Waverley, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Waverley Sydney, New South Wales
Waverley Cemetery office building
Population	4,216 (2021 census)
Postcode(s)	2024
Elevation	94 m (308 ft)
Location	7 km (4 mi) east of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Waverley Municipal Council
State electorate(s)	Coogee
Federal Division(s)	Wentworth
Suburbs around Waverley: Bondi Junction Bondi Bronte Charing Cross Waverley Tasman Sea Queens Park Randwick Clovelly

Waverley is a suburb located in the eastern part of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about seven kilometres east of the main city centre of Sydney. Waverley is part of the Waverley Council area.

The Waverley Council gets its name from this suburb. However, the council's main office is actually in the nearby suburb of Bondi Junction. Bondi Junction is also a big shopping and business area. Waverley is the highest point in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.

History of Waverley

Edina, now part of the War Memorial Hospital

Waverley got its name from a house built in 1827. A man named Barnett Levey built it near Old South Head Road. He called it Waverley House after his favourite book, Waverley, by Sir Walter Scott. This house was a well-known landmark.

The area around it became known as Waverley. In June 1859, Waverley officially became a municipality, which is a type of local government area.

The Waverley Cemetery was opened in 1877. It is famous for its location on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Many important Australians are buried here. These include the poet Henry Kendall and the inventor Lawrence Hargrave.

A large house called Edina was built around 1884. It was built for Ebenezer Vickery, a successful merchant. He also built two other houses, Banksia and Witchagil, for his sons. These grand old buildings are now part of the War Memorial Hospital.

Important Places in Waverley

Waverley has several places that are listed for their historical importance. These include:

• St Mary's Anglican Church, Waverley at 240 Birrell Street.
• Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, Waverley at 45 Victoria Street. This church was designed in 1912. Its design with two towers reminds people of Italian Renaissance buildings.
• The Presbyterian Church on Victoria Street, now called Jubilee Church. Its foundation stone was laid in 1897.

Waverley's Population

In the 2021 Census, there were 4,216 people living in Waverley. Most people (58.1%) were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England (8.9%) and New Zealand (2.9%).

About 75.3% of people living in Waverley speak only English at home. When asked about their religion, 40.3% said they had no religion. Another 25.0% said they were Catholic.

Shops and Businesses

Robin Hood Hotel, an Art Deco style building

Waverley is mostly a place where people live. There are some shops and businesses, mainly around the road junction called Charing Cross.

Schools in Waverley

Waverley has several schools for different ages:

• Waverley Public School is a primary school run by the state government.
• Waverley College is a school for boys run by the Congregation of Christian Brothers. It has a Senior School (Years 7-12) and a Junior School (Years 5-6).
• St Catherine's School is an Anglican school for girls. It offers both day and boarding options.
• St Clare's College is a Catholic high school for girls.
• St Charles' Primary School is a Catholic primary school, located next to St Clare's.

Sports and Fun

Waverley Oval

Waverley is represented in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The local team is the Sydney Roosters, also known as the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club.

Other sports clubs in or near Waverley include:

• Sydney Roosters Rugby League Club (their main club is in Bondi Junction).
• Waverley Rugby Club - for Rugby Union.
• Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club.
• Bondi United - for Rugby League.
• Waverley Bowling Club.
• St Charles Waverley - for Rugby League.
• Waverley Old Boys Football Club - for Football (Soccer).
• Waverley Amateur Radio Society - This is Australia's oldest amateur radio club. It started in Waverley in 1919 and is now in Rose Bay.

Famous People from Waverley

Many well-known people have lived in or were born in Waverley. Some of them include:

• Millicent Armstrong (1888–1973), a playwright and farmer.
• Susan Cullen-Ward (1941–2004), who became a Crown Princess of Albania.
• Queen Mary of Denmark (born 1972), who lived in Porter Street before marrying Crown Prince Frederik.
• Reg Lindsay (1929–2008), a famous country music singer.
• Pakie Macdougall (born 1875), a leading figure in Sydney's art scene in the 1930s.
• Princess Michael of Kent (born 1945).
• Scott Morrison (born 1968), who was the 30th Prime Minister of Australia.
• Elizabeth Julia Reid (1915–1974), a Catholic journalist.
• Bob Windle, who won a gold medal in swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Images for kids

Schools and churches

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  St. Mary's Anglican Church

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  Mary Immaculate Church

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  Jubilee International Church (formerly Presbyterian Church, 1897)

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  Catholic Friary, Victoria Street, before demolition in 1985

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  Former home (c.1891) acquired by St Catherine's School in 1957

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  The Grange, Waverley College