Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, is the largest city in Australia and also the most populated with over 4.2 million people. Located on the southeast coast of Australia, it has a beautiful harbor whose most famous landmarks are the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

            Sydney has hosted many sporting events, including the Summer Olympics in 2000 and the Rugby World Cup in 2003. Australians love sports, both playing them and watchng them on television. Sydney is the headquarters of the Australian Rugby League which is so popular in both New South Wales and Queensland. Australian Rules Football is unique to Australia and every year the Grand Final takes place in Telstra Stadium in Sydney. This game is one of the biggest sports events of the whole year in Australia. Bondi Beach is Australia's most famous beach. People come here to participate in surfing tournaments but they also come just to sunbathe. Sydney Harbour is also famous for its yacht racing.

           Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, lies along the Brisbane River. There are both contemporary and beautiful old buildings found in this sleek city. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and was built up around the Yarra River. Much of the city is covered with gardens and parks and the Melbourne Cup horse race has been hosted here for nearly one and a half centuries. The largest community of Greek people outside of Greece itself has settled in Melbourne. Perth, the capital of Western Australia, is the business and shipping center for the state's mining industry. Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1.1 million people. The city is known for its many music and arts festivals. There is even an Adelaide Festival of Ideas. Adelaide is sometimes referred to as the "City of Churches." The city has attracted immigrants from many countries, especially German migrants who were escaping religious persecution. Those migrant workers brought vine cuttings with them that eventually helped in founding the famous wineries of the Barossa Valley.

           After World War II, people from Italy, Greece, the Netherlands and Poland all came to Adelaide and the other big cities, all hoping to make a new start in Australia. Then, after the Vietnamese war, a second wave of Asian immigrants blended in with the Australians, making them an even richer and more diverse population.