 1988 Bicentennary celebrations. It runs on a loop through the central business district and Darling Harbour, linking many tourist attractions Both Metro Light Rail and the Monorail are operated by Connex. The Light Rail is rather small, yet it is very reliable. The line travels 7.2 km from Central Station to Lilyfield, making 14 stops. The line runs on-street from Central to Haymarket, and then follows the alignment of an old goods line through Ultimo, Pyrmont and Glebe to Lilyfield.
By bike
If you want to see a particular area of the city, a bicycle may be suitable. However, Sydney is a reasonably hilly city and many parts of it are not at all cyclist friendly. It is illegal for adults to ride bicycles on footpaths unless they are especially marked for cyclists or they are cycling with children under 12. Bicycle helmets are required by law, as are lights and reflectors at night.
See
Landmarks
Historical areas
Museums and galleries
Museums and galleries are concentrated in the city and in Darling Harbour. Here are a few of the highlights:
Wildlife
Sydney Harbour
Sydney's large natural harbor, usually called Sydney Harbour (correctly Port Jackson), was the reason that the original penal settlement was established in the area now known as Circular Quay, rather than further south at Botany Bay as James Cook recommended after mapping the coast in 1770. While it is now very built up (and Sydneysiders will pay a premium for views of the water) it is still very beautiful.
The harbor is served by a dedicated ferry service which transports passengers across the harbour. An excellent way to see both the harbor and Sydney attractions is to take a ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo, Manly or Parramatta.
There are a number of islands in the centre of the harbor which you can visit for a picnic: Shark, Goat, Clark and Rodd Islands. These are very beautiful and have magnificent views of sailing boats on the harbor and of Sydney's harborside buildings. At most times of the year they will be nearly deserted. You will need to reserve a place and pay a fee of approximately $5 per head to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (ph 02 9960 6266 or fax 02 9960 3965). You also cannot moor a boat at any of these islands. Goat, Rodd and Clark islands are not served by ferries, so unless you can arrange for a private drop-off, you will need to charter a water taxi at a cost of approximately $20 per head. Contact Water Taxis Combined by phoning 02 9247 5033 or faxing 02 9241 3303. Shark Island is served by an hourly Matilda Cruises ferry on weekends; the price of $16.00 roundtrip per adult includes the National Park landing fee or visit www.casualcruises.com.au for their Sydney Harbour Cruises packages .
You can arrange a guided tour of the islands by contacting Cadmans Cottage, 100 George Street, The Rocks. ph 02 9247 5033. fax 02 9241 3303.
Fort Denison is another, more popular, island on the harbor. Its entire area is a large fort, completed in 1857 and built to defend Sydney against Russian attack. The National Parks and Wildlife Service runs a half-hour guided tour for $22 per adult, $18 per child and $72 for a 4 person family. They also run a morning brunch for $47 adults and $43 children. Contact Cadmans Cottage as above.
The world famous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race begins every year on Boxing Day, on Sydney Harbour. Thousands of spectator craft take to the water to farewell the yachts as they set off on their grueling journey to Hobart. Seaworthy craft follow the yachts through the Sydney Heads into the open ocean. The private hire water taxi service H2O Taxis have an offshore service that is suitable for this and other offshore activities such as scuba diving. Contact them on 1300 426 829. You can also see the race from a harbour vantage point like Watsons Bay and many others.
Learn
You can take language classes, join a cafe book group, learn to draw, sign up for historical or foodie walks, or take computer or business classes at City of Sydney Library, where you can sign up to borrow books or just read magazines in their café as well.
Architecture
Sydney’s skyline is large and widely recognizable. Sydney also possesses a wide array of diversity of modern and old architectural style. They range from the simple Francis Greenways Georgian buildings, to Jorn Utzon’s expressionist, the Sydney Opera House. Sydney also has a large amount of Victorian buildings, such as the Sydney Town Hall and the Queen Victoria Building. The most architecturally significant would be the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, among many others. Skyscrapers in Sydney are also large and modern such as the Sydney Tower, which dominates the Sydney skyline.
There are also pockets of architecturally signifiant housing dotted around Sydney's suburbs. The inner-eastern suburb of Paddington is known for it's terrace houses, while several inner-west suburbs contian streets lined with so-called federation houses (built around the time of Australian federation in 1901). Further away on the lower North Shore, Castlecrag is a unique suburb, being planned by the architect Walter Burley Griffin in the 1930s.
Itineraries
Do
Walk
There are many picturesque and interesting walks throughtout Sydney. The following are just a few of the better-known routes.
