Settling in and Learning about Sydney

Blog Post:  January 14 2016

Settling In and Learning About Sydney!

Hello Elementary Friends,

Did you know that The Sydney Harbor Bridge measures 1,149 meters, and it is considered to be the largest steel arch bridge in the whole world?   This is just one of many facts that I will share with you this week due to the upcoming Australia Day on January 26^th.  I want to learn all I can about Australian history so that I will be “in the know” prior to the national holiday that holds just as much significance as the 4^th of July in the USA!

In this blog I will intersperse Australian and Sydney history facts within my account of our adventures to keep you learning as you go.  A little bit of Australian history never hurt anyone!

History Tidbit #1:          Sydney was founded in 1788 when the first fleet arrived in Australia from England. On 13 May 1787 a fleet of 11 ships set sail from Portsmouth, England. On board were 759 convicts, most of them men, with sailors and marines to guard the prisoners. With them they took seeds, farm implements, livestock such as cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses and chickens and 2 years supply of food.

The first colonists came ashore at Port Jackson on 26 January 1788 (thus the date of Australia Day).  They were commanded by Captain Arthur Philip (1738-1814).

Sydney was named after Thomas Townshend - Lord Sydney (1733-1800). He became British Secretary of State in 1783 and recommended the British establish a colony in Australia.

At first things were difficult for the colonists and food was short although Phillip sent a ship to South Africa for more provisions which returned in May 1789. Food was rationed and the rations were anything but generous. However things gradually improved. 

A second fleet arrived in Australia in 1790 and a third fleet came in 1791. At first, the settlers in Sydney lived in simple wooden huts but later convicts made bricks for houses. The first church in Sydney opened in 1793.

Mitch and I have returned to Sydney after a week of travels to the southeast coast of New South Wales, Melbourne, and Tasmania.  It was all beautiful, and we are glad that we were able to see so much of the countryside of southeast Australia prior to school starting soon.  The beaches in Tasmania were gorgeous!  Here is a photo of Adventure Bay Beach on Bruny Island just south of “Tassie.”  It looked to me like someone had poured in enormous amounts of food coloring to get that deep rich turquoise color.  I couldn’t believe that no one was on the beach at the time we went by.  If this beach would have been in Hawaii, California, or Florida it would have been crowded with people!

History Tidbit #2:          In the late 1700’s and early 1800’s the colony in Australia developed rapidly especially after a pass was found through the Blue Mountains in 1813.

Meanwhile Sydney grew rapidly.

The first theater in Sydney was built in 1794 and in 1804 a stone bridge was built over the Tank Stream. It was the first stone bridge in Australia. The first post office in Australia opened on Lower George Street in 1809.

The first governor, Phillip, set aside land for his own use. It became the Domain. Phillip also gave the vicinity of Manly its name when he saw 'manly' Indigenous Australians standing there.

Lachlan Macquarie was governor of New South Wales from 1810-1822. So far Sydney had grown in a haphazard way. Macquarie was determined to bring order. So he built the first paved roads and also erected many public buildings in Sydney. He was helped by the architect Francis Greenway (1777-1824).

Some of the earliest settlers were made to work on vegetable gardens. However the venture was not a success and in 1816 the land was turned into the Botanic Garden.

Hyde Park Barracks was built in Sydney in 1819. Originally it was accommodation for convicts. Today it is a museum. The Australian Museum was founded in 1827.

The oldest existing church in Sydney is St James, which was built in 1824.

Since Mitch and I have been home, we have had a few outings.

First of all, Monday (11^th) was Mitch’s birthday, so we went to the Hunters Hill Bistro for dinner.  The staff at Mortensen had arranged a gift certificate for this restaurant, and Helen had it waiting for us when we arrived two weeks ago.  It was a very nice dinner, and we are thankful to Mortensen for this enjoyable evening!

History Tidbit #3           Sydney grew at a phenomenal rate through the 19th century even though transportation to New South Wales ended in 1840. By 1861 the population of Sydney was 56,000 and it was a flourishing town. By 1881 the population of Sydney had grown to an amazing 221,000.

In 1842 Sydney was incorporated (given a corporation and mayor). Sydney University was founded in 1850.

