Hornsby, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hornsby Sydney, New South Wales
Florence Street Mall with Hornsby Water Clock
Population	22,462 (2021 census)
Postcode(s)	2077
Elevation	188 m (617 ft)
Location	23 km (14 mi) north-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Hornsby Shire
State electorate(s)	Hornsby Wahroonga
Federal Division(s)	Berowra Bradfield
Suburbs around Hornsby: Hornsby Heights Asquith North Wahroonga Dural Hornsby Waitara Westleigh Normanhurst Thornleigh Wahroonga

Location map of Hornsby based on NASA satellite images

Hornsby is a suburb located on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is about 23 kilometers north-west of the Sydney central business district (CBD). Hornsby is also the main administrative center for the local government area called Hornsby Shire.

Discovering Hornsby's Past

The name Hornsby comes from Samuel Henry Horne. He was a former convict who became a constable. In 1830, he helped catch two bushrangers named Dalton and MacNamara. For his bravery, he was given land and he named it Hornsby Place.

Hornsby was built on the traditional lands of the Darug and Kurringgai people. These Aboriginal groups have lived here for a very long time. There are over 200 known Aboriginal sites in the Hornsby Shire area.

The first European settler in this area was Thomas Higgins. He received land in a place called Old Mans Valley. His family later created the private Old Man's Valley Cemetery. Family members were buried there from 1879 to 1931. This cemetery still exists today and is considered a heritage site.

How Hornsby Got Its Name

A railway station called "Hornsby Junction" opened in 1886. It was north of the original town of Hornsby. This station was important because it connected the Northern Line and the North Shore Line.

There was another station simply called "Hornsby" further south. People often got confused and got off at the wrong station. To fix this, the old Hornsby station was renamed Normanhurst in 1898. The Hornsby Junction station then became known as Hornsby.

The first Hornsby Post Office opened in 1864. It was later renamed South Hornsby in 1900. On the same day, the Hornsby Junction office near the railway station was renamed Hornsby. This is the post office that is still open today.

Growth and Development

Private developers helped Hornsby grow by buying land around the railway station. They wanted to build nice homes for middle-class families. These homes were often further from the station and had good views.

One of the first people to buy land was Annie Roberts. Her husband, Oscar Garibaldi Roberts, became one of the first councilors in Hornsby Shire. The Roberts family built a beautiful mansion called "Mount Errington" in the Arts and Crafts style. This house is now heritage-listed.

The Roberts family later divided their land into smaller blocks to sell. This area became a popular place for prestige homes. Many houses were built in the Federation style. One example is Birklands, a heritage-listed house built in 1902.

The Hornsby Shire Council was officially started in 1906. In 1961, the Westfield Hornsby shopping mall opened. This made Hornsby one of the first suburbs in Sydney with a modern shopping center. Another shopping center, Northgate, opened in 1979. Westfield later bought Northgate. In 1999, the two centers were combined to create the new Westfield Hornsby, which opened in 2001.

Important Places in Hornsby

Hornsby has several well-known landmarks:

• Hornsby Water Clock: A unique and large water sculpture.
• Odeon Cinema: A movie theater on the Pacific Highway.
• Hookhams Corner: A busy intersection where several roads meet. It's also where two large water tanks store water for the area.
• Hornsby RSL Club: A club for current and former service members.
• The Leonard House: The former home of writer and advocate Geofferey Leonard.

Historic Sites in Hornsby

Hornsby has many places listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. These sites are important because they show the history and culture of the area.

• Edgeworth David's House and Grounds
• Mount Wilga House
• Old Man's Valley Cemetery
• Hornsby Quarry
• Hornsby Court House, Pacific Highway
• Hornsby Shire Council Chambers, Pacific Highway
• Hornsby War Memorial, Pacific Highway
• Brinawa, William Street
• Mount Errington, Rosemead Road: A stunning mansion linked to the Roberts family.
• Birklands, Dural Street: A Federation-style home also linked to the Roberts family.
• Kuranda, Rosemead Road

Getting Around Hornsby

Hornsby railway station

Hornsby is about 25 kilometers by train and 24 kilometers by road from the Sydney central business district. Hornsby railway station is a major transport hub. It connects the T1 North Shore and the T9 Northern Line of the Sydney Trains network. You can easily travel to the city from here. Intercity and regional trains also stop at Hornsby on their way to the Central Coast, Newcastle, and further north.

