Factors of Development

In modern times, Sydney is one of Australia's most developed cities. But why is this? Why is Sydney more developed than other Australian cities such as Perth and Adelaide? In this post, I will talk about some of these factors that influenced Sydney's development

Position of Sydney on a map of Australia
Credit: http://www.goplayoutdoors.com/Member/Wahoo/index.ht

Early Civilizations

Radio-carbon dating has revealed that the area now known as Sydney has been inhabited for the last 30,000 years. The people who would have lived there back then are Australia's native people, the Aborigines. It is believed that there were between 4,000 and 8,000 Aborigines living in many clans in the area before the British arrived in the 18th century. Many great towns and cities today originated from ancient settlements so the placement of the Aboriginal settlement may have influenced the location of Sydney today.

British Settlers

Australia was discovered by the British in April 1770. It was found by the crew of the HMS Endeavour led by Lieutenant James Cook. They disembarked the ship at a bay in the south-east of Australia and named it Botany Bay after the unique types of plant life they found there. Over the course of many years, the British set about establishing a colony in the bay which would later be known as Sydney.

An artist's impression of the HMS Endeavour discovering Australia
Credit: http://dictionaryofsydney.org/artefact/hms_endeavour

1850s Gold Rush

During the mid 19th century, gold was discovered all across Australia, the first of which was found in Bathurst (150 miles west of Sydney) Sydney's population grew rapidly at this point as many immigrant miners arrived in the hope of receiving a share of the gold that had been found. Demand for better facilities for the growing population meant that the city's ports and tram systems had to be improved.

19th Century Development

The 19th century saw a huge development in cultural buildings for Sydney. As money was plentiful at the time, many advanced projects could be undertaken. These included intricately designed cathedrals and theatres. Many of Sydney's most beautiful buildings were constructed in this period.




Source: www.wikipedia.org