Has Sydney been under siege?
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
The 2014 Sydney hostage crisis, also known as the Sydney siege and Lindt Cafe siege, occurred on 15–16 December 2014 when a lone gunman, Man Haron Monis, held hostage ten customers and eight employees of a Lindt chocolate café located at Martin Place in Sydney, Australia. Police treated the event as a terrorist attack at the time, but Monis' motives were subsequently debated. However, the findings of the Coroner in 2017 deemed the event to be a terrorist attack.
Sydney lockout laws
Reports in October 2018 stated that the NSW government, led by the Deputy Premier John Barilaro and at least eight members of the governing cabinet were seriously looking at scrapping or considerably relaxing the lock out laws due to the negative impact on businesses and the reputation of Sydney on people seeking to holiday in the city. Keep Sydney Open, which has lobbied against the laws, celebrated the reports on Thursday.“Finally the government is acknowledging the negative impact on businesses and the reputation of our city,” the group said. City of Sydney Councillor Christine Forster said she was pleased Mr Barilaro was reportedly onboard to reverse the laws.
Australia and the American Civil War
The news of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln on 14 April 1865 caused demonstrations of sorrow in Sydney. An editorial in Melbourne's "The Age" newspaper on June 27, 1865 reported that in Sydney the assassination of Lincoln had caused great indignation. There were many Australian sympathisers that wanted to put an end to slavery, a central issue with Lincoln and his Emancipation Proclamation. A memorial service was held in Sydney's Prince of Wales Opera House on Sunday afternoon July 9, 1865. There were strong feelings of anger at public meetings against the killer of Lincoln, a person so dedicated to his country. They figured he was a genius who rose "from a log cabin to the White House."
Susannah Carr
Susannah presented coverage from Perth nationally during the 2014 Sydney hostage siege due to Seven News Sydney studios in Martin Place being evacuated. Susannah was part of the Seven News team whom were awarded a Walkley Award in 2015 for their coverage that night.
Sydney siege inquest
On the anniversary of the siege, State Coroner Barnes released a statement, describing the inquest as "one of the largest and most complex" undertaken in Australia, highlighting the implications for national security and for public confidence in the police.
Keep Sydney Open
According to its website, Keep Sydney Open was founded by "a variety of key Sydney live music and performance venues, cultural organisations, artists and music industry stakeholders" in response to the "lockout regime" that was implemented by the Barry O'Farrell government in February 2014. The group says that it is concerned about the closure of venues in Sydney, particularly in the Kings Cross, Oxford Street and CBD precincts, the attendant loss of jobs and the damage to tourism, and a loss of vibrancy in Sydney's nightlife. Members have also critiqued the increasing privatisation of Sydney's annual New Years Eve celebrations, arguing it should be free to atend.
Sydney siege inquest
Bruce Hoffman, a US terrorism expert, gave supporting evidence that Monis' actions were inspired by ISIS, that the siege was an act of terrorism, and that his mental health issues did not change this. Hoffman gave Theodore Kaczynski as another example of a terrorist who was radicalised despite significant mental health issues. It was heard that ASIO considered Monis a "serial pest", as he had given them several false tip-offs in the past. Kate Barelle, a forensic psychologist, regarded Monis as atypical for a radicalised person, saying that he acted like "someone who had backed himself into a corner" during the siege.
History of Sydney
From 1788 to 1900 Sydney was the capital of the British colony of New South Wales. An elected city council was established in 1840. In 1900, Sydney became a state capital, when New South Wales voted to join the Australian Federation. Sydney today is Australia's largest city and a major international capital of culture and finance. The city has played host to many international events, including the 2000 Summer Olympics.
HMAS Sydney (FFG 03)
In 1997, "Sydney" was one of several RAN vessels placed on standby following the outbreak of political disturbances in Papua New Guinea as part of the Sandline affair. No action was required by the Australian warships.
M24 Japanese Midget Submarine wreck site
As at 18 October 2012, the M24 was of heritage significance to Australia and Japan and is the only Japanese midget submarine wreck located in Australian waters (the remains of two others from the Sydney attack being recovered). The site is the only in situ identified cultural relic surviving of the attack on Sydney Harbour in 1942. A complacent Sydney population awoke to the realisties of war and the event is strongly remembered today through the wider community. The M24 wreck is representative of Japanese submarine operations off Australia's eastern seaboard during the war and a direct physical reminder of the conflict at Sydney. Internationally, it represents one of only a handful of Japanese midget submarine wreck sites located in their unique underwater contexts. Remains of a further six are retained as static museum or outdoor display exhibits. The archaeological site is therefore of considerable importance in the comparative analysis of midget submarines wrecks discovered worldwide. The site also has the ability to contribute generally to studies of submarines as a specialised class of archaeological site type. Only limited archival information related to these vessels survives and therefore the archaeological record is of added importance. In regard to the three submarines that attacked Sydney Harbour, M24 is the only one retained in its original battle context and undisturbed, apart from the obvious effects of net entrapment and corrosion activity.
History of the Jews in Australia
1989 - A series of attacks occurred in Sydney including the firebombing of a Jewish girl's high school, the apparent firebombing of a Jewish youth club, a bomb threat to Jewish shops which had their windows smashed with bricks, and the distribution of antisemitic material and stickers with the word "Jew" on it.
79 Lower Fort Street, Millers Point
The coastal Aboriginal people around Sydney are known as the Eora people, and central Sydney is therefore often referred to as "Eora country". Within the City of Sydney local government area, the traditional owners are the Cadigal and Wangal bands of the Eora. With the European invasion of the Sydney region, the Cadigal and Wangal people were decimated, but there are descendants still living in Sydney today.
Occupy Sydney
Following the adverse 7 November 2011 Council decision, a small group of Occupiers autonomously re-established the Occupation amidst a heavy police presence. Upon news of a re-occupation occurring, resources flowed back into Occupy Sydney. The General Assembly later endorsed this Occupation.
