Hello Again Sydney! Fun Facts We’ve Learned Along the Way

By Chris Ezekiel, Founder & CEO

Hello Sydney—home of my favourite bridge and the newest Creative Virtual office! I’m excited to be back in Australia and to be officially opening our office here. While we have worked with a customer in Australia since 2011, it has always been our goal to be able to provide local support in this region. Under the leadership of Patrick Gallagher, we will now have a strong team on the ground in Australia as well as a great network of partners to help organisations meet the growing demand from Australian consumers for 24/7 self-service options. In honour of our new office, here are a few fun facts about Sydney along with some photos I’ve taken on one of my numerous trips to this fabulous city.

1. Sydney was the site of the first European colony in 1788 when convict-bearing ships of the first fleet came from England to set up the colony of New South Wales. It became an official city in 1842, and today residents of Sydney are known as Sydneysiders.
2. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is the widest long-span bridge and tallest steel arch bridge in the world. It was opened in 1932 and took 272,000 litres of paint to cover (just for the first coat!). It is known by the locals as the ‘Coat Hanger’ due to its distinct shape.
3. The Sydney Opera House was finished in 1973 after 14 years and the work of 10 thousand construction workers. It cost more than 14 times the original intended price to complete.
4. The Sydney Tower was the tallest structure when it opened in 1981, and is still the second tallest freestanding structure in all of Australia at 309 metres.
5. Sydney is the capital of Australia’s ICT industry, with 76% of Australia’s ICT regional headquarters and operating centres located in NSW.
6. Sydney has been the host of the 1938 British Empire Games, 2000 Summer Olympics & Paralympics and 2003 Rugby World Cup. The city is also set to host games in the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
7. The Australia Day Regatta, conducted since 1837, is the oldest continuously-conducted annual sailing regatta in the world.
8. Australia’s largest outdoor sculpture exhibit, ‘Sculpture by the Sea’, began at Bondi Beach in 1996. This year’s event is set to take place from 23 October – 9 November 2014.