History And Geography

History

Early History

The history of Sydney can be traced back to prehistoric times. The area neighboring Port Jackson (Sydney Harbor) was home to Aboriginal tribes for more than 40,000 years. Although rapid urbanization has wiped out most evidence of these settlements, rock carvings and ancient artifacts can still be found in several locations.

Botany Bay (now a southern suburb of Sydney) was first sighted by Captain James Cook in 1770. In 1788, under specific directives from the British government, a settlement was established by Arthur Phillip. The arrival of European settlements had a terrible impact on the local Aboriginal people. In the early days, this was mainly due to the introduction of diseases such as measles, chicken pox and smallpox, to which the Aboriginal population had no genetic immunity.

Early Sydney was molded by the hardship endured by early settlers. In the early years, famines and disease caused immense problems, but the situation improved gradually. The military colonial government was highly dependent on the army, the New South Wales Corps (also known as the Rum Corps due to their monopoly on the importation of alcohol) for protection.

Constant disagreements arose between the governors and the top officers of the Rum Corps, many of whom were landowners such as John Macarthur. In 1808 these disagreements took form of an open rebellion in which the Rum Corps ousted Governor William Bligh.

The Gold Rush Era

Australia witnessed a number of gold rushes in the mid 19th century, beginning with the discovery of gold in Bathurst (150km west of Sydney) in 1851. This attracted a large number of immigrant miners, who poured into Sydney. As a result of this, the population grew from 39,000 to 200,000. Demand for adequate infrastructure to support the growing population and subsequent economic activity led to substantial improvements to the city's railway and port systems throughout the 1850s and 1860s. After an era of rapid growth, further discoveries of gold in Victoria began attracting new residents away from Sydney towards Melbourne and a feeling enmity began to grow between the two cities. The rivalry culminated as Australia moved on to become a federation and both Melbourne and Sydney put forward petitions to be officially recognized as the capital city (a dispute settled with the creation of a new city, Canberra, instead).

20th Century

Industrialization in Sydney led to rapid expansion, and by the early 20th century, it had a population well in excess of one million. Sydney suffered badly during the period of the Great Depression. The construction of the Sydney Harbor Bridge in 1932 was one of the most prominent highlights of the Depression Era.

Throughout the 20th century, Sydney continued to develop with various new waves of European and Asian immigration, resulting in a highly multi-ethnic atmosphere.

Geography

The city of Sydney is situated in a coastal basin and has the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Blue Mountains to the west. The natural harbor at Sydney is the largest in the world. Sydney's urban area comprising of 651 sq. miles can be comparable to that of Greater London. According to the Sydney Statistical Division, the metropolitan area of Sidney is 4,689 sq. miles. A sizeable portion of this area comprises of a national park and other unsettled land.

The city of Sydney is located amidst two geographical regions, namely the Cumberland Plain, and the Hornsby Plateau. While the former is a relatively flat or rolling region lying to the southwest of the harbor while the latter is a plateau north of the harbor, at an elevation of 389 meters (1276 ft) and divided by forested valleys.

The older parts of the city are located in the relatively flat areas. The Hornsby Plateau, known as the North Shore, developed at a lesser pace owing to its hilly topography, and was mostly a quiet backwater until the Sydney Harbour Bridge was constructed in 1932, linking it to the rest of the city.