Culture

The Federation Square cultural precinct The Shrine of Remembrance is an important cultural landmarkMelbourne is widely known as the Australian cultural and sport capital. It has thrice shared top position in a survey by The Economist of the World's Most Livable Cities on the basis of its cultural attributes, climate, cost of living, and social conditions such as crime rates and health care, in 2002, 2004 and 2005.In recent years rising property prices have led to Melbourne being named the 36th least affordable city in the world and the second least affordable in Australia.
The city celebrates a wide variety of annual cultural events, performing arts and architecture. Melbourne is also considered to be Australia's live music capital with a large proportion of successful Australian artists emerging from the Melbourne live music scene. Street Art in Melbourne is becoming increasingly popular with the Lonely Planet guides listing it as a major attraction. The city is also admired as one of the great cities of the Victorian Age (1837-1901) and a vigorous city life intersects with an impressive range of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century buildings.

Early history and foundation

Prior to European settlement, the area of land now occupied by Melbourne was occupied by Indigenous Australians, of the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung nations, who lived sustainably on the land for around 40,000 years. The area was an important meeting place for clans and terriroties of the Kulin nation alliance as well as a vital food and water resource. The first European settlement in Victoria was established in 1803 on Sullivan Bay, near present day Sorrento, but this settlement was abandoned due to a percieved lack of resources. It would be 30 years before another settlement was attempted.
In May and June 1835, the area that is now central and northern Melbourne was explored by John Batman, a leading member of the Port Phillip Association, who negotiated a transaction for 600,000 acres (2,400 km2/940 sq mi) of land from eight Wurundjeri elders. He selected a site on the northern bank of the Yarra River, declaring that "this will be the place for a village", and returned to Launceston in Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land). However, by the time a settlement party from the Association arrived to establish the new village, a separate group led by John Pascoe Fawkner had already arrived aboard the Enterprize and established a settlement at the same location, on 30 August 1835. The two groups ultimately agreed to share the settlement. Batman's Treaty with the Aborigines was annulled by the New South Wales government (then governing all of eastern mainland Australia), which compensated the Association, Although this meant the settlers were now trespassing on Crown land, the government reluctantly accepted the settlers' fait accomplished and allowed the town (known at first by various names, including 'Bearbrass' to remain.
In 1836, Governor Bourke declared the city the administrative capital of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales, and commissioned the first plan for the Hoddle Grid in 1837. Later that year, the settlement was named Melbourne after the British Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, who resided in the village of Melbourne in Derbyshire. Melbourne was declared a city by letters patent of Queen Victoria, issued on 25 June 1847.

MELBOURNE

Melbourne is the second most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3.8 million (2007 estimate) and serves as the state capital of Victoria. It is located at the mouth of the Yarra River and on the northern and eastern shorelines of Port Phillip on an area of land that formed part of the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung nation's territories for at least 31,000 years. The area was an important meeting place for clans and territories of the Kulin nation alliance as well as a vital food and water resource that was managed sustainably until early European settlers cleared much of these resources, forcing both nation's people into neighbouring territories or mission stations.
Melbourne was founded by free settlers in 1835, 47 years after the first European settlement of Australia, as a pastoral settlement situated around the Yarra River. Transformed rapidly into a major metropolis by the Victorian gold rush in the 1850s, 'Marvellous Melbourne' became Australia's largest and most important city, by 1865 the second largest in the British Empire, and the tenth largest in the world for a brief moment at the turn of the 20th century. Such rapid growth from nothing was unprecedented at the time. However, Melbourne's growth slowed after 1900 and it was overtaken by Sydney as the largest city in Australia during the early 20th century.
Today, Melbourne is a major centre of commerce, industry and cultural activity. The city is referred to as Australia's 'sporting and cultural capital and it is home to many of the nation's most significant cultural and sporting events and institutions. It has been recognised as a gamma world city by the Loughborough University group's 1999 inventory.[10] Melbourne is notable for its mix of Victorian and contemporary architecture, its extensive tram network and Victorian parks and gardens, as well as its diverse, multicultural society. Melbourne has hosted multiple international conferences and events, including the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Politically, it was the location of the 1981 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the 2006 G20 summit.
Melbourne served as the federal seat of government from the time of the new nation's federation in 1901, until Federal Parliament moved to the purpose-built capital, Canberra, in 1927. Melbourne's demonym is Melburnian

