The Lucky City?
"The Lucky Country" was the title of a book published in 1964 by the journalist Donald Horne, and one of the most misapplied phrases in the journalistic vernacular.
Far from being a celebration of a blessed land – and far from proffering a term of endearment - the book offered a searing critique of Australia’s post-war mediocrity.
Its good fortune stemmed from its abundance of minerals and natural resources, which compensated for the mediocrity of its hapless politicians. "Australia is a lucky country," wrote Horne, "run by second-rate people who share its luck".
What would Horne make of modern-day Sydney, a city rich in natural resources – with arguably, the world’s most spectacular harbour and its finest urban beaches – but badly let down by its political leaders in the New South Wales government?
Might he scornfully label it "the Lucky City"?
Take its rundown public services. The hospitals are in a perpetual state of crisis – the New South Wales health minister, Reba Meagher, has been dubbed "the grim Reba".
Transport is a muddle - high charges mean that vital toll roads are underused, choking routes elsewhere and more than 2000 Sydney bus drivers have required retraining over the past five years because of their lack of road skills.
Just as embarrassingly, after ten years of trying, and $A95m ($88m; £45m) of investment, the New South Wales government has failed still to develop an integrated ticketing system for its ferry, bus and train services.
Sleaze allegations
Certainly, there is the whiff of decay. Alarmed by the level of complacency, the Sydney Morning Herald noted recently: "No law says Sydney must be Australia's premier city. It will only retain its pre-eminent position if it is well planned, well managed and regularly upgraded. That is not happening now."
Now, the beleaguered Labor-controlled New South Wales government is wallowing in sleaze allegations, and stands accused of mendacity as well as mediocrity. 
Much of the muck has been excavated from a made-for-the-tabloids sex scandal involving a town planner in Wollongong, a city to the south of Sydney which up until now has been better known for its seaside steelworks rather than its bedroom fireworks.
Were it not such a mouthful, it would be tempting to call it "Wollongongate". And yes, you did read that right: sex and town planning did just feature in the same sentence.
The scandal centres on a blonde, 30-something town planner called Beth Morgan, who allegedly had sex with a number of local property developers while she was processing their controversial planning applications.
Given that some of the proposed developments involved breaking local height restrictions for new buildings, there have been lots of gags about the Wollongong "mile high-rise club".
The problem for the New South Wales government is that five ministers have links with key figures in this imbroglio, either directly or indirectly. Because some of them have Italian-sounding names, they have been dubbed "the Mezzo Sopranos".
The scandal has also shone a spotlight on the massive political donations from property developers to the two major parties.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, developers gave $A13,180,793 ($12m; £6m) to the New South Wales Labor party between 1998 and 2007, and $A8.2m ($7.6m; £3.8m) to the Liberal party over the same period.
Sydney has been disfigured over the past 20 years or so by some determinedly cheap and nasty developments. Many are naturally asking: is this the reason why?
Most livable city?
Last year, in the state elections, the NSW Labor party won its fourth straight victory, which may have amplified the sense of arrogance and complacency.
During that period of ascendancy, it has been blessed with weak political opponents.
Peter Debnam, who led the last Liberal party campaign, became an object of comedy and derision because he insisted on starting his day with an ocean swim in his Speedos – or budgie-smugglers, are they are known here.
This past weekend saw the city at its very best. On Sydney’s "Super Sunday", the harbour provided the most beauteous of backdrops for the "royal rendezous" between the QE2, on its farewell world voyage, and the Queen Victoria, on its maiden visit.
On the same day, the Sydney Cricket Ground hosted a one-day international between Australia and India, while the Sydney Football Stadium next door staged the final of soccer’s up-and-coming A-league.
But it was preceded by gloomy talk of gridlock on the roads and public transport meltdowns – which is exactly what happened last year when two Cunard Queens met in the harbour – a sign of the city’s collective lack of confidence in the basic competence of the politicians and public servants who run it.
Given its exceptional setting and stunning beauty, Sydney should be banned by now from taking part in the world’s most livable city contests because of its unfair natural advantages.
But the Economist Intelligence Unit recently placed it behind Vancouver, Vienna, Geneva and – yes, you’ve guessed it – Melbourne.