Bus services run from the Hornsby Station Interchange. These buses, operated by CDC NSW, connect to local areas like Hornsby Heights, Westleigh, Normanhurst, Thornleigh, Wahroonga, Warrawee, Turramurra, and St Ives.

CDC NSW also operates two longer bus routes from Hornsby:

• Route 575: Goes to Macquarie University through places like Wahroonga and Macquarie Park.
• Route 600: Travels to Parramatta via Cherrybrook and Castle Hill.

For late-night travel, Hornsby Interchange has two NightRide bus routes:

• Route N80: Goes to Town Hall via Strathfield.
• Route N90: Goes to Town Hall via Chatswood.

The Pacific Highway runs through Hornsby. It used to be the main road connecting Sydney to north-eastern Australia. Now, the Pacific Motorway (M1) helps heavy traffic bypass Hornsby.

In 2020, the NorthConnex tunnel opened near Hornsby in Wahroonga. This tunnel connects the M1 motorway directly to Sydney's orbital motorway network. It provides a faster way to reach the city and other areas, avoiding busy roads like Pennant Hills Road.

Shopping and Business in Hornsby

Hornsby Shire Council Chambers

Hornsby is a busy commercial center. The town center has different areas on each side of the railway line.

On the western side, you'll find a traditional shopping street along the Old Pacific Highway. This area has the police station, court house, and the historic Hornsby Shire Council chamber. On the western side is Hornsby Park, which includes the new Hornsby Aquatic Centre. There's also Hornsby TAFE, a college for vocational education. A large war memorial and the RSL Club are also in this area.

The eastern side is dominated by Westfield Hornsby, a large shopping center. It has a David Jones department store, an Event Cinemas movie theater, and many other stores and restaurants. Florence Street and Hunter Street form a pedestrian mall. In the middle of this mall is the large water clock sculpture. The public library, Hornsby Shire Library, is also here.

The north-western part of Hornsby has various industries. The northern end of Hornsby also has a major railway workshop.

Homes in Hornsby

A cottage house, representing the low-to-medium density housing that typifies Hornsby.

Hornsby has many residential areas with low to medium-sized homes. These are located on both sides of the railway line. Many homes on the western side are surrounded by beautiful bushland and are close to Regional and National Parks. They are also near the lovely Lisgar Gardens.

Recently, taller apartment buildings have been built near the train line. This is part of a plan to allow more housing in areas close to public transport.

Schools in Hornsby

Hornsby has several schools for different age groups:

• Primary Schools: Hornsby North Public School, Hornsby South Public School, Hornsby Heights Public School, and Clarke Road Special School.
• Secondary Schools: Barker College and Hornsby Girls' High School. Hornsby Girls' High School is a selective school, meaning students need to pass an exam to get in.
• TAFE College: There is also a TAFE college in the north-western part of Hornsby, offering vocational courses.

Culture and Local News

Hornsby has a special connection to Ginger Meggs, a famous Australian cartoon character. The cartoonist who created Ginger Meggs, Jimmy Bancks, grew up in Hornsby. The cartoon has been in Australian newspapers since 1921.

The local newspaper for the area is the Hornsby and Upper North Shore Advocate.

Hornsby Aquatic Centre

The original Hornsby Aquatic Centre was built in 1962. It closed in 2010 because it was old and needed to be replaced. It had a 50-meter pool and a smaller 12-meter pool. A brand new pool complex was built and opened to the public on August 11, 2014.

Parks and Gardens in Hornsby

Hornsby is home to many beautiful parks and gardens, perfect for outdoor activities.

Edgeworth David Garden

The famous scientist and explorer Edgeworth David lived in Hornsby. His house, called Coringah, was on a large property with lots of bushland and a big garden. After he passed away, his wife continued to live there.

Later, the Hornsby Shire Council bought the property in 1999. They added the grounds to their Bushcare program, which helps protect natural areas. The entire property was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register that same year. Since 2016, the Edgeworth David Community Garden has been located on these grounds.