WATSONS BAY

Watsons Bay sits on the end of the South Head peninsula and takes its name from the sheltered bay and anchorage on its western side, in Port Jackson. It provides spectacular views across the harbour to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Gap is an ocean cliff on the eastern side with spectacular views to Manly at North Head and the Pacific Ocean.
Watsons Bay is a mostly residential area with some recreational areas and beaches, including one legal nude beach. Some restaurants, cafes and a hotel are located here, with Doyles on the Beach being one of the most famous Sydney seafood restaurants located on the foreshore of Watsons Bay. The Sydney Harbour Pilot Boat Station is located on the bay, and the HMAS Watson naval station is located nearby at South Head.

HISTORICAL FORTS

Historical Forts The Georges Head Battery and now restaurant.The Shores of Sydney Harbour are home to a number of Historical forts, some of which are now heritage listed. Some of these forts date back to 1871 and were designed to defend Sydney town in the event of a seaborn attack. There are four historical fortifications located between Taronga Park Zoo and Middle Head, Mosman. The forts were constructed from mostly large sandstone blocks and consist of many tunnels, catacombs and underground rooms. The four forts located between between Bradleys Head and Middle Head are; the Middle Head Fortifications, the Georges Head Battery, the Lower Georges Heights Commanding Position‎ and a small fort located on Bradleys Head

BRIDGE CLIMB

Bridge ClimbSince 1998, BridgeClimb has made it possible for tourists to climb the southern half of the bridge. Tours run throughout the day, from dawn to dusk and are only cancelled for electrical storms or high wind. Night climbs are also available. Groups of climbers are provided with protective clothing appropriate to the prevailing weather conditions and are given an orientation before climbing. During the climb, attendees are secured to the bridge by a wire lifeline. Each climb begins on the eastern side of the bridge and ascends to the top. At the summit, the group crosses to the western side of the arch for the descent. Each climb is a three-and-a-half-hour experience

TARONGA ZOO

Taronga is the city zoo of Sydney, officially opened on October 7, 1916. It is located on the shores of Sydney Harbour in Mosman. Taronga is linked to Dubbo's Western Plains Zoo in terms of breeding programs. Taronga Zoo is home to over 2,600 animals on 28.7 hectares, making it one of the largest of its kind, and it divided into eight zoogeographic regions with numerous indoor pavilions and outdoor exhibits. Taronga Zoo has about 340 species and over 2600 individual animals. They are housed in a large variety of exhibits.

KING CROSS

Kings CrossThe Kings Cross area is infamous in Australia as being a red-light district, similar to Kings Cross in London with numerous strip clubs and "girlie" bars along Darlinghurst Road, although the demographics have changed in recent years and gentrification of the area has led to clashes between new and established elements. Kings Cross is also known for its Neon signs and advertising posters, the most famous being the iconic Coca-Cola sign. It is often referred to by Sydneysiders by the affectionate colloquialism "the Cross".
The Kings Cross district was the City of Sydney's bohemian heartland from the early decades of the 20th Century, but due its proximity to the naval docking area at Garden Island it also came to serve as the city's main tourist accommodation and entertainment centre, as well as its red-light district. The drugs and crime associated with this trade led to Kings Cross achieving a high level of notoriety.

Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains National Park is one of the most popular parks in Australia. The majority of tourists to the Blue Mountains see the National Park from one of the many lookouts between Wentworth Falls and Blackheath, and many of these never actually set foot in the park.Despite this, there are many activities for the visitor. Short walks to impressive lookouts above cliff and waterfalls abound. Overnight and longer walks allow access to some of the more remote areas of the park. Other popular activities include canyoning and mountain biking.

Sydney Olympic Park

Sydney Olympic Park, Telstra Stadium at nightSydney Olympic Park is a 640-hectare site located adjacent to the suburb of Homebush Bay, New South Wales, Australia. It was built for the 2000 Olympics and continues to be used for sporting and cultural events, including the Sydney Royal Easter Show, Sydney Festival, Big Day Out and a number of world class sporting fixtures. It is served by the Olympic Park railway line and station. There are also regular services to the nearby wharf which operate from various points around Sydney Harbour.

