Editing Sydney (section)

==Urban structure==
{{wide image|Sydney City Panorama (20155327722).jpg|1100px|The [[Sydney central business district|Sydney CBD]] with the [[Sydney Opera House|Opera House]] and [[Sydney Harbour Bridge|Harbour Bridge]]. Sydney is home to the most high-rise buildings in the nation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sydney – The Skyscraper Center |url=https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/city/sydney |access-date=2020-07-16 |website=Skyscrapercenter.com |archive-date=1 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101022939/https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/city/sydney |url-status=live }}</ref>|align-cap=center}}

===Architecture===
{{See also |Architecture of Sydney|List of heritage houses in Sydney|List of tallest buildings in Sydney}}
The earliest structures in the colony were built to the bare minimum of standards. Governor Macquarie set ambitious targets for the design of new construction projects. The city now has a world heritage listed building, several national heritage listed buildings, and dozens of Commonwealth heritage listed buildings as evidence of the survival of Macquarie's ideals.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world-heritage-list |title=Australia's World Heritage List |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=19 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719130334/http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world-heritage-list |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/heritage/heritage-places/national-heritage-list |title=Australia's National Heritage List |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=19 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719064152/http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/heritage/heritage-places/national-heritage-list |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=search_results;state=NSW;list_code=CHL;legal_status=35 |title=Australian Heritage Database |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914152900/http://environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=search_results;state=NSW;list_code=CHL;legal_status=35 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:York Street, Sydney.jpg|thumb|[[York Street, Sydney|York Street]] is an example of a city street in Sydney with an array of intact Victorian heritage architecture.]]
In 1814, the Governor called on a convict named [[Francis Greenway]] to design [[Macquarie Lighthouse]].<ref name="Macquarie Lighthouse">{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105366 |title=Macquarie Lighthouse |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=26 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426163630/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105366 |url-status=live }}</ref> The lighthouse's [[Classical architecture|Classical]] design earned Greenway a pardon from Macquarie in 1818 and introduced a culture of refined architecture that remains to this day.<ref name="Macquarie Lightstation">{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Harbour Federation Trust |date=2001 |url=http://www.harbourtrust.gov.au/topics/sitesmacquarie.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060209012719/http://www.harbourtrust.gov.au/topics/sitesmacquarie.html |archive-date=9 February 2006 |title=Macquarie Lightstation |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> Greenway went on to design the [[Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney|Hyde Park Barracks]] in 1819 and the [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]] style [[St James' Church, Sydney|St James's Church]] in 1824.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |year=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/hyde-park |title=Hyde Park Barracks |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=18 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018065631/http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/hyde-park |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Judd |first1=Stephen |last2=Cable |first2=Kenneth |year=2000 |title=Sydney Anglicans – a history of the diocese |page=12}}</ref> [[Gothic architecture|Gothic-inspired architecture]] became more popular from the 1830s. [[John Verge]]'s [[Elizabeth Bay House]] and [[St Philip's Church, Sydney|St Philip's Church]] of 1856 were built in [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] style along with [[Edward Blore]]'s [[Government House, Sydney|Government House]] of 1845.<ref name="Chronology of styles in Australian architecture">{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Architecture |date=2014 |url=http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/STYLES/search-style.htm |title=Chronology of styles in Australian architecture |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908110249/http://sydneyarchitecture.com/STYLES/search-style.htm |archive-date=8 September 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of Premier and Cabinet |date=2014 |url=http://www.governor.nsw.gov.au/government-house/ |title=Government House |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124060409/http://www.governor.nsw.gov.au/government-house |url-status=live }}</ref> Kirribilli House, completed in 1858, and St Andrew's Cathedral, Australia's oldest cathedral,<ref>{{cite news |title=Changes not music to purists' ears |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=8 September 2008 |access-date=14 November 2016 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cathedral-finds-its-organ-grinding/2008/09/07/1220725858498.html |archive-date=27 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527105742/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cathedral-finds-its-organ-grinding/2008/09/07/1220725858498.html |url-status=live }}</ref> are rare examples of [[Gothic Revival architecture|Victorian Gothic]] construction.