Balmoral is an urban locality in the

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separ ...

of Mosman in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. It is in the

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

of the

Municipality of Mosman Mosman Council is a local government area on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Mayor of Mosman Council is Cr. Carolyn Corrigan, a representative of the Serving Mosman independent political group since 9 Septembe ...

and is part of the Lower North Shore. The locality is mostly known for its beach, officially divided into Balmoral and Edwards Beaches. Expensive residential real estate on the surrounding "Balmoral Slopes" benefits from the views and beach proximity. The naval depot HMAS Penguin is situated at the eastern end of Balmoral Beach. It houses a naval hospital and is accessed from Middle Head Road.

History

Balmoral is named after

Balmoral Castle Balmoral Castle () is a large estate house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and a residence of the British royal family. It is near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and west of Aberdeen. The estate and its original castle were bought f ...

, the large estate house in

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially different boundaries. The Aberdeenshire Council area inclu ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

known as

Royal Deeside The River Dee ( gd, Uisge Dhè) is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through southern Aberdeenshire to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen. The area it passes through is known as Deeside, or Royal Deeside ...

and a favourite summer royal residence. The

Star Amphitheatre The Star Amphitheatre was an open air temple constructed by the Order of the Star in the East, which at the time was an organisation founded to promote the works of, and involve followers of Jiddu Krishnamurti. The Order of the Star in the Ea ...

, an open-air temple constructed by the

Theosophical Society The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century CE ...

-related group, was built in 1923–1924. Intended as a platform for lectures by the expected "World Teacher", believed by the Theosophists to be

Jiddu Krishnamurti Jiddu Krishnamurti (; 11 May 1895 – 17 February 1986) was a philosopher, speaker and writer. In his early life, he was groomed to be the new World Teacher, an advanced spiritual position in the theosophical tradition, but later rejected th ...

, it was demolished in 1951, and its foundations used for an apartment building that still stands on the site. The Balmoral Beach Conservation Area is listed on the

New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

. The area includes Edwards Beach as well as

Balmoral Beach Balmoral is an urban locality in the suburb of Mosman in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is in the local government area of the Municipality of Mosman and is part of the Lower North Shore. The locality is mostly known for its beach, o ...

, plus the promenade, esplanade, rotunda and Bather's Pavilion, which date back to the 1930s. As the Balmoral area developed, it became the location for many examples of the

Federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...

architectural styles that predominated from 1890 to 1915. There are many fine examples of these styles in the area. Balmoral is also the location of ''Noonee'', a heritage-listed home designed by

Alexander Stewart Jolly Alexander Stewart Jolly (1887–1957) was a Sydney-based architect, published poet and children's author in the early 20th century. His buildings are primarily in Sydney's northern suburbs and the north coast of New South Wales. His architectura ...

. The house was built 1918-19 and drew on elements of the American hunting lodge.

Former tram services

The Balmoral line opened as a branch of the Georges Heights line in May 1922 and was one of the last tram lines to be opened in Sydney. Services ran to Wynyard, Lane Cove, Athol Wharf (now Taronga Park Zoo wharf) and Chatswood, making it one of the busiest lines on the North Sydney system.D Keenan: ''The North Sydney lines of the Sydney tramway system''. Transit Press November 1987 Upon departure from The Esplanade Terminus, at the corner of Mandalong Road, trams travelled south-East along The Esplanade. After passing Botanic Road, the line swung right onto Henry Plunkett Reserve. From this point, the line went off-road onto its own reservation through a narrow rock cutting (now public walking track). After a steep ascent through the reserve, the line crossed several small residential streets such as Mulbring, Gordon, Plunkett, and Beaconsfield Streets, before once again entering onto Gordon Street where the line swung right onto Middle Head Road. Services ceased to operate in June 1958.

The Promenade

The Promenade along the Esplanade was completed in 1926 in response to the influx of new visitors travelling by tram. The southern section of the promenade was completed as part of the Balmoral Beautification Scheme in 1927 and government employment projects during the Great Depression helped fund other sections, the bridge to Rocky Point, the Bathers Pavilion and the Rotunda to be completed by 1930. File:Tram to balmoral Dated 29 May 1922.jpg, Tram travelling along The Esplanade, Balmoral, 29 May 1922 File:Balmoral Beach 1900-1910.jpg, Balmoral Beach 1900-1910 prior to construction of the promenade File:Balmoral Rotunda.jpg, "The Rotunda" built in 1930

Heritage listings

Balmoral has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * The Esplanade: Balmoral Bathers Pavilion

Recreation

A number of eateries are situated along The Esplanade, the main thoroughfare along the beach, ranging from take away to restaurant dining. The Balmoral Rotunda is the home of Shakespeare by the Sea, a summer outdoor event. Other notable events include the annual Mudgee Wine Festival and the annual Carols By Candlelight hosted at the Rotunda in December. The Rotunda and Rocky Point Island are also popular for wedding ceremonies and photographs. Organisations and facilities include Balmoral Oval, a substantial netted swimming area (Balmoral Baths), Balmoral Sailing Club, a sea scout troop, and two swimming clubs.

Beaches

Balmoral features Balmoral and Edwards Beaches, both of which are separated by the outcrop of Rocky Point. Both beaches are usually referred to as simply Balmoral. The locality has views across the entrance to

Middle Harbour Middle Harbour (or ''Warrin ga''), a semi–mature tide dominated drowned valley estuary, is the northern arm of Port Jackson, an inlet of the Tasman Sea located north of Sydney central business district on the coast of New South Wales, Austra ...

to North Head, Manly, and Clontarf. The harbour beaches face north east and is sheltered from ocean swell by Middle Head. The entire beach is listed on the

Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Herita ...

as the 'Balmoral Beach Conservation Area'. The conservation area includes the promenade, the esplanade, the Rotunda and the Bathers' Pavilion, which date back to the 1930s.

Name legacy

In February 2021

Transport for NSW Transport for NSW, sometimes abbreviated to TfNSW, and pronounced as Transport for New South Wales, is an agency of the New South Wales Government established on 1 November 2011, and is the leading transport and roads agency in New South Wales ...

advised that one of the series 2 Emerald-class ferries to commence service on the Manly ferry service around the middle of 2021, would be named Balmoral after Balmoral Beach.New ferries to be named after popular harbour beaches
Transport for NSW 3 February 2021

References

External links

*"Sand in our Souls – the Beach in Australian History" Leone Huntsman, MUP, 2001 {{Sydney Mosman suburbs Sydney localities Beaches of New South Wales Mosman Council