Sydney turns green for St Patrick's Day The streets of Sydney turned green as thousands of revellers celebrated St Patrick's Day. THE streets of Sydney turned green as thousands of revellers celebrated St Patrick's Day across the CBD. Crowds around Town Hall and Elizabeth Street were 10-deep on Sunday to watch the annual parade roll past, with youngsters dressed in traditional costume getting the biggest cheers as they waved to the crowd. Greystanes mum Margaret, who grew up in Ireland, came to the city with her children and husband to celebrate their heritage at a family day at Hyde park. She said she had experienced St Patrick's day in Ireland, New York and Sydney. "The parade was fantastic, great celebration and great atmosphere... my little one got to see her mates dance in the parade," she told AAP. Locals and Irish nationals also celebrated with a pint or two of Guinness at one of Sydney's many Irish pubs, which were enjoying one of their biggest trading days. Popular Irish watering hole PJ O'Briens offered a full Irish breakfast and had crowds stretching down the street. Australia has celebrated St Patrick's Day on 17 March since 1810, when Governor Lachlan Macquarie declared the date an official day of celebration. Sydney's St Patrick's day is the largest Irish event in the southern hemisphere with an estimated 60,000 Irish and Australian families participating on Sunday, according to Australia's Irish newspaper the Irish Echo.