General information

Sydney is a valued site by the oldest civilisation in the world. For at least 50,000 years its indigenous people from the Cadigal band of nomads used this area to fish, hunt and gather food. When they were originally asked the name of Sydney, they replied ’Warran’ which literally translates as ’this place’. Similarly when asked about the name of their people they replied ’Eura’ meaning people from this place.

The Eura peoples lifestyle was rapidly obliterated with the arrival of Europeans due to murder and disease such as small pox, the flu and measles. The settlement of Sydney is said to have begun on 26 January 1788, when the 11 ships of the "First Fleet" dropped anchor at Sydney Cove. At this time the population of various tribes of Aboriginal people within a 20 km radius of Port Jackson was said to have been approximately 1500. The 1996 census described less than 1% of central Sydney’s population to be Aboriginal people.

The aim of the settlement was not to build a great city, but to establish a prison settlement for British convicts. Soldiers and prisoners worked to carve out a rough and ready settlement, using European knowledge and ignoring the skills of the local people who had lived in this place for so long. On several occasions the little settlement came close to starvation.

Despite the fact that Sydney was not planned, there are clear signs of these early years in the landscape of the City of Sydney. The main thoroughfares used in Sydney today, George St, Oxford St and King St, were based on Aboriginal tracks hewn through the bush between farmed grassland and fishing areas.

Today Kings Cross is the city’s budget accommodation centre and has a well-developed travellers grapevine. The less stressful alternatives are Glebe, Bondi Beach and Manly. The international hotels are concentrated in the city and the Rocks. There are heaps of good restaurants in Darlinghurst, Kings Cross, Paddington and Glebe, and a few around Circular Quay. For cafés, try Oxford and Victoria Sts in Darlinghurst, Stanley St in East Sydney, King St in Newtown or Norton St in Leichhardt. Sydney’s theatres are scattered around the edge of the CBD, the mainstream cinema complexes are on the ugly neon strip of George St. The best night life is centred on Oxford St and in Kings Cross which are the heart of Sydney’s gay and lesbian community.

With a population of around 4 million people Sydney is not a huge city. Nor is it an old city in comparison with others in the world. However due to a long, although problematic, history of immigration there are representatives of almost every people and culture in the world. Along with this exists all the flavours, colours, traditions, music, dress and influence to create a vibrant and interesting mix. Sydney is a small, yet lively, youthful, playful, diverse and spectacular city!