Skate
Sydney has indoor ice skating centres open to casual visitors. Be aware that if you have not tried it before, chances are that you will feel very unstable on ice.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge has an excellent view of the city, especially at dawn and dusk, although the drivers and train passengers relegated to the middle of the Bridge don't see it. There are four things to do on the Bridge:
Festivals
Sydney is home to a number of major and minor festivals and calendar events each year:
Buy
Fashion
While cities such as London, Milan, Tokyo, Paris, and New York City are traditionally regarded as the fashion centres of the world, these days Australia's unique style and creativity means Sydney is also mentioned as 'must-visit' centres on the international fashion circuit. When it came to fashion, Australia used to be seen as isolated and out-of-touch. That notion is now out-of-touch itself, as designs from Australians such as Wayne Cooper, Collette Dinnigan, Akira Isogawa, Lisa Ho, and Easton Pearson are seen around the globe. In fact, around 60 Australian labels are currently exporting their designs to boutiques and department stores in Asia, Europe and the United States. Sydney has now been listed in the many "must visit" fashion lists.
Shopping
Anything and everything you could possibly want to buy is probably available in Sydney, it may be scattered all over the city, but it will be there. Areas range from the more up-market to bargain and moderately priced items.
Eat
You never have to go far to find food in Sydney. As a rough guide, cafes serving breakfast menus start opening at 6am and breakfast is usually served until 11am, or occasionally all day. Orders for lunch start at about noon and continue until about 3pm. Orders for dinner start from 5:30pm, and while there are a small number of exceptions (usually concentrated in areas with active nightlife), last orders for dinner are typically taken around 9pm.
Thanks to Sydney's multicultural mix, the range of food available is huge and isn't necessarily expensive. Almost every restaurant will have some staff members who speak english, but the one's that don't will usually have pictures of the dishes in their menu. If in doubt, just point.
If you are on a budget Sydneys Chinatown food courts are the best source of cheap food, particularly Eating World just before the Chinatown gate. Most of the vendors in the food court offer $5 food such as the Japanese that offers 6 dishes at $5 each and a lunch menu for $5, the Vietnamese offer filled rolls from $3 and mains from $5 such as Sticky Rice with fried chicken. You can shop round in the food courts in Dixon House, Sussex House and Paddys Market Level 3. In addition the excellent sweet custard buns from the Chinese Bakerys start from around $1. You do not have to spend a lot to have an excellent freshly cooked and importantly healthy meal.
Many of the areas mentioned above also sell produce related to the original nationality of the locals.
Sydney is also home to some of the world's best restaurants (though none are Michelin rated). In the City itself, try Tetsuya's
in Kent Street (be warned, there are no walk-ins and bookings are taken only one month in advance, often filling up on the first day of bookings), Becasse in Clarence Street or Rockpool at The Rocks.
There are also several districts well known for having a large amount and variety of restaurants. In the north, try Crows Nest, Cremorne, Chatswood, Neutral Bay, Mosman and Lane Cove. In the west - Parramatta, Beverly Hills, Hurstville, Cabramatta. In the East/Inner-city - Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Bondi, Coogee.
It is usually possible to find a restaurant of any nationality, specialising in almost any cuisine, in Sydney. Just look around, or ask a local.
Drink
Sydney has an enormous number of places to drink and party. A limited number of venues have 24 hour licences, however the majority close before 3am and some as early as 11pm, particularly if there are nearby residents. Most venues will have door staff checking photo identification to determine that you are over 18. Admission is also commonly refused to those who seem visibly drunk to the staff. More popular venues have discriminatory door practices, the most common of which is refusing entry to groups of men who are not accompanied by women.
Most places have at least a basic dress code. If you're not sure where you're headed and want to get into most generic pubs and clubs you come across, men should wear a collared shirt, neat full-length pants (not jeans) and business-style shoes. Cheaper pubs have looser requirements, and of course different groups follow different fashions. This recipe won't work for entry to a goth club. In almost all cases, women can dress more freely, but a small number of places require closed shoes.
Entry charges for live music or DJs are usual and range from $5 to $30 depending on clientele. Entry charges are rare if you're going into a pub for a drink.
Note that there is a taxi shift change at 3am, and it is notoriously difficult to catch a taxi anywhere between 2:30am and 3:30am.
Some types of nightlife are concentrated in particular areas:
There are many great nightclubs in Sydney, unfortunately they are very spread out so it would be a good idea to get an idea of were you want to go. A free magazine called 3D world can be picked up at most clothing stores and music shops which hosts a large range of night spot opportunities.
