FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SYDNEY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 450, 12 November 1880, Page 2

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SYDNEY.

BY "A TBAyELLEB."

Having recently travelled from Auclcland to Sydney in the " Te'Anan " and being more or Jess acquainted with the principr.l towns in New Zealand nnd familiar with Melbourne, ? a few lines upon the metropolis of -New' South Wales as received from an impartial standpoint may interest your renders. The first feeling after admiring the magnificent harbour and its surroundings, was one of surprise at the extremely - and thoroughly London-like appearance of the principal commercial avenues. Sydney appears to be flourishing, so far as a stranger call see, jto ani extent that is hot equalled.by Melbourne, and probably not approached by any other city in the Southern Hemisphere at the present period., ~. , , , There seems to ! be a"" : go ■ about this, so called, " slow, going " town that fairly, astounded me, after the many depreciatory criticisms I have been favored with from the lips of Melbourne identities. In fact I was led to imagine that Sydney was an old fogeyish sort of place with narrow streets \ no public buildings of nofie, and its business carried on in Hobart Town and Launceston sleepy hollow style, but on a larger scale. The streets are "narrow, certainly, and there is consequently an oppressive feeling of a want of a good current of; air that is not observable in Melbourne, but as regards the rest, report is all moonshine. In every direction handsome sandstone Banks, Church™, offices , and municipal '"*■' m buildings meet the eye, and the elegant and very frequently elaborate designs, in : stone of a beautiful light reddish (almost the : color.' of autumn ' leaves in the old country )', I have the hardihood to prefer to the white ponderous edifices which are, and justly so perhaps; the boast of Melbourne: In.my hasty walk through the;main streets I missed iho fragrant odors which refreshed one of the • senses when sojourning in the last named,city, but if arrangements can be made to* produce a similar state of the atmosphere here, I — fancy that Melbourne will, in a general way, have no reason to boast a decided pre-eminence over Sydney". 'People here say tilings are.very, bad, and.they . Lough tut to know best; but if that is the.case, all I can do is. to congratulate the townsfolk upon the able manner in which they conceal the 'skeleton".of "dulness free the visitor's eyes;' The numerous Coffee : Taverns and Palaces* appear to do a roaring trade, and;they ought ) to—for, for about 25s per week, gross, one can be boarded and lodged in a. manner that w is not beaten by any ordinary, good w hotel, and with' -the that the " ticket system " in use, prevents a man who dines out- with a friend from paying for the same meaHiHris bill, as is * the cas". with weekly boarders at hotels. v :The charges run about as follows:— Single bedrooms, 8s 6d; to 10s 6d per >veek ; breakfast and tea, 9d each ; Dinner, Is or by taking 6'tickets, 10d. The Town Hall is a,, magnificient , ~ % building, and the General Post office not yet completed, will be very imposing. Tlin'Cbiirolies and Banks are generally vory fine structures, and evc:i in Use im- #£' uiediata suburbs this is noticeable, but being totally different in color and

■design from their Melbourne counterparts ii. is to n great extent a matter of taste ur to which City belongs the preference ; for my part, as I have hinted, 1 give the palm to Sydney. The Harlot , and Quays present an animated appearance, and amongst the large number of vegdsnowm. port I noticed the •*" Orient," " Malaya," and "Tq Ariatt;" all very fine boats, belonging to the Orient, Peninsula and Oriental, and Union Companies, respectively. ' There is just now a great exodus:to Melbourne to view the celebrated Cup race and tfee "Exhibition.. It 5s '©laly With difficulty that accommoclatioiicaTi be obtained ,to travel in that .direction-, «ithfT' overland* or by sea. In many vessels the steerage Itortlis are entirely appropriated by saloon passengers, *uut to these seekers offer pleasure under difficuliee, wo all wish a happy time of it, in the Victorian capital. I conclude these very hastily written remarks fur the present, ami hojpo to be «b|e to be nble at a future fain, to' point out other, features of this really fine city, for the edification of those of the New to whom it niny be as yet, little more than a name.