page_title: History of Sydney
section_title: Olympic City and the new millennium
hierarchical_section_title: History of Sydney / 20th century / Olympic City and the new millennium
caption_attribution_description: English: SYDNEY. Reading the final declaration of the participants in the APEC summit.Русский: СИДНЕЙ. Оглашение Итоговой декларации лидеров экономик – участниц форума «Азиатско-тихоокеанское экономическое сотрудничество».
context_page_description: The History of Sydney begins in prehistoric times with the occupation of the district by Australian Aboriginals, whose ancestors came to Sydney in the Upper Paleolithic period. The modern history of the city began with the arrival of a First Fleet of British ships in 1788 and the foundation of a penal colony by Great Britain.
  From 1788 to 1900 Sydney was the capital of the British colony of New South Wales. An elected city council was established in 1840. In 1901, Sydney became a state capital, when New South Wales voted to join the Australian Federation. Sydney today is Australia's largest city and a major international capital of culture and finance. The city has played host to many international events, including the 2000 Summer Olympics.
context_section_description: Stadium Australia (currently also known as ANZ Stadium due to naming rights), a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct of the redeveloped Homebush Bay was completed in March 1999 at a cost of A$690 million to serve as a venue for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Sydney captured global attention in the Year 2000 by hosting the Summer Olympic Games. The Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics featured a theatrical rendering of Australian history through dance and a torch lighting by Aboriginal athlete Cathy Freeman. At the Closing Ceremony, President of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, declared:
  "I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever."
  The Olympic mayor, Frank Sartor, was the Lord Mayor of Sydney, serving from 1991 to 2003 and his successor, Lucy Turnbull, became the first woman to hold that office in 2003. She was in turn succeeded by independent Clover Moore, Sydney's longest-serving mayor from 2004 – present. From 1991–2007, Sydneysiders governed as Prime Minister of Australia – first Paul Keating (1991–1996) and later John Howard (1996–2007), Tony Abbott (2013–2015), Malcolm Turnbull (2015–2018) and Scott Morrison (2018–present). Sydney has maintained extensive political, economic and cultural influence over Australia as well as international renown in recent decades. Following the Olympics, the city hosted the 2003 Rugby World Cup, the APEC Leaders conference of 2007 and Catholic World Youth Day 2008, led by Pope Benedict XVI.
  Sydney's population officially hit 5 million people at the 2016 census. The city has gained a reputation for diversity and is Australia's most multicultural city. In the 2011 census, 34 percent of the population reported having been born overseas. The city's first dedicated rapid transit system is currently under construction, with a completion date set for 2019. The project has been hailed as "transformative" by journalists.
  The first line of the Sydney Metro, linking the suburb of Epping to the north-west of Sydney, opened on 26 May 2019. It is a first in Australian transportation, as no other Australian city currently has an automated underground metro. The first line serves the north-western suburbs of the city, while a future line to open in 2024 will run under Sydney Harbour from the southwest into the central business district. A third line, serving the western suburbs including Rozelle and Westmead, is currently in planning stages.
caption: World leaders with Prime Minister John Howard in Sydney for the 2007 APEC conference.
exif: {}