"Sydney, New South Wales" Sydney by seagoingJLW

I have to admit that we fell in love with Sydney. It is smart, cosmopolitan, fast-paced, cultured and coutured. In fact, if it weren't so far away from the rest of the world, it would rival New York. But...it is far away-- very far.

We enjoyed wandering around, visiting different places, dining out, cruising the harbor, and just "hanging out."

We got there on a Saturday and spent the first day at Harbourside, which is fantastic. We enjoyed the buskers and the shopping. We enjoyed a marvelous restaurant for lunch called Jordon's where we had the most magnificent rock oysters. Everyone must try them. Unfortunately, my roll of film from Harbourside has disappeared. So my descriptions will have to suffice.

Guess What!!!

The roll of film was found and mailed to us. Not all of the pictures made it safely, but some did. I am creating a new travelogue just for Harbourside.

Take a look.

Circular Quay, where Harbourside is located, also is the location of the Maritime Museum, the Aquarium and the IMAX.

We had both good and bad experiences the next day-- mostly good. The bad one is detailed below under "tourist traps" although it may not be a trap for others. We were just unlucky, I guess.

At any rate, I shall try to do justice to Sydney.

New South Wales, in Southeastern Australia, is the most populous and the most industrialized state. Sydney, its capital and largest city, is one of the world's greatest seaports.

Sydney is considered one of the most perfectly situated cities in the world. It is easily recognizable due to its Opera House and Harbour Bridge (the Coathanger).

Circular Quay (officially called Sydney Cove)is close to the Rocks where the First Fleet is said to have made landfall. It was the first area for settlement in 1788. Nothing remains of the original buildings.

Sydney has a temperate climate with over 340 sunny days per year. Necessities include a hat and sunscreen.

World War II War Memorial

Sydney, which the aborigines call Warrane, has been inhabited for at least 50,000 years. When Captain James Cook landed at Kurnell in Botany Bay on April 29, 1770, he claimed the entire east coast for King George III and called it New South Wales.

The First Fleet, commissioned by Thomas Townsend, Viscount Sydney, set sail for Botany Bay on May 13, 1787 as a result of the American Revolutionary War. The fleet: the frigate HMS Sirius, three storeships, the armed tender Supply, the Golden Grove, Borrowdale, and six transports - the Scarborough, Lady Penrhyn, Friendship, Charlotte, the Prince of Wales, and the Alexander. HMS Supply, along with Scarborough, Friendship, and Alexander arrived in Botany Bay on the 18the of January only to discover that there was no fresh water. When the other ships arrived on the 20th, they went further north to Port Jackson (now Sydney Harbour.)

A formal flag raising ceremony was held by Captain Arthur Phillip proclaiming the colony of New South Wales on January 26, 1788. He later named the cove at which they landed "Sydney Cove."

Sydney began life as a penal colony with 568 male and 191 female convicts. The females had 13 children. There were also 206 marines with 26 wives and 13 children, and 20 officials who made the voyage.

Free settlers did not begin arriving until 1793.

Soldiers of the NSW corps, whose officers monopolized the endless supply of rum, dominated the early governors. When Governor William Bligh (from the Bounty) tried to stop the corruption he was imprisoned in the infamous Rum Rebellion. When he was forced to sail to Indonesia, he made sure that British authorities back home knew of the situation.

The NSW Rum Corp were sent back to England upon the arrival of Governor Lachlan Macquairie in 1810. Most of today's Sydney is a result of Macquairie's leadership and vision.

Transportation of convists was finally abolished in 1840. In 1842 Sydney was declared a city and, with the gold rush of 1850, the population grew rapidly.

In 1901 the six colonies formed a federation to become the Commonwealth of Australia.

Important Resource

Hughes, Robert, The Mortal Shore 1987 - an excellent account of the history of convict transportation to Australia.

Opera House

Everybody knows and recognizes the Sydney Opera House.

• Pros:Fabulous City
• Cons:Traffic and the long, long traffic lights.
• In a nutshell:Have a great time there.