Woollahra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Woollahra Sydney, New South Wales
Woollahra cottages.
Postcode(s)	2025
Elevation	72 m (236 ft)
Area	1.23 km2 (0.5 sq mi)
Location	5 km (3 mi) east of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Municipality of Woollahra
State electorate(s)	Sydney, Vaucluse
Federal Division(s)	Wentworth
Suburbs around Woollahra: Edgecliff Double Bay Bellevue Hill Paddington Woollahra Bondi Moore Park Centennial Park Bondi Junction

Woollahra (/wʊˈlɑːrə/ wool-AH-rə) is a lovely suburb in the eastern part of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 5 kilometres east of the main city centre, known as the Sydney CBD. Woollahra is part of the Municipality of Woollahra, which is a local government area. This means it has its own local council that helps run things in the area.

Woollahra sits on the traditional lands of the Birrabirragal and Gadigal people. These groups are part of the Eora Nation, the original owners of this land. The area is well-known for its quiet streets, which are often lined with trees. It also has a charming shopping area that feels like a small village.

What's the History of Woollahra?

The name Woollahra comes from an Aboriginal word. It means camp, meeting ground, or a sitting down place. This name was chosen by Daniel Cooper in 1856. He was an important person in the government of New South Wales. Cooper built a large house called Woollahra House. The suburb later took its name from this house.

Even though Woollahra is mostly homes and shops today, it used to have a big iron factory. This factory made cooking stoves and operated for over 40 years, into the early 1900s.

Woollahra was also home to John McGarvie Smith. He was a scientist who created the first vaccine for anthrax that could be stored for a long time.

Old Buildings and Places

Woollahra has several places that are important because of their history. These are called heritage-listed sites. Some examples include:

• 14 Rosemont Avenue: Rosemont (Woollahra)
• Waimea Avenue: Waimea House

Who Lives in Woollahra?

In 2021, about 7,189 people lived in Woollahra. Most people, about 63%, were born in Australia. Other people came from countries like England (6.7%), New Zealand (2.9%), South Africa (2.8%), and the United States (1.7%).

Most people in Woollahra speak only English at home (79.6%). Other languages spoken include Mandarin, Spanish, and French. When it comes to religion, many people said they had no religion (41.3%). Others were Catholic (19.1%) or Anglican (14.5%).

Shopping and Businesses

Woollahra is a great place for art lovers! It has many art galleries, especially around Queen Street. This street is also full of fun cafes, restaurants, and antique shops where you can find unique treasures.

Many countries have their consulates in Woollahra. A consulate is like a small office for a foreign government. It helps people from that country who are visiting or living in Australia. Countries like Serbia, Russia, Poland, and Turkey have consulates here.

Churches in Woollahra

Holy Cross Church, Adelaide Street (designed by Austin Mackay)

One famous church is All Saints in Ocean Street. It was built between 1874 and 1881. A local resident, Henry Mort, gave a lot of money to help build it. The church was never fully finished, but it is still a beautiful building made of sandstone. It is considered a very important historical church.

Another interesting church is the Holy Cross Church in Adelaide Street. This church was built in 1940 and has a unique style called Art Deco. It also shows some influence from Dutch architecture, which is quite unusual for a church.

The Congregational Church, on the corner of Jersey Road and Moncur Street, was built in 1875-77. It was later damaged by fire but has since been fixed up and turned into homes. It is also a heritage-listed building.

Homes in Woollahra

Residential home on Oxford Street.

Woollahra is known for being a wealthy suburb. This is partly because it's close to the city and the shops at Bondi Junction. It also has many beautiful homes, often built in the Victorian style. Streets like Moncur Street and Queen Street have a mix of homes and shops, with many old, important buildings.

The area has avoided building very tall apartment blocks. This helps keep its historic feel. Most homes in Woollahra are apartments or terrace houses, rather than single detached houses. In 2014, about 76% of all homes were multi-unit buildings, like apartments. The rest were detached or semi-detached houses.

Schools in Woollahra

Woollahra Public School opened in 1877. It's a two-storey brick building that is also heritage-listed. The school has special classes for gifted students in Years 5 and 6. In 1977, the school celebrated its 100th birthday and buried a time capsule!

Getting Around Woollahra

Further information: Public transport in Sydney

Woollahra has good public transport. You can catch buses that go to different parts of Sydney, including the Sydney CBD from Oxford Street.

The closest train stations are Edgecliff to the north and Bondi Junction to the south. Both are on the Illawarra line. There were plans to build a train station right in Woollahra in the 1970s. However, people living in the area didn't want it, so it was never built.

Fun Things to Do and Events

Queen Street Fair

From 1972, a fun fair was held in Queen Street. It started as a small community event. But it grew bigger and more commercial over time. Eventually, local residents found it too noisy and disruptive, so the fair stopped after 1985.

Sports and Recreation

Since 1908, Woollahra has been represented in one of Australia's most popular sports, National Rugby League. The local team is the Sydney Roosters, also known as the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club.

Images for kids

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  Waimea, a heritage-listed Georgian home from around 1858.

• 

  A beautiful Federation Queen Anne style home on Edgecliff Road.

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  A heritage-listed shop on Ocean Street, built around 1860.

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  All Saints Church on Ocean Street.