The Sydney central business district ( CBD) is the historical and main commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or city centre is often referred to simply as " Town" or " the City".
The Sydney CBD is Australia's main financial and economic centre, as well as a leading hub of economic activity for the Asia Pacific region. 40.7% of businesses in the CBD fall within the ‘Finance and Financial Services’ or ‘Professional and Business services’ category. It is ranked overall #16 in the 2024 Oxford's Global Cities Index and amongst the top 10 cities in the Human Capital category. Approximately 15% of Sydney's total workforce is employed within the CBD. In 2012, the number of workers operating in the city was 226,972. Based on industry mix and relative occupational wage levels it is estimated that economic activity (GDP) generated in the city in 2023/24 was approximately $142 billion.
Culturally, the city centre is Sydney's focal point for nightlife and entertainment, and is also home to some of the city's most culturally significant buildings and structures.
History
After arriving to Botany Bay, Captain Arthur Phillip decided that the area was not suitable since it had poor soil, no secure anchorage and no reliable water source. Thus, the fleet moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where a settlement was established at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788.Peter Hill (2008) p.141-150 This date later became Australia's national day, Australia Day. The colony was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788 at Sydney. Sydney Cove offered a fresh water supply and Port Jackson a safe harbour, which Phillip described as: "being without exception the finest Harbour in the World". With the expansion of European settlement large amounts of land was cleared for farming, which resulted in the destruction of Aboriginal food sources. This, combined with the introduction of new diseases such as smallpox, caused resentment within the Aboriginal clans against the British and resulted in violent confrontations.
The oldest legislative body in Australia, the New South Wales Legislative Council, was created in Sydney in 1825 as an appointed body to advise the Governor of New South Wales. The northern wing of Macquarie Street's's Sydney Hospital was requisitioned and converted to accommodate the first Parliament House in 1829, as it was the largest building available in Sydney at the time. In 1840 the Sydney City Council was established. Australia's first parliamentary elections were conducted for the New South Wales Legislative Council in 1843. Macquarie set aside a large portion of land for an Anglican Cathedral and laid the foundation stone for the first St Mary's Catholic Cathedral in 1821. St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral, though more modest in size than Macquarie's original vision, later began construction and, after fire and setbacks, the present St Mary's Catholic Cathedral foundation stone was laid in 1868, from which rose a towering gothic-revival landmark. Religious groups were also responsible for many of the philanthropic activities in Sydney. One of these was the Sydney Female Refuge Society set up to care for prostitutes in 1848. SYDNEY FEMALE REFUGE SOCIETY . (8 March 1864). Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 – 1875), p. 5. Retrieved 5 February 2019 An academy of art formed in 1870 and the present Art Gallery of New South Wales building began construction in 1896. Inspired by the works of French impressionism, artists camps formed around the foreshores of Sydney Harbour in the 1880s. The Romanesque landmark Queen Victoria Building (QVB), designed by George McRae, was completed in 1898 on the site of the old Sydney markets.
In the midst of World War I, on Valentine's Day, riots racked the CBD, in what has come to be known as the Central Station Riots of 1916. A substantial segment of the violence was concentrated in the Central area. These riots involved five thousand military recruits who refused to comply with extraneous parade orders. During the riots, they caused significant damage to buildings. People with "foreign" names were especially targeted. The recruits clashed with soldiers, resulting in the death of Private Ernest William Keefe. Eight people sustained injuries. Because this incident occurred in the middle of the Great War the state discouraged media coverage. Only a fifth of the rioters were court-marshalled. These riots spurred the introduction of lockout laws for pubs after 6 pm. This law was only lifted in 1955.
The early 1960s onwards saw the construction of new modern high-rise skyscrapers in the Sydney CBD, in styles of concrete and glass structures.
Geography
Geographically, its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in the south. Its east–west axis runs from a chain of parkland that includes Hyde Park, The Domain, Royal Botanic Garden and Farm Cove on Port Jackson in the east; to Darling Harbour and the Western Distributor in the west.
The CBD runs along two ridge lines below Macquarie Street and York Streets. Between these ridges is Pitt Street, running close to the course of the original Tank Stream (now tunneled). George Street is the Sydney CBD's main north–south thoroughfare. Bridge Street took its name from the bridge running east–west that once crossed this stream. Martin Place is the banking and commercial heart of Sydney whereas Pitt Street is the retail heart of the city and includes the Pitt Street Mall as well as the Sydney Tower. Macquarie Street is a historic precinct that houses such buildings as the State Parliament House and the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
Boundaries
The City of Sydney defines the CBD as comprising two of its ten "villages" – CBD and Harbour Village & Chinatown and CBD South Village.
