1 million people welcome 2007 in Sydney

Monday, January 1, 2007

The Sydney Harbour Bridge was the centrepiece of the city's New Year celebrations

A crowd of approximately 1 million has welcomed the new year in Sydney overnight. Many of the crowd had camped out since 6 AM AEDT (7PM UTC) to ensure they had the best vantage point for the fireworks displays at 9 PM and 12 AM. Earlier predictions of rain failed to dampen enthusiastic revellers and fortunately did not eventuate.

According to police, vantage points were Circular Quay and Sydney Opera House closed around 7 PM.

This year's theme was "A diamond night in Emerald City" and celebrated the Sydney Harbour Bridge's diamond anniversary of 75 years which will fall in March.

As usual, the bridge became the centre piece of Sydney's celebrations with a question mark turning into a coat hanger during the 9 PM fireworks show before a diamond appeared at 11 PM.

Entertainment was held in the city throughout the day, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display at midnight. Revellers counted down the final seconds of 2006 with numbers on the side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The festivities are estimated to have cost AUD $4 million and organisers claim their fireworks display is "the largest in the world". Sydney's celebrations were broadcast on television live around the world as other countries prepared their New Year's Eve celebrations.

Despite the large crowd, police made only 58 arrests for offences including offensive conduct, stealing, assaulting police, goods in custody, assault, drink driving and affray.

Ambulance officers were called to 1,139 incidents in Sydney with another 900 in country areas.

Images

Sydney Harbour Bridge, known as "The coathanger" will celebrate it's 75th anniversary this year
Scyscrapers played a part in the celebrations
Fireworks lit up the sky over Sydney
Revellers at one of Sydney's most popular vantage points (Circular Quay) leaving the foreshore

Sources

AAP. "Sydney police busy on New Year" — TVNZ, January 1, 2007
Edith Bevan. "Fireworks the finest in land" — The Daily Telegraph, December 31, 2006
IANS. "Sydney welcomes 2007 with fireworks display" — Malaysian Sun, December 31, 2006
Mark Baker and Associated Press. "Australia, Asia ring in 2007" — CBC, December 31, 2006
"Sydney welcomes in 2007" — Australian Broadcasting Corporation, January 1, 2007
AAP. "Wet New Year's Eve forecast" — news.com.au, December 30, 2006

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This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.

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