Sydney Australia
Sydney, Australia – Then and Now
I was born in 1943 in Sydney NSW Australia. In 1969, I travelled from Sydney to Canberra, then moved from Canberra to Fiji in 1976. I subsequently lived in several countries before joining the World Bank. In 2005, I returned to Sydney and worked as an independent consultant until 2026. Upon returning to Sydney, I resided in the suburbs until recently when I relocated to Millers Point, which is situated within the central business district of Sydney. During this period, I have noticed changes in Sydney’s physical and cultural aspects, which differ greatly from the city where I grew up.
My heritage is Celtic, Irish on my mother’s side and Cornish on my father’s side. Although officially of Anglo-Irish heritage, individuals from Cornwall prefer not to be referred to as English due to Cornwall’s unique history, which is similar to that of Wales. Despite the Saxon and Norman invasions, Cornwall remained recognised as distinct entity. It is only in recent times that the last native speaker of Cornish passed on. In 1969, Anglo-Irish individuals made up a sizeable portion of the Australian population. The white Australia policy was still in force. The dismantling process began when the Whitlam Government passed legislation prohibiting race in migrant selection.
Census data shows that people of Anglo-Irish descent are now rare in central Sydney and people of Anglo_Irish heritage are very much in the minority particularly residentin or close to the central business district. If one visits the Pitt St. Mall or the MLC buildings at lunchtime you will see people from every country in the world. Since becoming interested in this subject I have been asking people who I meet of their heritage, I have met people from all regions of the world particularly but not exclusively from Asia. Surely, this is the most culturally diverse city on the planet.
Sydney is often recognized as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and residents of Sydney take pride in it. Entering the emerald city by ship in the early morning, sunlight glistening on the water with the harbour bridge and the opera house in the distance is a magnificent sight. Several other times I have approached it by air and one time that sticks in my memory was when the approach was ideal in showing off Sydney’s assets. a flight attendant took a microphone gave a running commentary of the beaches and harbour that we were flying over. Many people who have visited other leading cities believe that Sydney stands out for its beauty. The combination of steep terrain due to the Hawkesbury sandstone geology and the flooded waterwaet that has formed Sydney harbour is responsible for this. But this has always been true. It has been up to successive government policies to enhance this beauty. And this they have done irrespective of their political orientation. These enhancements included improving the accessibility of foreshores of the harbour and its tributaries and the cliff tops and maximizing the green space and forest cover in the suburbs.
An exception to this cooperative attitude is the Sydney Opera House. This had just been completed when I departed Sydney and was the subject of considerable controversy. This beautiful building designed by Denmark’s Jorn Utzon, was a victim of NSW political system in which governments change every four years. The labour government initiated the project, commissioning its design and construction based on conceptual plans. Labor lost the election, and the Liberal Party took over the government. Many of the progressive increases in costs were due to the premature commencement of construction.
State Governments seem to agree on developing Barangaroo, a project that blends Australia’s future with its past. Barangaroo situated at the entrance to Darling Harbour is the last major redevelopment of Sydney’s harbour’s foreshores and it is also a stark reminder of Sydney’s past. The unique site is characterized by almost vertical sandstone cliff face bordering the site on its eastern side. The cliff, standing approximately 100 metres high, is notable even within Sydney, which is known for its steep slopes of Hawkesbury sandstone. This distinction suggests Barangaroo holds a unique place in the region’s landscape. The cliff’s steepness is shown by a pedestrian elevator that opens eastward at the top and westward at the bottom. Along the cliff face office buildings and apartments are built into the cliff face as if space were at a premium. At the foot of this cliff is a stretch of road known as the Hungry Mile, a stretch of road where wharf labourers used to go from wharf to wharf looking for employment and often there was none to be had so they and their families would go hungry. I believe I witnessed the tail end of this in the 1950s when strikes by wharfies would make the headlines. I believe I have more sympathy for their cause now than I did then. Working in developing countries revealed the overwhelming scale of poverty. Most people when they grow old become more conservative. I find that I have become more progressive.
Concerning development Sydney’s population is now more than twenty-seven million whereas when I was growing up it was about eight million
. The growing population has led to significant infrastructure development, including light rail and metro additions to the comprehensive bus, train, and ferry system. Sydney’s skyline offers diverse views from various vantage points. Before I left Sydney, the completion of the Sydney Tower had significantly transformed the city’s skyline. Now, taller buildings have overshadowed it. Darling Harbour, once a cargo port, is now an entertainment and dining hub.
One of the most notable changes in government regulations. These used to control every aspect of life varying from opening hours of shops to hotel opening times and the selling of alcoholic beverages. Shop opening times were set by shop assistant unions prioritising their members’ welfare over public convenience. The operating hours were aligned with Christian holidays. When I left the hotels had to stop serving customers at 10 pm. A few years earlier it was 6 pm. Once, friends called unexpectedly to visit. We wanted to invite them for dinner, but the shops were closed. We ended up going to a chicken farm and begged them for a chicken. Our friends brought their own wine. There was no way we could have sourced that.
There are remnants of these regulation presently. Shops are required to close on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day, and Christmas Day. Exceptions include chemists, fruit and vegetable shops, petrol stations, and small shops. Liquor stores can operate from 5am to midnight Monday to Saturday, and for slightly shorter hours on Sundays. Pubs are open from 5 AM to midnight every day. While the regulations for pubs and liquor stores have some validity, the public holiday regulations make little sense in Sydney’ s racially diverse community.
Surprisingly, the political situation is unchanged since I left. There are three levels of government impacting on Sydney. Federal State and Local. Politics at each level involve two major parties: the Liberal Party, which is in coalition with the National Party at the national level, and the Labor Party, which includes both left and right factions. Smaller parties, including the Green Party, are gaining influence within the two-party system, particularly at the local level where they have become the majority in some regions. The prime minister and opposition party leader have outdated policies. It is anticipated that Sydney will move towards progressive leadership within the next decade.