Sydney siege inquest
In Australia, an inquest is mandatory whenever a person dies during a police operation. The inquest was presided over by the New South Wales State Coroner, Michael Barnes, and its task was "to determine how the [three] deaths occurred, the factors that contributed to them and whether they could have been prevented".
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
Following the Sydney siege inquest, in May 2017, the NSW Coroner Michael Barnes determined that "The siege was a terrorist incident."
Culture of Sydney
Sydney's nightlife has declined since the introduction of lockout laws, which call for 1.30am lockouts and 3am last drinks. Prior to the introduction of the laws, Kings Cross was known as the city's red-light district. There are huge celebrations for New Year's Eve and Australia Day in Sydney, including a fireworks display that features the Harbour Bridge.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
Police advised people in the area bounded by Hunter, George, Elizabeth, and Macquarie streets, bordering Martin Place, to remain indoors and away from windows. Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, and ANZ closed their CBD branches for the day. The State Library was also closed. Numerous other buildings, including David Jones stores, executive offices for the New South Wales Parliament, criminal courts for the Supreme Court, the Downing Centre, and "several city legal chambers" were evacuated, as were the facilities of the Seven Network, situated directly across from the café, forcing "The Morning Show" to suspend transmission. Police established an emergency centre in nearby Hyde Park, Sydney in response to the unfolding situation with emergency services sent to the area to respond to any immediate threats and evacuees were relocated to the park as a safety precaution.
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans are sponsored by radio station Triple M which broadcasts all of its games, including finals, live. Occasionally, 702 ABC Sydney may cover Swans matches if they are played on a Saturday afternoon, regardless of where they are playing. If they play in Sydney during that time schedule, appropriately 702 ABC Sydney will cover the match. Matches played at other times and days are broadcast on the ABC NewsRadio station's analogue AM/FM frequencies for listeners in Sydney, Newcastle, the NSW Central Coast and Canberra. Most Swans matches can be heard by listeners in the Riverina region of N.S.W. via the ABC Riverina – Wagga Wagga (2RVR) service, on the 675 AM frequency. Match coverage can be heard anywhere in the world via live streaming at the official AFL website or by downloading the AFL app for smartphones such as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
In the aftermath of the siege, Muslim groups issued a joint statement in which they condemned the incident, and memorial services were held in the city at the nearby St Mary's Cathedral and St James' Church. Condolence books were set up in other Lindt cafés and the community turned Martin Place into a "field of flowers." The Martin Place Lindt café was severely damaged during the police raid, closed afterwards, then renovated for reopening in March 2015.
2012 Sydney anti-Islam film protests
"The Australian" reported that several of the protestors were carrying the black flags of an organisation described as al-Qa'ida sympathisers. An unnamed Muslim leader was quoted in the paper as saying that the protest had been hijacked by a group known as "Sixth Pillar", the name being a reference to the "Five Pillars of Islam" with jihad being claimed by some to be the "sixth pillar of Islam". The group may be linked to the controversial Sydney Sheikh Feiz Mohammed.
Sydney Sixers
The Sydney Sixers are an Australian professional men's cricket team, competing in Australia's domestic Twenty20 cricket competition, the Big Bash League (BBL). Along with the Sydney Thunder, the Sixers are the successors of the New South Wales Blues who played in the now-defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash. The Sixers play at Sydney Cricket Ground in the south-eastern area of the inner city while the Thunder play out of Spotless Stadium further west. The inaugural coach was Trevor Bayliss and Dominic Remond is the General Manager. The Sixers' inaugural captain is Australian wicket-keeper Brad Haddin. Both Steve Smith and Moises Henriques have also spent time captaining the team.
Sydney lockout laws
The Sydney lockout laws were introduced by the Government of New South Wales in February 2014 with the objective to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence. The legislation requires 1.30am lockouts and 3am last drinks at bars, pubs and clubs in the Sydney CBD entertainment precinct. The precinct, defined in regulations, is bounded by Kings Cross, Darlinghurst, Cockle Bay, The Rocks and Haymarket.
Coat of arms of Sydney
The blue shield features a crown and anchor, symbols which have long been the working images for Sydney. The white anchor represents Sydney as a port city on Sydney Harbour and the discovery of Australia by a naval officer. The gold masoned mural crown, common in many Commonwealth municipal arms, denotes the power and authority of a city.
Sydney siege inquest
The second block began hearing evidence on 17 August 2015. It focused on why Monis was granted bail before the siege, his previous bail history, whether prosecuting authorities responded appropriately to his applications for bail, and whether procedures should be changed. However, Coroner Barnes said that it was unfair to blame the bail process for the siege because no one could have been expected to foresee the events that followed.
History of New South Wales
In recent decades Sydney has also undergone a major social liberalisation, with huge entertainment and gambling industries. Though there has been a decline in the dominance of Christianity through increased secularisation and the growing presence of an increasingly diverse migrant population, Sydney's two outspoken Archbishops, George Pell (Catholic) and Peter Jensen (Anglican) remain vocal in national debates and the hosting of Catholic World Youth Day 2008, led by Pope Benedict XVI, drew huge crowds of worshipers to the city. An evangelical Christian "bible belt" has developed in the north-western suburbs. Buddhist and Muslim communities in particular are growing, but so is irreligiosity. While a grant from the State government permitted the final completion of the spires of St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney in 2000 (the foundation stone was laid in 1868), construction of the present structure of the large Auburn Gallipoli Mosque began in 1986 and at Wollongong, south of Sydney, Nan Tien Temple opened in 1995 as one of the southern hemisphere's largest Buddhist temples. Sydney has gained a reputation for secularism and hedonism, with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras becoming a world-famous event. Star City Casino opened in the mid-1990s as Sydney's only legal casino.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
Early on, hostages were seen holding an Islamic black flag against the window of the café, featuring the "shahādah" creed. Initially, some media organisations mistook it for the flag used by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL); Monis later demanded that an ISIL flag be brought to him. Monis also unsuccessfully demanded to speak to the Prime Minister of Australia, Tony Abbott, live on radio. Monis was described by Abbott as having indicated a "political motivation," but the eventual assessment was that the gunman was "a very unusual casea rare mix of extremism, mental health problems and plain criminality."
