Crowd in the Strand Arcade on New Years Eve, 31 December 1901, Australian Town and Country Journal, 11 January 1902 p 21

Sydney is a bit of a party town. Over the years we have celebrated the new year in a number of different ways. While the harbour and the bridge are the focus of the fireworks today, and this is potent symbol of Sydney, this tradition has a relatively short history. It hasn't always been about fireworks. We have a great article in the Dictionary of Sydney written by a colleague of mine, Hannah Forsyth, that charts the changing fashions of this significant event. For a long time in the nineteenth century New Year's Day was the main focus. This reflects the Scottish tradition of Hogmanay. The Scottish connections were overtly celebrated with the popular Highland Gathering at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Picnics were also popular, and musical performances at dance halls and vaudeville venues. Things began to shift in the 1870s as people began to gather on the streets in the city in the evening. But other urban factors coalesced in the 1890s to give rise to modern celebrations of New Years Eve. First, There was a changing perception of time. Australia shifted from local time (measured by the sun) to international standard time (measured from Greenwich, London) in 1895. Sydney was now keeping time relative to the rest of the world. Second, Sydney was lit with incandescent gaslights in 1896, providing a much brighter night light. It was now possible to see much better and large crowds could gather in light rather than darkness. Consequently, thousands of people descended on the city streets on 31 December 1896. Shops stayed open late, adding their brightly lit shop windows to the festivities. George Street heaved from King Street to Goulburn Street. The Haymarket end of George Street was dominated by the working classes, while the Queen Victoria Market filled with "irresponsible youths .... Evidently factory hands". The Strand Arcade, Sydney Arcade and Imperial Arcade filled with aspiring bourgeois. There is a great photograph of the arcades at this time, taken with a new tangled flashlight. What an innovation! As the countdown to midnight neared, the crowd shifted to the GPO, where the monumental clock tower had been erected just a few years earlier. So began the first modern New Years Eve. Over the next few years, the celebrations got increasingly noisy and rowdy. People carried musical instruments, kazoos, even pots and pans, to bang in the new year. Bonfires in the streets became a problem, as did larrikins. Celebrations shifted suddenly in 1939 to Kings Cross, catching authorities by surprise. It remained the centre of festivities until the introduction of fireworks in 1977, and it took another 10 years for the crowd to shift its focus. The shift to Circular Quay was part of the new Sydney Festival. Crowds remained rowdy and dangerous until the eve of 1989 when it was rebranded as a more family friendly affair. The City of Sydney took over organising the fireworks in 1996. Since then it has bigger and glossier every year. While New Years crowds have a chequered history, we hope everyone remains relaxed and safe this Christmas and New Year. Party safely and remember you're part of a long tradition celebrating the new year. And while you're relaxing over the summer why not dip in to a bit more history? Dictionary authors and staff have put together a list of summer reading to keep you entertained until we're back in January. Thanks to everyone to listening, reading and supporting the Dictionary. See you in 2015! If you missed Lisa's segment this morning with Mitch on 2SER Breakfast, you can catch up on the podcast here.