Sydney

Principal port and largest city of Australia and capital of the state of New South Wales; population (2001 est) 3,997,300. Founded in 1788, Sydney is situated on Port Jackson inlet on the southeast coast of Australia, and is built on hills around a number of bays and inlets that form an impressive natural harbour. Most of the maritime trade of Sydney is handled by Port Jackson on Sydney Harbour, one of the country's leading ports, though Botany Bay also has a specialist terminal for shipping petroleum products. The city is the home of most of the manufacturing industries in New South Wales, including oil refining, engineering, electronics, and the manufacture of scientific equipment, chemicals, clothing, and furniture. Notable architectural landmarks are the Harbour Bridge (which, with an arch of 503 m/1,650 ft, is one of the world's largest single-span bridges), the nearby Sydney Opera House, and Centre Point Tower. There are many parks, as well as coastal beaches ideal for surfing, such as Bondi and Manly. Sydney hosted the Olympic Games in the year 2000.

History

Sydney was founded in 1788 by Captain Arthur Phillip of the Royal Navy, who had been sent to Australia to reconnoitre a site for a penal colony. Landing first at Botany Bay 8 km/5 mi to the south but finding it unsuitable for settlement, Phillip sailed to Port Jackson, which he described as ‘the finest natural harbour in the world’ in a letter to the home secretary, Thomas Townshend Sydney, after whom the city was named. Sydney grew rapidly, especially during the gold rushes of the mid-19th century. Many of Sydney's streets follow the original wagon tracks laid down when the land was being prospected for gold.