Sydney, Australia

Many people assume that Sydney is the capital of Australia.  While it is the capital of New South Wales, the country's capital is about 287 km (178 miles) away in Canberra.

Sydney's greater metro population is over 5,1 million making it the biggest city in both Australia and Oceania.

Indigenous people have lived in the Sydney area for over 30,000 years.  In 1788 Sydney was founded as a British penal colony during the first European settlement in Australia.  The city was incorporated in 1842.

Sydney is one of the most multicultural cities in the world.  At least 45% of Sydneysiders were born overseas.  The best way to describe Sydney is as a modern, very gay friendly, European city with a hip Asian vibe.  It's awesome!

Sydney Tower was completed in 1981.  It stands at 309 metres (1,014 feet) and, after Auckland's Sky Tower, it's the second-tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere.

The QVB, the Queen Victoria Building, was completed in 1898.  It is home to some 200 shops.



At the southern end of the building is a statue of Queen Victoria.  It was on display in Dublin until 1947 when it was put in to storage.  It 1987 Ireland gifted it to the city.

The Sydney Town Hall opened in 1889 and it was renovated in 1991-1992. It houses the chambers of the Lord Mayor of Sydney plus council offices.



St. Andrew's Cathedral was consecrated in 1868.  The Anglican cathedral is the oldest cathedral in Australia.




St. Mary's Cathedral was consecrated in 1882.  The Catholic cathedral was designated as a minor basilica in 1932.

The Great Synagogue was completed in 1878.

The Justice and Police Museum was completed in 1886.  The building used to be the local police station and courthouse.

The Australian National Maritime Museum is at Darling Harbour.  It opened in 1991 and a destroyer, a submarine, and a few smaller historical vessels are part of the permanent exhibition.

Hyde Park is 16,2 hectares (40 acres) and is the oldest parkland in Australia.  The Anzac Memorial was unveiled in 1934 and underwent refurbishment in 2018.  It honours the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps in World War I.

The Hyde Park Obelisk opened in 1857.  It is 22 metres (72 feet) tall.

The Sydney Observatory opened in 1859.  The site was once used as a defensive fort.



The Royal Botanic Garden opened in 1816.  It is 30 hectares (74 acres) and a great place to take a stroll.




The Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 1991.  It was renovated in 2010 and is home to over 4000 works.






The Customs House building opened in 1845.  Today it is a museum.





The Art Gallery of New South Wales opened in 1874.  It is one of the largest galleries in Australia.




The State Library of New South Wales opened in 1826.  It's the country's oldest library and is open to the public.





Mrs. Macquarie's Chair is a sandstone rock that was hand carved by convicts in 1810.





The Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in 1932.  It is the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge and the tallest steel arch bridge.





It's also the world's second largest, widest long-span bridge.





The Sydney Opera House opened in 1973.  It's the city's most well-known landmark.  It consists of multiple performance venues with more than 1500 performances a year.



In 2007 the Opera House was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.