The culture of Sydney is is difficult to describe; the most frequently used word seems to be 'multicultural'. Many of these cultures are based on ethnic, linguistic or religious communities that have formed over time as waves of immigrants have arrived.
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Early Sydney was a convict colony, with a military government. The "New South Wales Corps" was notoriously corrupt and self seeking and was known as the "Rum corps" Early Sydney was molded by the hardship suffered by early settlers, the penal nature of the settlement, the corruption of the military and an understandable lack of respect for authority.
The arrival of Governor Macquarie resulted in a much more industrious and ordered society. By this stage there was already a wealthy class of settlers, mostly agriculturists. Notable amongst these were the MacArthurs who introduced Merino sheep into Australia. MacArthur was an important figure in the Rum Corp and in the rebellion against Governor Bligh.
History
Early culture
Victorian Times
Early 20th Century
The Great Depression
World War II
50s and 60s
The Present
Ethnic Communities
Examples of ethnic communities in Sydney include;
Whilst such ethic groupings exist, these are only general representations of the relative distribution of ethnic groups in Sydney. So, for example, whilst there are many Asians in Eastwood the majority of the population is still of a Western European background.
The Gay Community
Sydney is famous for its gay community, centered around Oxford Street, and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.