Manly Beach

Manly Beach is a well known beach situated in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Manly Beach is popular with tourists and locals alike and is host to a number of international surfing events. Travelling to Manly from Sydney's main ferry terminal, Circular Quay, takes 30 minutes by ferry or 15 minutes by the faster 'Jet Cat' catamaran.

Bondi Beach

Large numbers of tourists visit Bondi Beach throughout the year with many Irish and British tourists spending Christmas Day there. Bondi Beach features many popular cafes, restaurants and hotels, with spectacular views of the beach. The beach itself is approximately one kilometre long.

Beaches in sydney

Sydney is renowned for its beaches and, with its warm climate, attracts people to the beaches almost all year round.

City Parks

A Fig-lined avenue in Hyde Park

Sydney, Australia Hyde Park contains well-kept gardens and approximately 580 trees; a mixture of Moreton Bay Figs, Palms and other varieties. It is famed for its magnificent fig tree lined avenues. At the park's southern end is the ANZAC War Memorial and a monument consisting of a 104-millimetre gun from the German light cruiser SMS Emden. Any traveller who visits Sydney, should take some time out to go for a walk through Hyde Park. The Royal Botanic Gardens is the largest of three major botanical gardens open to the public in Sydney. One may enter the park free of charge and it is open to the public every day of the year.

Museums

Museums of Australia

Sydney is home to a number of established museums. The Australian Museum is the oldest museum in Australia, and is particularly renowned in the fields of natural history and anthropology. The Powerhouse Museum specialises in science and technology, and its exhibits include the oldest steam engine in the world with a rotating action that is still in operation. The Australian National Maritime Museum focuses on Australia's maritime history.

Darling Harbour

Darling harbour View



Darling Harbour, New South Wales Darling Harbour on the eastern sideDarling Harbour was redeveloped from an industrial wharf to a major tourist and retail precinct in 1988, and is home to a number of major public facilities and attractions, including:
*Sydney Entertainment Centre


*Sydney's Chinese Gardens


*Tumbalong Park


*Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre


*Australian National Maritime Museum (featuring museum ships including HMAS Vampire) *Star City Casino


*Sydney Aquarium


*The IMAX theatre


*Wildlife World and many more





The Darling Harbour precinct is linked to the CBD by the Sydney Monorail and Pyrmont Bridge is a quite good to view sydney

Sydney Tower

(This is the viw from Sydney Tower)

Sydney Tower

The view from Sydney Tower is Sydney's tallest free-standing structure, and the second tallest in Australia, the Q1 building on the Gold Coast being the tallest. It is also the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere after Auckland, New Zealand's Sky Tower; though Sydney Tower's main observation deck is almost 50 metres higher than that of the Sky Tower. The Sydney Tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers. It is known by locals as the Centrepoint Tower, after the shopping centre building the tower sprouts from.
Sydney Tower Skywalk, or just Skywalk, is an open-air, glass-floored platform circling Sydney Tower at a height of 260m above ground level. The moving viewing platform extends out over the edge of the main structure of Sydney Tower. This attraction is more than twice as high as the popular BridgeClimb walk to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge. From the platform the seaward horizon is 58 kilometres away, although inland features such as the Blue Mountains can be seen at further distances. See Sydney Attractions Group.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Sydney Harbour Bridge at night during the 2007 APEC Summit.The Sydney Harbour Bridge is the main crossing of Sydney Harbour carrying rail, vehicular, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district (CBD) and the North Shore. The dramatic water vista of the bridge together with the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of both Sydney and Australia. The South-east pylon for many years operated as lookout and tourist attraction, containing a number of telescopes and antiquated arcade games which operated on pennies, long after that currency had gone out of operation. The couple that ran this tourist venue also kept a number of white cats which gave the interior of the pylon a memorable odour. The pylon has recently been renovated and returned to its tourist function.

