410 AUSTEALASIA. 



clearing at the extremity of a conspicuous headland. At present it is a great 

 capital, which competes with Melbourne for the first rank in the oceanic world, 

 and which has already received from its inhabitants the title of Queen of the South. 

 Thanks to the numerous windings of the shores, and the irregular relief of the 

 encircling lands, Sydney has nothing of that insipid monotony so characteristic of 

 most Australian and American cities. Instead of resembling a chess-board with 

 square blocks of uniform size and structure, it is laid out with streets of varying 

 proportions running up hill and down valley, and interrupted by creeks, inlets, and 

 ridges, by which the irregular plan of the city is disposed in several distinct 

 quarters. In the centre lies the old town in the form of an open hand stretching 

 its promontories far into the well-sheltered roadstead. Southwards run the fine 

 avenues of Woolomoloo, while animation is added to the bright scene by the steam 

 ferries incessantly plying on the north side between the old quarters, the new town 

 of North Shore and the watering place of Manly with its double beach, one exposed 

 to the ocean surf, the other facing the tranquil inland sea. 



Every street tbus presents a constantly varying prospect sweeping over tbe 

 surrounding hills, the harbour with its innumerable creeks and bays, the public 

 gardens and more distant woodlands. For few other capitals are more liberally 

 provided with parks and grassy swards. Moor Park, one of the tracts reserved on 

 the south-east side as a public pleasure-ground, has an area of no less than 600 

 acres, while another open space in the very heart of the city commands a superb 

 panoramic view of the inland waters and tbe channels communicating with the 

 Pacific Ocean. A project has been formed to supply the city with fresh water 

 from Lake George, which lies to the south-west amid the Australian Alps ; but in 

 years of unusually protracted droughts this lacustrine reservoir has itself been 

 almost completely dried up. 



As a seaport Sydney occupies a vital position as the chief centre of the lines of 

 steam navigation in the Pacific, as well as of the coasting trade along the east 

 Australian seaboard. Moreover, the harbour is so vast that room has also been 

 found for the development of an ever-growing inland traffic for the transport of 

 passengers and the distribution of merchandise amongst the rising markets of the 

 interior. Forts erected on the headlands commanding the seaward approaches 

 defend the city and roadstead, which, however, have never yet been attacked by 

 any enemy. 



Compared with Melbourne, the only other place which aspires to the first rank 

 on the Australian Continent, Sydney has the great advantage of occupying a 

 relatively more central position in relation to the whole group of Austral Colonies ; 

 it also lies nearer to the oceanic lands and America, thus facing inhabited regions 

 and not turned, like Melbourne, towards the ice-bound Antarctic lands. Amid its 

 rapidly increasing material prosperity Sydney has also taken a pride in fostering 

 the arts and sciences ; besides the well-endowed university of New South Wales it 

 has founded several museums, learned societies, and a vast well-administered 

 botanic garden. A marine zoological station was lately founded by the Russian 

 naturalist Miklukho-Maklay on an inlet near the capital. 