<ref name="Chronology of styles in Australian architecture"/><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105451 |title=Kirribilli House |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=26 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426163624/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105451 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:General Post Office, Sydney.jpg|thumb|[[General Post Office, Sydney|General Post Office]]]]
From the late 1850s there was a shift towards Classical architecture. [[Mortimer Lewis]] designed the [[Australian Museum]] in 1857.<ref>{{cite web |title=A short history of the Australian Museum |url=https://australian.museum/about/history/ |website=[[Australian Museum]] |publisher=Australia Museum |access-date=21 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822022326/https://australian.museum/about/history/ |archive-date=22 August 2020 |date=20 July 2014 |url-status=live }} [http://australianmuseum.net.au/A-short-history-of-the-Australian-Museum Alt URL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718224809/http://australianmuseum.net.au/A-short-history-of-the-Australian-Museum |date=18 July 2014 }}</ref> The [[General Post Office, Sydney|General Post Office]], completed in 1891 in [[Victorian architecture|Victorian Free Classical]] style, was designed by [[James Barnet]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105509 |title=General Post Office |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904020740/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105509 |url-status=live }}</ref> Barnet also oversaw the 1883 reconstruction of Greenway's Macquarie Lighthouse.<ref name="Macquarie Lighthouse"/><ref name="Macquarie Lightstation"/> [[Customs House, Sydney|Customs House]] was built in 1844.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105436 |title=Sydney Customs House |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904020740/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105436 |url-status=live }}</ref> The neo-Classical and [[Second Empire architecture|French Second Empire]] style [[Sydney Town Hall|Town Hall]] was completed in 1889.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Town Hall |date=2014 |url=http://www.sydneytownhall.com.au/discover-learn/building-history/coonstruction/ |title=Construction of Sydney Town Hall |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=20 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720024240/http://www.sydneytownhall.com.au/discover-learn/building-history/coonstruction/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Sydney Town Hall |date=2014 |url=http://www.sydneytownhall.com.au/discover-learn/building-history/features/ |title=Features of Sydney Town Hall |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=20 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720024245/http://www.sydneytownhall.com.au/discover-learn/building-history/features/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] designs gained favour from the early 1890s. [[Sydney Technical College]] was completed in 1893 using both Romanesque Revival and [[Queen Anne style architecture|Queen Anne]] approaches.<ref name="Sydney Technical College">{{cite web |last=Freyne |first=Catherine |date=2010 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney_technical_college |title=Sydney Technical College |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=10 August 2014 |archive-date=26 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426114930/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney_technical_college |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Queen Victoria Building]] was designed in Romanesque Revival fashion by [[George McRae]]; completed in 1898,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Queen Victoria Building |date=2014 |url=http://www.qvb.com.au/about-qvb/history-of-qvb |title=History of Queen Victoria Building |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=19 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819141915/http://www.qvb.com.au/about-qvb/history-of-qvb |url-status=live }}</ref> it accommodates 200 shops across its three storeys.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ellmoos |first=Laila |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/queen_victoria_building |title=Queen Victoria Building |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-date=29 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729112404/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/queen_victoria_building |url-status=live }}</ref>