Sydney siege inquest
Senior constable Murray Northey then testified that he had spent several months examining Monis's digital trail but found no evidence of contact with ISIS. Monis had a Twitter account but only twelve followers, although after the siege, he had 898. Monis's daughter in Iran married a man that wanted to come to Australia so she could be with Monis.
Organised crime in Australia
Middle-Eastern gangs rose to prominence around 1995–1996 in Australia, most prominently in Sydney. By 2000, the middle Eastern gangs had gained ground in Sydney, as police were hampered by inexperienced officers, fear of Internal Affairs investigations and obstructive policy on dealing with ethnic minorities, which made NSW Police focus on other areas of crime. For a long time, Middle-Eastern gangs conducted extortion against nightclubs, ram raids, and car theft. More recently, drive-by shootings have become more common, with tit for tat drive by shooting starting as early as 1998, and becoming more common in recent years. including a drive by machine gun attack on a police station in Lakemba, Sydney. In 2006, concerns over the lack of intelligence in the wake of revenge attacks, which included stabbings and assaults, by Middle Eastern youths following the Cronulla riots; led the NSW Police to set up a permanent Middle-Eastern Organised Crime squad similar in vein to the existing Asian Crime Squad."See Melbourne gangland killings"
"See Sydney Airport bikie killing"
"See John Newman (Australian politician)"
Central railway station, Sydney
A riot, dubbed the Battle of Central Station, took place in 1916. Soldiers rebelling against camp conditions had raided hotels in Liverpool and travelled to the city by commandeered trains. Upon arrival at Central station, the rioters set about destroying the station facilities, and fire was exchanged between rampaging rioters and military police. One rioter was shot dead and several were injured. The only remaining evidence of the gun battle is a small bullet-hole in the marble by the entrance to platform 1. This incident had a direct influence on the introduction of 6 o'clock closing of hotels in 1916, which lasted in New South Wales until 1955.
Sydney lockout laws
In October 2016, around 4,000 people attended another Keep Sydney Open protest calling for the NSW Government to lift lockout laws. Organisers said that the laws alienated young people and destroyed the live music scene, all while allowing The Star casino to remain open. A third Keep Sydney Open rally was planned for January 2017, but NSW Police summarily shut the rally down by making a last minute application to the New South Wales Supreme Court for a "prohibition order" under the "Summary Offences Act" 1988.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
Police declared the siege over soon after, later confirming that Monis was killed in the raid. Two hostages had died, and another three were injured by police bullets. One police officer, whose face was grazed by a police bullet, was discharged from hospital later in the day.
Sydney Basin
The Sydney Basin is an interim Australian bioregion and is both a structural entity and a depositional area, now preserved on the east coast of New South Wales, Australia and with some of its eastern side now subsided beneath the Tasman Sea. The basin is named for the city of Sydney, on which it is centred.
The Siege of Pinchgut
However, the film's reputation has risen in recent years: Quentin Tarantino screened it at the Quentin Tarantino Film Festival in Texas, and in 2006 it was restored by the National Film and Sound Archive. It has historical value, depicting postwar Sydney, its harbour foreshore and the remains of the Fort Macquarie Tram Depot which was being demolished for construction of the Sydney Opera House.
Gangs in Australia
A further issue is the extent to which the gangs like the 5T are responsible for the violence and extortion that is occurring in the Sydney area. 
There are many media reports of 'Asian gangs' in Sydney engaging in violent robberies including 'home invasions',
Vietnamese syndicates have gained media attention again recently with a recent drug bust in Melbourne. Casino high roller, Thanh Hai Pham, and his wife were ring leaders of this syndicate and a total of 12 people were arrested in connection with this operation.
HMAS Sydney (D48)
During the early part of her operational history, "Sydney" helped enforce sanctions during the Abyssinian crisis, and at the start of World War II was assigned to convoy escort and patrol duties in Australian waters. In May 1940, "Sydney" joined the British Mediterranean Fleet for an eight-month deployment, during which she sank two Italian warships, participated in multiple shore bombardments, and provided support to the Malta Convoys, while receiving minimal damage and no casualties. On her return to Australia in February 1941, "Sydney" resumed convoy escort and patrol duties in home waters.
Attack on Sydney Harbour
The naval officer-in-charge of Sydney Harbour at the time of the attack was Rear Admiral Gerard Muirhead-Gould of the Royal Navy. On the night of the attack, three major vessels were present in Sydney Harbour; the heavy cruisers and , and the light cruiser . Other warships in the harbour included: destroyer tender , auxiliary minelayer , corvettes , , and , armed merchant cruisers and , and Dutch submarine "K-IX". A converted ferry—HMAS "Kuttabul"—was alongside at Garden Island where she served as a temporary barracks for sailors transferring between ships. The hospital ship "Oranje" had also been in the harbour, but departed an hour before the attack.
Sydney Shield
The Sydney Shield is a rugby league football competition played in Sydney, New South Wales. The competition is administered by the New South Wales Rugby League.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
Following the siege, officers from the New South Wales Police Force and the Australian Federal Police went to the Belmore home of Monis' partner Amirah Droudis, and removed property. Her bail was revoked after a hearing on 22 December 2014. Investigations by Australian security agencies and monitoring of suspects following the siege revealed increased "terror chatter".
HMAS Sydney (D48)
The main claims made by supporters of an alternative view of the engagement include: that the Germans fired on "Sydney" before raising their battle ensign, or after using a flag of surrender or signals of distress to lure the cruiser in, that a Japanese submarine was partially or completely responsible for sinking "Sydney", that the involvement of the Japanese was covered up to lure the United States into the war, and that Australian survivors were killed in the water to eliminate witnesses. Other claims, less widely heard, include a belief that "Sydney" was not at action stations and thus not prepared for "Kormoran"s attack, distress calls from the cruiser were heard by Australian shore facilities but ignored, and that survivors were captured then executed by the Japanese. These claims have been proven false by historians and researchers; the 1998 inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade concluded that the German accounts were a "feasible" interpretation of the battle, but there was no reliable evidence to support any of the alternative claims, while the 2009 report for the Cole Inquiry (the third volume of which was completely dedicated to the "frauds, conspiracies and speculations" surrounding the battle) found nothing to substantiate any of the theories raised.