Stay safe
Sydney has similar crime issues to most large western cities, but that being said, it is a safe place to visit. Be on the lookout for the usual big city crime problems such as pickpocketing, and exercise caution on the rail system late at night, as you would in other cities. It is generally advisable to travel in the carriage closest to the guard's compartment, which is marked with a blue light on the outside of the train.
Be careful in the red light area of Kings Cross at night. Although the main street in this area has been cleaned up immesurably by the police, crime does still occur and pickpocketing or mugging can happen to the unwary.
Whilst in late 2005 some ethnic tension between white Anglo-Celtic residents and Middle Eastern residents spilled over into rioting at Cronulla Beach and tension is generally on the rise, but the area has recovered and is now much quieter.
South-West Sydney has a higher than average crime rate, but most tourists are unlikely to venture there.
Sleep
Syndey is such a large city that we've put individual hotel listings in the district pages-- here are some suggestions for districts to stay in
Budget
Sydney has a wide range of backpackers' hostels - popular districts for these include the southern half of the CBD, Glebe and Kings Cross, the Southern Beaches (Bondi, Coogee) and the Northern Beaches (Manly).
Mid-range
You find many mid-range accommodation providers within the CBD, and within a short distance of the city by public transport, including in North Sydney, the Inner West and the North Shore
Splurge
There are luxurious hotels that can be found all over Sydney. The most expensive hotels are generally located in the CBD and the Rocks district, near the business hub of Sydney, close to many restaurants, often featuring spectacular harbour views. Some other high quality hotels are located in Darling Harbour.You may check the list below for specific locations.
Please visit one of the various Sydney districts described in the Districts section above to see the accommodation listings.
Serviced Apartments
Serviced, short-term apartments are widely available throughout Sydney and are available for stays as short as one night. Amenities typically include kitchen, washer and dryer, and separate bedrooms. A range of properties exist from budget to five-star.
Please visit one of the various Sydney districts described in the Districts section above to see the accommodation listings.
Read
Get out
There are a number of good day trips from Sydney.
Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.28 million. Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales, and is the site of the first European colony in Australia, established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, leader of the First Fleet from Britain. A resident of the city is referred to as a Sydneysider.
Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast. The city is built around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour, leading to the city's nickname, "the Harbour City". It is Australia's largest financial centre and is home to the Australian Stock Exchange. Sydney's leading economic sectors include property and business services, retail, manufacturing, tourism, and health and community services.
Sydney is a major international tourist destination notable for its beaches and twin landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and contains many bays, rivers and inlets. It has been recognised as a global city by the Loughborough University group's 1999 inventory.
The city has played host to numerous international sporting events, including the 1938 British Empire Games, 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Sydney is one of the most multicultural cities in the world which reflects its role as a major destination for immigrants to Australia. According to the Mercer cost of living survey, Sydney is Australia’s most expensive city, and the 21st most expensive in the world.
History
It has been speculated that the Sydney region has been populated by indigenous Australians for at least 40,000 years. There were three language groups in the Sydney region; these were further refined into dialects spoken by smaller clans. The principal languages were Darug (the Cadigal, original inhabitants of the City of Sydney, spoke a coastal dialect of Darug), Dharawal and Guringai. Each clan had a territory; the location of that territory determined the resources available. Although urbanization has destroyed most evidence of these settlements (such as shell middens), Sydney and its environs are well known for numerous rock drawings and carvings due to the nature of the rock, Hawkesbury Sandstone.
European interest in colonising Australia arose with the landing of British sea captain, Lieutenant James Cook in Botany Bay in 1770. Under instruction from the British government, a convict settlement was founded by Arthur Phillip in 1788. Phillip founded the colony at Sydney Cove on Port Jackson. He named it after the British Home Secretary, Thomas Townshend, Lord Sydney, in recognition of Sydney's role in issuing the charter authorising Phillip to establish a colony. In April 1789 a disease, thought to be smallpox, decimated the indigenous population of Sydney; a conservative estimate says that 500 to 1000 Aboriginal people died in the area between Broken and Botany Bays. There was violent resistance to British settlement, notably by the warrior Pemulwuy in the area around Botany Bay, and conflicts were common in the area surrounding the Hawkesbury River. By 1820 there were only a few hundred Aborigines and Governor Macquarie had begun initiatives to 'civilize, Christianize and educate' the Aborigines by removing them from their clans.
