Annandale, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Annandale Sydney, New South Wales
Former tram service, corner of Booth and Johnston Streets 1955
Annandale Location in Sydney
Established	1823
Postcode(s)	2038
Elevation	31 m (102 ft)
Location	5 km (3 mi) west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Inner West Council
State electorate(s)	Balmain
Federal Division(s)	Grayndler Sydney
Suburbs around Annandale: Lilyfield Rozelle Leichhardt Annandale Glebe Petersham Stanmore Camperdown

Annandale Council Chambers, built around 1899

Annandale is a cool suburb in the Inner West area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's located just 5 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district (CBD). Annandale is part of the Inner West Council area.

The northern part of Annandale touches Rozelle Bay, which is part of Sydney Harbour. To its east is Glebe, and to its west are Lilyfield and Leichhardt. To the south, you'll find Stanmore and Camperdown.

Annandale's History

Major George Johnston (1764–1823) arrived in Australia on the First Fleet. This was a group of ships that brought the first European settlers and convicts (people sent to Australia as punishment) from England. George Johnston was given a large piece of land, about 600 acres (2.4 km²), in this area.

He first called it Johnston's Bush. Later, he renamed it Annandale after his hometown, Annan in Scotland. You can still see his name in places like Johnston Street and Johnstons Creek. George and his wife, Esther Abrahams, built a nice home called Annandale House in 1799. This house was taken down in 1905, but its original gates are now at Annandale Public School.

George's son, Robert, took over the land. In 1877, he sold it to John Young. John Young was a successful businessman, architect, and even a mayor.

John Young's Vision

John Young wanted to make Annandale a beautiful suburb. He built several unique and artistic houses. One of these was Kenilworth, which had a special "witch's cap" roof. This house was rented by Henry Parkes, who is known as the "father of Federation" for helping unite Australia.

Other famous houses built by Young include The Abbey, Oybin, Greba, Hockingdon, and Highroyd. Some people call these the "witches' houses" because their towers look like witches' hats. Highroyd was carefully restored over twenty years and finished in 2009.

The Abbey House

Johnston Street, Annandale, around the 1880s, showing The Abbey

Of all the houses John Young built, The Abbey is the most famous. It's a large stone mansion built in the Gothic Revival style, like old Scottish castles. Young used his imagination to add many interesting features. These include arches, gargoyles (stone carvings of strange creatures), lions, and turrets (small towers).

John Young was a very important Mason (a member of a secret society). The Abbey has many Masonic symbols. Some people think he might have used the building as a Masonic Lodge. After Young passed away, The Abbey was divided into smaller flats.

In 1959, a new owner bought the house and restored it to its original glory. It was even listed as a special heritage site. In 2009, The Abbey was sold for a record price for a home in Annandale.

Other Important Buildings

Another home in the area was Kentville, which John Young built for himself. It was surrounded by a large garden next to Rozelle Bay. Young bought the land in 1877 and made the existing cottage bigger, naming it Kentville. He also built a public bowling green there.

Sub-division plan for Annandale from 1880

John Young hoped Annandale would become a very fancy area. However, he couldn't stop factories from being built or the land from being divided into smaller lots. He died in 1907. After his death, even more land was divided. Over time, Annandale changed from an industrial area to a place with many young families and small businesses.

John Young was also involved in local government. He helped create the Annandale Borough Council in 1894. This council later joined with the Municipality of Leichhardt in 1949. The old Annandale Council Chambers building is now a community centre.

Did you know that Johnston Street in Annandale was the first 30-metre-wide street in Sydney?

Annandale's Heritage

Four Gothic houses on Johnston Street: Kenilworth, Highroyd, Hockindon and Greba

Annandale Post Office

Annandale has many places listed for their historical importance. Some of these include:

• Johnston Street: Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church
• 2-12 Johnston Street: Goodman's Buildings
• 182 Johnston Street: Substation No. 15
• off Taylor Street, Hogan Park: Johnston's Creek Sewer Aqueduct
• Booth Street: Sewage Pumping Station 3

Other important historic buildings are:

• Annandale Council Chambers, 79 Johnston Street, built in 1899.
• Annandale North Public School, Johnston Street.
• Annandale Post Office, Johnston Street, a beautiful example of the Federation Free Classical style.
• Annandale Public School, Johnston Street.
• North's Factory, 43 Trafalgar Street, which used to be the Beale Piano Factory. This was Australia's first and largest piano maker.
• The Abbey and its stone walls on Johnston Street.
• Uniting Church (formerly Methodist Church), 81A Johnston Street.

Each year in April, the Annandale Heritage Festival celebrates the suburb's history.

Annandale's People

According to the 2016 census, there were 9,451 people living in Annandale. Most people (66.3%) were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included England (5.2%), New Zealand (2.5%), and the United States (1.3%).