Man Haron Monis
Man Haron Monis, born Mohammed Hassan Manteghi Borujerdi (19 May 1964 – 16 December 2014), was an Iranian-born refugee and Australian citizen who took hostages in a siege at the Lindt Chocolate Café at Martin Place, Sydney on 15 December 2014, lasting for 17 hours, until the early hours of the following morning. The siege resulted in the death of Monis and two hostages.
Sydney siege inquest
The findings of the inquest were released on 24 May 2017.
Battle between HMAS Sydney and German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran
Michael Montgomery's 1981 book, "Who Sank The Sydney?", was the first published work to focus solely on "Sydney" and the events surrounding her loss, and the first to comprehensively challenge the accepted view of the battle. The son of "Sydney"s Royal Navy navigator, Montgomery could not accept the ship's loss as described by Gill, and claimed that the true events were being covered up. According to his book, "Kormoran" had fired on "Sydney" while flying the flag of a neutral nation, a Japanese submarine was involved in the battle, and any Australian survivors were killed to hide the involvement of the Japanese. Montgomery also suggests that Britain had foreknowledge of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which occurred three weeks later, and ordered the Australian government to cover-up the truth of "Sydney"s loss so the United States would be drawn into the war. However, "Who Sank the Sydney?" is reliant on assertions that had been proved false, unreliable sources (including a 'sailor's report' found to be a translation of an inaccurate Australian newspaper article), and selective use of German accounts that fit the hypothesis, and Montgomery is generally credited with igniting the controversy surrounding the battle.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
An anonymous call was made to Australia's anti-terrorism hotline 48 hours before the siege, raising concerns about the content of Monis' website. On his website, Monis had pledged allegiance to "the caliph of the Muslims", believed to be referring to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and denounced moderate Islam. It has been reported that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation followed up on the call by reviewing the website and Monis' posts on social media but found nothing to indicate that he was likely to commit an act of violence.
Darlinghurst, New South Wales
The area has often been a battleground between the two councils of the City of Sydney and the City of South Sydney. Most of the suburb belonged to South Sydney, however the New South Wales State Government moved the borders repeatedly in order to change the make-up of the City of Sydney. Many claim that these shifts have been attempted to shift the balance of power in the favour of the party in control of the State Government, though some residents of Darlinghurst and Potts Point (the former North Ward of the City of South Sydney) felt that the postcodes of 2010 (Darlinghurst and Surry Hills) and 2011 (Elizabeth Bay, Kings Cross, Rushcutters Bay, Woolloomooloo and Potts Point) were relatively neglected by the City of South Sydney.
HMAS Sydney (FFG 03)
"Sydney" visited Hobart in February 2015 for the Royal Hobart Regatta. During the weekend of 7–8 February, the frigate was anchored in the River Derwent to free up wharf space for a civilian vessel. On attempting to return to Macquarie Wharf, the anchor chain broke, leaving the anchor below. The anchor was later recovered by divers. The loss of the anchor prevented "Sydney" from fulfilling duties as the regatta flagship, as the ship would be unable to maintain a stationary position during the event.
Sydney siege inquest
Army advisors were concerned that the high velocity 5.56mm bullets could fragment and kill hostages. For close range operations like this they would have used larger but slower 9mm bullets. They complained about a lack of cooperation from the NSW Police. The army had gained substantial experience of these types of operations in Afghanistan. 
After some hours of negotiation, police withdrew their attempt to keep their actions during the siege discussed in camera. However, issues dealing with "methodology" would be secret.
Superintendent Allan Sicard said that he "was OK" with allowing Monis to speak on ABC radio in exchange for hostages early during the siege. It is unclear why this did not happen.
Under Siege (novel)
Under Siege is a 1990 novel by Stephen Coonts.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
Monis also stated there were four "devices" located around Sydney. However, New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said that none of the alleged devices were found during investigations. Monis also demanded that a hostage ask all media to broadcast that "this is an attack on Australia by the Islamic State". In addition, he demanded that an Islamic State flag be delivered to him, although the request was never fulfilled.
Occupy Sydney
The largest rally took place on 5 November 2011 through Sydney's central business district (CBD). During the Form 1 process some protesters had agreed to cease the rally by 4:30 pm, however this decision did not represent the views of many of the other participants. Due to a number of reasons, including the large numbers of police assembled at Martin Place, the crowd made the decision to move to Hyde Park, where they remained until they were evicted by police. The movement then re-established itself at Martin Place, where it has remained for the last two years.
Battle between HMAS Sydney and German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran
Over the next few years, several books about the battle were published. Frame's book was updated and republished in 1998. Wesley Olson's "Bitter Victory: the death of HMAS Sydney", published in 2000, was a re-examination of the evidence, including comparisons with similar naval engagements and sinkings, which supported the accepted view of the battle. Glenys McDonald's 2005 work "Seeking the Sydney: a quest for truth" did not attempt an analysis of records and interrogation transcripts, but instead used accounts from people who claimed to have observed the battle or been involved in the search, rescue, or interrogation to compile an oral history of the engagement and its aftermath. Her research led her to believe that the battle had occurred much closer inshore than claimed by the Germans. The 2005 book "Somewhere below: the Sydney scandal exposed" by John Samuels, took an extreme view on the alternative engagement theory by claiming that "Sydney" was sunk by a Japanese submarine with little or no involvement by "Kormoran", and that there was a wide-ranging cover-up of the proof. Samuels cites no reliable sources and ignores or dismisses evidence supporting the accepted view as part of the cover-up; one review states that the book only brings suffering to the relatives of those killed, and is on par with the Roswell UFO incident as a conspiracy theory. Also in 2005, Brett Manning used the alternate theories of the battle as the basis for the spy novel "Enduring Deception", in which an American agent must cover-up the cruiser's encounter with a Japanese submarine so the Pearl Harbor attack occurs without warning, drawing the United States into the war. There were also many deliberate hoaxes, some contributing to the controversies; the most damaging were claims that the wrecks had been located, hindering serious attempts to mount a search while military assets were used to check the sites. One not only involved a claim to have located the wreck off Dirk Hartog Island, but it also referred to the location of a grave there.