Macquarie's tenure as Governor of New South Wales was a period when Sydney was improved from its basic beginnings. Roads, bridges, wharves and public buildings were constructed by British and Irish convicts, and by 1822 the town had banks, markets, well-established thoroughfares and an organised constabulary. The 1830s and 1840s were periods of urban development, including the development of the first suburbs, as the town grew rapidly when ships began arriving from Britain and Ireland with immigrants looking to start a new life in a new country. On 20 July 1842 the municipal council of Sydney was incorporated and the town was declared the first city in Australia, Charles H. Chambers was the first mayor. The first of several gold rushes started in 1851, and the port of Sydney has since seen many waves of people arriving from around the world. Rapid suburban development began in the last quarter of the 19th century with the advent of steam powered tramways and railways. With industrialisation Sydney expanded rapidly, and by the early 20th century it had a population well in excess of one million. The Great Depression hit Sydney badly. One of the highlights of the Depression era, however, was the completion of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932.
Throughout the 20th century Sydney continued to expand with various new waves of European and (later) Asian immigration, resulting in its highly cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Geography
Sydney is in a coastal basin bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Blue Mountains to the west, the Hawkesbury River to the north and the Woronora Plateau to the south. Sydney lies on a submergent coastline, where the ocean level has risen to flood deep river valleys (rias) carved in the hawkesbury sandstone. One of these drowned valleys, Port Jackson, better known as Sydney Harbour, is the largest natural harbour in the world. There are more than 70 harbour and ocean beaches, including the famous Bondi Beach, in the urban area. Sydney's urban area covers 1687 square kilometres (651 mi²) as at 2001. The Sydney Statistical Division, used for census data, is the unofficial metropolitan area and covers 12,145 square kilometres (4,689 mi²). This area includes the Central Coast and Blue Mountains as well as broad swathes of national park and other unurbanised land.
Geographically, Sydney sprawls over two major regions: the Cumberland Plain, a relatively flat region lying to the south and west of the harbour, and the Hornsby Plateau, a sandstone plateau lying mainly to the north of the harbour, dissected by steep valleys. The oldest parts of the city are located in the flat areas south of the harbour; the North Shore was slower to develop because of its hilly topography, and was mostly a quiet backwater until the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened in 1932, linking it to the rest of the city.
Climate
Sydney has an oceanic climate with warm summers and mild winters, with rainfall spread throughout the year. The weather is moderated by proximity to the ocean, and more extreme temperatures are recorded in the inland western suburbs. The warmest month is January, with an average air temperature range at Observatory Hill of 18.6 °C–25.8 °C and an average of 14.6 days a year over 30 °C. The maximum recorded temperature was 45.3 °C on 14 January 1939 at the end of a 4 day nationwide heat wave. The winter is mildly cool, with temperatures rarely dropping below 5 °C in coastal areas. The coldest month is July, with an average range of 8.0 °C–16.2 °C. The lowest recorded minimum was 2.1 °C. Rainfall is fairly evenly divided between summer and winter, but is slightly higher during the first half of the year, when easterly winds dominate. The average annual rainfall, with moderate to low variability, is 1217.0 millimetres (47.9 in), falling on an average 138.0 days a year. Snowfall last occurred in the Sydney City area in the 1830s.
Although the city does not suffer from cyclones or significant earthquakes, 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, notably in 1994 and 2001/2002 — these tend to occur during the spring and summer. The city is also prone to severe hail storms and wind storms. One such storm occurred in Sydney's eastern and city suburbs on the evening of 14 April 1999, producing massive hailstones of at least 9 centimetres (3.5 in) in diameter and resulting in insurance losses of around $1.5 billion in less than one hour. The city is also prone to flash flooding from enormous amounts of rain caused by East Coast Lows (a low pressure depression which deepens off the state usually in winter and early spring which can bring significant damage due to heavy rain, cyclonic winds and huge swells). The most notable event was the great Sydney flood which occurred on 6 August 1986 and dumped a record 327.6 millimetres (12.9 in) on the city in 24 hours. This caused major traffic chaos and damage in many parts of the metropolitan area.
The Bureau of Meteorology have reported that the last four years in Sydney have been the warmest on record (since 1859). 2004 had an average daily maximum temperature of 23.39 °C, 2005 - 23.35 °C, 2002 - 22.91 °C and 2003 - 22.65 °C. The average daily maximum between 1859 and 2004 was 21.6 °C. For the first nine months of 2006 the mean temperature was 18.41 °C; the warmest year previously was 2004 with 18.51 °C. Since the beginning of 2002, there have been only two months in which the average daily maximum was below average: March 2005 (0.43 °C below average) and June 2006 (0.25 °C below average).