Lisgar Gardens

Lisgar Gardens are located on Lisgar Road. They were created by Max Cotton, who lived nearby. In 1920, Cotton bought land and started developing the gardens. He loved horticulture and genetics, and with the help of friends and family, he created beautiful gardens and fishponds.

Cotton became friends with Professor Eben Gowrie Waterhouse, who owned Eryldene in Gordon. They both shared an interest in camellias. In the mid-1960s, Hornsby Council bought the gardens. They were officially opened to the public in 1968 and are now heritage-listed.

Florence Cotton Park

This park is a natural bushland area between Frederick Street and Lisgar Gardens. Jimmy Bancks Creek runs through it. You can see many birds here, including currawongs and brushturkeys. Hornsby Council built a walking track that connects Frederick Street to Lisgar Gardens. The park is named after Florence Cotton, who was the wife of Leo Cotton. Florence Street in Hornsby is also named after her.

Ginger Meggs Park

This park is on Valley Road and is named after Ginger Meggs, the famous comic-strip character. The character was created by Australian cartoonist Jimmy Bancks. Jimmy Bancks spent a lot of his childhood in the area around this park. Because of this, Hornsby Council named the park after his famous character. A nearby creek was also named Jimmy Bancks Creek. The park was officially named Ginger Meggs Park in 1997.

Hornsby Quarry

The Hornsby Quarry is located at the end of Quarry Road. It was partly filled with material from the NorthConnex tunnel, which was completed in 2020. The quarry is important for geological reasons and has been nominated as a State Heritage site. The filling project was finished in 2019. The government plans to spend A$50 million to turn the quarry into a future recreational park.

Population of Hornsby

In the 2016 Census, Hornsby had 22,168 people. About 49% were male and 51% were female. The average age of people in Hornsby was 36 years old.

The most common backgrounds of people in Hornsby were Chinese (17.1%), English (16.8%), and Australian (14.0%). About 44.4% of people were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included China (11.9%), India (5.7%), and South Korea (3.7%).

About 46.5% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken included Mandarin (13.2%), Cantonese (5.1%), and Korean (4.5%). When asked about religion, the most common answers were No Religion (33.1%), Catholic (17.7%), and Anglican (10.0%).

Famous People from Hornsby

Many notable people have lived in Hornsby:

• Bill Alley: A well-known cricketer.
• Ted Ball: A professional golfer.
• Jimmy Bancks: The creator of the famous Ginger Meggs comic strip.
• Liz Burch: An actress.
• George Collingridge: A writer and illustrator, known for his research on the theory that the Portuguese discovered Australia in the 1600s.
• William Henry "Billy" Cook: A famous jockey.
• Edgeworth David: A geologist and explorer who led the first expedition to the South Magnetic Pole. A street and garden in Hornsby are named after him.
• John Davies: An archivist and writer.
• Jordan De Goey: An Australian rules footballer.
• Peter Fowler: A golfer.
• Scott Gourley: A rugby league player.
• Ian Keith Harris: A composer.
• J J Hilder: A watercolor artist.
• Ashton Irwin: The drummer in the pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer.
• Jim Lees: A former NSW police commissioner.
• Robert Madgwick: A teacher, soldier, and academic. He was the first vice-chancellor of the University of New England.
• Bede Morris: A famous immunologist.
• Julian O'Neill: A former rugby league fullback.
• Dan Parks: A rugby union player.
• Patrick Power: A former Senior Counsel in New South Wales, Australia.
• Tim Slade: A Professional Racecar Driver.
• Fred Stolle: A tennis player.
• Rich Thompson: A professional American baseball pitcher.
• Nathan Tutt: A rugby league player.
• Ted White: A cricketer.
• Simon Whitlock: A professional darts player.
• Danny Williams: A rugby league player.

Images for kids

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  Coringah, former home of Edgeworth David, adjacent to Edgeworth David Community Garden

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  Fishponds in Lisgar Gardens

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  Plaque in Ginger Meggs Park

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  Barker College

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  Hornsby Girls High School

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  Mount Errington

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  Hornsby Park

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  Hornsby Court House

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  Odeon Cinema

See also

In Spanish: Hornsby para niños