100 Years of Tourism New South Wales
Key ThemesEvents
The people of New South Wales just love a big event. They have been flocking to football and cricket matches for well over 100 years and they like a good race meeting too. One of the most anticipated family excursions - the Royal Easter Show - has a long history and was first staged by the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) in 1832. Surf-living saving competitions have been drawing crowds to NSW beaches from the day in 1915 when world-famous Bondi held its first march and surf-rescue demonstration. Crowds just love to take to the harbour in small craft or stand on the cliffs to watch the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, which has set off every Boxing Day since 1945. And it seems just about everyone gets involved in the massive City to Surf foot race - over 14 km from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach - which has been attracting local and international athletes, and a fair share of gorilla costumes, since it began in 1970. 
Events in regional NSW play a major role for tourism in regional areas, and have become increasingly popular. The Tamworth Country Music Festival started out as a two day event in 1973, and is now the largest music festival in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting 80,000 visitors and contributing $40 million to the local economy. The vibrant Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is another that has grown with the years. It began in 1978 as a protest march. Today thousands of international visitors descend on Sydney to watch dozens of colourful floats make their way along Oxford Street. Without doubt, Sydney's premier event was the 2000 Olympic Games - a two-week carnival of competition and non-stop celebration. Three years later the full-scale party atmosphere returned when the Rugby World Cup came to town. New South Wales is also home to Australia's largest and most attended cultural event, the Sydney Festival. Held in the height of summer the three-week event sees thousands attend free opera, symphony and jazz concerts as well as an impressive program of theatre, dance and music. The year ends with a bang as Sydney stages its spectacular New Year's Eve celebrations. More than 1.2 million revellers cram the harbour foreshores to watch the best fireworks display in the world. 
Another two million Australians watch the event on television, while around 600 million people around the world view highlights of the spectacle via satellite. back to top |