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For the second consecutive year Sydney has been voted the world's best city by
the international "Travel & Leisure Magazine". It scored an 87 per cent approval
rating among travellers and tourist industry workers. It was ahead of Florence
(83.3%), Rome (82.8%), and San Francisco (82.2%).
In 1901 the Sydney Harbour Trust resumed hundreds of properties in The Rocks and
Millers Point. While public health was a convenient excuse for resumptions, the
need for a harbour bridge may also have motivated the authorities. Green Bans in
the 1970s on the redevelopment of The Rocks helped preserve this historic area
which is now a major tourist attraction. The Rocks area has been under the
control of the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority since 1970 and the Sydney
Harbour Foreshore Authority since 1999.
Size
Sydney is one of the largest cities in its land size. It reaches across 1580
square kilometres. This is the same as London and more than double New York's
780 square kilometres. Amsterdam is 167 square kilometres, and Paris is a mere
105 square kilometres. There are 1, 426, 266 dwellings in Sydney.
Population
Sydney's population is around 4,000,000 people.
Sydney is Australia's oldest city, the economic powerhouse of the nation and the
country's capital in everything but name. It's blessed with sun-drenched natural
attractions, dizzy skyscrapers, delicious and daring restaurants, superb
shopping and friendly folk.
Although it's come a long way from its convict beginnings, it still has a rough
and ready energy, and offers an invigorating blend of the old and the new, the
raw and the refined. While high culture attracts some to the Opera House, gaudy
nightlife attracts others to Kings Cross.
It's a city blessed with long stretches of heavenly beaches, a pleasant climate
that sees over 300 sunny days a year, an economy that's stronger than it should
be, a stable local government, and a population of open-minded, outgoing
entrepreneurial types who are itching to show the whole place off.
Country: Australia
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +10 (Eastern Standard Time)
Telephone Area Code: 02
Orientation
Sydney wasn't a planned city and its layout is further complicated by its hills
and the numerous inlets of the harbour, its focal point. The centre of Sydney is
on the south shore of the harbour, about 7km (4mi) inland from the harbour
heads. Skyscrapers in the Central Business District (CBD) vie for dominance and
harbour views, but the city's relentlessness is softened by shady Hyde Park and
The Domain parkland to the east, Darling Harbour to the west and the main
harbour to the north. The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the harbour tunnel link the
city centre with the satellite CBD of North Sydney and the suburbs of the North
Shore. Sydney Airport is about 10km (6mi) south of the city centre. Central
station, Sydney's main train station, is in the south of the city centre, and
the main bus terminal is located outside it.
Currency
Dollars and cents. Notes: $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills. Coins: 5 cents, 10
cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, $1 and $2. The Australia dollar is floated on the
world currency market and is presently fluctuating at around 70 to 73 cents to
the US$.
Health
Sydney, like most parts of Australia, presents no real health risks for foreign
visitors. Tap water is good, restaurants and eating places are required by law
to maintain a high standard of food preparation, and the city is generally
clean. Smog is less of a problem than with cities such as London, Hong Kong and
Bangkok, but is still quite high. Exposure to the sun can be a problem for those
who are fair-skinned. Also, those with little experience in swimming in the surf
should be cautious when swimming at Sydney's famous surf beaches, Bondi and
Manly, and should always swim between the warning flags erected by lifeguards.
Medical costs in Australia are not exorbitant like in the United States and
Europe, but travel insurance is still recommended.
Handy to Know:
- Electricity voltage: 240.
- Units of measure: metric.
- Public phones: 40-cent local calls (Sydney metropolitan area).
- Phone directory assistance: 1223 (Sydney area), 1223 (Australia), 1225
(International).
- Phone international dial out prefix code: 0011
- Coffee: around $3.50 a cup, sometimes less, quite often more in tourist areas.
- Petrol (gas) in cents per litre: approximately 110 (as at
- Emergency phone number for police, ambulance and fire is 000.
The City of Sydney celebrates summer with a series of live concerts in one of
the most beautiful parks in Sydney.
Location
Sydney is located 33 degrees 55' south of the equator with similar latitude to
Cape Town and Buenos Aires in the Southern Hemisphere, and Los Angeles,
Casablanca and Beirut in the Northern Hemisphere. The City of Sydney is the
local government area for Central Sydney. It includes the Central Business
District (CBD), The Rocks, Millers Point, Dawes Point, Chippendale, Ultimo and
Pyrmont, Glebe and Forest lodge, Woolloomooloo, Kings Cross, Potts Point,
Rushcutters Bay, Elizabeth Bay, Darlinghurst, the University of Sydney, Darling
Harbour, the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and parts of Surry Hills.
Area
Sydney Metropolitan is one of the largest cities in the world in terms of area.
Reaching across 4000 square kilometres, it is equal in size to London and almost
double that of New York City.
Beyond this built-up area there are a further 8000 square kilometres of largely
natural parklands which make up the Sydney Statistical division.
Within this, the City of Sydney local government area (LGA) spans approximately
11.7 square kilometres, including the Central Business District (CBD).
Climate
Sydney's mean summer temperature is 23 degrees Celsius.
Sydney's mean winter temperature is 12 degrees Celsius.
Population
Approximately one-in-five Australians or 4 million people live in the Sydney
Metropolitan area.
The estimated residential population of the City of Sydney local government area
is just over 72,500, living in 42,000 private dwellings.
Sydney is one of the most multicultural cities in the world with people from 180
nations, speaking 140 languages.
The working population of the City of Sydney is currently estimated at 293,000.
City of Sydney Water Restrictions
With Sydney's water supply below 50% capacity, Level 2 water restrictions were
recently brought into place. This means no sprinkling or irrigation at any time
(you can water a garden with a hose or drip irrigation), and no hosing of hard
surfaces at any time including vehicles. Fines apply.
Eating Out
While wandering around the Rocks take the time out to enjoy a relaxing lunch or
dinner at the Italian Village restaurant.
Organised Walks
The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority publishes a wonderful booklet called The
Rocks Self-Guided Walking Tour, which pinpoint 31 places of historical interest
as part of a local heritage walk. You can buy the booklet at The Sydney Visitor
Centre for $1.00. Along the way, walkers encounter a maze of narrow streets,
laneways and interconnected sandstone cottages and terraces filled with shops,
stalls, cafes and restaurants. The real enjoyment lies in simply walking around
the streets and soaking up the atmosphere.
Entertainment
On weekends and at festival times, there is usually free entertainment, with
outdoor concerts and street theatre. Many of The Rocks' pubs offer live music -
jazz, folk and pop. The Rocks Market operates every weekend, from 10am to 5pm
each day, and until 6pm in summer months. Some 100 stalls are set up under a
series of sail-like canopies, filling the lower end of George Street . The
stalls are filled with a wide range of Australian gift ideas, home wares and
collectibles.
Of special interest to children is the Puppet Cottage, in Kendall Lane, while
grown-ups may be more interested in taking a look at the colony's first
windmill, up on Observatory Hill, or dropping in to Sydney's oldest remaining
pub, the Lord Nelson, built in 1844.
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