I absolutely love this city, but it can be a surprisingly frustrating place in which to live. You do not have to be here long to be left with a feeling of colossal underachievement.
So is this indeed the "Lucky City"? And does it not deserve better?
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I lived & worked in Australia for two years and spent a fair amount of time in Sydney. I have to say that I find Nick Bryant's comments refreshing. All too often Sydney benefits from a reputation that it simply doesn't deserve. Sydney does have a spectacular harbour and some great beaches, but that's about all. Outside of the centre it is dirty, fairly ugly and extremely backward. The traffic is appalling and you never really feel that the city belongs in the 21st Century. Like the rest of Australia, Sydney badly needs bringing up to date. But it will be a long hard slog.
Sounds just like London...
Nick summed it up perfectly. Colossal underachievement. Sydney is an amazing city and 7 years after arriving from the UK I find it hard to imagine living anywhere else, but that doesn't stop it feeling like its become something of a basket case compared to other international cities.
Beauty aside, when I go to other countries (or Melbourne or Brisbane for that matter) its just embarrassing to compare and see how far Sydney has fallen behind since 2000 and the Olympics.
Top article Nick
I am Sydney born and bred but have been living in London the past 3 years. I love London, I love being connected to Europe and going wherever I want but Sydney is my home and I still am blown away every time I fly in over the city and harbour, I look forward tothat feeling again in 2 weeks when I head home.
But, give me about a week home and I will know exactly what you are saying. The road tolls are horrendous and roads are underfunded, the trains are overpriced, slow and reguarly late. Their is that underlined tension in the people that we try not to believe is there, but it is still a magical place, your last paragraph summed it up just as I see it, I love the place, it is in my heart like no other city, but it does have its problems thanks to the fools who run it.
Replace Australia with the word Canada ... seems like the two countries have much in common, including self-loathing.
I live in London but I am planning on emigrating to Sydney this year but when I read articles like this it puts serious doubt in my mind whether I am doing the right thing.
I would also like to ask Dave H:
Although you love London and knowing all the problems in Sydney,are you still planning on going back to live in Sydney?
I live in London but I am planning on emigrating to Sydney this year but when I read articles like this it puts serious doubt in my mind whether I am doing the right thing.
I would also like to ask Dave H:
Although you love London and knowing all the problems in Sydney,are you still planning on going back to live in Sydney?
Great article but let me tell you there are worse cities as far as colossal underachievement is concerned. I don't know Sydney though I know other parts of Ausralia and find it hard to believe it can be that bad. Try France, you'll know what I'm talking about. Guess both places have different problems though.
P.S. Great expression "colossal underachievement", that's what you feel in France if you are a foreigner because you are excluded from EVERYTHING and even aggressively shunned.
Great article but let me tell you there are worse cities as far as colossal underachievement is concerned. I don't know Sydney though I know other parts of Ausralia including Melbourne which were certainly not that bad. Try France, you'll know what I'm talking about. Guess both places have different problems though.
P.S. Great expression "colossal underachievement", that's what you feel in France if you are a foreigner because you are excluded from EVERYTHING and even aggressively shunned.
Donald Horne certainly intended the term 'Lucky Country' ironically but I don't think you've offered his intention in the early 1960s. It was a call to Australians to stop functioning as a European outpost, It was past time to add geography to colonial history and connect with the Asian region. In his later years Horne approved of the changes in that direction
I think Sydney should never have got rid of the trams. It was a cheap form of public transport, safe and reliable, and the network was about 3 times larger than Melbourne's
Matt (comment 3), you may not realise it, but Brisburbia, being in Queensland, is not only in another country, but in another time-zone, which is EST-50 years. Perhaps that means that councillors are slightly less venal here than those in NSW...
A question for Tristan Collier:
What do you mean when you say Sydney is extremely backward and does not feel like it is part of the 21st Century? I am not Australian so I am not defending the city's reputation I just want to understand what you mean
Sydney is big, brash, and unashamedly selfish. The same can be said for its inhabitants - and we love it.
Sure people grumble about hospitals, public transport, and road tolls - but this is a city built for the wealthy, the rich, and the mega-rich. If you're poor, there's little wonder you'd hate the place.
You see - my city doesn't have to live up to people's expectations, it doesn't have to "provide" things for people...it just...is!