Urban structure
The extensive area covered by urban Sydney is formally divided into more than 300 suburbs (for addressing and postal purposes), and administered as 38 local government areas. There is no city-wide government, but the Government of New South Wales and its agencies have extensive responsibilities in providing metropolitan services. The City of Sydney itself covers a fairly small area comprising the central business district and its neighbouring inner-city suburbs. In addition, regional descriptions are used informally to conveniently describe larger sections of the urban area. These include Eastern Suburbs,
Hills District,
Inner West,
Lower North Shore,
Northern Beaches,
North Shore,
St George,
Southern Sydney,
South-eastern Sydney,
South-western Sydney,
Sutherland Shire and
Western Sydney. However, many suburbs are not conveniently covered by any of these categories.
Sydney's central business district (CBD) extends southwards for about 2 kilometres (1.25 mi) from Sydney Cove, the point of the first European settlement. Densely concentrated skyscrapers and other buildings including historic sandstone buildings such as the Sydney Town Hall and Queen Victoria Building are interspersed by several parks such as Wynyard and Hyde Park. The Sydney CBD is bounded on the east side by a chain of parkland that extends from Hyde Park through the Domain and Royal Botanic Gardens to Farm Cove on the harbour. The west side is bounded by Darling Harbour, a popular tourist and nightlife precinct while Central station marks the southern end of the CBD. George Street serves as the Sydney CBD's main north-south thoroughfare.
Although the CBD dominated the city's business and cultural life in the early days, other business/cultural districts have developed in a radial pattern since World War II. As a result, the proportion of white-collar jobs located in the CBD declined from more than 60 per cent at the end of World War II to less than 30 per cent in 2004. Together with the commercial district of North Sydney, joined to the CBD by the Harbour Bridge, the most significant outer business districts are Parramatta in the central-west, Blacktown in the west, Bondi Junction in the east, Liverpool in the southwest, Chatswood to the north, and Hurstville to the south.
Density
Sydney is particularly noted for its low population density. The reasons for Sydney's low-density development are rooted in its history. Surrounded by land that was considered unowned by the city's founders, early Sydney enjoyed relatively low land values, allowing more residents to acquire larger plots on which to live. This was reinforced by Sydney's development as a predominantly middle class, commercial city, in which even the working classes enjoyed higher wages and living standards than their counterparts in Europe.
Finally, Sydney acquired its public transport system early on in its life. Working-class suburbs could thus be built far from the city centre, whereas in older cities, the need to maintain walking distance between residential and employment centres kept sprawl to a minimum.
Coupled with successive governments' willingness to release new land on the city's outskirts for further development, this history has given Sydney a low-density self-image. Ingrained hostility to urban consolidation and higher density living represents a major challenge to the city's future growth.
Governance
Apart from the limited role of the Cumberland County Council from 1945–1964, there has never been an overall governing body for the Sydney metropolitan area; instead, the metropolitan area is divided into local government areas (LGAs). These areas have elected councils which are responsible for functions delegated to them by the New South Wales State Government, such as planning and garbage collection.
The City of Sydney includes the central business area and some adjoining inner suburbs, and has in recent years been expanded through amalgamation with adjoining local government areas, such as South Sydney. It is led by the elected Lord Mayor of Sydney and a council. The Lord Mayor, however, is sometimes treated as a representative of the whole city, for example during the Olympics.
The 38 LGAs in Sydney are:
Most citywide government activities are controlled by the state government. These include public transport, main roads, traffic control, policing, education above preschool level, and planning of major infrastructure projects. Because a large proportion of New South Wales' population lives in Sydney, state governments have traditionally been reluctant to allow the development of citywide governmental bodies, which would tend to rival the state government. For this reason, Sydney has always been a focus for the politics of both State and Federal Parliaments. For example, the boundaries of the City of Sydney LGA have been significantly altered by state governments on at least four occasions since 1945, with expected advantageous effect to the governing party in the New South Wales Parliament at the time.
Economy
The largest economic sectors in Sydney, measured by numbers of people employed, include property and business services, retail, manufacturing, and health and community services. Since the 1980s, jobs have moved from manufacturing to the services and information sectors. Sydney provides approximately 25% of the country's total GDP.
Sydney is the largest corporate and financial centre in Australia and is also an important financial centre in the Asia Pacific. The Australian Stock Exchange and the Reserve Bank of Australia are located in Sydney, as are the headquarters of 90 banks and more than half of Australia's top companies, and the regional headquarters for around 500 multinational corporations. Fox Studios Australia has large movie studios in the city.
The Sydney Futures Exchange (SFE) is one of the Asia Pacific's largest financial futures and options exchanges, with 64.3 million contracts traded during 2005. In global terms it is the 12th largest futures market in the world and the 19th largest including options. With the increasing commercial role of Sydney's many medical laboratories and research centres, science and research is another strong growth sector.
Tourism plays an important role in Sydney's economy, with 7.8 million domestic visitors and 2.5 million international visitors in 2004.