Sydney siege inquest
The unnamed DPP solicitor that handled the bail application said that he had not received the letter written by Staples, although he never asked the police for bail information. The DPP solicitor only provided oral arguments in response to Monis's solicitor's detailed 30-page submission. He said that he had thrown out notes about his conversation with Staples and the police statement of facts a month before the siege.
Demographics of Sydney
Sydney is the most densely populated city in Australia. It's also the busiest city in Australia. The median age of Sydney residents was 35 years, and households comprised an average of 2.7 members.
Geography of Sydney
The geography of Sydney is characterised by its coastal location on a basin bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Blue Mountains to the west, the Hawkesbury River to the north and the Woronora Plateau to the south. Sydney lies on a submergent coastline on the east coast of New South Wales, where the ocean level has risen to flood deep river valleys (rias) carved in the Sydney sandstone. Port Jackson, better known as Sydney Harbour, is one such ria.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
Belinda Neil, who was a negotiator for the NSW police, said that in negotiations, "[W]e want to try and talk to the hostage-taker. ...[W]e want to find out why he's there, why is he doing this, and we don't just go into this situation hoping to resolve it in half an hour." This approach would be consistent with the Behavioral Change Stairway Model. However, Mikhael stated that no such negotiation took place. Habib said that he called both the police and the Attorney General twice during the raid, but they did not return his calls. Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione confirmed during the siege that "we're not dealing directly with him ... we do not have direct contact with the offender."
Attack on Sydney Harbour
"I-29"s floatplane made a reconnaissance flight over Sydney on 23 May. A secret radar unit set up in Iron Cove detected the flight, but authorities dismissed its report as a glitch, as there were no Allied aircraft operating over Sydney. The aircraft was damaged or destroyed on landing, although its two crew survived. They reported the presence of several capital ships, including two battleships or large cruisers, five other large warships, several minor war vessels and patrol boats, and prolific merchant shipping. The report, which the Allied FRUMEL signals intelligence network partially intercepted, resulted in the Japanese Navy selecting Sydney as the target. The three midget-carrying submarines rendezvoused with "I-29" and "I-21" approximately north-east of Sydney Heads, with all five submarines in position by 29 May.
Mike Baird
Baird had publicly advocated for the tough Sydney lockout laws and on 9 February 2016 posted a Facebook response to an article published by Matt Barrie condemning the Premier's actions. Baird's response gained international attention after the post received over 10,000 likes - along with more than 10,000 comments that were mostly critical of the Premier's stance on the laws. Baird's reputation as a "darling of social media" was tarnished as the hashtag #casinomike became the number one trending topic nationwide on Twitter in reference to lockout laws not applying to Star City Casino, as it is located outside the entertainment and cbd precincts where the laws apply. A protest was organised in response to Baird's comments by community group Keep Sydney Open on 21 February 2016, with over 15,000 people marching in Sydney's CBD and calling on the Baird government to abolish the lockout laws.
Sydney lockout laws
In a letter to Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Cr Forster, the sister of former prime minister Tony Abbott, said the lockouts have taken an immense toll on the city’s late-night economy, already resulting in the closure of many businesses and threatening the future of scores more.” Lord Mayor Clover Moore also supports reversing the lockouts. The restrictions have overseen a decline in patronage in parts of the city. Numerous venues along the iconic LGBTQI strip Oxford Street have shut their doors.
M24 Japanese Midget Submarine wreck site
The attack awoke a relatively complacent Sydney wartime population to the realities of the present conflict. The raid which included eight Japanese submarines and over 500 Japanese Imperial Navy sailors was the only direct attack on Sydney in history. The event is well remembered by the population nationally. In Sydney, the event is particularly closely felt because so much of the present population were witnesses to the raid. Such was the impact on Sydney that many school children and even whole families, temporarily relocated from Sydney to places such as the Blue Mountains and beyond, fearing another attack, more coastal shelling, or even invasion.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, on the morning of 16 December, urged Australians to see this as a "one-off event", stating, "We're an inclusive multicultural community and we need to deal with this together". Governor-General of Australia, Sir Peter Cosgrove, released a statement sympathising with the families, commending the work of the police involved, and urging Australians to "unite in our resolve to protect what we value mostour way of life, our care and respect for each other".
Siege
A siege occurs when an attacker encounters a city or fortress that cannot be easily taken by a quick assault, and which refuses to surrender. Sieges involve surrounding the target to block the provision of supplies and the reinforcement or escape of troops (a tactic known as "investment"). This is typically coupled with attempts to reduce the fortifications by means of siege engines, artillery bombardment, mining (also known as sapping), or the use of deception or treachery to bypass defenses.
Media in Sydney
Sydney is Australia’s centre for film and media. Many of the landmarks in Sydney have been referenced, shown and the setting for countless films and television programs. Sydney also has a wide amount of references to films that have been set in the city, the most famous being Finding Nemo, which was set in the famous Sydney Harbour. The emerging suburb of Parramatta in Sydney, recently played host to Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson film premiere You, Me and Dupree. All films premiere in Sydney and only in very few cases in other Australian cities. Film in Sydney has been criticized for attracting major and international productions only and neglecting local productions, which are usually filmed in other Australian cities. Compared to other Australian cities, Sydney's film industry is highly commercial and only Gold Coast has a commercial film industry slightly similar to Sydney's.
Sydney (disambiguation)
Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia.
Battle for Australia
The Battle for Australia is a contested historiographical term used to claim a coordinated link between a series of battles near Australia during the Pacific War of the Second World War alleged to be in preparation for a Japanese invasion of the continent. Since 2008 these battles have been commemorated by Battle for Australia Day, which falls on the first Wednesday in September.