New York doesn't pander, nor does Tokyo, and London certainly doesn't.
Sydney is glorious, imperfections and all. If you don't like it, fine - go and live in a more "liveable" city (whatever that means) because there'll be more room for those of us who do.
Well done Nick!
I'm from Melbourne and have travelled to Sydney numerous times. Every single time I have encountered horrendous traffic, bad weather and much else to complain about.
The only reason that Sydney has such a 'good' reputation outside of Australia, is all of the free publicity it gets. Typical overseas image of Australia?
SYDNEY opera house, SYDNEY harbour bridge, Uluru and kangaroos.
RE Ben:
"I live in London but I am planning on emigrating to Sydney this year but when I read articles like this it puts serious doubt in my mind whether I am doing the right thing."
To put it simply: if you want to move to Australia, move to anywhere except Sydney (or Geelong).
I now live in Sydney after previously living in Hong Kong and London. It is a great place to live in but it has it's downsides, the transportation IS awful especially trains at weekends when waits are 15 minutes between trains and lines closed both Saturdays and Sundays, unless you have your own transport getting to the fabled beaches and country parks can be a chore. Plus the main drag of George Street is a complete embarrasement when compared to Oxford Street or Tottenham Court Road. But all in all a pleasure to live here but the government must do more.
Nick, at last some one is questioning Sydney's position as a city that is 'heaven on earth', that so many Brits think it is. Sydney is a large city and like all large cities, it has its fair share of problems. Why is it that the British think that Australia and in particular, Sydney, is such a panacea? -Yes, I love Oz and plan to move there, having visited many times, but for those who think that life in Sydney or any other large Australian city is going to be without problems, are deluding themselves. If your going to emmigrate to Oz, - at least visit Australia first and see what it's like...
Yes, Sydney is a very big city and, like others of its kind, its diversity, size and wealth lends much to potential. However, so far as enjoyment, culture, planning and design, entertainment and anything else that makes living somewhere worthwhile, Melbourne will always be a much better city. Or Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide....
Tim, its hard to take your comments seriously and I'm not.
As a Melbournian, I was in Sydney last weekend with friends and enjoyed the harbour, big boats etc But, like Nick, we couldn't believe all the hoo-ha over "Super Sunday" and the sense of panic in the media that it would all go pear shaped.
We regularly have football, cricket and other sporting fixtures at the MCG that pull crowds of 80,000 and no one bats an eyelid. And once you leave the harbour, there ain't much worth seeing. The tennis gets up and running every January and life goes on.
I totally agree with Nick's comments.
Sydney is like London of 35 years ago,before the rebuilding and changes to roads and infrastructure.They finally bit the bullet and it is modernising now.Sydney needs a grand plan an a lot of money and a change of guard!!
My wife and I visited Australia and New Zealand this (Southern Hemisphere) Summer and sampled 4 cities on our trip Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Wellington, spending a similar amount of time in each. Of those Melbourne felt to us the most "livable" with Wellington a close second.
Sydney, like many large cities, is probably a victim of its own success. It has grown at such a rapid rate that its public services had little hope of keeping up. To the casual visitor like us who deliberatley stayed close to the centre this mattered very little but it must be immensely frustrating to those who have to travel into and out of the city every day. Tim makes the comparison with New York, Tokyo and London saying they don't pander to people's expectations. Sorry Tim but they do have decent, relatively inexpensive and efficient public transport systems which Sydney lacks.
Classic.
I love it. Everyone is right. Sydney does suck and yet it is a great place to live.
It is like living in our own little country. You can spend a weekend in the Mountains or go a great beach somewhere within in an hour, (but only by car mind). You think of it you can probably do it. So much freedom if you have the money to spend. There's the rub.
Public transport isn't great, don't get sick and need to go to a public hospital!, don't walk to close to the curb during a down pour, (some bugger is going to get you!).
But while your avoiding getting run over in the rain enjoy it as it's a fun place to be (at times!).
Pallavi hope we see you soon mate.
I have lived in Sydney all my life and I guess the great thing is that you never run out of different things to do and places to see. But so many friends have left and many of our adult children do too, hopefully temporarily, often for London or other places afar. Those of us tied to this city by jobs and responsibility for the very elderly parents,learn to accept its frustrations and enjoy the many good things it offers. Wouldn't it be the same for many other places?
