Sydney, the Ethnic city.

[ramblingboy42]

SWMBO and myself just spent a wonderful extended weekend in Sydney.

We stayed near Darling Harbour and had decided to do a lot of walking and avail ourselves of public transport as well.

Firstly we were delighted by the excellent interconnection of the public transport system and we utilised it well.

Secondly we were impressed by the courtesy of the employees in the system.

Thirdly we were very pleased at the actual cost. I am a veteran with a small pension and I can go anywhere 24hrs for $2.50.

The main reason for this thread is too give an opinion of the ratio of "ethnic"....term used very loosely to avoid focussing on any particular racial group...people in Sydney city areas.

we arrived thurs arvo, checked in, then went walking.

Immediately noticed the high proportion of "foreign" persons as opposed to "Australians"

So we asked and found out Sydney's current population is 17% Asian/Middle Eastern/etc

One of the things we noticed was that most we saw were enjoying themselves...they were out whenever they could with their families/children and were very happy.

Out of interest we spoke to a few and all of those we spoke to had jobs and homes in Sydney.

When we weren't walking , we stopped and ate or had coffee and in a dozen different establishments they were all run by "non-Australians".

Always, everywhere we went in Sydney, we were treated in the most courteous , most hospitable manner by this 'ethnic' workforce.

We played spot the aussie , but they seemed too preoccupied with whatever they were doing.

btw.....being a bit of a car freak , I just loved the Ferraris, Lambos, Porsches and Audi's doing lappos around Sydneys main streets at night , some getting right up them when no one (except me) was looking.

So, we had a great weekend , walked ourselves sore , looked at lots of Sydney's old buildings , but hardly saw an "aussie".

Please do not turn this into a racial thread.....it isn't.

Dennis

[p38arover]

Dennis, as you were staying at Darling Harbour, you were very close to Haymarket and Chinatown. There are a large number of Asians in that area.

Glad to hear you enjoyed yourself and that we Sydneysiders didn't turn you off.

I'm also glad to hear your opinion of the transport system. The locals are always complaining and unrealistically comparing it to systems in places like London.

[ramblingboy42]

thanks Ron...no we weren't turned off by anything.

I worked in Sydney in 1990 and the transition from then to now is fantastic.

Someone's got it right.

[rovercare]

Immediately noticed the high proportion of "foreign" persons as opposed to "Australians"


Please do not turn this into a racial thread.....it isn't.

Dennis

Well, wouldn't they all be Australians then?;)

[101RRS]

Of course a large proportion of those ethnics are 'Aussies'.

[Redback]

I'm glad you liked Sydney and it's transport system, I worked in the Public Transport system for 20yrs, and also travelled on the London transport while over there, as well as other systems in Europe, Sydney system is better or was when I was over there, I think Sydneysiders take it for granted and don't realise how good it really is and how it is getting better.

I'm not good with crowds so the City is not a place I like, but when on occasion I do get in there, the food places are excellent and the variety is just brilliant, I'm a big fan of Middle Eastern food and the food in the city is wonderful, Norton St Leichhardt is another Mecca for food, Italian there, lots of cafes all the way along.

If you are ever back in Sydney, catch the 438 bus to Leichhardt from the city, goes right up Norton St;)

Baz.

[frantic]

Another large portion of those working would be uni students, both aussie and foreign full fee paying. A few of the chefs could be AWOL crew from bulk carriers :D. We've had a few panicking crews as their cooks have gone on shore leave and never returned, on the mixed Asian crews it was not as much a problem, but a mid-eastern /Turkish boat crew was in for interesting times as he was the only one who could cook:D

[clubagreenie]

Having just spent a week on work placement for TAFE (Nursing) at Auburn hospital, my primary concern was dealing with what I anticipated would be a large proportion of "ethnic origin" Pt's.

With 12 Pt's on the ward, two of them that had no english skills and probably 80% of an ethnic origin the only Pt's I had an issue with were the Australians. Rude, demanding to the point of "I should be seen first". Meanwhile the others were not only thankful but downright grateful for any assistance and help they received, no matter how long it took us to get to them.

[101RRS]

my primary concern was dealing with what I anticipated would be a large proportion of "ethnic origin" Pt's.



What is a Pt?? Sorry not up with these abbreviations.

