Sydney may be Australia's oldest city, it has a resolutely modern atmosphere, with its slender skyscrapers towering well above the 20km long harbor. The city emblem, the ultra famous Opera house, rests at the border between the water and the forest of buildings of the Central Business District.
Before European arrival, the Sydney's area was inhabited by three main tribes, the Ku-ring-gai, the Dharawal and the Dharug. This came to a sudden change in January 1788 with the arrival of the 1st British Fleet and its cargo of 730 male and female convicts. Fleet after fleet brought settlers pouring onto the new continent. But life wasn't easy and the settlement was often close to starvation. Traces of the past can still be found in the Rocks, the neighborhood which lies at the southern feet of the Coathanger (this second icon of Sydney, officially called Harbour Bridge, opened in 1932). However, this area has now turned into a touristy district.
The opera house was started in 1957 under a young Dane's direction. Jørn Utzon conceived a building that has no link with classical architectural forms. The roof is more important than the walls, turning the usual major features (like windows) into minor items. The building's organic shape and its smooth aspect make it both timeless and ageless. Utzon resigned in 1966 under political pressure to keep the construction cost under control. It caused a major controversy with local architects renouncing their profession in protest. Three Australian architects were finally appointed and the opera was at last finished in 1973.