I lived in Sydney for 4 years in and around East Balmain, on the harbour - absolutlely spectacular. It's the harbour that makes the city, but that does not excuse its brash arrogance, not to be confused with Melbourne's obnoxiousness, and poor infrastructure. No wonder people are migrating north and west from both these cities, to areas with a better economic climate and solutions to problems. I now live in London, great city, incredibly dirty and very caught up in itself. To those thinking of emigrating to Australia, think Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth (at a pinch). No harbour, but better lifestyle and much more honest. You can get your glitz (Sydney) or your culture (laugh - Melbourne) on a weekend visit.
As a Sydney-sider living Bristol, I can certainly appreciate what a Londoner may have to complain about in regard to the state of Sydney infrastructure. I am completely biased however; I love my city and miss it very much. Although the harbour, house and bridge are all spectacular, I in fact, tend to miss my little inner west village a lot more than the tourist sights. There is a lovely sense of community and I don’t feel as though I might be stabbed walking home from work at five past six. It is easy to commute into the city, at a comparatively low cost per distance, but we all know peak hour is troublesome where ever you live. I suppose it is lucky that, in my opinion, Sydney provides a plethora of entertaining, energising, educative and exciting experiences at a relatively local level.
I have also lived in Melbourne, another lovely Australian city, and understand why domestic comparisons may occur. I am fairly certain that despite the fact Sydney may not currently deserve rights to the title of the ‘Lucky City’, I am overwhelmingly convinced I have yet to see a city on this slightly smaller island that could challenge any Australian city and the quality of life that is provided to it’s inhabitants.
I do however, understand disillusionment at the lack of an oyster equivalent system, but Nick, before you hit out about old Sydney town, why don’t you head to Bristol and rip apart First Great Nothing’s attempt at a transport system! I used to pay $8 for a travel ten card in Sydney, which is the equivalent of £3.80. First believe it is acceptable to charge…. wait for it…. £25 for a ten ride bus ticket! That is A$52! Maybe it’s time to sort out the home country? This link may help you get in touch with some locals who would, I am sure, love you to turn your attention to the West.
Oh, and while I am having a dig… you could perhaps ponder the state of council tax, rental agency fees, EU floodgates, benefits and over population. Not to mention the exceptionally environmental plastic packaging of so much fresh produce! I know what you’re thinking… Kyoto, just give Rudd a chance and I’m sure he’ll get around to it.
Sydney is beautiful and ugly all at the same time. The problem is that it gets into your veins and calls you back with a yearning especially if you were born here.
Any city that evolves from a small community instead of beginning its life as a Blueprint has that same charm but that together with Sydney's natural beauty make it a virtual wonder.
Conversely, the public transport system consists of a 19th century train system coupled with a bus system that, try as it might, has never been able to replace the emmense tramways that once did the city justice.
In the 1920 when Bradfield designed the sydney Harbour Bridge he had the foresight to include 4 rail lines and 6 road lanes. There was no congestion until the 1970's. All the modern 'achievements' are congested from the opening ceremony!
The city is indeed sick but don't send it to the Hospital - they don't work anywhere in Australia!
The city of Sydney requires a government that is non-partisan with a vision and community spirit bold enough to rip out the old and refurbish the entire system from the ground-up.
What are the chances of that happening??
A great article. The problem is most Sydneysiders refuse to confront the problems. "Collosal Underachievement" is probably an understatment. We have been failed by politicians of all major parties for too many years. Our public servants have also failed us dismally. What can we do? Sadly its too late. There is only room for bandaid solutions now.
I sit here writing this as the rain is pouring outside and wondering when the desalination plant will be finished. Those poor construction workers have hardly had a chance to build up a sweat. Yes our much needed desalination plant is way behind schedule due to the rain. I think that sums up our politicians judgement all too well.
I love visiting Sydney although it can be a "difficult" city. Like other larger Australian cities it suffers from it's politicians and councillors being elected for very short terms and subsequently their having neither the courage nor foresight to plan and deliver for future generations.
I have family living in the outer NW suburbs of Sydney who venture to the CBD only a handful of times a year - their work and recreational lives do not include the Sydney that tourists see.
