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Ryde, New South Wales facts for kids

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This page is about the suburb. For the city and local government area, see City of Ryde.
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Ryde
Sydney, New South Wales
Ryde civic center.jpg
Ryde Civic Centre
Population 31,907 (2021 census)
 • Density 4,490/km2 (11,600/sq mi)
Postcode(s) 2112
Elevation 59 m (194 ft)
Area 7.1 km2 (2.7 sq mi)
Location 13 km (8 mi) north-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s) City of Ryde
Region Northern Sydney
State electorate(s)
  • Lane Cove
  • Ryde
Federal Division(s) Bennelong
Suburbs around Ryde:
Eastwood Marsfield North Ryde
West Ryde Denistone East Ryde East Ryde
Meadowbank Putney Tennyson Point Gladesville

Ryde is a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located about 13 kilometres north-west of the centre of Sydney. Ryde is also 8 kilometres east of Parramatta. It is the main office area for the City of Ryde council. Ryde is found on the north side of the Parramatta River. People from Ryde are sometimes called "Ryders" or "Rydemen."

It's good to know that North Ryde, West Ryde, and East Ryde are separate suburbs, even though their names are similar.

A Look Back in Time: Ryde's History

Ryde got its name from a town called Ryde on the Isle of Wight in England. A man named G.M. Pope, who came from that English town, settled here and opened a shop called "Ryde Store." This might be how the name stuck!

From Wallumatta to Ryde

The area was first known by its Aboriginal name, Wallumatta. Later, when the first land grants were given to settlers in 1792, it was called Eastern Farms. After a few years, this changed to Kissing Point. The road leading from Ryde to Parramatta was called Kissing Point Road until 1887, when it became Victoria Road. The name Ryde started being used in the 1840s. It officially became the name of the local area in 1870.

Oldest Home and Other Historic Buildings

Ryde is home to Addington House, which is the oldest settler's cottage in Australia. It's on Victoria Road and was built around 1800 by James Stewart, a former convict who had become a free person. Another person, James Shepherd, bought the property in 1810 and added more rooms. Addington House is now a very important historic site.

Other old buildings in the area include the police station on Victoria Road and Willandra on Willandra Street. The police station is a simple building made of sandstone, built in 1837. Willandra is a large, two-storey home built around 1845. It has been used as an art gallery and a place for the local historical society. Both of these buildings are listed as important heritage sites.

In 1892, the public school at 2 Tucker Street opened. The original building, made of sandstone, is still there and is also a heritage-listed site.

Saving Dunbar Park

Around 1973, a group of workers called the Builders Labourers Federation helped save Dunbar Park. They organised a "green ban" which was a protest to stop the park from being turned into a rubbish dump. This showed how people worked together to protect important public spaces.

Ryde's Olympic Connection

Because Ryde is on top of a hill, it was also known as 'Top Ryde'. The old Ryde Swimming Centre was rebuilt into the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre. This modern centre was special because it hosted some events for the 2000 Summer Olympics!

Trams in the Past

Long ago, trams were a popular way to travel in Sydney. Trams used to run from the city centre all the way to Ryde. They would cross bridges like the Iron Cove Bridge and the old Gladesville Bridge before reaching Ryde. The tram service ended near the intersection of Pope and Devlin Street.

Historic Places to See

Ryde has several places that are listed for their historical importance:

Shopping and Community Hubs

Ryde shopping centre
Top Ryde City

"Top Ryde" is a popular part of Ryde where most of the shops and businesses are. It's mainly around the crossing of Devlin Street and Blaxland Road. Top Ryde City is a very big shopping centre located right there. This shopping centre was actually the second of its kind ever built in Australia!

Top Ryde is also where you'll find the Ryde council office and the local library. If you like listening to the radio, 2RRR is a community radio station that broadcasts to the Ryde area on 88.5 FM.

Getting Around Ryde

The Ryde Bridge connects Ryde to Rhodes across the Parramatta River.

