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Sydney, Australia |
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Sydney is Australia's oldest and largest city and certainly quite beautiful as well. Ranked first for quality of life in IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2007, Sydney is sunny and had a moderate climate, perfect for the relaxed lifestyle of many Australians. On the best of days, its citizens can visit one of Sydney's five national parks that total over 8,000 square kilometers. World-class wines, dynamic art, opera, and theater have helped Sydney form a tourist industry unlike any other. The people who live here receive wonderful benefits that include employment opportunities, a quality education, and national health care.
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Sydney has a wide range of historic buildings decorating the streets. Built from 1929 to 1934 by C Bruce Dellit, the Anzac War Memorial is one such structure. Located on the central axis of Hyde Park South, it depicts highly symbolic structures involving World War I. Entering from the North or South, you will find yourself face-to-face with a grand staircase that leads to the upper circular Hall of Memory. From the East and West, an entrance takes you to the lower circular Hall of Silence. This magnificent structure only exists because Dellit won one of the most prestigious architectural contests in all of Australia.
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One of Sydney's many parks, Pemulwuy Park, was named after a Darug warrior from the Bidjigal clan. Pemulwuy was a great warrior who, beginning in 1972, fought many battles against the people of Prospect, Toongabbie, Georges River, and Hawkesbury. Many times he was challenged, but he seemed invincible to his fellow tribesman. In 1979, he even had to be hospitalized, but he returned shortly thereafter. His total reign of supremacy lasted nearly ten years before he was killed by a gun shot in 1802. Even the governor was impressed, describing him as a "brave and independent warrior." His spirit lives on today through the park.
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If there was ever an Asia Pacific country known for its business, it would be Sydney. New South Whales has supported more than 380 business migrants to Sydney and NSW just in the past year. NSW currently owns 2 out of every 5 of Australia's ICT employments. Almost 100,000 people are employed by Specialist ICT Businesses. Along with all of these great business opportunities, Australia's quality of living is beyond superb. Out of 215 cities in Worldwide Quality of Living index in 2008, Sydney was rated tenth. Overall, Sydney and NSW both are great places to live and provide Australians with many opportunities for employment, business, and even sport and recreation.
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The Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world, used even in movies like Finding Nemo. But for Jorn Utzon, it was much, much more. Though the Opera House only lived for 16 years (1957 - 1963), its legacy lives on today. Utzon wanted to give Australia a "challenging, graceful piece of urban sculpture in patterned tiles, glistening in the sunlight and invitingly aglow at night." He did just that. A walkway surrounds terraced shells stacked on top of each other while aloft a platform. The NSW government left this architectural contest relatively without requirements, only mandating that there be at least one hall for opera and one hall for symphony concerts. Utzon's design turned out to be what they wanted. Sadly, Utzon passed away in November of 2008 at the age of 90 years old.
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Sydney served as host to the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. With 43 sports and many more events, Australia finished with 210 athletes earning medals, 69 of which were gold. Some of the Australians' most impressive events include the 400 freestyle swim in which Ian Thorpe set an Olympic record of 3:40.59, the women's field hockey team who defeated Argentina 3 to 1 in the finals, and Cathy Freeman, the gold medal winner in the women's 400 meter dash with a time of 49.13. Freeman was also honored to light the Olympic torch during the opening ceremonies. Australia's beach volleyball team also had a strong showing, winning gold in the women's event.
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For the first time ever, the Olympics had four events: taekwondo, the triathlon, the women's pentathlon, and women's weightlifting. Also new were EPO and blood tests to ensure the competitions remain fair. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) made its presence known by "monitoring all the procedures followed by the International Olympic Committee." Amidst all the doping, some athletes from other countries managed to have amazing performances. The U.S. softball team, for example, lost its first three games but came back to win gold. Another outstanding athlete, Steven Redgrave, became the first rower to ever win five consecutive Olympic gold medals.
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