There is so much to celebrate about Sydney but it does need to take "a long hard look at itself" if it is to be taken seriously as Ausralia's "global city."
Having just returned from living for 5 years in europe i can understand the comments regarding the frustrations in living in Sydney. Comparisons with other cities are always difficult. Its a city that has its contradictions - wonderful mutlicultural society however also very monocultural in places where people live and work. Fantastic cultural centres however also very sterile in thought. I don't think its too late for Sydney. There is an awakening at the moment of what people want their city to be. I hope our leaders have the courage, foresight and vision to act on this.
Sydney has issues, like many cities, and this kind of breezy rhetoric flows easily. Unfortunately this is a democracy, where the society is responsible for its actions.
Sydney has failed itself. Nobody cares enough, or certainly not in sufficient numbers, to change anything.
The problem is nobody has a clue on any of the major issues and the education system is just too stupid. We're getting the government we deserve.
I live in Sydney now, but I have lived all over the world. You could have this same debate about infrastructure in any large city.
I agree that issues with public transport and health are frustrating, but I would rather live in this city than any other.
I lived in Sydney for six months and like most things in Australia the reality did not live up to the hype created by the Australian tourist board, or people not sure which is more to blame. There is nothing worth talking about in the city centre. The beaches are amazing for a city and the harbour is beautiful but the cities got no soul. I was in Melbourne for a month and it is infinitely better. At least it’s got character. I also found the people a lot friendlier. The majority of Sydney siders are stuck up and think the world revolves around their city. Tim’s comments being case in point. The rest of Australia feels the same towards them. I found it along way of the mark from the amazing place they’ll have you believe it is. Also the weather wasn’t even that good.
I have lived in Sydney for 10 years and love the place. But everything you say in the article is true: colossal underachievement in the way the city is run. Maybe it's because the ruling Labor party have been in power too long: they are arrogant, incompetent, corrupt and myopic. Sydney needs someone like Jeff Kennett to create an vision of a viable city of the future. Someone to fight for the infrastructure (railways) and amenities - small bars, cycle lanes etc that we lack.
Unfortunately we are instead lumbered with the Property Developer and Pokie Operator Party, aka Labor.
Sydney is a wonderful city but the residents do perhaps need to be looking over their shoulders. A recent poll shows 1 in 5 Sydneysiders are thinking of leaving - where else to go but the rapidly growing Melbourne? I returned there briefly a couple of years ago from the UK & how different it was from the late 70s. I couldn't believe that this confident place was the same one - a world city now, not the Victorian backwater it had been!
Oh & Nick, still writing about the US elections, eh? Missing it down under??
Sydney is one of the best places to live in the world, once you get under its skin. The part that I have lived and worked in since the early 1980s is the inner city core to the south of the harbour - from the Gap down to Bronte, over through Paddington, Surry Hills and as far west as Leichardt and Haberfield. This is an area that combines a great human spirit and physical beauty not just in the harbour, ocean and parks but also the terrace houses and colonial architecture. Sydneysiders have a great sense of fun, irreverence and optimism and, I find, a real egalitarianism and human empathy. Having an evening swim at Camp Cove before heading out to dinner with a gang of jolly mates in a superb restaurant like Sean's panaroma, Pier, Buzo etc is to be truly alive. Now if Australia was only moored about 1000 miles off Morocco we would really have it made.
Give me Sydney anytime and it's transport woes over that mildewy isle off the coast of France, and it's toilet capital. Surely, it's the UK that smacks of a "colossal underachievement" with its wrong snow, appalling train services (and hyper-expensive to boot), dirty streets (and not just London), and zero cafe culture. Hell, Sydney has only had 200 years to make itself "perfect". If you think that Sydney owes its "world's best city" status to its natural beauty only, then think of other equally impressive natural landmarks around the world, and the colossal patches of "civilisation" propped on said land, and then re-think your opinion. It's not perfect, but where the hell is? For me, I'm heading off to Beirut, Cairo or Manchester to experience the "colossal overachievements" of mankind. Typical whinge-fest from a typical pom, likely ticked off because London didn't cut it in the Top 10 Global Cities on this particular survey.
