Strawberry Hills facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Strawberry Hills Sydney, New South Wales
Alfred Park Hotel, Cleveland Street
Postcode(s)	2012
Location	2 km (1 mi) south-east of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	City of Sydney
Localities around Strawberry Hills: Sydney CBD Surry Hills Surry Hills Chippendale Strawberry Hills Surry Hills Redfern Redfern Redfern

Strawberry Hills is a special area, or "Urban Place," in the big city of Sydney, Australia. It's found just east of the main Central railway station. This area is actually part of two other suburbs: Surry Hills and Redfern. All these places are managed by the City of Sydney local government. Nobody is quite sure how Strawberry Hills got its unique name!

What's Strawberry Hills Like?

This neighborhood is a mix of different buildings. You'll see places where businesses and homes are together. There are also many apartment blocks and older terrace houses. It's a busy area with lots of people living and working there.

Strawberry Hills is also home to some important cultural groups. These include Opera Australia, which puts on amazing opera shows. You'll also find The Australia Council for the Arts, which helps support artists. Plus, there are cool entertainment spots like the Belvoir Street Theatre and the Strawberry Hills Hotel. This hotel is famous for its traditional Australian jazz music.

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  Australia Post NSW headquarters

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  Cleveland Street High School

A Look Back: The History of Strawberry Hills

The area we now call Strawberry Hills was once known simply as Strawberry Hill. It got its name from a hill located near a place called 'Northcott Place' in Surry Hills.

Early Land and Sand

Back in 1794, a large piece of land, about 70 acres, was given to a man named John Palmer. Later, because he owed a lot of money, parts of his land were sold off in 1814. A farmer named John Connell bought a big section south of Devonshire Street. He then sold it to Thomas Horton James, who divided it into smaller plots in 1832. This became known as the Strawberry Hill Estate.

Interestingly, Strawberry Hill was originally a huge pile of sand! In the 1820s, people cut down trees and dug up grass. This made the sand loose, and it started to move around. By the 1830s, this moving sand began to cover parts of the new Strawberry Hill Estate.

Growing Pains and Changes

Over time, many houses were built in the area. These homes were often built quickly and cheaply. By the 1870s, the area was known for not having very good sanitation.

When the Central railway station was built, some land was taken and old buildings were pulled down. This led to more factories and warehouses being built in Surry Hills. Because of this, there were fewer houses available for people to live in.

Sports and New Homes

In the early 1900s, a special track for bicycle racing, called a velodrome, was built on Strawberry Hill. After World War II, the area started to change again. Many new people moved in, and the government decided to improve the housing.

The New South Wales Housing Commission pulled down the old houses. They then built new, three-story apartment buildings on Devonshire and Clisdell Streets. By 1961, a tall, fifteen-story building called "Northcott Place" was finished on Strawberry Hill. This marked a big change for the area.