Occupy Sydney
Some of the major themes common to the protests included economic inequality, the alleged assault upon civil liberties at the hands of government and law enforcement, social injustice, corruption in the financial sector, corporate greed, and the influence of companies and lobbyists on government. Other issues that past and current participants have expressed include concerns with free assembly in public spaces, housing affordability and homelessness in Sydney, the treatment of Australia's indigenous people, and policies regarding the acceptance of asylum-seekers and refugees. Some within the Occupy movement (Sydney and abroad) have also espoused conspiratorial viewpoints.
List of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles characters
Sydney Fields, portrayed by one or more uncredited infant(s) in the present and Haley Hudson in 2027, is the issue of the adulterous liaison between and (her "nominal" father is Anne's husband, ). Sydney is delivered in an apparently abandoned maintenance garage by Derek Reese and her half-sister in the present, while Anne lies dying of gunshot wounds from an unnamed T-888. After Anne dies in childbirth, Sydney is raised in secret by Lauren. In 2027, she survives Skynet's biological weapon attack on Eagle Rock Bunker and sends out a distress call. The call is independently responded to by both Major General 's command at the Serrano Point nuclear power plant, and the Australian resistance force who came to Los Angeles aboard for supplies. The former send Derek Reese, and the latter , to rescue her. Both become infected in spite of their protective masks but are saved, along with countless others, by antibodies produced by Sydney's immune body.
Zaky Mallah
On December 15, 2014, Man Haron Monis took hostage the staff and patrons of a Sydney coffee shop. He had a list of demands which included a demand for a flag of ISIS.
An article in the "Daily Mail"s Australian edition characterized Mallah as a "one time terror accused" described how Australian security officials sought Mallah to see if he could help them by supplying them with the ISIS flag. Mallah does not own an ISIS flag.
History of the Jews in Australia
2010 - A synagogue in Sydney‘s north shore was egged over Sabbath evening.
Sydney
When Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, Australia too entered. During the war Sydney experienced a surge in industrial development to meet the needs of a wartime economy. Far from mass unemployment, there were now labour shortages and women becoming active in male roles. Sydney's harbour was attacked by the Japanese in May and June 1942 with a direct attack from Japanese submarines with some loss of life. Households throughout the city had built air raid shelters and performed drills.
Consequently, Sydney experienced population growth and increased cultural diversification throughout the post-war period. The people of Sydney warmly welcomed Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 when the reigning monarch stepped onto Australian soil for the first time to commence her Australian Royal Tour. Having arrived on the Royal Yacht Britannia through Sydney Heads, Her Majesty came ashore at Farm Cove. There were 1.7 million people living in Sydney at 1950 and almost 3 million by 1975. The Australian government launched a large scale multicultural immigration program.
List of sieges
A siege is a prolonged military assault and blockade on a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition. A chronological list of sieges follows.
Sydney siege inquest
The 2016 phase of the inquiry found that police never gained access to City of Sydney CCTV systems in Martin Place, and only gained access to the live feed from the Channel 7 building at around 8:00pm.
History of Sydney
The History of Sydney begins in prehistoric times with the occupation of the district by Australian Aborigines, whose ancestors came to Sydney in the Upper Paleolithic period. The modern history of the city began with the arrival of a First Fleet of British ships in 1788 and the foundation of a penal colony by Great Britain.
HMAS Sydney (1912)
On the morning of 9 November, the communications station at Direction Island, in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands group, was captured by the German light cruiser . Before capture, the station was able to transmit an SOS, which was received by the troop convoy, and "Sydney" was ordered to investigate. "Emden"s wireless operators had overheard the distress call and the orders to "Sydney", and prepared to meet the Australian warship.
Sydney siege inquest
Hostage Jarrod Morton-Hoffman told police that a woman would be shot if they did not move cars visible from the window. (It is unclear whether the cars were moved.)
Morton-Hoffman helped calm down an increasingly agitated Monis multiple times throughout the 17-hour ordeal. 
He described him as 'a very dangerous toddler.'
'He seemed unstable, emotional, not very logical. I think 'volatile' is the word to describe him. '
'In fact he did not seem to be following any logic — his demands changed with the wind,' he said.
'He was driven largely by emotion and anger and he was easy to manipulate.' 
At one point, Morton-Hoffman even offered to paint Monis an Islamic State flag if he let a pregnant woman go, to no avail.
Hostage Ms Ma said that Man Haron Monis was becoming increasingly agitated as the siege entered the early hours of the morning.
On 25 May, a summary of Monis' life in Australia was presented, depicting him as a "complex and secretive" man. This included his request for asylum, and his being accused of sexual offenses against women. He had been diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia at different times. He also joined the Rebels Motorcycle Club but was not liked and was rejected as a member in mid 2013. By 2014, Monis was "a man who was spiralling out of control", with few friends and no standing with any community.
Siege of Wadi Deif (2014)
The Siege of Wadi Deif refers to the siege of two Syrian Army bases, Wadi Deif and Hamadiyah (both just outside Maarrat al-Nu'man), by rebel forces, during the 2014 Idlib offensive of the Syrian Civil War. The first siege of these two bases was broken by the Syrian Army on 18 April 2013. During the siege, rebels detonated several 'tunnel bombs' underneath Army positions surrounding the bases, which was similar to the tactics used during the First World War.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
The hearings were divided into blocks of a couple of weeks. The first, which started on 25 May 2015, queried people who knew Monis to get background information. The second started on 17 August 2015 to consider Monis's bail application. Further blocks that investigate how the police dealt with the siege itself will be withheld from the public "in the interests of the families".