Many bus services run through Ryde, connecting it to other parts of Sydney. Some popular routes include:

  • 500X - From Town Hall station to West Ryde station
  • 501 - From Railway Square to Parramatta station
  • 517 - From Macquarie University to Top Ryde City
  • 533 - From Chatswood to Sydney Olympic Park

The closest main train station for Ryde is West Ryde railway station, which is on the Main Northern railway line.

Schools in Ryde

St Anne's Anglican Church, Church Street and Holy Cross College, Ryde Victoria Road

Ryde has several schools. These include government schools like Ryde Secondary College (which used to be called Malvina High School) and Ryde Public School on Tucker Street. Ryde Public School's building is even heritage-listed! There are also private schools such as Holy Cross College and Northcross Christian School.

Places of Worship

Ryde has several churches, including:

  • St Anne's Anglican Church
  • St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church

St Anne's Anglican Church on Church Street is very famous because it has the grave of Maria Ann Sherwood Smith. She was the person who first discovered the Granny Smith apple in her orchards! Every year, a festival is held in her honour in the nearby suburb of Eastwood. The church itself was built in 1826 and has been an important part of the area's history. Ryde Wesley Uniting Church and C3 Church Ryde are also located in the area.

Parks and Fun Things to Do

Ryde has great parks for outdoor activities:

  • Santa Rosa Park: This park is between Quarry Road and Bridge Road. It has special paths for walking and bike riding. A creek called Shrimptons Creek runs through it. People use the park for playing football and cricket.
  • Gannan Park: This park used to be a quarry and a place where bricks were made. You can get to it from Buna Court, Minga Street, and McAuley Park.
  • Ryde Park: Located between Blaxland Road, Princes Street, and Argyle Avenue, this park is big! It has two rugby fields, one cricket field, and a basketball court. There's also a playground for kids, a special area for dogs, and even a cafe.

The Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre is a fantastic place for swimming and water fun. As mentioned before, it was even used for water polo events during the 2000 Summer Olympics! The local council, Ryde City Council, owns and manages this pool.

Who Lives in Ryde?

At the 2016 census, Ryde had a population of 26,499 people.

  • Age: The average age of people in Ryde was 36 years old. About 16.7% of the population were children aged 0–14 years.
  • Background: About 48.9% of people were born in Australia. Many people also came from China (10.3%), South Korea (3.1%), India (3.1%), Italy (2.2%), and the Philippines (2.0%).
  • Languages: While 47.4% of people spoke only English at home, many other languages are spoken too, like Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Italian, and Armenian.
  • Homes: Most homes in Ryde are either apartments (44.2%) or separate houses (43.9%).

Famous People from Ryde

Many interesting people have connections to Ryde:

  • Iggy Azalea - A famous Australian rapper who was born in Ryde Hospital.
  • Bennelong - A very important Aboriginal man who helped connect the early European settlers with the local Eora people. He is buried nearby.
  • Jesse Curran - A footballer who plays in Scotland.
  • Laura Forster - A surgeon and nurse during World War I, born in Ryde.
  • David Gower - A rugby league player.
  • Karen Moras - An Olympic bronze medalist and world record holder in swimming, born in Ryde in 1954.
  • John Robertson - A former important political leader in New South Wales.
  • Maria Ann Smith - The person who discovered the Granny Smith apple. She lived nearby and is buried in Ryde.
  • James Squire - An early convict who is said to have started Australia's first commercial brewery.
  • James Tedesco - A rugby league player.
  • Hayden Turner - A zookeeper and TV presenter.
  • John Watkins - A former Deputy Premier and Minister in New South Wales.

Images for kids

  • (1)Ryde Public School Infants Section

    Ryde Public School, Tucker Street

  • Ryde Police Station

    Ryde police station, designed by Mortimer Lewis, located on Victoria Road

  • Ryde Court House

    Court House, Victoria Road

  • (1)heritage home Ryde

    Addington House, built around 1800, Victoria Road

  • Riversdale4

    Riversdale, the former home of a Ryde riverboat captain

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