Sydney has the same infrastructure problems as any major city. However, this article is clearly about cutting Sydney down to size. As an American, I am accustomed to cringing whenever I read an article about my country from a ´óÏó´«Ã½ perspective. Regardless of the author's proudly negative opinion, like many Americans, I regard Sydney as one of the top 5 places in the world to visit. First impressions count, thus, I would live there if I had half a chance.
Recently, I happened to catch a British ex-pat journalism trio comprising David Bryant, Barbara McMahon (Guardian UK's Aus reporter) and one other chat to an ABC Radio National reporter about their views and perspective on Australia. The ABC reporter was incredibly tolerant and kept his good manners right throughout the broadcast. However, his closing segue summed up the entire debate: "Well, gee, don't those pommies like to whinge!" It was post-interview, and it was Bloody Beautiful!
Peter at 34, I have to agree with you. You get what you settle for in life. The self-starters always manage to do well, and those that whinge come off second best regardless of their station or status in life. The suburbs of Western Sydney are just as empty as those on the outskirts of London or any UK city. Dare I say, that comes across as an insult to the working classes, but that's what this article is all about--dissing the working class backbone of Sydney. Given Sydney's rot-infested roots, and the less than comfortable start that the place had in 1788, I think the more reasonable observers might agree that the place has done alright for itself. Why should it be expected that Sydney be an international success story (which it is) given the poor start the place had in socio-economic terms? Thankfully, it's no Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow or London for that matter. The best thing about Sydneysiders is that they don't need to fish for positive comments about their home because they are happy with what they've got warts and all. I've lived in East Asia and suffered asthma as a result of severe pollution in cities like Seoul and Osaka, but you make the most of what the lifestyle has to offer, and in Sydney you've got no excuse for not taking advantage of the best that life has to offer. I spent a few months in Toronto and noticed that it has the same problems as Sydney with its transport and burgeoning suburbs, yet I note that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ doesn't have a local observer bringing home negative articles about Canada. It seems to be a favourite hobby of the Anglo-centric world to pour scorn on its far-flung colony. Bring on the republic.
"So is this indeed the "Lucky City"? And does it not deserve better?"
It does deserve better, and this is why the Australian government should drop its international aid program. Just imagine, the billions of Aussie dollars used to assist developing countries to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development, could be better used to improve Sydney's transport woes. Am I the only selfless blogger on here?
It grates on me when British journalists (invariably that's where they're from) trot out an anachronistic cliche like "the Lucky Country" and use it as a stick to beat us with. What is it with the English press and the prevailing attitude that everything has to happen overnight, in this case, Sydney's "problems" should have been fixed yesterday. Sorry to be precious, but I detect a certain poverty of analysis in this article. Sydney, like any other international city, or the UN for that matter, is as great as you make it. As an expat lass from Katoomba (just up the road), I agree that Sydney needs to raise its game, but money don't grow on trees! However, what is the benchmark for "colossal city achivements"--dirty and unfriendly Paris, rude and dirty London, shambolic Cairo, heavily polluted Beijing? Someone mentioned the failure of the Cahill Expressway. It was built in 1958 for heaven's sake. Of course it's out of date now, and is not as user friendly or as efficient as it once was thanks to the tripling of Sydney's population in a matter of decades. In helping to solve Sydney's traffic problems, the best bet is to bring back the trams, and as in the case of Melbourne's tram system, extend the cables deep into the outer suburbs.
Gosh, the author can't even make an allowance for traffic gridlock on a day that saw a cricket ODI, an A-grade soccer match, and the visit of the two Cunard queens. What other global city would cope with the extra traffic on such an occasion, and welcome all and sundry with such open arms? One big day on the calendar, and you've got to stick it in. Hard to please aren't we? I'm from Brisbane, but I spent two weeks in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics, and I have nothing but praise for the way the city and its merry band of helpers managed to deal with the extra million visitors, especially in the bus and train department. As for the suggestion that Sydney shouldn't be able to enter anymore of the 'world's greatest cities contests', well, that just smacks of sour grapes. And, it's the outsiders that vote for it, Sydneysiders don't ask to be included in the game. But, I suspect we're supposed to fall over ourselves and lap up the flat humour and irony eh? Even with its natural beauty, Sydney could quite easily be an international dump if it weren't for the citizens that love her so. London is run by second-raters too--how else do you explain the massive parking, traffic and pollution problems in the CBD, the poor train service, and the filth on the streets (the latter leaves Sydney for dead). I see the ´óÏó´«Ã½ have placed you in Sydney to diss it, perhaps as an endeavour to stop the masses from mud island wanting to come here in droves. Good luck. Sydney certainly could do with fewer people.
