Main article: Media in Sydney Australia's national broadcaster, the ABC, is headquartered in Ultimo. Note: The names and territory boundaries do not always correspond with those used by contemporary Aboriginal groups of the greater Sydney area. [38] [39] [40]

In the past, the state has tended to resist amalgamating Sydney's more populated local government areas as merged councils could pose a threat to its governmental power. [402] Established in 1842, the City of Sydney is one such local government area and includes the CBD and some adjoining inner suburbs. [403] It is responsible for fostering development in the local area, providing local services (waste collection and recycling, libraries, parks, sporting facilities), promoting the interests of residents, supporting organisations that target the local community, and attracting and providing infrastructure for commerce, tourism, and industry. [404] The City of Sydney is led by an elected Council and Lord Mayor. [405] Sydney Metro, a driverless rapid transit system separate from the suburban commuter network, commenced operation in May 2019 and will be extended into the city and down southwest by 2024 and through the inner west to Parramatta by 2030. [439] [440] It currently serves 13 stations. A line to serve the greater west is planned for 2026 and will include a station for the second international airport. The New South Wales Legislative Council became a semi-elected body in 1842. Sydney was declared a city the same year, and a governing council established, elected on a restrictive property franchise. [62] Aerial illustration of Sydney, 1888

Our Greater Sydney 2056 Eastern City District Plan – connecting communities" (PDF). Greater Sydney Commission. March 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 March 2021 . Retrieved 20 July 2021. There were 1.76million dwellings in Sydney in 2016 including 925,000 (57%) detached houses, 227,000 (14%) semi-detached terrace houses and 456,000 (28%) units and apartments. [250] Whilst terrace houses are common in the inner city areas, detached houses dominate the landscape in the outer suburbs. Due to environmental and economic pressures, there has been a noted trend towards denser housing, with a 30% increase in the number of apartments between 1996 and 2006. [251] Public housing in Sydney is managed by the Government of New South Wales. [252] Suburbs with large concentrations of public housing include Claymore, Macquarie Fields, Waterloo, and Mount Druitt. The area is serviced by the T1, T2, and T3 railway lines, including the Main Suburban Line, which was the first to be constructed in New South Wales. Strathfield railway station is a secondary railway hub within Sydney, and major station on the Suburban and Northern lines. It was constructed in 1876. [182] The future Sydney Metro West will also connect this area with the City and Parramatta. The area is also serviced by the Parramatta River services of Sydney Ferries, [183] numerous bus routes and cycleways. [184] Eastern suburbs [ edit ] Residences in Bellevue Hill. Sydney's eastern suburbs are made up of some of the most expensive real estate in the country [185]

The first five governors had near autocratic power in the colony of New South Wales, subject only to the laws of England and the supervision of the Colonial Office in London. Sydney was the seat of government for the colony which encompassed over half the Australian continent. [386] The first Legislative Council met in 1826, [387] and in 1842, the imperial parliament expanded and reformed the council, making it partly elected. [388] In the same year, the town of Sydney officially became a city and an elected municipal council was established. [389] [390] The council had limited powers, mostly relating to services such as street lighting and drainage. [391] Its boundaries were restricted to an area of 11.6 square kilometres, taking in the city centre and the modern suburbs of Woolloomooloo, Surry Hills, Chippendale, and Pyrmont. [62] As Sydney grew, other municipal councils were formed to provide local administration. [392] Mear, Craig (2008). "The origin of the smallpox outbreak in Sydney in 1789". Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011 . Retrieved 5 July 2014. World's most liveable cities: Vienna's win leaves Sydney and Melbourne in a spin". The Guardian. 4 September 2019 . Retrieved 26 September 2019.

Changes not music to purists' ears". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 September 2008 . Retrieved 14 November 2016. The predominant vegetation community in Sydney is the Cumberland Plain Woodland in Western Sydney ( Cumberland Plain), [107] followed by the Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest in the Inner West and Northern Sydney, [108] the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub in the coastline and the Blue Gum High Forest scantily present in the North Shore – all of which are critically endangered. [109] [110] The city also includes the Sydney Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland found in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park on the Hornsby Plateau to the north. [111] a b c d "Sydney (Observatory Hill) Period 1991-2020". Bureau of Meteorology . Retrieved 14 April 2020.

Major developmental projects designed to increase Sydney's tourism sector include a casino and hotel at Barangaroo and the redevelopment of East Darling Harbour, which involves a new exhibition and convention centre, now Australia's largest. [311] [312] [313] a b Freyne, Catherine (2010). "Sydney Technical College". Dictionary of Sydney . Retrieved 10 August 2014. Main article: Transport in Sydney Roads [ edit ] Light Horse Interchange, the largest of its kind in Australia McClymont, John; Kass, Terry (2010). "Old Toongabbie and Toongabbie". Dictionary of Sydney. Dictionary of Sydney Trust . Retrieved 30 July 2019.Birch, Alan; Macmillan, David S. (1982). The Sydney Scene, 1788-1960 (2nded.). Sydney: Hale and Iremonger. pp.105–06. ISBN 0868060178. a b "Macquarie Lightstation". Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. 2001. Archived from the original on 9 February 2006 . Retrieved 20 July 2014. Women were first allowed to participate in recreational swimming when separate baths were opened at Woolloomooloo Bay in the 1830s. From being illegal at the beginning of the century, sea bathing gained immense popularity during the early 1900s and the first surf lifesaving club was established at Bondi Beach. [378] [379] Disputes about appropriate clothing for surf bathing surfaced occasionally and concerned men as well as women. The City2Surf is an annual 14km (8.7mi) running race from the CBD to Bondi Beach and has been held since 1971. In 2010, 80,000 runners participated which made it the largest run of its kind in the world. [380]

McDermott, Marie-Louise, Marie-Louise (2011). "Ocean baths". Dictionary of Sydney, State Library of New South Wales . Retrieved 2 August 2022.

Localities in the Area

Sydney Harbour Bridge". Commonwealth of Australia. 2014. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012 . Retrieved 6 July 2014.