As the wealth of the settlement increased and Sydney developed into a metropolis after Federation in 1901, its buildings became taller. Sydney's first tower was Culwulla Chambers which topped out at {{cvt|50|m|ft|abbr=off}} making 12 floors. The Commercial Traveller's Club, built in 1908, was of similar height at 10 floors. It was built in a brick stone veneer and demolished in 1972.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/GON/GON125.htm |work=Sydney Architecture Images |title=Commercial Travellers Club |access-date=14 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023182833/http://sydneyarchitecture.com/GON/GON125.htm |archive-date=23 October 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This heralded a change in Sydney's cityscape and with the lifting of height restrictions in the 1960s there came a surge of high-rise construction.<ref name="Sydney architecture">{{cite book |title=Sydney architecture |last2=Bingham-Hall |first2=Patrick |year=2005 |page=14 to 15 |last1=McGillick |first1=Paul}}</ref>

The Great Depression had a tangible influence on Sydney's architecture. New structures became more restrained with far less ornamentation. The most notable architectural feat of this period is the Harbour Bridge. Its steel arch was designed by [[John Bradfield (engineer)|John Bradfield]] and completed in 1932. A total of 39,000 tonnes of structural steel span the {{cvt|503|m|ft|0|abbr=off}} between Milsons Point and [[Dawes Point, New South Wales|Dawes Point]].<ref name="Sydney Harbour Bridge">{{cite web |date=2014 |title=Sydney Harbour Bridge |url=http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/sydney-harbour-bridge |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512054556/http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/sydney-harbour-bridge |archive-date=12 May 2012 |access-date=6 July 2014 |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105888 |title=Sydney Harbour Bridge |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=25 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825100313/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105888 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Dr Chau Chak Wing Building.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Frank Gehry]]'s [[Dr Chau Chak Wing Building]]]]
[[Modern architecture|Modern]] and [[International architecture]] came to Sydney from the 1940s. Since its completion in 1973 the city's Opera House has become a World Heritage Site and one of the world's most renowned pieces of Modern design. [[Jørn Utzon]] was awarded the [[Pritzker Architecture Prize|Pritzker Prize]] in 2003 for his work on the Opera House.<ref name="Sydney Opera House">{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105738 |title=Sydney Opera House |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=13 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140213204033/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105738 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sydney is home to Australia's first building by renowned Canadian-American architect [[Frank Gehry]], the [[Dr Chau Chak Wing Building]] (2015). An entrance from [[The Goods Line]]–a pedestrian pathway and former railway line–is located on the eastern border of the site.

Contemporary buildings in the CBD include [[Citigroup Centre, Sydney|Citigroup Centre]],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/citigroupcentre-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107184211/http://www.emporis.com/building/citigroupcentre-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=7 November 2012 |title=Citigroup Centre |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> [[Aurora Place]],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/auroraplace-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910062454/http://www.emporis.com/building/auroraplace-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=10 September 2012 |title=Aurora Place |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> [[Chifley Tower]],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/chifleytower-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107185132/http://www.emporis.com/building/chifleytower-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=7 November 2012 |title=Chifley Tower |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ellmoos |first=Laila |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/chifley_tower |title=Chifley Tower |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=8 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019051251/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/chifley_tower |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Reserve Bank of Australia|Reserve Bank]] building,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Department of the Environment |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105456 |title=Reserve Bank |access-date=20 July 2014 |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904020740/http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105456 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Deutsche Bank Place]],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/deutschebankplace-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105210049/http://www.emporis.com/building/deutschebankplace-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=5 November 2012 |title=Deutsche Bank Place |access-date=20 July 2004}}</ref> [[MLC Centre]],<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/mlccentre-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107192858/http://www.emporis.com/building/mlccentre-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=7 November 2012 |title=MLC Centre |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> and [[Capita Centre]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Emporis |date=2014 |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/castlereagh-centre-sydney-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011142800/http://www.emporis.com/building/castlereagh-centre-sydney-australia |url-status=usurped |archive-date=11 October 2012 |title=Castlereagh Centre |access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> The tallest structure is [[Sydney Tower]], designed by Donald Crone and completed in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dunn |first=Mark |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/centrepoint_tower |title=Centrepoint Tower |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=8 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019051249/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/centrepoint_tower |url-status=live }}</ref> Due to the proximity of [[Sydney Airport]], a maximum height restriction was imposed, now sitting at 330 metres (1083 feet).<ref>{{Cite web |title='It's held Sydney back': Council reveals plan to raise CBD skyline by 100 metres |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-25/sydney-planning-controls-could-see-city-skyline-rise-by-100m/11997462 |date=25 February 2020 |website=Abc.net.au |language=en-AU |access-date=30 May 2020 |archive-date=20 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820152935/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-25/sydney-planning-controls-could-see-city-skyline-rise-by-100m/11997462 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Green ban]]s and [[heritage overlay]]s have been in place since at least 1977 to protect Sydney's heritage after controversial demolitions in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Unlocked: Demolished Sydney |url=https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/unlocked-demolished-sydney |work=SydneyLivingMuseums.com.au |date=16 January 2017 |access-date=14 December 2018 |archive-date=13 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413133421/https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/unlocked-demolished-sydney |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Housing===
[[File:Kirribilli housing.jpg|thumb|[[Terrace houses in Australia|Terraces]] in [[Kirribilli]]]]
Sydney surpasses both [[New York City]] and [[Paris]] real estate prices, having some of the most expensive in the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sydney houses are so 'severely unaffordable', it's cheaper to buy in New York |work=[[Business Insider]] (Australia) |url=http://www.businessinsider.com.au/sydney-houses-are-so-severely-unaffordable-its-cheaper-to-buy-in-new-york-2017-1 |date=24 January 2017 |access-date=25 January 2017 |archive-date=25 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125071309/http://www.businessinsider.com.au/sydney-houses-are-so-severely-unaffordable-its-cheaper-to-buy-in-new-york-2017-1 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.domain.com.au/news/how-sydney-house-prices-compare-with-other-global-cities-20150723-gihntf/ |title=How Sydney house prices compare with other global cities |work=[[Domain Group]] |date=25 July 2015 |access-date=25 January 2017 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202023659/https://www.domain.com.au/news/how-sydney-house-prices-compare-with-other-global-cities-20150723-gihntf/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city remains Australia's most expensive housing market, with the median house price at $1,595,310 as of December 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Tawar Razaghi |author2=Melissa Heagney-Bayliss |date=2024-01-23 |title=Sydney's median house price reaches a new peak of almost $1.6 million |url=https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/sydney-s-median-house-price-reaches-a-new-peak-of-almost-1-6-million-20240123-p5ezcm.html |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref> 

