As a British expat, the whole coffee scene is quite an amazing thing about Sydney. I can get a reasonably good barista coffee almost anywhere - the hardware store, the swimming pool, the furniture shop, most pubs, at childrens activities etc.

There are 1 or 2 coffee shops on every street near where I work in an otherwise very industrial area. They put a fair amount of effort into making themselves unique in style and differentiating themselves.