PLR - No.
That is a ridiculous and foolish argument.
I'll quite happily sit in traffic 20 minutes longer if it means wiping out polio in the developing world and allowing children in our international neighbourhood to learn how to read.
You also confused the word "selfless" with "selfish".
PLR - No.
That is a ridiculous and foolish argument.
I'll quite happily sit in traffic 20 minutes longer if it means wiping out polio in the developing world and allowing children in our international neighbourhood to learn how to read.
You also confused the word "selfless" with "selfish".
Tim, I think PLR was using sarcasm to make a point. Hence, the use of the word "selfless" over "selfish".
Sydney having a comparative physical beauty advantage, and so shouldn't be included in a list of World's Best Cities? By the same token, Ian Thorpe shouldn't be seen dead in his flippers with the world's greatest swimmers because of his size 18 hoofers, nor should Phar Lap be considered Aus's greatest racehorse because of his huge heart because they have distinct advantages. Nor should London be given historical status because it has a distinct advantage of having had a good 1000 years to get its historical landscape (in modern terms) together and that's not fair because Sydney has only had just over 200 years to get its modern history together! Tongue-in-cheek, but gee...
If Australia had been colonised/conquered/settled (conquered being most apt as per our modern history books) by the Germans, all would be hunky dory in the organisation and efficiency department. Just look at German trains against those of the British for starters! We ended up with the same second-rate people that Britain is stuck with.
I am not surprised that this article has been getting these responses.
I was raised in Sydney and love it more than any place in the world. I am currently living in London and have been for almost two years, I also love this City but definitely not because it is pretty! The transport here is anything to write home about it costs so much money I can’t believe it.
The transport in Sydney is definitely in desperate need of an upgrade (which might I add is happening in around 9 years correct me if I am wrong), but at the end of the day you don’t care because wow what a beautiful city I love it so much. When it comes to London I am yet to meet any Londoners who were born there and still love it so much.
I wish people would stop comparing Melbourne to Sydney as they are such different places, I would never live there but because it is not what I want in Life, I want Barbie’s by the beautiful beaches and a multicultural city where the people are laid back and happy. Melbourne is a great city but that is it. Everything happens in the city and not much goes on anywhere else, also not much of a beach culture.
Also in the most recent census Melbourne looks to be getting bigger then Sydney lets see how it does then.
I think Sydney deserves that award of being the best City in the world as I have been to a lot of major Cities and the only one I can think of that really compares is Chicago. All the People who live in Sydney know it as well. I don’t really care what the British people say about it I think they are just jealous as the Main difference between London and Sydney is the look of Happiness and satisfaction on the peoples faces who live in Sydney. Good going Sydney! All that needs fixing is public transport I think I can live with that
I am not surprised that this article has been getting these responses.
I was raised in Sydney and love it more than any place in the world. I am currently living in London and have been for almost two years, I also love this City but definitely not because it is pretty! The transport here is anything to write home about it costs so much money I can’t believe it.
The transport in Sydney is definitely in desperate need of an upgrade (which might I add is happening in around 9 years correct me if I am wrong), but at the end of the day you don’t care because wow what a beautiful city I love it so much. When it comes to London I am yet to meet any Londoners who were born there and still love it so much.
I wish people would stop comparing Melbourne to Sydney as they are such different places, I would never live there but because it is not what I want in Life, I want Barbie’s by the beautiful beaches and a multicultural city where the people are laid back and happy. Melbourne is a great city but that is it. Everything happens in the city and not much goes on anywhere else, also not much of a beach culture.
Also in the most recent census Melbourne looks to be getting bigger then Sydney lets see how it does then.
I think Sydney deserves that award of being the best City in the world as I have been to a lot of major Cities and the only one I can think of that really compares is Chicago. All the People who live in Sydney know it as well. I don’t really care what the British people say about it I think they are just jealous as the Main difference between London and Sydney is the look of Happiness and satisfaction on the peoples faces who live in Sydney. Good going Sydney! All that needs fixing is public transport I think I can live with that