There were 1.83&nbsp;million dwellings in Sydney in 2021 including 900,000 (54%) detached houses, 218,000 (13%) semi-detached terrace houses and 550,000 (33%) units and apartments.<ref name="Greater Sydney QuickStats">{{Cite web |title=2021 Sydney, Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/1031 |access-date=27 May 2023 |website=www.abs.gov.au |archive-date=27 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527140855/https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/1031 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Housing Sydney">{{cite web |last=Darcy |first=Michael |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/housing_sydney |title=Housing Sydney |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019051320/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/housing_sydney |url-status=live }}</ref> Public housing in Sydney is managed by the [[Government of New South Wales]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Housing New South Wales |date=2012 |url=http://www.housing.nsw.gov.au/About+Us/What+We+Do.htm |title=Services offered |access-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019062237/http://www.housing.nsw.gov.au/About+Us/What+We+Do.htm |archive-date=19 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Suburbs with large concentrations of public housing include [[Claymore, New South Wales|Claymore]], [[Macquarie Fields]], [[Waterloo, New South Wales|Waterloo]], and [[Mount Druitt]].

A range of heritage housing styles can be found throughout Sydney. Terrace houses are found in the inner suburbs such as [[Paddington, New South Wales|Paddington]], [[The Rocks, New South Wales|The Rocks]], [[Potts Point]] and [[Balmain, New South Wales|Balmain]], many of which have been the subject of [[gentrification]].<ref>{{cite book |first1=Terry |last1=Irving |first2=Terrence H. |last2=Irving |first3=Rowan J. |last3=Cahill |title=Radical Sydney: Places, Portraits and Unruly Episodes |year=2010 |publisher=UNSW Press |isbn=9781742230931 |page=306}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=A public housing terrace in Sydney sold for a staggering $2.2 million above reserve |work=[[Business Insider]] |date=10 December 2016 |url=http://www.businessinsider.com.au/a-former-public-housing-terrace-in-sydney-has-sold-for-a-staggering-2-2-million-above-reserve-2015-12 |access-date=23 January 2017 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202024440/http://www.businessinsider.com.au/a-former-public-housing-terrace-in-sydney-has-sold-for-a-staggering-2-2-million-above-reserve-2015-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> These terraces, particularly those in suburbs such as The Rocks, were historically home to Sydney's miners and labourers. In the present day, terrace houses now make up some of the most valuable real estate in the city.<ref>{{cite news |title=This $13 million Sydney property is the most expensive terrace in Australia |work=[[Business Insider]] |date=15 April 2016 |first=Sarah |last=Kimmorley |url=http://www.businessinsider.com.au/this-13-million-sydney-property-is-the-most-expensive-terrace-in-australia-2016-4 |access-date=23 January 2017 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202024920/http://www.businessinsider.com.au/this-13-million-sydney-property-is-the-most-expensive-terrace-in-australia-2016-4 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Surviving large mansions from the Victorian era are mostly found in the oldest suburbs, such as [[Double Bay]], [[Darling Point]], [[Rose Bay, New South Wales|Rose Bay]] and [[Strathfield]].<ref>H.J. Samuell, ''How to Know Sydney'', 1895</ref>