Then in 1855-57 Fort Denison was built to protect Sydney. It was named after Sir William Denison (1804-1871) who was governor or New South Wales from 1855 to 1861.

As Sydney exploded in size many new buildings were erected. Government House was built in 1845. Sydney Observatory was built in 1858. Another famous 19th century building in Sydney is Vaucluse House, which was once the home of the statesman William Charles Wentworth (1790-1872).

St Mary's RC Cathedral was built on the site of the previous church, which burned down in 1865. St Mary's Cathedral was consecrated in 1905. However the twin spires were not added until 1999. Meanwhile St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney was consecrated in 1868 and the Great Synagogue was consecrated in 1878.

Macquarie lighthouse was built in 1883. Sydney Customs House was built in 1885. Sydney Town Hall was built in 1869-1889, and the Strand Arcade in Sydney opened in 1892. (It was named after a street in London). The Queen Victoria Building was erected in 1898.

Meanwhile in 1855 a railway was built from Sydney to Parramatta and in 1861 horse drawn trams began running through the streets of Sydney. In the 1880s they were replaced by steam trams and at the beginning of the 20th century by electric trams. However the tram system began closing in the 1950s and the last tram ran in Sydney in 1961. Also, Sydney airport was founded in 1920. In 1926 the first part of an underground railway opened in Sydney.

However Sydney suffered an epidemic of measles in 1867. There was also an epidemic of smallpox in 1881.

Tuesday was spent running errands and most importantly purchasing two oscillating fans for our unit because it does not have AC.  The temperatures for the past three days have been quite warm (in the 30’s Centigrade which equates to the 90’s Fahrenheit).  The fans do a nice job of moving the air and keeping us comfortable – especially at night.  

Also – I learned to make coffee with a French Press!  We do not have an electric coffee maker, and I looked at some while we were out, and they are all very expensive and not at all like our drip coffee makers.  I am rather proud to say, however, that the French Press coffee is really good – I like it better than the drip method!  I think I will be getting a French Press when I arrive back home!

History Tidbit #4           During the 20th century Sydney continued its rapid growth. By 1900 Sydney had a population of 481,000. By 1921 it had reached 981,000 and by 1950 it was almost 1.7 million. By 1975 Sydney had a population of nearly 3 million.

Then, in 1916 Taronga Zoo opened, and State Theatre in Sydney was built in 1929.

The task of building Sydney Harbour Bridge began on 28 July 1923 when the first sod was turned and work began on the approaches. In March 1924 a contract was signed with the building firm Dorman, Long and Co. By 1930 the arch was in place. Sixteen men were killed building Sydney bridge.

Sydney Harbour Bridge opened on 19 March 1932.  The new Bridge was 3,770 feet long. The span of the main bridge was 1,650 feet. Clearance for vessels passing underneath was 170 feet. Bridgeclimb (a climbing tour) began in 1998.

Meanwhile in 1932 Archibald Fountain was erected in Hyde Park.

In the late 20th century the number of manufacturing jobs in Sydney declined. However the service sector boomed and today Sydney is Australia's main commercial and financial center. Sydney is also an important port (although most of the cargo goes through Port Botany).

Wednesday we went to open a bank account, and I was thrilled to be invited to lunch with some of the staff members of Beaumont Road School.  We went to a lovely place called Eden Gardens (Eden - again in honor of my son-in-law who grew up in Eden, Texas).

  

Here is a photo of Anne, Wendy, Bev, Sue, and me.  I am still impressed with the welcome that the school is providing me!  I am eager for school to start to work with these great ladies!

Wednesday night we had a great time!  We walked back over to the Hunters Hill Hotel and participated in their weekly Trivia Night Contest.  There were 14 teams and we came in 6^th!  Not too shabby considering it was our first time, and we know nothing about cricket, rugby, Australian football or Aussie pop-culture!  We were "Team Coloradoz."

History Tidbit #5:          In the 1900’s Sydney became a major tourist destination. Many new museums opened in the late 20th century. Sydney Tram Museum was founded in 1950. It moved to its present site in 1988. Powerhouse Museum opened in 1988. Sydney Jewish Museum opened in 1992.

