"Sydney - One of the greatest c ..." a Sydney Travel Page by MikeAtSea

Sydney is the heart of New South Wales and the state’s capital. A bustling centre for industry and business and a major world port, it boasts 3.5 million inhabitants. Spreading over some 670 square miles, the city seems to stretch as far as the eye can see to the west, north and south. Where the metropolitan area ends, the wide-open bush of New South Wales begins.
Sydney is located roughly the same distance from the equator as San Diego, California and enjoys an equally superb sunny climate. Its beautiful harbour is studded with bays and inlets and crowned by the billowing sails of the incomparable Opera House.
In 1770, Captain James Cook sailed his ship Endeavour into Botany Bay, claiming the east coast of the island continent for England and naming it New South Wales. The timing was perfect as England was seeking a suitable venue for a penal colony. On May 13, 1787, Captain Arthur Phillip was dispatched to this new destination with some 1,000 convicts.
Today this international metropolis has long outgrown the stigma of its convict origins. The harbour is undoubtedly the key to Sydney’s splendour, giving it a pronounced maritime character and immense vitality. The city is divided into Sydney proper on one side of the harbour and North Sydney on the other. The famous Harbour Bridge spans the bay linking these two metropolitan areas.
Like many of the world’s major cities, Sydney is a contrast of old and new. Soaring glass and steel skyscrapers and the dramatic Opera House are offset by interesting historical buildings. Where Captain Arthur Phillip and his convicts set foot on the shores of Sydney Cove in 1788 there is now a beautifully restored area, called The Rocks.