Sydney's Geographical Situation

In this post, I will talk about the location terrain, climate and more in Sydney.




The Location and Terrain of Sydney
Sydney is located in New South Wales, a state in the south-east of Australia. It is spread across two major regions: the Hornsby Plateau which is north of Sydney Harbour and is over 200 metres over sea level and the Cumberland Plain which is a flat area south of the harbour. The city started developing in the flatter areas and gradually expanded to the higher areas. The two regions are connected by the Sydney Harbour Bridge which opened in 1932.




Climate
Sydney, like most of south-east Australia, has a temperate climate. Temperatures in winter (June, July, August) average at around 9 degrees centigrade. In summer (December, January, February) temperatures average between 19 degrees and 25 degrees. People in Sydney experience warm summers and mild winters and the temperature and rainfall is less extreme than in other regions of Australia such as Queensland which is mostly a tropical climate.




Source:http://www.sydney.com.au/weather.htm

Tourism in Sydney

A lot of Sydney's wealth has come from the sheer amount of tourists that visit the city every year. But what is it about Sydney that makes so many people want to go there. In this post, I will discuss some of the reasons why tourists love Sydney so much.

The Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is easily one of the most instantly recognizable buildings in the world and attracts thousands of tourists every year. Its visitors include architecture enthusiasts wanting to see the opera house's unique 'shell' design for themselves, people who want to see the concerts, operas and shows that are performed in its auditoriums and people who simply want to visit one of the most iconic buildings in the world. Since opening in 1973 after approximately 30 years of development, the opera house has seen more than 8 million people every year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Opera_House#/media/File:Sydney_Opera_House_-_Dec_2008.jpg

Bondi Beach
One of the most famous beaches in the world, Bondi Beach proves to be extremely popular with tourists looking for a holiday in the sun and sees thousands of visitors each year. Tourists buying from the nearby shops also helps to generate local income.




Sydney Harbour
Alternatively known as Jackson Port, Sydney Harbour attracts a lot of visitors each year. The harbour is home to many attractions for tourists including the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, botanical gardens, shops and opportunities for rides on boats.


Darling Harbour
A former industrial port, Darling Harbour underwent a major redevelopment project during the 1980s and has become an important area of tourism. It now contains attractions such as an aquarium, a zoo, a casino, a convention centre, an IMAX cinema and the Australian National Maritime Museum.
Museums
Sydney is home to a wide range of museums including the Powerhouse Museum of Science and Technology, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Australian Museum, the oldest in the country.
Others
As well as these attractions, others include wildlife parks, botanical gardens, public parks, the Sydney Tower, the Sydney Olympic Village, the Rocks District (a historical area close to where the original settlers settled in the 1700s) and several historical forts
Why is tourism important?

Around ten million tourists visit Sydney every year. These tourists stay in local hotels and pay to visit attractions around the city. This money is important as it aids the development of the city. This means that tourism can help create jobs for local people and generate income

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





Welcome

Hello! My name is Eoin (pronounced oh-win) and this is my blog on the geography of Sydney, Australia. In this blog, I hope to post information on factors that influenced the location and development of Sydney, the economic situation of the city and why Sydney has developed more than other cities in the country.
 I hope you will find my blog interesting and useful!