Government

Western Australia was granted self-government in 1889 with a bicameral Parliament located in Perth, consisting of the Legislative Assembly (or lower house), which has 59 members; and the Legislative Council (or upper house), which has 36 members. Suffrage is universal and compulsory for citizens over 18 years of age.
With the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901, Western Australia became a state within Australia's federal structure; this involved ceding certain powers to the Commonwealth (or Federal) government in accordance with the Constitution; all powers not specifically granted to the Commonwealth remained solely with the State, however over time the Commonwealth has effectively expanded its powers through increasing control of taxation and financial distribution.
Whilst the sovereign of Western Australia is the Queen of Australia (Queen Elizabeth II), and executive power nominally vested in her State representative the Governor (currently Ken Michael), executive power rests with the premier and ministers drawn from the party or coalition of parties holding a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly. The current Premier is Colin Barnett.

Biota

Western Australia is home to around 540 species of birds (depending on the taxonomy used). Of these around 15 are endemic to the state. The best areas for birds are the southwestern corner of the state and the area around Broome and the Kimberley.
The Flora of Western Australia comprises 9437 published native vascular plant species of 1543 genera within 226 families, there are also 1171 naturalised alien or invasive plant species more commonly known as weeds. In the southwest region are some of the largest numbers of plant species for its area in the world.
William Henry Harvey published a five-volume Phycologia Australia which was issued in parts between 1858 and 1863. He earned the title of father of Australian Phycology. His main collection is in the herbarium of Trinity College Dublin, there is also a large collection of his specimens in the Ulster Museum, Belfast.

Western Australian cities, towns, settlements and road network

This is played at an ANZAC Day ceremony in Port Melbourne, Victoria, 25 April 2005. Such ceremonies are held in virtually every suburb and town in Australia.

Lieutenant James cook charted the east coast of Australia on HM Bark Endeavour, claiming the land for Great Britain in 1770. This replica was built in Fremantle in 1988, photographed in Cooktown Harbour where Cook spent seven weeks

History of Australia

Human habitation of Australia is estimated to have begun between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago.These first Australians may have been ancestors of modern Indigenous Australians; they may have arrived via land bridges and short sea-crossings from what is now South-East Asia. Most of these people were hunter-gatherers, with a complex oral culture and spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in the Dreamtime. The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically Melanesian, inhabited the Torres Strait Islands and parts of far-north Queensland; their cultural practices were and remain distinct from those of the Aborigines.
Lieutenant James Cook charted the east coast of Australia on HM Bark Endeavour, claiming the land for Great Britain in 1770. This replica was built in Fremantle in 1988; photographed in Cooktown Harbour where Cook spent seven weeks.The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland was made by the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon, who sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in 1606. During the 17th century, the Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines of what they called New Holland, but they made no attempt at settlement. In 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain.

Cook's discoveries prepared the way for establishment of a new penal colony. The British Crown Colony of New South Wales began a settlement at Port Jackson by Captain Arthur Phillip on 26 January 1788. This date was later to become Australia's national day, Australia Day. Van Diemen's Land, now known as Tasmania, was settled in 1803 and became a separate colony in 1825. The United Kingdom formally claimed the western part of Australia in 1829. Separate colonies were created from parts of New South Wales: South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, and Queensland in 1859. The Northern Territory was founded in 1911 when it was excised from South Australia. South Australia was founded as a "free province"—that is, it was never a penal colony. Victoria and Western Australia were also founded "free" but later accepted transported convicts. The transportation of convicts to the colony of New South Wales ceased in 1848 after a campaign by the settlers.