As of September 2003, the unemployment rate in Sydney was 5.3%. According to The Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide cost of living survey, Sydney is the sixteenth most expensive city in the world, while a UBS survey ranks Sydney as 18th in the world in terms of net earnings.
As of December 2005, Sydney has the highest median house price of any Australian capital city at $485 000. A report published by the OECD in November 2005, shows that Australia has the Western World's highest housing prices when measured against rental yields.
Sydney has been classified as a "Beta" global city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network.
Demographics
3,455,110 people lived in Sydney's urban area as at 2001. Inner Sydney being the most densely populated place in Australia with 4023 persons per square kilometre. The statistical division is larger in area than the urban area, as it allows for predicted growth. A resident of Sydney is commonly referred to as a Sydneysider.
In the 2006 census, the most common self-described ancestries identified for Sydney residents were Australian, English, Irish, and Chinese. The Census also recorded that 1% of Sydney's population identified as being of indigenous origin and 31.7% were born overseas. The three major sources of immigrants are England, China and New Zealand
Some ethnic groups are associated with the suburbs where they first settled: the Italians with Leichhardt, Haberfield, Five Dock, Greeks with Earlwood, Marrickville and Brighton Le Sans, Portuguese with Petersham, Lebanese with Lakemba and Bankstown, Koreans with Campsie and Strathfield, ethnic Macedonians with Rockdale, Irish and New Zealanders with Bondi, Jews with Bondi, Waverley, St Ives and Rose Bay, Indians with Westmead and Parramatta, Chinese with Hurstville, Chatswood, Ashfield and Haymarket (where Sydney's Chinatown has emerged), Armenians with Ryde and Willoughby, Serbs with Liverpool, Turks with Auburn, Filipinos with Blacktown and Mount Druitt, Vietnamese with Cabramatta and Hispanics with Fairfield.
The median age of a Sydney resident is 34, with 12% of the population over 65 years. which is lower than the national average of 19%.
According to the 2006 census, 29.1% of Sydney residents identified as Catholics, 17.9% as Anglicans, 17.0% as members of other Christian denominations, 3.7% as Buddhists, 3.9% as Muslims, 1.7% as Hindus, 0.9% as Jews and 14.1% as having no religion.
Education
Sydney is home to some of Australia's most prominent universities, and is the site of Australia's first university, the University of Sydney, established in 1850. There are five other public universities operating primarily in Sydney: the University of New South Wales, Macquarie University, the University of Technology, Sydney, the University of Western Sydney, and the Australian Catholic University (two out of six campuses). Other universities which operate secondary campuses in Sydney include the University of Notre Dame Australia and the University of Wollongong.
There are four multicampus government funded Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes in Sydney which provide vocational training at a tertiary level: the Sydney Institute of Technology, Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE, Western Sydney Institute of TAFE and South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE.
Sydney has public, denominational, and independent schools. Public schools, including pre-schools, primary and secondary schools, and special schools are administered by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training. There are four state administered education areas in Sydney, that together coordinate 919 schools. Out of the thirty selective high schools in the state, twenty-five of those are located in Sydney.
Culture
Arts and entertainment
Sydney has a wide variety of cultural sites and institutions. Sydney's iconic Opera House has five theatres capable of hosting a range of performance styles; it is the home of Opera Australia—the third busiest opera company in the world, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Other venues include the Sydney Town Hall, City Recital Hall, the State Theatre and the Wharf Theatre.
The Sydney Dance Company under the leadership of Graeme Murphy during the late 20th century has also gained acclaim. The Sydney Theatre Company has a regular roster of local plays, such as noted playwright David Williamson, classics and international playwrights.
In 2007, New Theatre (Newtown) celebrates 75 years of continuous production in Sydney. Other important theatre companies in Sydney include Company B and Griffin Theatre Company. From the 1940s through to the 1970s the Sydney Push, a group of authors and political activists whose members included Germaine Greer, influenced the city's cultural life.
The National Institute of Dramatic Art, based in Kensington, boasts internationally famous alumni such as Mel Gibson, Baz Luhrmann and Cate Blanchett. Sydney's role in the film industry has increased since the opening of Fox Studios Australia in 1998. Prominent films which have been filmed in the city include Moulin Rouge!, Mission Impossible II, Star Wars episodes and , Superman Returns, Dark City, Dil Chahta Hai, and The Matrix. Films using Sydney as a setting include Finding Nemo, Strictly Ballroom, Mission Impossible II, Muriel's Wedding, and Dirty Deeds. As of 2006, over 229 films have been set, or featured Sydney.
