Explore Sydney
Sydney is THE Harbour City.
It is the largest, oldest and most cosmopolitan city in Australia with an enviable reputation as one of the world's most beautiful and liveable cities.
Brimming with history, nature, culture, art, fashion, cuisine, design, and set next to miles of ocean coastline and sandy surf beaches. The city is also home to the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, two of the most iconic structures on the planet.
Sydney is a major global city and one of the most important cities for finance in the Asia-Pacific. Sydney hosted the last Olympics of the old millennium, and continues to attract and host large international events.
The city is surrounded by nature and national parks, which extend into the suburbs and right to the shores of the harbour.
Sydney has a compact city centre surrounded by sprawling suburbs, forming a vast metropolitan area.
Central Sydney:
- City Centre - The busy centre of government and finance, but also home to many famous attractions, fine restaurants, and shopping.
- The Rocks - Just to the west of Circular Quay, now a cosmopolitan area, The Rocks includes the first colonial village of Sydney and the iconic Harbour Bridge.
- Darling Harbour - An extensive leisure and entertainment area immediately to the west of the Central Business District (CBD). See restaurants, boardwalks, aquariums, wildlife, and museums by foot or above by monorail.
- City South - The Haymarket, Chinatown and Central Station area is home to markets, cafes, Chinese culture and cuisine, and some cheaper accommodation and shopping.
- City East - Kings Cross, Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Woolloomooloo and Moore Park. Busy nightlife, and coffee shops, fashion and entertainment by day.
- City West - An early morning trip to the fish markets, exploring the Powerhouse Museum, finding a maritime pub or hitting the Star City Casino.
People
Sydney is one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the planet, with one third of its population born overseas.
European settlement largely displaced the Aboriginal peoples, and over the years, with the earliest colonists largely coming from England, Ireland and Scotland. The Australian goldrush attracted more immigrants, including a significant number of Chinese; with about one in four Australians with convict descent also having some Chinese ancestry.
In the 20th century, Sydney has continued to attract immigrants from all over the world - mostly from the U.K. and Ireland, as the White Australia Policy prevented non-European peoples (and even Southern Europeans) from entering the country.
Timezone Sydney: UTC +10 (Daylight Saving Time: UTC +10.5)