[olbod]

With 12 Pt's on the ward, two of them that had no english skills and probably 80% of an ethnic origin the only Pt's I had an issue with were the Australians. Rude, demanding to the point of "I should be seen first". Meanwhile the others were not only thankful but downright grateful for any assistance and help they received, no matter how long it took us to get to them.

Often noticed when overseas, Australians can be very rude and demanding,
can be very embarrassing to be in the same place as them.
I was in Sydney for 48 hours in 2006. Only saw a couple of Australians.
I had to remind myself that I was not on an overseas trip gawking at the locals.
One trip I will never ever do again.
Never ever. Bleah.

[rovercare]

What is a Pt?? Sorry not up with these abbreviations.

Using the words surrounding it, I'd assume patient, that and the fact he said nursing:D

[101RRS]

Only saw a couple of Australians.


Yes not to many Aboriginals in the inner Sydney area since the Block was closed.

[manic]

Australians are not white, they are ethnic :p

I've enjoyed Sydney, pretty good looking city in places.. some good eating to be had too! Living in Melbourne I probably shouldn't have admitted to that.. :wasntme:

[Geedublya]

Caught the train from Hornsby to Circular Quay and the the ferry over to Manly on Sunday. $7.50 all up for the three of us using the Sunday family ticket. It was the first time my 4.5 year old had been on a ferry and she loved it.
We will be using the Sunday family tickets much more in future, you can travel from Dungog to Nowra and west to Goulbourn and Bathurst all for $2.50 each.
There were lots of families out and everyone was happy and courteous. Catching the train back from the quay was a problem as there was track work on the city circle and the trains were only running one way. It meant they were very crowded. The problem is that the trains are double decked and if you are only travelling a short distance or have a pram the standing area near the doors gets very crowded. Perhaps the trains should be like those in Japan with seats along the walls and lots more standing room, it makes it much easier to embark and disembark.

[Bigbjorn]

Yes not do many Aboriginals in the inner Sydney area since the Block was closed.

Still plenty in Redfern, mate. They own the block, or at least an aboriginal housing company does.

[goingbush]

When I go to Sydney we stay in Rose Bay , I cant believe how many South Africans live there, You'd swear you were in South Africa, even the business owners / shop keepers are ZA and the supermarkets have at least an aisle of ZA products.

Not that thats a bad thing, except they are wholly up themselves, but thats probably more because they live in Rose Bay / Vaucluse than because they are from South Africa.

Having been a Melbournian most of my like I can not understand why there is any argument / rivalry between Melb / Syd , Melbourne absolutely Sucks in every respect and Sydney weather , restaurants, cafes etc are way better, end of argument. But Sydney traffic is worse but the fantastic Ferry service more than makes up for the road congestion.

Not that I'd ever live there , ..... I'm just saying

[goingbush]

Australians are not white, they are ethnic :p

I've enjoyed Sydney, pretty good looking city in places.. some good eating to be had too! Living in Melbourne I probably shouldn't have admitted to that.. :wasntme:

Real Australians are Black, all the rest are Boat People

[korg20000bc]

Interesting look at some of the issues:
Red Ice Radio - Frank Salter - War on Human Nature, Replacement Level Migration & Crime of Diversity - YouTube

[Redback]

When I go to Sydney we stay in Rose Bay , I cant believe how many South Africans live there, You'd swear you were in South Africa, even the business owners / shop keepers are ZA and the supermarkets have at least an aisle of ZA products.

Not that thats a bad thing, except they are wholly up themselves, but thats probably more because they live in Rose Bay / Vaucluse than because they are from South Africa.

Having been a Melbournian most of my like I can not understand why there is any argument / rivalry between Melb / Syd , Melbourne absolutely Sucks in every respect and Sydney weather , restaurants, cafes etc are way better, end of argument. But Sydney traffic is worse but the fantastic Ferry service more than makes up for the road congestion.

Not that I'd ever live there , ..... I'm just saying

The Jewish community is big in the Eastern Suburbs as well, it's a wealthy attitude not racial, amazing when they travel on Buses, how they treat the drivers(the wealthy) you know the usual sprays of "I'll have your job" "I pay your wages" blah blah, can spoil your day if you let it and it's usually only a minority anyway.

I've enjoyed the many times I've been in Melbourne, Trams are brilliant, roads are so much wider, St Kilda on the water is a lovely area, the food on the pier was nice too, drivers leave a bit to be desired, but over all a good place to visit.

Baz.