Sydney Opera House was opened on 20 October 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II. A Danish architect named Jorn Utzon (1918-2008) won an international competition to design the Opera House in 1957. However it took 14 years to build and Utzon himself resigned in 1966. In 1988 a mural called Possum Dreaming was added to the theatre by Michael Nelson Tjakamarra. In 2007 UNESCO made Sydney Opera House a World Heritage Site. Today the Opera House is probably the most famous landmark in Sydney.

Sydney Tower was built in 1981 and The Wharf Theatre opened in 1984. Meanwhile Sydney Entertainment Centre opened in 1983. Furthermore the Chinese Garden of Friendship opened in 1988. The same year, 1988, Bicentennial Park opened. Also in 1988 Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre opened.

From 1988 the Darling Harbour district was redeveloped and is now known for its shops, restaurants and entertainment. Sydney Harbour Tunnel was built in 1992.

In 1994 Governor Phillip and Governor Macquarie Towers opened. The Australian National Maritime Museum opened in Sydney in 1991. The Museum of Contemporary Art also opened in 1991. The Museum of Sydney opened in 1995. The Anzac Bridge opened in 1996 and Broadway Shopping Centre opened in 1998.

Thursday (today) – we started the day by going to the Gladesville Library which is about 10 minutes from our house.  We "joined" the library and got our own official Library Cards!  Mitch checked out books on Sydney history and a novel entitled Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje (also wrote the English Patient).  I used the time at the library to enjoy the air conditioning and to get into my Jeffco email and respond to a few things.  We are having some difficulty with internet at the house, so it was nice to get a few things accomplished!”

We then went to our closest shopping center in Gladesville.  We have individual shops in Hunters Hill, but this is sort of like a mall with a grocery store inside it.  Here is a photo of the “Travelator.”  It is like an escalator without steps – it does have a slant unlike the people movers at most US airports.

Here are some more photos of the shopping center:

History Tidbit #6:          In the 21st century Sydney continues to flourish. Aurora Place was built in 2001. The Olympic Games were held in Sydney in 2000 and Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre opened in 2007. Meanwhile The Rocks Discovery Museum opened in 2005.

Today Sydney is a multicultural city with many immigrants both from Europe and Asia. It is easily the largest city in Australia. Today the population of Sydney is 3.6 million.

Here is a photo just outside from our balcony of a friendly cock-a-too who comes to see us each day! 

Finally - here are 10 facts about Sydney that you might find interesting.  I urge you to put at least a few of them to memory and to think about them on Tuesday, January 26th, Australia Day!

1. The first thing many people get shocked about is when they find out that Sydney is not the capital of Australia.  In fact, it is often confused with Canberra because Sydney is the most densely populated city in the entire Oceania continent and it is also internationally famous.

2.  Even if English is the main language people speak in Sydney, two other languages, Chinese and Arabic are almost just as popular among people who live there.

3.  Sydney was founded as a colony in 1788, but it officially became a city in 1842.

4.  Residents of Sydney, as well as of all of Australia as a whole, are often jokingly referred to as ‘convicts’ by the rest of the world. The reason can be traced back to its founding in 1788 when ships from England arrived in the city to bring convicts and leave them there as punishment. A recent census carried out among Australians showed that at least 20% of them had a convict ancestor.

5.  The world famous Sydney Opera House hosts a minimum of 3000 shows per year. A fun fact considering that its original purpose was to become a tram shed!

6.  When the Sydney Harbor Bridge was built, it required so much paint that its first original color was grey, which was the only color available in such a large quantity.

7.  Sydney is sometimes still referred to as ‘Sin City’ for its ‘convict’ past.

8.  The biggest national holiday in Sydney is celebrated on the 26th of January because it marks the day of the very first landing of British convicts in the Australian city.

9.  The Sydney Harbor Bridge measures 1,149 meters and it is considered to be the largest steel arch bridge in the whole world.

10.  Sydney is home to the world’s largest and most varied fish market, second only to Tokyo’s.

You will have to wait on Mitch's contribution.  His computer is having problems and needs to be taken in to the Apple Store for diagnosis.  Hopefully next week he can tell you about things that can kill you in Australia!  Our plans for the next few days include visiting the Royal Botanic Gardens, Bondi and some of the other beaches near us, getting to know some of the neighbors, and doing some work in my classroom at Beaumont Road!  Happy Martin Luther King Holiday Weekend!