Sydney siege inquest
Prof Greg Barton and Dr Clarke Jones said that it would have been extremely difficult to predict that Monis would undertake the siege as he was a loner, had mental health problems, and was desperate to attach himself to something. Clarke suggested that if the Rebels had accepted his membership, then the siege might not have happened. Roger Shanahan from the Lowy institute said that if Monis had followed the direction of ISIS, he would have just killed all of the hostages. The Coroner ruled that the names of the DPP solicitors should remain suppressed. Lawyer 2, who represented the DPP against Monis in October 2014, had had no formal training in the NSW bail law.
2019 Sydney Shield
The 2019 Sydney Shield is the 8th season of the semi-professional development level rugby league competition in New South Wales, Australia. The competition is administrated by the New South Wales Rugby League.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
After the siege, the revelation that the new Bail Act had allowed Monis to be granted bail sparked calls to further tighten the law; however a review had already been conducted in the wake of earlier controversial bail releases, with the new law set "to take effect next year" (that is, on 28 January 2015). Former director of public prosecutions in New South Wales, Nicholas Cowdery, said he was not sure that the amended law would have changed anything in Monis' case, part of the argument being that "magistrates and judges cannot be expected to gaze into a crystal ball when granting bail". Homicide detectives sent a letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) urging them to challenge the bail decision for Monis, but a commissioned officer did not pass it on to the DPP. Michael Esposito, writing for the Law Society of South Australia, noted that the shocking nature of the Sydney siege had the power to prompt reviews of bail laws across Australia.
Sydney Harbour defences
Sydney's defences were not expanded from their pre-Federation condition until the 1920s. During the 1920s a number of well-constructed fortifications were built to protect Sydney. Sydney's defences were further expanded following the outbreak of World War II and were considerably augmented once Japan entered the war. While Sydney's anti-submarine defences were not yet complete at the time of the attack on Sydney Harbour on the night of 31 May 1942, they were successful in sinking two of the three Japanese midget submarines which attempted to enter the Harbour; one submarine fired two torpedoes at a warship, both of which missed, one hitting another ship.
Sydney Derby (AFL)
The Sydney Derby or also known as "The Battle of the bridge" is an Australian rules football local derby match between the two Sydney based Australian Football League (AFL) clubs, the Sydney Swans and the Greater Western Sydney Giants. As of September 8, 2018, the head to head is in favour of the Sydney Swans by eleven wins to five.
HMAS Sydney (D48)
"Sydney"s failure to reach Fremantle on 20 November was not initially cause for concern, as several factors might have delayed the cruiser, none of which were sufficient reason to break the order to maintain wireless silence. However, with no sign of the cruiser by 23 November, shore-based wireless stations began transmitting orders for "Sydney" to break silence and report in. A raft of German survivors was recovered by a British tanker on 24 November, at which point a large-scale air and sea search began. During this search, which lasted until the evening of 29 November, 318 survivors from "Kormoran"s 399 personnel were found, but apart from a carley float and a lifebelt, nothing from "Sydney" or the 645 aboard was recovered.
Australian Prime Minister John Curtin officially announced the loss of the cruiser during the afternoon of 30 November. "Sydney"s destruction was a major blow to Australian morale and military capability: her ship's company made up 35% of the RAN's wartime casualties. The cruiser's loss did not have the same impact internationally; two British capital ships were destroyed during the same fortnight, and Japan entered World War II with attacks on Pearl Harbor and Singapore three weeks later.
Sydney
Sydney is divided into local government areas (also known as councils or shires) which are comparable in nature to London's boroughs. These local government areas have elected councils which are responsible for functions delegated to them by the New South Wales Government. The 31 local government areas making up Sydney according to the New South Wales Division of Local Government are:
Sydney is the location of the secondary official residences of the Governor-General of Australia and the Prime Minister of Australia, Admiralty House and Kirribilli House respectively. The Parliament of New South Wales sits in Parliament House on Macquarie Street. This building was completed in 1816 and first served as a hospital. The Legislative Council moved into its northern wing in 1829 and by 1852 had entirely supplanted the surgeons from their quarters. Several additions have been made to the building as the Parliament has expanded, but it retains its original Georgian façade. Government House was completed in 1845 and has served as the home of 25 Governors and 5 Governors-General. The Cabinet of Australia also meets in Sydney when needed.
Terrorism in Australia
The designation of the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis, also known as the Sydney Martin Place siege, has been subject to debate among terrorism experts and news commentators. Initially, during the early stages of the incident, the Australian government and NSW authorities did not label the event as a terrorist attack; however, as the siege continued, NSW police authorised the engagement of the state's counterterrorism task force, treating the incident as an act of terrorism. Commentators have debated whether the perpetrator of the attack, Man Haron Monis, was in fact a terrorist and whether his actions can be classified as an act of terrorism. One terrorism expert described Monis's actions as those of a "lone-wolf terrorist … driven by a desire for attention and to be in the spotlight." Another wrote in an opinion column that the attack "was very different from first-generation or second-generation terrorist attacksbut it was terrorism, and terrorism of a brutal and more unpredictable sort." Scott Stewart supervisor of the analysis of terrorism and security issues for Statfor said that this hostage-incident exhibits many of the elements associated with grassroots terrorism. By contrast, criminologist Mark Lauchs stated that the event "was not about religion and neither was it a terrorist attack." Media outlets have also provided conflicting designations for Monis; John Lehmann, editor of "The Daily Telegraph", wrote how Monis filled the criteria of an Islamic State terrorist, while a columnist for "The Guardian" wrote how the designation of a terrorist is misplaced and would only serve the interests of ISIL. On 15 January 2015, Australia's Treasurer Joe Hockey declared the siege in Sydney's Martin Place as a terrorist incident for insurance purposes.
Occupy Sydney
Occupy Sydney was resurrected on the night of December 13, 2013, following a hiatus of several weeks due to a series of council removals and harassment. This coincided with a Christmas charity event held by activist collective Anonymous at Martin Place. Occupy Sydney's services providing 24-hour help to the homeless was also re-established on this date.
