Australia has led the world into 2025 with Sydney’s biggest-ever fireworks display, featuring a stunning golden waterfall cascading from the Harbour Bridge.

More than a million people rushed to the shores of the Sydney Harbour and hundreds of thousands more to the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne to watch the midnight displays.

Those who snagged a harbour view earned a stunning front-row display as fireworks dazzled the harbour from both the east and west sides of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge for the first time.

Composer Luna Pam debuted her 12-minute underwater-themed fireworks soundtrack at midnight, which rang out alongside skyward explosions and AI projections.

A golden waterfall cascades from the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Photo: AAP

Sydney and Melbourne are among the first cities in the world to ring in the new year.

By night’s end nine tonnes of fireworks had been launched from barges to the bridge to the top of the Opera House’s sails, featuring 80 new firing locations.

Glittering technicolour fireworks across 27 Melbourne rooftops aided by a laser light show marked a new beginning for an estimated 500,000-plus revellers as they packed into every vantage point available across the city.

Sydney’s first baby to be born in 2025 was delivered at 12.32am at the Royal Hospital for Women, with NSW health authorities saying both the mother and baby boy were doing well.

Police said the crowds across Sydney were generally well-behaved but they made 36 arrests for offences including assault, affray, robbery and knife possession.

While Sydney’s displays may be the highlight, there’s no shortage of fireworks to usher in 2025 across the rest of the nation.

About 80,000 individual fireworks were due to explode across Brisbane’s skyline with more up and down the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

In Adelaide, fireworks, food trucks and live music are on offer with more than 400,000 people expected to visit the city on New Year’s Eve.

Perth was set to feature two explosive displays while Launceston combined fireworks with its annual BeerFest.

Revellers book a spot ahead of the NYE extravaganza. Photo: AAP

In his new year message, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said despite times still being tough the nation could head into 2025 optimistically with wages rising and inflation falling.

Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton urged Australians to “reignite our national confidence and our sense of hope” — by electing the Liberal-National coalition in 2025.

-with AAP