"Keeweechic's Sydney" a Sydney Travel Page by keeweechic

Sydney had its first European settlers establish a town in 1788. They were made up mostly of convicts which were shipped out during the first half of the 1800’s from Britain. Free settlers also arrived during this time and set up livelihoods as sheep and cattle raisers as well as wheat farmers. After the discovery of gold in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria in 1851, the population of Sydney grew rapidly and by the 1970's Sydney had become the largest city in Australia. Major bush fires in 1994 swept through NSW destroying several hundred homes in suburban Sydney. Sydney's Aboriginal history however, dates back more than 22,000 years, with over 5,500 known Sydney rock art sites.

Sydney is capital of NSW and a major port. The metropolitan area of Sydney ranges from the Hawkesbury River in the north to beyond Botany Bay in the south and from the Blue Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. As a leading commercial and financial centre, many of the country's largest companies have their headquarters there. The city has large parks, white sandy beaches wonderful historical sights, an amazing harbour and an endless amount of restaurants and entertainment Most of Sydney's population descends from British or Irish immigrants, but there are also many of Asian, Greek, and Italian descent which adds a colourful side in all respects.

My first trip to Sydney was when I was about 10 as a stopover on a cruise around the Pacific. I really only remember Luna Park, the zoo and climbing the harbour bridge. I returned some 12 years later and then again on a few other occasions while living in Australia.

There is so much to do in Sydney that you either need plenty of time on your first visit, or need to revisit many times. One of the nicest things to do on a lovely day is a harbour cruise. There are some amazing homes built in the various bays around the harbour.