Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elizabeth BaySydney, New South Wales |
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
View from Elizabeth Bay House
|
|||||||||||||||
| • Density | 16,493.3/km2 (42,717/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2011 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 50 m (164 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 0.3 km2 (0.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 2 km (1 mi) E of Sydney CBD | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Sydney | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Sydney | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Wentworth | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
Elizabeth Bay is a lovely harbourside suburb located in the eastern part of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's only about three kilometres east of the main city centre of Sydney, known as the Sydney CBD. This area is managed by the City of Sydney local council.
The suburb gets its name from the beautiful bay it sits on, which is part of Sydney Harbour. A piece of land called Macleay Point separates Elizabeth Bay from another area called Rushcutters Bay. Elizabeth Bay is surrounded by the suburbs of Rushcutters Bay and Potts Point. The lively area of Kings Cross is just to the southwest, and Garden Island is to the north.
Contents
Exploring Elizabeth Bay's Past
The land we now call Elizabeth Bay has a much older name: Gurrajin. This name comes from the Dharag Language of the Aboriginal people who lived here first.
Elizabeth Bay was later named to honour Elizabeth Macquarie, who was the wife of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. He was an important early governor of New South Wales.
Today, Elizabeth Bay is one of the places around Sydney Harbour that has a special "dual name." This means it has both its original Aboriginal name and its more recent European name. The official dual name for this place is 'Elizabeth Bay / Gurrajin'. Other nearby places also have dual names, like 'Elizabeth Point / Jerrowan' and 'Macleay Point / Yurrandubbee'. This "dual naming" helps recognise and respect the rich Aboriginal history of the land alongside its more recent history.
Some older records suggest this area was first known by the Aboriginal name 'Yarrandabby'. What is now Macleay Point was called 'Jerrewon'.
In 1828, Alexander Macleay (1767–1848) received a large piece of land here. He was the Colonial Secretary at the time. He hired a famous architect named John Verge (1788–1961) to build a grand house called Elizabeth Bay House. This beautiful Regency-style home was finished in 1837.
Old Maps of Elizabeth Bay
These old maps show how the land in Elizabeth Bay was divided up over many years. They help us see how the area changed from large estates to smaller blocks.
-
Macleay Estate - Elizabeth Bay - Elizabeth Bay, Macley St, Ithaca Rd, Onslow Lane
-
Macleay's Estate - Elizabeth Bay - Onslow Ln, Billyard Ln, Ithaca Rd, Macleay St, Elizabeth Bay Rd, 1882
-
Elizabeth Bay - Elizabeth Bay Rd, Rushcutters Bay Rd, 1886
-
Elizabeth Bay - Birtley Estate - Elizabeth Bay Rd, Birtley Pl, 1927
-
Water Frontages- Elizabeth Bay - Rockley House & Grounds - Elizabeth Bay Rd, 1927
-
Elizabeth Bay House Estate - Billyard Ave, Wylde St, Onslow Ave, Victoria St, Woolcott St, Darlinghurst Rd, 1934
Special Heritage Buildings
Elizabeth Bay has many buildings and places that are "heritage-listed." This means they are important parts of history and are protected so they can be kept for future generations. Here are some of them:
- 18–18a Billyard Avenue: Edgerley
- 42 Billyard Avenue: Boomerang
- 97 Elizabeth Bay Road: Tresco
- 102 Elizabeth Bay Road: Ashton
- 7 Onslow Avenue and 14–16 (the northern boundary of) Onslow Avenue: Elizabeth Bay House
Ashton House
Ashton is a beautiful house located at the end of Elizabeth Bay Road. It was designed by Thomas Rowe in the Victorian Italianate style and built around 1875. It was one of several grand homes built for wealthy people. Even though many apartment buildings have been built around it, Ashton remains one of the few original homes in the area.
Boomerang Estate
Boomerang is one of the best old estates still standing along the harbour. It was designed in 1926 by Neville Hampson for a music publisher named Frank Albert. This home is built in the Hollywood Spanish Mission style, with light-coloured brick walls and a tiled roof. The inside of the house is very dramatic, with rooms decorated in different historical styles. The gardens are also very impressive, with palm trees, shrubs, fountains, a tennis court, and a boathouse. Boomerang has even been used as a setting for Hollywood movies, like Mission: Impossible 2. It is also heritage-listed.
Elizabeth Bay House
Elizabeth Bay House is a very old and important house that is now looked after by the Historic Houses Trust. It's located on Onslow Avenue and has amazing views of Sydney Harbour. The house was designed by John Verge in the Regency style. It is a protected heritage site. There is also a special cave-like structure called a grotto nearby that is also heritage-listed.
Tresco House
Across the road from Ashton is Tresco. This two-storey home was also designed by Thomas Rowe and built in 1868. It was constructed by skilled Italian stonemasons. From 1913, Tresco became the official home for the top naval officer in charge of the Royal Australian Navy in Eastern Australia.
Who Lives in Elizabeth Bay?
The number of people living in Elizabeth Bay changes over time.
- According to the 2021 census, there were 4,878 people living in Elizabeth Bay.
- In the 2016 census, there were 5,215 residents.
- About half of the people (51.9%) were born in Australia.
- The next most common countries of birth were England (6.1%), New Zealand (4.0%), the United States of America (2.0%), Italy (1.6%), and France (1.6%).
- Most people (69.6%) spoke only English at home.
- Other languages spoken at home included French (2.5%) and Spanish (2.4%).
- When asked about religion, many people (43.9%) said they had no religion, and 18.0% said they were Catholic.