[rick130]

When I go to Sydney we stay in Rose Bay , I cant believe how many South Africans live there, You'd swear you were in South Africa, even the business owners / shop keepers are ZA and the supermarkets have at least an aisle of ZA products.

Not that thats a bad thing, except they are wholly up themselves, but thats probably more because they live in Rose Bay / Vaucluse than because they are from South Africa.




The gf jokingly tells her parents they are the only 'Aussies' left in Vaucluse ! :angel:

After visiting/staying on the weekend I was still surprised at the large SA expat population.

[ramblingboy42]

funny thing you mention the Jewish community Rerdback.

I stopped at the synagogue near Hyde Pk and they had security guards there. The gates are no longer left open.

I spoke to the guards and they said it was now necessary because of graffiti and vandalism towards the jewish community.

[DiscoMick]

All Australians ARE ethnic, always have been, always will be. Everyone has some ethnic background.


1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 1995 (http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article41995?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1301.0&issue=1995&num=&view)=


Ethnic group - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Ausfree]

SYDNEY!!!:eek: Yuk, too crowded. The only good thing about Sydney is the road out of the place.

Would rather visit Melbourne....or.......dare I say it...Brisbane!!!:D

[clubagreenie]

Yeah, Pt. is patient sorry. Habit from months of report writing.

If I was driving a bus and someone said "I'll have your job" I'd get up and say you're welcome to it.

And yes, we all arrived on boats (even the aboriginals potentially at some point) but I thought we'd be grown up enough to make a distinction for these purposes based on the lines of the original comments.

Apparently not.

[rangietragic]

Don't care where the "ethnics" came from so long as they consider themselves aussies.If they have been here for two or three generations and still consider themselves as [pick a nationality/race]then go back there if its so good.My family can be traced back to 1832 in australia,so i consider myself as aussie as anyone,and that includes aboriginals.If anyone says they have been here longer so are more entitled to the term,then it must mean we are graded on a sliding scale,which means someone who was not born here is not as aussie as me.I don't think so.If you are an aussie at heart,you're an aussie.

[Greatsouthernland]

Interesting look at some of the issues:
Red Ice Radio - Frank Salter - War on Human Nature, Replacement Level Migration & Crime of Diversity - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxzJ2DDiJI0)

1 hr 14 mins :eek::o:( ..... So what's the summary in 10 seconds or less?

[mikehzz]

My wife and I went in to the Vivid Sydney display on the June long weekend. Both of us were unexpectedly surprised at how good it was. We had a great time. I've seen a lot of the world, but Sydney Harbour at night with the lights and our weather has to be one of the crown jewels, and it was winter!

On the subject of who is Australian and who is not....fair dinkum, who cares? As if any of us have a choice of parents and nationalities. One of the benefits of being in Australia is not having the baggage of a centuries old European class system. Let's not consider ourselves "more" Australian because one of our ancestors might have emptied the toilet buckets on the First Fleet.

[Ausfree]

My ancestors on my mothers side migrated out from England in sailing ships in 1870. My wife is of Polish ancestory. I personally don't care where you're from or what colour your skin is. As far as I'm concerned you are an Aussie if you blend in with our culture and values.

I do have problems however, with people who bring troubles from their place of origin to Australia or try to force their values on this country.

[Saitch]

Years ago I worked with an old Italian bloke who'd been in Oz for 40 odd years & a very proud Aussie. As I was only in my 20's, I was referred to as the "New Australian" :D
Steve

[DiscoMick]

Everyone is ethnic. I'm white Anglo-Saxon, for example.


I also agree with a previous comment about some rude Aussies. When I lived overseas the behavior of some Aussie tourists used to make me cringe.

[Ausfree]

Years ago, back in the 1950's I made friends with a Hungarian boy. His family fled Hungary in 1956 and those of you who are old enough will remember the 1956 Hungarian Uprising in which the soviets sent in tanks to squash the anti-soviet rebellion.:(

When I (as a mere boy) went to his place to play with him his mother would always answer the door and yell out to him...."your little Australian friend is here". I have lost contact with him, he taught me how to play chess. Would love to meet up with him again.:)

[mikehzz]

A coincidence...my best friend at school was a Hungarian boy whose parents had fled the same circumstances. Attila was his name...

[Ausfree]

A coincidence...my best friend at school was a Hungarian boy whose parents had fled the same circumstances. Attila was his name...

My friend was called Lazlo,we called him Lotsy!!:D