Fascinating facts about Sydney

Did you know that Sydney, named in honour of Lord Sydney, the British Home Secretary from 1784 to 1789 was never officially named because the first settlers were simply too busy setting themselves up in their new country? Originally the settlement was called Sydney Cove, the name later shortened to Sydney.
Sydney's postcode is 2000, the same number as the year it hosted the Olympics.
Sydney is situated at a similar latitude to Cape Town, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Casablanca and Beirut – 33' 55" south.
Sydney is one of the largest cities in its land size, spreading across 1580 square kilometres, the same as London and more than double New York. Thereare 1,426,266 dwellings in Sydney.
The first European to come ashore in what is now Sydney, was a cabin boy, Isaac Smith who, before the more official people could land on April 29, 1770, jumped from the ship's boat onto the sands of what is now Kurnell in Botany Bay.
Likewise the official opening of the distinctive Sydney Harbour Bridge on March 19, 1932, was hijacked by a man with a sword mounted on a galloping horse. Right wing New Guard member, Captain Francis de Groot burst through the assembled dignitaries, and slashed the ceremonial ribbon before the Premier could do so.
The strength of Sydney Harbour Bridge, the world's widest single-span bridge, was tested before its opening by placing 96 railway engines, equivalent in weight to 5900 family cars, or almost seven times the number of cars that could actually fit on the bridge at any one time. Visitors may walk across the arch of the bridge each day as part of specially guided groups. If that is too strenuous they may ascend inside one of the pylons or simply use the footpath.
Sydney has a relatively mild climate. The average summer maximum temperature is 25.8C, and the average winter maximum is 15.9C. Interestingly there is an average of twice as many cloudy days per month in summer (12) as there are in winter (6).
Sydney is without sunshine for only 23 days a year yet, surprisingly, rain falls on about 150 days a year.
The 25 year-old Sydney Opera House, which seats 5200 people, was paid for by a public lottery. It took six years to complete, and its cost and design caused so much conflict that the Danish architect, Utzon, resigned before its completion. Tours of the Opera House have long been popular with visitors, but now Backstage Tours are also available.
An attempt to set a new mass tap-dancing record was made on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in May 1985. Performed to the music of Waltzing Matilda it was unsuccessful as only 1500 tappers attended. There was more success at the Sydney Entertainment Centre the same month when 23,094 dancers set the record for most dancers in one dance.
About half of Sydney Harbour has a depth of nine metres or more at low water, with a maximum depth of 24.4. metres at the harbour entrance.
The oldest surviving building in Australia is Elizabeth Farm at Parramatta, 23 kilometres from the city centre. It was built as the family homestead for wool pioneer John Macarthur and his family in 1793.
Each year around 3.5 million international visitors visit Sydney.
Today a sixth of the Australian population lives in Sydney, yet about a third of these were born overseas, and migrated from over 200 countries. Counting their Australian-born children they account for about half of Sydney's population. More than 20 languages are in widespread daily use,
The unmistakably shaped Sydney Tower, at 324.8 metres, is the second tallest observation tower in the Southern hemisphere. There is a revolving restaurant near the top of the tower.
To the west of Sydney Harbour, the graceful Gladesville Bridge over the Parramatta River has a span of 305 metres, making it the world's longest concrete arch.
It is said a Sydney housewife threw out some rotting Tasmanian apples in the 1830s and they grew in her garden to become the forebears of all the Granny Smith apples in the world.
Sydney Harbour contains over 240km of foreshore and extends over 55 square kilometres. The Sydney metropolitan ocean coastline stretches for 60km.
The cost of staging the Sydney 2000 Olympic games was at least $5.2 billion, of which taxpayers paid about one-third. The 110,000 seat Olympic stadium was, at the time, the largest ever built for an Olympic Games. Four jumbo jets would fit side by side under the span of the main roof arch.
The 2.3 kilometre Sydney Harbour Tunnel, was completed in 1992 at a cost of $738 million. It is estimated that its use cuts the crossing time by ten minutes and saves 13 million litres of fuel a year.
Paul Hogan, most famous for his role as Mick Dundee in the 1986 blockbuster film Crocodile Dundee was once employed to repaint the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The Mint Building on Queen Street was originally built in 1814 as a hospital and was known as the Rum Hospital because the builders received no money for its construction. Their reward was a monopoly on the booming rum trade in the colony at the time.
The State Conservatorium of Music on Macquarie Street was originally built as the Government House stables.
The Governor of NSW does not always live in Government House, although he may use it for State functions.

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