Sydney Andrews
Sydney is revealed to be alive in the 2009 series, her death faked with Michael's assistance. She is now the landlady of 4616 Melrose Place, and a central figure in the lives of its current tenants. In the opening scenes of the pilot, Sydney is found murdered, floating in the pool. Several of the building's residents become suspects, their backstories with Sydney revealed in flashbacks. It is revealed in flashbacks how Michael helped Sydney fake her death (that would have taken place during the time of the original series off-screen). Sydney believed that someone from her past was the one who ran her down (it was in fact Samantha and her father). Believing her husband was at risk, Sydney convinced Michael to help her. She disappeared, and later returned and did time for faking her death. Because of the injuries she sustained in the accident, Sydney developed a nasty drug and alcohol problem.
The Fiery Heart
Marcus contacts Adrian, setting up a time for them to exchange Sydney's replicated ink. Adrian decides to set the meet up at Ms. Terwiliger's house, as it was unlikely to be monitored by the Alchemists. As they grow concerned when Sydney fails to show up to the exchange on time, Eddie drives up to them and reveals that Sydney has been captured by the Alchemists.
APA Building, Sydney
On 15-16 December 2014 the Lindt Chocolate Cafe on the ground floor of the Phillip Street frontage was the scene of the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis, when a lone gunman held staff and customers as hostages. The siege resulted in the death of two hostages, Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson, and also the death of the gunman Man Haron Monis. After the siege, memorial flower bouquets filled nearby areas of Martin Place and many Sydneysiders came to Martin Place to mourn and reflect. Subsequent memorial services were held in the city at the nearby St Mary's Cathedral and St James' Church, and condolence books were set up in other Lindt cafes.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
The Sydney siege led to a 16-hour standoff, after which a gunshot was heard from inside and police officers from the Tactical Operations Unit stormed the café. Hostage Tori Johnson was killed by Monis and hostage Katrina Dawson was killed by a police bullet ricochet in the subsequent raid. Monis was also killed. Three other hostages and a police officer were injured by police gunfire during the raid.
Occupy Sydney
By approximately mid-April 2013 Occupy Sydney made a major part of its work "The 24-7 Homeless Hungry and Cold Peoples Resource", providing hot food and drinks, blankets and clothes, 24 hours a day, to those who needed them. The Occupation site became known to Australia Post as 56a Martin Place, Sydney, adjacent to the Channel Seven television studios.
Outline of Sydney
Sydney – Geography of Sydney
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
In the week after the siege, it was revealed that John Robertson, NSW Opposition leader, had sent a letter which passed on a request made by Monis, a constituent in his Blacktown electorate, to the Department of Family and Community Services in 2011. The letter was, according to Robertson, routine procedure on behalf of a constituent and written in support of Monis' request for a supervised visit with his children on Father's Day despite an apprehended violence order against him. The Department declined Monis' request. As pressure mounted on Robertson to resign as Leader of the Labor Party, and three months away from the 2015 state election, he stood aside on 23 December 2014.
2014 Sydney hostage crisis
Treasurer Joe Hockey declared the siege to be a "terrorist incident" under the Terrorism Insurance Act 2003. The Act means that insurance exclusions for terrorist incidents do not apply if such a declaration is made.
Sydney gang rapes
The Sydney gang rapes were a series of gang rape attacks committed by a group of up to fourteen Lebanese Australian youths led by Bilal Skaf against Anglo-Celtic Australian women and teenage girls, as young as 14, in Sydney Australia in 2000. The crimes, described as ethnically motivated hate crimes by officials and commentators, were covered extensively by the news media, and prompted the passing of new laws. The nine men convicted of the gang rapes were sentenced to a total of more than 240 years in jail. According to court transcripts Judge Michael Finnane described the rapes as events that "you hear about or read about only in the context of wartime atrocities".
Outline of Sydney
Timeline of Sydney
Siege of Sadr City
The Siege of Sadr City was a blockade of the Shi'a district of northeastern Baghdad carried out by U.S. and Iraqi government forces in an attempt to destroy the main power base of the insurgent Mahdi Army in Baghdad. The siege began on 4 April 2004 – later dubbed "Black Sunday" – with an uprising against the Coalition Provisional Authority following the government banning of a newspaper published by Muqtada Al-Sadr's Sadrist Movement. The most intense periods of fighting in Sadr City occurred during the first uprising in April 2004, the second in August the same year, during the sectarian conflict that gripped Baghdad in late 2006, during the Iraq War troop surge of 2007, and during the spring fighting of 2008.
Steven Ciobo
In early 2016, Ciobo publicly opposed Sydney's lock-out laws. Confronted with statistics of a 42.2% drop in assaults after Sydney instated lock-out laws, he responded "Well how does that sit with the way in which patronage is down? I heard someone quip, 'well there were 0 assaults in the Simpson desert too.'"
Siege of Hama (2011)
The Siege of Hama (2011) was among the nationwide crackdowns by the Syrian Government during the early stage of the Syrian Civil War. Anti-government protests had been ongoing in the Syrian city of Hama since 15 March 2011, when large protests were first reported in the city, similar to the protests elsewhere in Syria as part of the wider Syrian Civil War. The events beginning in July 2011, were described by anti-government activists in the city as a "siege" or "blockade".
Sydney siege inquest
The inquest is ongoing, with future hearings expected into 2016. The findings were expected to be handed down in mid-2016.
Sydney siege inquest
The hearings were divided into blocks of a couple of weeks. The first, started on 25 May 2015, queried people who had known Monis in order to get background information. The second started on 17 August 2015 and considered Monis's bail application. Further blocks that investigate how the police dealt with the siege itself were withheld from the public "in the interests of the families".
Attacks on Australia during World War II
On the evening of 31 May/morning of 1 June 1942, Sydney harbour came under direct attack from Japanese midget submarines. , a converted ferry being used as a troop sleeper, was hit and sunk. 22 sailors were killed, 19 Australians and 2 members of the Royal Navy.
Sydney FC
Sydney Football Club , commonly known as Sydney FC, is an Australian professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier competition, the A-League, under licence from Football Federation Australia. The club has won three A-League Championships, three Premierships, one FFA Cup and won the Oceanian Champions League prior to Australia moving into the Asian Football Confederation.