[[Federation architecture|Federation]] homes, constructed around the time of Federation in 1901, are located in a large number of suburbs that developed thanks to the arrival of railways in the late 19th century, such as [[Penshurst, New South Wales|Penshurst]] and [[Turramurra]], and in large-scale planned "garden suburbs" such as [[Haberfield, New South Wales|Haberfield]]. Workers cottages are found in [[Surry Hills]], [[Redfern, New South Wales|Redfern]], and Balmain. [[California bungalow]]s are common in [[Ashfield, New South Wales|Ashfield]], [[Concord, New South Wales|Concord]], and [[Beecroft, New South Wales|Beecroft]]. Larger modern homes are predominantly found in the outer suburbs, such as [[Stanhope Gardens]], [[Kellyville Ridge]], [[Bella Vista, New South Wales|Bella Vista]] to the northwest, [[Bossley Park]], [[Abbotsbury, New South Wales|Abbotsbury]], and [[Cecil Hills]] to the west, and [[Hoxton Park]], [[Harrington Park, New South Wales|Harrington Park]], and [[Oran Park, New South Wales|Oran Park]] to the southwest.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Charles Sturt University |date=2014 |url=http://hsc.csu.edu.au/geography/urban/urban/4370/sydney_culture.htm |title=Sydney's culture of place |access-date=26 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025075259/http://hsc.csu.edu.au/geography/urban/urban/4370/sydney_culture.htm |archive-date=25 October 2014}}</ref>

===Parks and open spaces===
{{Main|Parks in Sydney}}The [[Anzac War Memorial]] in [[Hyde Park, Sydney|Hyde Park]] is a public memorial dedicated to the [[First Australian Imperial Force|Australian Imperial Force]] of [[World War I]].

The [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney|Royal Botanic Garden]] is the most iconic green space in the region, hosting both scientific and leisure activities.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ |title=Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |website=Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |access-date=21 November 2016 |archive-date=1 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201075627/https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ |url-status=live }}</ref> There are 15 separate parks under the City administration.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/explore/facilities/parks/major-parks |title=Major parks |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=23 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140623194514/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/explore/facilities/parks/major-parks |url-status=live }}</ref> Parks within the city centre include [[Hyde Park, Sydney|Hyde Park]], [[The Domain, Sydney|The Domain]] and Prince Alfred Park.
[[File:Centennial_Park_NSW_2021,_Australia_-_panoramio_(7).jpg|alt=|right|thumb|The [[Centennial Parklands]] is the largest park in the City of Sydney, comprising {{cvt|189|ha|acre}}.<ref name="CPMPT cp">{{cite web |title=Centennial Park |url=http://www.centennialparklands.com.au/places_to_visit/centennial_park |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218074857/http://www.centennialparklands.com.au/places_to_visit/centennial_park |archive-date=18 February 2017 |access-date=18 February 2017 |work=Centennial Parklands |publisher=Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust }}</ref>]]
The [[Centennial Parklands]] is the largest park in the City of Sydney, comprising {{cvt|189|ha|acre}}.

