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[edit] Selected articles in 2007
[edit] December
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.28 million. Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales, and is the site of the first European colony in Australia, established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, leader of the First Fleet from Britain.
Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast. The city is built around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour, leading to the city's nickname, "the Harbour City". It is Australia's largest financial centre and is home to the Australian Stock Exchange. Sydney's leading economic sectors include property and business services, manufacturing, tourism, media, and health and community services.
Sydney is a major international tourist destination notable for its beaches and twin landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and contains many bays, rivers and inlets. The city has played host to numerous international sporting, political and cultural events, including the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
[edit] Selected articles in 2008
[edit] January
Central Coast Mariners Football Club, also known as The Mariners or The Coast, are an Australian professional football (soccer) team based on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. They participate in the A-League and are one of three teams from the state of New South Wales playing in the competition. The Mariners were the first professional club from the Central Coast to compete in a national competition, and were formed during 2004 for the foundation of the A-League in 2005–06.
Despite being considered one of the smaller franchises at the inception of the A-League competition, Central Coast qualified for the first four domestic finals after their establishment. The Mariners had a successful first season, winning the 2005 Pre-Season Cup and losing in the A-League grand final to Sydney FC. They made the final of the Pre-Season Cup again in 2006, however lost to Adelaide United. The Mariners came sixth in the 2006–07 A-League competition, and failed to qualify for the finals series.
[edit] February
An outbreak of equine influenza in Australia was confirmed by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries on August 24, 2007 in Sydney. Also known as "horse flu", the rapid outbreak was of the Influenza A virus strain of subtype H3N8. While the virus is highly contagious, it rarely kills adult horses but the performance of thoroughbred racing horses can be affected for several weeks. It can be fatal to young foals and debilitated horses.
Because of strict quarantine procedures to reduce the risk of exotic pests and diseases entering Australia, this was the first outbreak of equine influenza in Australia. Horses in Australia had not been exposed to the virus and are not vaccinated and hence were fully susceptible.
[edit] March
The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.
The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, poisonous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20 cent coin.
[edit] April
Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean (November 18, 1879 – August 30, 1968), usually known during his career as C.E.W. Bean, was an Australian journalist, war correspondent and historian who is renowned as the editor of the 12-volume Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918. Bean wrote Volumes I to VI himself, dealing with the Australian Imperial Force at Gallipoli, France and Belgium. Bean was instrumental in the establishment of the Australian War Memorial, and of the creation and popularisation of the ANZAC legend.
Bean was born in Bathurst, New South Wales and his family moved to England in 1889, where he was educated, winning a scholarship to Hertford College, Oxford. He returned to Australia in 1904 and worked as a lawyer until June 1908 when he joined The Sydney Morning Herald as a reporter.
[edit] May
New South Wales wine is Australian wine produced in the state of New South Wales, Australia. New South Wales is Australia's most populous state and its wine consumption far out paces the region's wine production. The Hunter Valley, located 130 km (81 mi) north of Sydney, is the most well known wine region but the majority of the state's production takes place in the Big Rivers Zone-Perricoota, Riverina and along the Darling and Murray Rivers. The wines produced from the Big Rivers zone are largely used in box wine and mass produced wine brands such as Yellow Tail. A large variety of grapes are grown in New South Wales—including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Sémillon.
Sharing some similarities with the French wine region of the Languedoc, the New South Wales land mass covers a vast expanse of varying microclimates. The Great Dividing Range has a substantial influence on the climate of many of New South Wales' viticultural areas with areas of higher elevation, such as Orange, Canberra and the Hilltops region have cooler climates with more continental influences. The Hunter Valley is very warm, with high humidity and a large amount of rainfall during the growing and harvest season. The Mudgee, Cowra and Big Rivers Zones are warm and much drier than the Hunter Valley with several areas requiring irrigation for grape growing.
[edit] June
The 1947 Sydney hailstorm was a natural disaster which struck the New South Wales capital on January 1, 1947. The storm cell developed in the morning of New Years' Day, a public holiday in Australia, over the Blue Mountains before hitting Sydney and dissipating east of Bondi in the mid-afternoon. At the time, it was the most severe to strike the city since records began in 1792.
The strength of the storm was put down to the high humidity, temperatures and weather patterns of Sydney. Damages associated with the storm were estimated at the time to be approximately £750,000 (US$3 million), approximately equal to A$45 million in modern figures. The supercell dropped hailstones larger than 8 centimetres (3.1 in) in diameter, with the most significant damage occurring in the central business district and eastern suburbs of Sydney.
The event caused around 1000 injuries, with between 200 and 350 people requiring hospitalisation or other medical attention, predominantly caused by broken window shards. The most severe injuries were located on Sydney's beaches, where many people had no cover or shelter. The size of the hailstones would be the largest seen in Sydney for 52 years, until the 1999 Sydney hailstorm caused A$1.7 billion in insured damage in becoming the costliest natural disaster in Australian history.
[edit] July
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