Most people (77.5%) spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken included Italian (1.9%) and Mandarin (1.6%). When it came to religion, many people (44.7%) said they had no religion. The next most common religions were Catholic (20.8%) and Anglican (9.5%).

Schools in Annandale

• Annandale Public School at 25-31 Johnston Street.
• Annandale North Public School at 206 Johnston Street. Both of these schools are on the Register of the National Estate, meaning they are historically important.
• St Brendan's Catholic School is at 34 Collins Street.

Churches in Annandale

Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church, a beautiful historic church

• Village Church, Annandale (Anglican), Johnston Street.
• Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church, Johnston Street.
• St Brendan's Catholic Church, Johnston Street.
• Annandale Uniting Church, Johnston Street.

Annandale's Culture

Environment

Annandale is surrounded by nature. Johnston Creek is to the east, White's Creek is to the west, and Sydney Harbour is to the north.

Eco-Annandale Exhibition

The Eco-Annandale exhibition happens every year since 2009. This art show focuses on ways to live more sustainably and protect the environment.

Footprints EcoFestival

The Footprints EcoFestival is another yearly event. It takes place in the White's Creek Valley, usually in August. It's a fun way to learn about being eco-friendly.

Sport

• A Rugby League team from Annandale played in the NSWRL Premiership between 1910 and 1920.
• Amy Hudson, a talented cricketer, captained the Annandale Warratahs (Women's Cricket team). She even went on to play for Australia!

Music

• The Annandale Hotel is a very popular place for live music. Many rock and indie bands play there. Famous bands like The Bronx and Isis have even recorded albums or DVDs of their shows at the Annandale Hotel.
• Trafalgar Studios was a recording studio at 74b Trafalgar Street. Many famous Australian bands recorded their music here in the 1970s and 80s. These included Cold Chisel, INXS, Midnight Oil, and Paul Kelly. Sadly, the studios were taken down in 2018.
• The Australian music label Didgeridoo Records used to be in Annandale.
• The band Sparkadia started in Annandale.
• Cold Chisel guitarist Ian Moss lives in Annandale.
• The Annandale Hunter Baillie Spring Festival of Music started in 1994. It helps raise money to fix the old 1890 Hill & Son organ.
• Sydney's famous pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer played their very first show at The Annandale Hotel!

Pop Culture

• The famous American author, Mark Twain, stayed in Johnston Street. He visited the home of Sir Henry Parkes near the end of Parkes' life. This is mentioned in the book Down Under by Bill Bryson.
• Booth Street, a main street in Annandale, is the name of a song by the band Youth Group.
• The Sydney band Seventeen has a song called Annandale on their 1999 album.

Getting Around Annandale (Transport)

Buses are the main way to get around Annandale using public transport. Many buses run along Booth Street, which goes through the middle of the suburb. You can catch buses like the 470 to Lilyfield and the city, or the 370 to Leichhardt and Coogee.

A lot of bus routes also run along Parramatta Road, which is at the southern edge of Annandale. These buses (like the 413, 436, 438, and more) all go to the city. In the north-east, the 433 bus runs along The Crescent to the city and Balmain.

Aqueduct across Johnstons Creek at Hogan Park

The Rozelle Bay stop for Sydney's light rail network is in the north of Annandale. The Jubilee Park stop is also easy to reach. The light rail can take you east to Central railway station or south-west to Dulwich Hill.

Famous People from Annandale

Many interesting people have lived in Annandale:

• Sid Barnes, a cricketer.
• Claudia Chan Shaw, a fashion designer.
• Fred Cress, a painter.
• Ross Edwards, a composer.
• Dick Ellis, a soldier and intelligence officer.
• Ezzie Fenston, a journalist.
• Isabel Flick, an Aboriginal rights activist.
• Thelma Forshaw, a writer and journalist.
• Belle Golding, a feminist and activist.
• Douglas Grant, an Australian Aboriginal soldier and artist.
• Amy Hudson, a cricketer (mentioned above in Sport).
• Kim Moyes, a member of the band The Presets.
• Robert Johnston, a naval officer.
• Ian Moss, a singer-songwriter and guitarist.
• Henry Parkes, the 'Father of Federation' and former Premier of New South Wales.
• Barbara Ramsden, a book editor.
• Craig Reucassel, a comedian and member of The Chaser.
• Abe Saffron, a nightclub owner and property developer.
• John Stanley, a radio broadcaster.
• Allen Taylor, a former mayor of Annandale and Sydney.
• Eric Wilson, an Australian painter.
• John Young, a businessman, architect, and mayor.

See Also

• The Abbey, Annandale
• Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church
• Johnston's Creek Sewer Aqueduct
• Substation No. 15