The inner suburbs include [[Centennial Park, New South Wales|Centennial Park]] and [[Moore Park, New South Wales|Moore Park]] in the east (both within the City of Sydney local government area), while the outer suburbs contain [[Sydney Park]] and Royal National Park in the south, [[Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park]] in the north, and [[Western Sydney Parklands]] in the west, which is [[List of urban parks by size|one of the largest urban parks]] in the world. The Royal National Park was proclaimed in 1879 and with {{cvt|13200|ha|sqmi|0|abbr=off}} is the second oldest national park in the world.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx?id=N0030 |title=Royal National Park |access-date=13 July 2014 |archive-date=14 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414214842/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx?id=N0030 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Sídney_08.jpg|thumb|The [[Anzac War Memorial]] in [[Hyde Park, Sydney|Hyde Park]] is a public memorial dedicated to the achievement of the [[First Australian Imperial Force|Australian Imperial Force]] of [[World War I]].<ref>"[http://www.anzacday.org.au/education/tff/memorials/nsw.html ANZAC Memorial, Sydney] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509035601/http://www.anzacday.org.au/education/tff/memorials/nsw.html|date=9 May 2015}}", ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee (Qld) Incorporated, 1998.</ref>]]
Hyde Park is the oldest parkland in the country.<ref name=MP>{{cite web |title=Hyde Park: Plan of Management and Masterplan |volume=1 |date=October 2006 |publisher=Sydney City Council |access-date=7 September 2012 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/138761/Vol1_HydePark_PoMAndMasterplan_Oct2006.pdf |pages=7–11 |archive-date=22 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622110417/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/138761/Vol1_HydePark_PoMAndMasterplan_Oct2006.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The largest park in the Sydney metropolitan area is Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, established in 1894 with an area of {{cvt|15400|ha|sqmi|0|abbr=off}}.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHistory.aspx?id=N0019 |title=Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park history |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=8 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008012351/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHistory.aspx?id=N0019 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is regarded for its well-preserved records of indigenous habitation – more than 800 rock engravings, cave drawings and middens.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=2014 |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkAboriginalHeritage.aspx?id=N0019 |title=Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park heritage |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=19 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319072905/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkAboriginalHeritage.aspx?id=N0019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The area now known as The Domain was set aside by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1788 as his private reserve.<ref name="Royal Botanic Gardens history">{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=2014 |url=http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/welcome/royal_botanic_garden/history |title=Royal Botanic Gardens history |access-date=19 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708201747/http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/welcome/royal_botanic_garden/history |archive-date=8 July 2014}}</ref> Under the orders of Macquarie the land to the immediate north of The Domain became the Royal Botanic Garden in 1816. This makes them the oldest botanic garden in Australia.<ref name="Royal Botanic Gardens history" /> The Gardens host scientific research with herbarium collections, a library and laboratories.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Dictionary of Sydney |date=2008 |url=http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/royal_botanic_gardens |title=Royal Botanic Gardens |access-date=9 August 2014 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019051841/http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/royal_botanic_gardens |url-status=live }}</ref> The two parks have a total area of {{cvt|64|ha|sqmi|1|abbr=off}} with 8,900 individual plant species and receive over 3.5&nbsp;million annual visits.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Office of Environment and Heritage |date=2014 |url=http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/welcome/royal_botanic_garden/fast_facts |title=Royal Botanic Gardens fast facts |access-date=19 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708170735/http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/welcome/royal_botanic_garden/fast_facts |archive-date=8 July 2014}}</ref>

To the south of The Domain is Hyde Park, the oldest public parkland in Australia which measures {{cvt|16.2|ha|sqmi|1|abbr=off}}.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2006 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/138761/Vol1_HydePark_PoMAndMasterplan_Oct2006.pdf |title=Hyde Park plan of management and masterplan |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=22 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622110417/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/138761/Vol1_HydePark_PoMAndMasterplan_Oct2006.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Its location was used for both relaxation and [[grazing]] of animals from the earliest days of the colony.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=City of Sydney |date=2014 |url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/learn/sydneys-history/people-and-places/park-histories/hyde-park |title=Hyde Park |access-date=19 July 2014 |archive-date=22 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622125424/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/learn/sydneys-history/people-and-places/park-histories/hyde-park |url-status=live }}</ref> Macquarie dedicated it in 1810 for the "recreation and amusement of the inhabitants of the town" and named it in honour of [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] in [[London]].