Sydney hosts many different festivals and some of Australia's largest social and cultural events. These include the Sydney Festival, Australia's largest festival which is a celebration involving both indoor and free outdoor performances throughout January; the Big Day Out, a travelling rock music festival which originated in Sydney; the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras along Oxford Street; the Sydney Film Festival and many other smaller festivals such as Tropfest and Archibald Prize, a competition organised by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The Sydney Royal Easter Show which is the largest event in Australia is held every year at Sydney Olympic Park, the final of Australian Idol takes place on the steps of the Opera House, and Australian Fashion Week takes place in April/May. Also Sydney's New Years Eve and Australia Day celebrations are the largest in Australia.
Australian rock bands which formed in Sydney include AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, The Vines, Sick Puppies , Midnight Oil, INXS, Noiseworks, Hoodoo Gurus, The Church, Radio Birdman, You Am I, The Cruel Sea, The Whitlams, Alex Lloyd, Wolfmother, indie rockers The Clouds and The Crystal Set, electronic music pioneers Severed Heads, Single Gun Theory and Itch-E and Scratch-E. Jazz groups such as the Sydney-based The Necks have performed at The Basement and the Harbourside Brasserie. On 7th July 2007, Sydney was one of the legs of the global concert series called Live Earth which was hosted jointly with other global cities around the world.
Sydney's most popular nightspots include Kings Cross, Oxford Street, Darling Harbour, Circular Quay and The Rocks which all contain various bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Star City Casino, is Sydney's only casino and is situated around Darling Harbour. There are also many traditional pubs, cafes and restaurants in inner city areas such as Newtown, Balmain and Leichhardt. Sydney's main live music hubs include areas such as Newtown and Annandale. It once had thriving live music scene in the 1970s and 1980s, nurturing great acts such as AC/DC, Midnight Oil and INXS.
Sydney also has many shopping centres and retail outlets throughout the city. These include Westfield Parramatta, a large shopping complex located in Western Sydney, and Westfield Bondi Junction a shopping centre in the Eastern Suburbs which caters for the upmarket consumer. The Queen Victoria Building on George Street also contains many shops, as do other parts of the city around Pitt Street and Oxford Street which sell more niche products. Many of the large regional centres around the metropolitan area also contain large shopping complexes.
Sydney has several museums. The biggest are the Australian Museum (natural history and anthropology), the Powerhouse Museum (science, technology and design), the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Australian National Maritime Museum.
Being Australia's oldest city there is also much architecture and historic buildings to be seen throughout the city. Some of the most well know architectural sites in Sydney include Sydney Opera House, Queen Victoria Building, Martin Place and Sydney Town Hall. Some of the most well known historic buildings are the Sydney Mint, one of Australia's oldest buildings, Fort Denison, a penal site which was built in the colonial days on a small island situated on the harbour, as well as the heritage listed buildings built on The Rocks which were the first buildings built in Australia on settlement.
Sydney is well endowed with open spaces, and has many natural areas even within the city centre. Within the Sydney central business district are the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Hyde Park, The Domain and the Royal Botanical Gardens. The metropolitan area contains several national parks, including the Royal National Park, the second oldest national park in the world and several parks in Sydney's far west which are part of the World Heritage listed Greater Blue Mountains Area.
Sport is also an important part of the culture in Sydney. For more information go to Sport in Sydney or Sport in New South Wales.
Media
Newspapers
Sydney has two main daily newspapers. The Sydney Morning Herald (which is the oldest Australian newspaper) is a broadsheet, and is Sydney's newspaper of record with extensive coverage of domestic and international news, culture and business. It is also the oldest extant newspaper in Australia, having been published regularly since 1831. The Herald's competitor, The Daily Telegraph, is a News Corporation-owned tabloid. Both papers have tabloid counterparts published on Sunday, The Sun-Herald and the Sunday Telegraph, respectively.
Television
The three commercial television networks (Seven, Nine and Ten), as well as the government national broadcast services (ABC and SBS) each have a presence in Sydney. Historically, the networks have been based on the north shore, but the last decade has seen several move to the inner city. Nine have kept their headquarters north of the harbour, in Willoughby. Ten have their studios in a redeveloped section of the inner-city suburb of Pyrmont, and Seven also have headquarters in Pyrmont as well as a new purpose built news studio in the CBD. The ABC has a large headquarters and production facility in the neighbouring suburb of Ultimo and SBS have their studios at Artarmon. Foxtel and Optus both supply pay-TV over their cable services to most parts of the urban area. The five free-to-air networks have provided Digital Free-to-air TV transmissions in Sydney since January 2001. Additional services recently introduced include ABC's Second Channel ABC2 (Channel 21), SBS's world news service SBS2, an on-air program guide (Channel 4), ABC news, sport, and weather items (Channel 41), ChannelNSW: Government and Public Information (Channel 45), Australian Christian Channel (Channel 46), MacquarieBank TV (Channel 47), SportsTAB (Channel 48), Expo Home Shopping (Channel 49), and Federal parliamentary broadcasts.