- CBD and Harbour Village is bounded by the shoreline of Port Jackson in the north, Lincoln Crescent, Sir John Young Crescent, The Domain and College Street in the east, Liverpool Street, Elizabeth Street, Bathurst Street and the Western Distributor in the south, and Darling Harbour in the west.
- Chinatown and CBD South Village is bounded by the Pyrmont Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour, the Western Distributor and Bathurst Street in the north, Elizabeth Street, Liverpool Street, Wentworth Avenue, Elizabeth Street and Chalmers Street in the east, Devonshire Street Tunnel, Lee Street and Railway Square in the south, and the railway line, Pyrmont Street, Murray Street and Pirrama Road in the west.
The postcode zone 2000 is also roughly correlative with the city centre.
Governance
In the New South Wales state parliament, the seat of "Sydney" covers the city centre together with inner western, southern and eastern suburbs. Independent Alex Greenwich has represented the state seat of Sydney since the 2012 by-election, triggered by the resignation of previous independent Clover Moore, who was the Lord Mayor of Sydney, due to introduced state laws preventing dual membership of state parliament and local council.
In the federal parliament, the seat of "Sydney" covers the city centre together with a larger set of inner western, southern and eastern suburbs, as well as islands in the Sydney Harbour and Lord Howe Island. Australian Labor Party member Tanya Plibersek has represented the federal seat of Sydney since the 1998 Australian federal election.
Precincts
Cultural
Many other cultural institutions are located at the surrounds of the CBD, such as: the Sydney Opera House and the Museum of Contemporary Art to the north, the Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of New South Wales to the east, the Powerhouse Museum to the west, White Rabbit Gallery and the Haymarket branch of the City of Sydney Library to the south. The lanes and alleyways of Sydney exhibit the culture and arts of the CBD.
Every January during the summer, the city celebrates with the Sydney Festival. Australian and International theatre during the month is also featured, including Aboriginal, and Contemporary.
The Sydney Film Festival is an international event organised every year in June at various venues across the CBD. The festival opened on 11 June 1954 and was held over four days, with screenings at Sydney University. Attendance was at full capacity with 1,200 tickets sold at one guinea each.
Sydney boasts a lively café culture, as well as a club and bar scene distributed throughout the CBD and concentrated in a couple of locations such as Darling Harbour. Although Kings Cross is not technically located within the Sydney CBD, it is accessible via William Street, which runs through Hyde Park and is part of the inner-city region. Oxford Street hosts Sydney's gay scene.
Civic
Justice
Retail
Banking and Commercial
The financial services industry in particular occupies much of the available office space in the CBD, with companies such as the Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Macquarie Bank, AMP Limited, Insurance Australia Group, Aon, Marsh McLennan, Allianz, HSBC, Axa, ABN Amro," Australia ." ABN Amro. Retrieved 15 February 2017. Royal Bank of Canada and Bloomsbury Publishing all having offices." Contact Us ." Bloomsbury Publishing. Retrieved 14 October 2012. "Bloomsbury Publishing Pty Ltd. Level 14 309 Kent St Sydney NSW 2000 Australia"
Transport
Rail
The Inner West Light Rail passes immediately to the south of the CBD, connecting Central to nearby suburbs of Sydney's Inner West. The CBD and South East Light Rail runs north–south through the CBD, connecting Circular Quay with Central and the Eastern Suburbs.
Bus
Metro
Ferry
Architecture
Heritage conservation has been an ongoing issue for Sydney's city centre since the introduction of in the 1970s and the increasing need for office or living space. Since then, a number of prominent buildings in the CBD have been lost: Anthony Hordern & Sons on George Street, the Regent Theatre also on George Street, Commercial Travelers' Club and Hotel Australia at Martin Place all attracted the ire of Sydneysiders–Sydney Mayor Clover Moore, then the MP for Bligh, even addressed a crowd in Martin Place in 1988 in a futile attempt to save the Regent Theatre from its imminent fate.
Demographics
Culturally, residents in the CBD have diverse ancestries, with the most common being Chinese 30.8%, English 13.6%, Thai 11.9%, Australian 7.1%, and Indonesian 7.1%. Religious affiliations are equally diverse, with the largest group reporting No Religion 38.0%), followed by Buddhism 21.3%, Catholic 12.9% and Anglican 3.5%. 97.0% of dwellings were flats or apartments. 71.1% were rented and 25.1% were owned outright or with a mortgage in 2021.
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