| As the state capital of New South Wales ( in Australia, | | | | result of smallpox. |
| Sydney is certainly full of rich history that any traveler | | | | By 1820, there were few aborigines left and the period |
| would like to discover for themselves. Established in | | | | of civilization began: the education and Christianization |
| 1788 when Briton Arthur Phillip claimed Australia for | | | | of the natives. With the leadership of Governor |
| England, Sydney has grown to be one of the more | | | | Macquarie, the city of Sydney began to take a more |
| famous cities in the world, boasting over four million | | | | organized form. Roads and wharves were |
| people for the population. | | | | constructed and local development was rapid. People |
| Situated along the Sydney Harbor, Sydney is known | | | | began arriving from Britain and Ireland in order to find a |
| as the 'Harbor City' in which travelers and residents | | | | new life for themselves. |
| can enjoy such sights as the Sydney Opera House | | | | This influx of people led to some of the first villages |
| and Harbor Bridge. A previous host of the Summer | | | | and later towns in Sydney. As the era of gold rushes |
| Olympics, Sydney is certainly creating a destination for | | | | came and went, the development of suburbs and |
| the travelers of today and the future. | | | | improved transportation also blossomed. The |
| The indigenous Australians ( once roamed the lands of | | | | construction of railways and tramways in the |
| Sydney and the surrounding areas for approximately | | | | nineteenth century aided this rapid development. By the |
| thirty thousand years. And while their numbers | | | | twentieth century, Sydney already had a population of |
| dwindled before the arrival of Arthur Phillips, they still | | | | over a million people. While the Great Depression hit |
| inhabited the area and made their homes in the region. | | | | Sydney hard, the Harbor Bridge ( was still completed |
| In the past, there were three different languages | | | | during that time. |
| spoken in Sydney: Darug, Dharawal, and Guringai. | | | | With the second highest immigrant population of any |
| Many of these languages also have separate dialects | | | | larger world city, Sydney is an interesting mix of culture |
| for various tribes and clans. These languages are all | | | | and expression. In fact, forty-five percent of the |
| but gone now, but rock carvings remain to tell the | | | | population is said to be migrants of some relation. This |
| stories of these ancient peoples. | | | | makes for a different feeling in the city-one of |
| In 1770, James Cook was the first to see Australia and | | | | acceptance and sharing, rather than segregation. |
| note its existence. This led to the British convict | | | | This allows Sydney to be an ideal vacation destination |
| settlement as founded by Arthur Phillip. Founded in | | | | for those travelers that want a sense of history and |
| Sydney Cove, this settlement was named after the | | | | development as well as great weather and nearby |
| British home secretary. A few years later in 1789, a | | | | activities. Sydney is more than a vacation hotspot; it's |
| virulent disease spread over the land, killing the | | | | where time has shown that anything can be achieved |
| indigenous populations-many believe that this was the | | | | with patience and hard work. |