Kurraba Point, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kurraba Point Sydney, New South Wales
Kurraba Point as seen from Cremorne
Population	1,521 (2016 census)
• Density	5,100/km2 (13,000/sq mi)
Established	2010
Postcode(s)	2089
Area	0.3 km2 (0.1 sq mi)
Location	4 km (2 mi) north of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	North Sydney Council
State electorate(s)	North Shore
Federal Division(s)	North Sydney
Suburbs around Kurraba Point: North Sydney Neutral Bay Cremorne Kirribilli Kurraba Point Cremorne Point Milson's Point (water) (water)

Kurraba Point is a lovely suburb right by the water in Sydney, Australia. It's part of the lower North Shore area. You can find Kurraba Point about 4 kilometres north of the main city centre of Sydney. It's looked after by the North Sydney Council.

Kurraba Point shares its postcode, 2089, with the nearby suburb of Neutral Bay. It's surrounded by Neutral Bay, Cremorne, and Cremorne Point.

History of Kurraba Point

First People and the Land

Long before Europeans arrived, the area where Kurraba Point is now was home to the Cam-mer-ray-gal people. They were part of the Ku-ring-gai Aboriginal Tribe. This group was one of the biggest living around the north shore of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour).

The name "Karraba" or "Kurraba" comes from an Aboriginal word. It is thought to mean "Hungry Bay" or "Shell Cove."

Early European Days

On May 2, 1814, a large piece of land, including Kurraba Point, was given to Lieutenant Alfred Thrupp. This was a wedding gift! At that time, the area was known as "Alfred Thrupp’s Farm" or "Thrupp's Acres."

Around 1850, people started digging for sandstone at what is now Kurraba Point Reserve. This stone was used to build places like Fort Denison. It was also used as heavy ballast for ships sailing back to England. Because of this, the area was sometimes called "Thrupps Point" or "Ballast Point."

Ferry Depot and Changes

Later, a man named Patrick Hayes bought some of this land and started a soap and oil factory. In 1883, the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company bought Hayes' factory. They turned it into a depot and engineering workshop for their ferries.

Sadly, in 1936, there was a fire at the depot. The ferry Bellubera caught fire, and two men lost their lives. The workshops at Kurraba Point closed down by the end of 1964. The government bought the land, and in 1974, it was cleared to create the beautiful Kurraba Reserve we see today.

Famous Resident and Home

Historic house Nutcote, now operating as a museum.

A very famous Australian children's author and painter, May Gibbs, lived in Kurraba Point for many years. Her home was called Nutcote, located on Wallaringa Avenue. The house was designed by architect B. J. Waterhouse and built between 1924 and 1925. Today, Nutcote has been carefully restored and is open to the public as a museum. It is also listed as a special heritage site.

Becoming a Suburb

The name "Kurraba Point" comes from the point of land itself. This point sits between Neutral Bay and Shell Cove. For a long time, Kurraba Point was actually part of the suburb of Neutral Bay. However, on June 4, 2010, Kurraba Point officially became its own suburb.

People of Kurraba Point

The 2016 census counted 1,521 people living in Kurraba Point. Here are some interesting facts about them:

• Most people (60.7%) were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England (7.5%).
• Most people (78.2%) spoke only English at home.
• Kurraba Point has more young adults (aged 25–34) than the average for Australia.
• The average age of residents was 40 years.
• Fewer children under 15 live here (12.7%) compared to the national average (18.7%).
• Many residents work as professionals (44.0%) or managers (27.7%).
• The average household income in Kurraba Point was much higher than the national average.
• Most homes (79.8%) are flats or apartments. This is much higher than the rest of Australia.
• The average household has about 2.1 people.
• Many people said they had no religion (32.9%), while others were Catholic (23.0%) or Anglican (16.9%). There are no places of worship in the suburb itself.

Getting Around Kurraba Point

Many people in Kurraba Point use public transport to get to work. The 2016 census showed that 33.9% of working people used public transport. This is much higher than the national average of 11.5%.

Only 41.0% of people drove to work, which is much lower than the national average of 68.4%.

• The Kurraba Point ferry wharf is located right in Kurraba Point. You can catch Neutral Bay ferry services from here.
• The 225 bus route also runs along Wycombe Road, which is on the edge of Kurraba Point. This bus goes from Neutral Bay Wharf to Cremorne Wharf.

The main road through Kurraba Point is Kurraba Road. It used to be called Thrupps Point Road.

Landmarks and Special Places

Kurraba Point has many interesting places to see:

• Kurraba Point Reserve: This beautiful park includes Spains and Hodgson Lookouts. You can see old concrete fences and paving from the 1930s. There's also a big flat area along the waterfront.
• Benjamin Boyd Plaques: You can find two special plaques at the corner of Ben Boyd Road and Kurraba Road. They remember Benjamin Boyd, who lived in the area long ago. These plaques are heritage listed. In July 2020, North Sydney Council covered them to keep them safe.
• Harbour Swimmers Club: This club is based in Kurraba Point. Members, both men and women, enjoy swimming in the harbour during the warm summer months. They often have a barbecue afterwards!

Kurraba Point also has 39 properties that are listed as heritage sites. This means they are very old and important. There's also a large Heritage Conservation Area. Some important homes include:

• Brent Knowle (31 Shellcove Road): This is a beautiful old house from the early 1900s. It was designed by a famous architect, B. J. Waterhouse.
• Gingie (176 Kurraba Road): This house is a good example of the Queen Anne style. It shows how the area looked when it was first being built up.
• Gundamaine (39 Shellcove Road): This is a Federation Queen Anne style house. It was designed by Spain and Rowe and looks very striking from the street.
• Hollowforth (146 Kurraba Road): This house is a very dramatic and new-looking building for its time. It was designed by E. Jeaffreson Jackson and is one of the best examples of its style in the state.
• Honda (55 Shellcove Road): This was the very first house built in the area! It's one of the oldest homes still standing on Sydney's north shore.
• Kurraba House (2 Baden Rd): This house replaced an older home with the same name. It might be where the name "Kurraba Point" came from. It was built around the 1850s. It has now been turned into apartments and is heritage listed.
• Nutcote: As mentioned before, this is where the famous children's author May Gibbs lived. It's now a museum you can visit.
• Once Upon A Time (115A Kurraba Road): This is a four-storey building right by the water. It's now divided into three apartments and has unique curved walls and windows.
• 9 Shellcove Rd: This was the home of children's author Leslie Rees and writer Coralie Rees.

Notable Residents

Some interesting people have lived in Kurraba Point:

• Benjamin Boyd: He lived in Kurraba Point from 1844 to 1849. Ben Boyd Road is named after him.
• W.A. Crowle: He lived in the "Once Upon a Time" building near the Kurraba Point wharf from 1940 until he passed away in 1948.
• May Gibbs: The beloved author of children's books lived at Nutcote in Kurraba Point. At the time, this area was considered part of Neutral Bay.

Images for kids

• 

  Manly ferries at the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company depot, 1950s

• 

  Hodgson Lookout, showing depression era work scheme elements such as the concrete fences and paving.

• 

  Commemorative plaque at the corner of Ben Boyd Road and Kurraba Road.