Do you think you know a lot about Sydney? Here are some cool facts about it!
Known as Australia’s Harbour City—and oftentimes, the unofficial capital—the sprawling metropolis of Sydney is world-famous for its iconic landmarks, both manmade and natural, as well as its diverse and booming population. And while you may know that Sydney is a bustling melting pot of beaches, nightlife, and multiculturalism, we decided to do some research and share some lesser known facts about this iconic destination.
The Sydney Opera House was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 and the organisation has said “the present state of conservation is very good.” Famous around the world, and considered a Sydney icon, the Opera House has been described as a great architectural work of the 20th century that represents multiple strands of creativity, both in architectural form and structural design.
-unesco.org
In 1926, Dr Mark Lidwill of the Royal Prince Alfred’s Hospital invented the first operative pacemaker, a portable apparatus that consisted of a needle and two poles, and which was "plugged into a lighting point". It was used to successfully revive a stillborn baby and managed to keep the infant’s heart beating after ten minutes of being implanted. However, due to ethical concerns, Dr Lidwell declined recognition for the invention.
-Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology: Mond HG, Sloman JG, Edwards RH (1982)
In 2010, a cafe in the suburb of Randwick set the record for preparing the world’s largest burger. Four men were needed to flip the burger, which at 90kg, contained a giant beef patty, 120 eggs, 150 slices of cheese, 1.5kg of beetroot, 2.5kg of tomatoes and almost 2kg of lettuce. More than $2500 was raised for the Sydney Children's Hospital in the world record attempt.
-smh.com.au
The original Aboriginal inhabitants of the City of Sydney local area are the Gadigal people. The territory of the Gadi (gal) people stretches along the southern side of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) from South Head to around what is now known as Petersham. Their southern boundary is the area that now forms the Alexandra canal and Cooks River.
-cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
In 1973, high-wire artist Philippe Petit—famed for his illegal tightrope walks across world-famous sites—made his mark on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. During a six-year planning phase for what would be his aerial walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Centre, Petit crossed a wire linking the two north pylons of Sydney’s iconic bridge. Following the hour-long performance, Petit was promptly arrested and fined $200.
-Man on Wire DVD