Film
Sydney is Australia’s centre for film and media. Many of the landmarks in Sydney have been referenced, shown and the setting for countless films and television programs. Sydney also has a wide amount of references to films that have been set in the city, the most famous being Finding Nemo, which was set in the famous Sydney Harbour.
Radio
Many AM and FM government, commercial and community radio services broadcast in the Sydney area. The local ABC radio station is 702 ABC Sydney (formerly 2BL). The talkback radio genre is dominated by the perennial rivals 2GB and 2UE. Popular music stations include Triple M, 2Day FM and Nova 96.9, which generally targets people under 40. In the older end of the music radio market, Vega & MIX 106.5 targets the 25 to 54 age group, while WS-FM targets the 40 to 54 age group with their Classic Hits format mostly focussing on the 70's & 80's. Triple J, 2SER and FBi Radio provide a more independent, local and alternative sound. There are also a number of community stations broadcasting to a particular language group or local area.
Infrastructure
Health
The Government of New South Wales operates the public hospitals in the Sydney metropolitan region. Management of these hospitals and other specialist health facilities are coordinated by 4 Area Health Services: Sydney South West (SSWAHS), Sydney West (SWAHS), Northern Sydney and Central Coast (NSCCAHS) and the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra (SESIAHS) Area Health Services. There are also a number of private hospitals in the city, many of which are aligned with religious organisations.
Transport
Most Sydney residents travel by car through the system of roads, freeways and tollways (known as motorways). The most important trunk routes in the urban area form the nine Metroad systems, which includes the 110 kilometre Sydney Orbital Network. Sydney is also served by extensive train, taxi, bus and ferry networks.
Sydney trains are run by CityRail, a corporation of the New South Wales State Government. Trains run as suburban commuter rail services in the outer suburbs, then converge in an underground city loop service in the central business district. In the years following the 2000 Olympics, CityRail's performance declined significantly. In 2005, CityRail introduced a revised timetable and employed more drivers. A large infrastructure project, the Clearways project, is scheduled to be completed by 2010.
Sydney has one privately operated light rail line, the Metro Light Rail, running from Central Station to Lilyfield along a former goods train line. There is also a small monorail which runs in a loop around the main shopping district and Darling Harbour. Sydney was once served by an extensive tram network, which was progressively closed in the 1950s and 1960s. Most parts of the metropolitan area are served by buses, many of which follow the pre-1961 tram routes. In the city and inner suburbs the state-owned Sydney Buses has a monopoly. In the outer suburbs, service is contracted to many private bus companies. Construction of a network of rapid bus transitways in areas not previously well served by public transport began in 1999, and the first of these, the Liverpool-Parramatta Rapid Bus Transitway opened in February 2003. Sydney Ferries, another State government-owned organisation, runs numerous commuter and tourist ferry services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River.
Kingsford Smith International Airport, located in the suburb of Mascot, is Sydney's main airport, and the oldest continuously operating commercial airport in the world. The smaller Bankstown Airport mainly serves private and general aviation. There are light aviation airfields at Hoxton Park and Camden. RAAF Base Richmond lies to the north-west of the city. The question of whether Sydney needs a second international airport has raised much controversy. A 2003 study found that Kingsford Smith can manage as Sydney's sole international airport for 20 years with a significant increase in airport traffic predicted. The resulting expansion of the airport will have a substantial impact on the community, including additional aircraft noise affecting residents. Land has been acquired at Badgerys Creek for a second airport and alternative sites have been mooted.
Utilities
Water storage and supply for Sydney is managed by the Sydney Catchment Authority, which is an agency of the NSW Government that sells bulk water to Sydney Water and other agencies. Water in the Sydney catchment is chiefly stored in dams in the Upper Nepean Scheme, the Blue Mountains, Woronora Dam, Warragamba Dam and the Shoalhaven Scheme. Historically low water levels in the catchment have led to water use restrictions and the NSW government is investigating alternative water supply options, including grey water recycling and the construction of a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant at Kurnell. Sydney Water also collects the wastewater and sewerage produced by the city.
Three companies supply natural gas and electricity to Sydney: Energy Australia, AGL and Integral Energy. Numerous telecommunications companies operate in Sydney providing terrestrial and mobile telecommunications services.
See also
External links
