How many times has Sydney celebrated New Year's Eve with fireworks?

Question

When was the first annual display?

Answer 1

Syd Howard put on a fireworks display for the opening of the Sydney Opera House in 1973 and was inspired to set fireworks off from the Harbour Bridge on that occassion. It wasn't until Australia's Bicentiennial year, 1988 that the first Sydney Harbour Brdige fireworks display was held. Images were beamed around the world and even featured on the cover of time magazine.
I'm pretty sure the fireworks have been an annual event since then... does anybody disagree?

Answer 2

Too many times ! it used to be really good, everyone having a good time not too many drunks, no OTT crowds. Now its just an awful drunken crush, far too many non Sydney people thinking its ok to be agro and that they can do whatever they like cos their mums not going to find out...... its just un-enjoyable now. The best ever was 1988 the bicentenial everyone was in such a great mood, Sydney was just celebrating, there was real love in the crowd we had such a great time. The first fireworks was when the Queen opened the opera house, we were sitting on a rock off mrs macquaries chair and watched the fireworks, when we turned round to go the tide had come in and we had to swim to shore. They removed those rocks some years later, but I can still remember where they were.

Answer 3

Public fireworks displays have happened for NYE for decades, but they only really became a huge thing in the mid 80's - when, as someone else above mentioned, Guy Faulkes night and similar was banned all across Australia due to governments nanny response to some stupid kids and irresponsible parents who injured themselves. (Probably deserved it..)
As a result with people not allowed to do their own thing, the governments started to put on bigger and bigger displays. The Harbour Bridge was first used for the bicentennary, and culminanted with a $42 million display for the Sydney Olympics in 2000 ( I was about 500 metres away from the Opera House -WOW!)
The reason Sydney's display is one of the biggest in the world is because most places outside of Australia still allow the population to set off their own displays.

Answer 4

I use to live in the Rocks area when I was young, I remember walking to the bridge and watching the 1979/1980 new years eve fireworks from one of the bridges pylon. They were sent off barges in the harbour and from the opera house. IThere was a concert going on at the time. I think it was 1988 when they first closed the bridge for the fireworks but that was for the bicentenial.

Answer 5

The one month Sydney festival for Janruary started 1977 i think ... i got home that night at 4 pm the next day.

But Sydney-siders have had fireworks available way before that. I suppose soon after there was a general ban, the city did their own displays

Answer 6

Fireworks for New Year's has been since 1979 or perhaps a little bit before. I believe the first synchronised fireworks with music and broadcasted on 2DayFM took place in 1989 or 1990.

Answer 7

I have lost count but I been around sydney for 21 years and they been having excellent fire works displays since then till now..
Sadly on the telly I never saw the 2007 display as we use to do..
Seem to miss this years..

Answer 8

For as long as I can remember. They may not have always been set off around the Bridge and harbour, but we have always welcomed the new year with pyrotechnics!!!!
Remember when we used to have firecracker night around the Queen's birthday holiday? Then some kid blew himself up or some such and they were banned.

Answer 9

75 years ago to celebrate the opening of the bridge

Answer 10

38 times