The Indigenous Australian population, estimated at 350,000 at the time of European settlement, declined steeply for 150 years following settlement, mainly because of infectious disease combined with forced re-settlement and cultural disintegration.[citation needed] The removal of children from their families, which historians such as Henry Reynolds and Indigenous Australians have argued could be considered genocide by some definitions, may have contributed to the decline in the indigenous population. Such interpretations of Aboriginal history are disputed by some commentators as being exaggerated or fabricated for political or ideological reasons. This debate is known within Australia as the History Wars. Following the 1967 referendum, the Federal government gained the power to implement policies and make laws with respect to Aborigines. Traditional ownership of land—native title—was not recognised until 1992, when the High Court case Mabo v Queensland overturned the notion of Australia as terra nullius (literally "no one's land", effectively "empty land") at the time of European occupation.
Port Arthur, Tasmania was Australia's largest gaol for transported convicts. The Last Post is played at an ANZAC Day ceremony in Port Melbourne, Victoria, 25 April 2005. Such ceremonies are held in virtually every suburb and town in Australia.A gold rush began in Australia in the early 1850s, and the Eureka Stockade rebellion against mining licence fees in 1854 was an early expression of civil disobedience. Between 1855 and 1890, the six colonies individually gained responsible government, managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the British Empire. The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs, defence, and international shipping. On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation, and voting. The Commonwealth of Australia was born as a dominion of the British Empire. The Federal Capital Territory (later renamed the Australian Capital Territory) was formed from a part of New South Wales in 1911 to provide a location for the proposed new federal capital of Canberra. (Melbourne was the temporary seat of government from 1901 to 1927 while Canberra was being constructed.) The Northern Territory was transferred from the control of the South Australian government to the Commonwealth in 1911. Australia willingly participated in World War I. Many Australians regard the defeat of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) at Gallipoli as the birth of the nation—its first major military action.The Kokoda Track Campaign is regarded by many as an analogous nation-defining event during World War II.
The United Kingdom's Statute of Westminster 1931 formally ended most of the constitutional links between Australia and the UK. Australia adopted it in 1942, but backdated it to the beginning of World War II to confirm the validity of legislation passed by the Australian Parliament during the war. The shock of the UK's defeat in Asia in 1942 and the threat of Japanese invasion caused Australia to turn to the United States as a new ally and protector. Since 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the US, under the ANZUS treaty. After World War II, Australia encouraged immigration from Europe; since the 1970s and the abolition of the White Australia policy, immigration from Asia and elsewhere was also encouraged. As a result, Australia's demography, culture and self-image have been transformed. The final constitutional ties between Australia and the UK were severed with the passing of the Australia Act 1986, ending any British role in the government of the Australian States, and ending judicial appeals to the UK Privy Council. At the 1999 referendum, 54% of Australian voters rejected a proposal to become a republic with a president appointed by two-thirds vote of both houses of the Australian Parliament. Since the election of the Whitlam Government in 1972, there has been an increasing focus on the expansion of ties with other Pacific Rim nations while maintaining close ties with Australia's traditional allies and trading partners

Flinders View of Port Jackson taken from South Head

About Australia

Something about Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous other islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.N4 Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east.

For around 40,000 years before European settlement commenced in the late 18th century, the Australian mainland and Tasmania were inhabited by around 250 individual nations of indigenous Australians. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the immediate north, and European discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, the eastern half of Australia was claimed by the British in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales, founded on 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in the following years; the continent was explored, and during the 19th century another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were established.
On 1 January 1901, the six colonies became a federation, and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since Federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth realm. The population is just over 21.3 million, with approximately 60% concentrated in and around the mainland state capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. The nation's capital city is Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
Capital Canberra35°18′S 149°08′E / -35.3, 149.133 Largest city Sydney Official languages NoneNational language EnglishEthnic groups 92% European (English, Irish, Scottish, Greek, Italian, others), 7% Asian, 1% OtherDemonym Australian,Aussie (colloquial) Government Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, see Government of Australia - Monarch Queen Elizabeth II - Governor-General Quentin Bryce - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Independence from the United Kingdom - Constitution 1 January 1901 - Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931 - Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 9 October 1942 (with effect from 3 September 1939) - Australia Act 3 March 1986 Area - Total 7,741,220 km² (6th)2,988,902 sq mi - Water (%) 1 Population - 2008 estimate 21,468,700[4] (53rd) - 2006 census 19,855,288[5] - Density 2.6/km² (235th)6.7/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2007 estimate - Total $762.887 billion[6] (17th) - Per capita $36,225[6] (14th) GDP (nominal) 2007 estimate - Total $908.990 billion[6] (15th) - Per capita $43,163[6] (16th) HDI (2007) 0.962 (high) (3rd) Currency Australian dollar (AUD) Time zone variousN3 (UTC+8 to +10.5) - Summer (DST) variousN3 (UTC+9 to +11.5) Internet TLD .au Calling code +61