Bondi, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bondi Sydney, New South Wales
Bondi, New South Wales
Established	1851
Postcode(s)	2026
Elevation	79 m (259 ft)
Area	0.87 km2 (0.3 sq mi)
Location	7 km (4 mi) east of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Waverley Council
State electorate(s)	Coogee Vaucluse
Federal Division(s)	Wentworth
Suburbs around Bondi: Bondi Junction Bellevue Hill North Bondi Bondi Junction Bondi Bondi Beach Waverley Bronte Tamarama

Bondi is a well-known suburb located in eastern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about seven kilometres east of the Sydney CBD. Bondi is part of the Waverley Council area.

Exploring Bondi's Location

Bondi is mainly a residential area with many homes and apartments. It's built around Bondi Road, which is where you'll find most of the shops.

Neighbouring Areas

• Bondi Beach is a nearby suburb and famous beach to the east.
• Bondi Junction is a busy shopping and business centre to the west.
• Other suburbs like Tamarama, Bronte, and Waverley are located to the south of Bondi.

Bondi's Past: A Quick Look

The name Bondi comes from an Aboriginal word, boondi. This word means 'water breaking over rocks'. The name has been spelled differently over time, but 'Bondi' was officially accepted in 1827.

Early Days and Land Ownership

In 1809, a large piece of land, about 200 acres (0.81 square kilometres), was given to William Roberts. He was a road-builder. Later, in 1851, Edward Smith Hall bought this land for £200. He was the editor of a newspaper called the Sydney Monitor.

Scarba House: A Home for Children

In the 1880s, a large house called Scarba was built. It was a beautiful two-storey home. Later, it became a children's welfare home called Scarba House. This home helped children until 1986. Today, Scarba House is part of a larger centre that includes apartments.

Bondi Public School

Bondi Public School, located on Wellington Street, was built in 1883. Before this, the school operated from St Matthews Church. This church is now one of the locations for the Bondi Anglican Church.

Building Styles in Bondi

Bondi has many different types of buildings. You can see older styles from the Victorian period (1840–1890). There are also buildings from the Federation period (1890–1915) and the Inter-War period (1915–1940). Along Bondi Road, you'll find rows of shops from these different eras.

Community Life

Bondi has several active community groups. The Bondi Anglican Church has three locations in the area. The Wayside Chapel is another church that helps people in Bondi Beach.

Waverley Rugby Club is the local rugby union team. It was started in 1971. The club has won several championships over the years.

Trams: How People Used to Travel

Long ago, trams were a popular way to get around Sydney, including Bondi.

Tram Lines to North Bondi

Tram services used to run from the city centre to North Bondi. The trams travelled along Bondi Road and Campbell Parade. A special feature was a large three-track area at North Bondi. There was also an underpass at 331a Bondi Road. This underpass helped trams get onto Campbell Parade where the road was too steep.

The first tram line to Bondi opened in 1884. It was a steam tramway back then. Electric trams started running in 1902. The tram line closed in 1960. Today, the 333 bus route follows much of the old tram line.

Cross-Country Tram Line

There was also a tram line that connected Bondi to Coogee. This line opened in 1887 and became electric in 1902. It ran through different streets, connecting to the Coogee line in Randwick. This line closed in 1954 and was replaced by the 314 bus route.

Special Places: Heritage Listings

Bondi has several sites that are important because of their history or architecture. These are called heritage-listed sites.

• 36 Anglesea Street: Electricity Substation No. 269
• 60 Blair Street: St Anne's Catholic Church, Bondi

Who Lives in Bondi?

According to the 2021 census, about 10,411 people live in Bondi.

• Almost half of the residents (47.7%) were born in Australia.
• Many people also come from England (8.9%), South Africa (3.0%), and Brazil (2.7%).
• Most people (69.2%) speak only English at home.
• Other languages spoken include Spanish (4.5%) and Russian (2.9%).
• When it comes to religion, many people said they had No Religion (45.2%).
• Other common religions include Catholic (18.7%) and Judaism (13.7%).

Sports and Fun in Bondi

Bondi is home to some exciting sports teams!

• The Sydney Roosters are a local team in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. They are officially known as the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club.
• Bondi United plays in the South Sydney District Junior Rugby Football League competition.

Bondi in the Media

Bondi has its own local radio stations, including Bondi Radio and Radio Bondi FM.

You might have heard of Bondi Vet. This is a TV show about a team of special vets who work at a clinic in North Bondi.

Images for kids

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  Bondi Post Office, an example of the Arts and Crafts style

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  Royal Hotel, Bondi Road

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  Shops and homes along Bondi Road

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  A Victorian Italianate home on Bennet Street

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  St Matthew's Anglican Church, Ocean Street

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  A residential building in Spanish Mission style

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  Bondi-Waverley School of Arts