Kirribilli is a
suburb of
Sydney, in the state of
New South Wales,
Australia. One of the city's most established and affluent neighbourhoods, it is located three kilometres north of the
Sydney central business district, in the
local government area administered by
North Sydney Council. Kirribilli is a harbourside suburb, sitting on the Lower
North Shore of
Sydney Harbour.
Kirribilli House is one of the two official residences of the
Prime Minister of Australia.
History
The name Kirribilli is derived from an
Aboriginal word ''Kiarabilli'', which means 'good fishing spot'. The suburb initially formed in the vicinity of
Jeffrey Street and was subsequently part of a grant to
James Milson (1785-1872), after whom
Milsons Point was named. The area was largely covered in native bush. As the decades passed, the land was cleared bit by bit and sub-divided, first for the construction of large family residences during the 1840s, secondly for the erection of Victorian terrace houses from the 1860s onwards, and finally for 20th-Century flats.
Prominent early landowners in Kirribilli included members of the Campbell, Jeffrey and Gibbes families.
Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes (1787-1873), the Collector of
Customs for New South Wales, built 'Wotonga' - the forerunner of
Admiralty House - in 1842–43 on a site which he leased, and then purchased, from the Campbells. Gibbes' son, William John Gibbes, lived nearby in Beulah House during the 1840s. Beulah was later lived in by the Riley and Lasseter families. Eventually, the house was demolished and its grounds subdivided into numerous residential blocks which were put up for public auction in 1905.
The Kirribilli area opened up further for development with the completion of the
Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932, which linked the municipality of North Sydney directly by road and rail with the CBD of the City of Sydney.
Population
In the 2016 Census, there were 3,820 people in Kirribilli. 52.0% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were England 7.9% and New Zealand 3.5%. 72.0% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 37.4% and Catholic 21.4%.
Landmarks
Kirribilli is one of Australia's older suburbs, with the first land grants in the area being granted by the colonial government during the 1790s. A scattering of Georgian and Gothic-revival houses and mansions were built in the 1830s, '40s and '50s. Most of these have since been razed. Originally, Kirribilli formed part of the Parish of St Leonard's and was served by a private ferry service. In a process which began in the 1860s, the area's old estates were subdivided. New residential streets were laid out and terrace houses, Victorian villas and, later, blocks of apartments erected. During the early decades of the 20th century, Kirribilli's shoreline was dominated by a large, multi-storey brick warehouse which was eventually torn down to make way for housing.
The suburb contains
Kirribilli House (the official Sydney residence of the
Prime Minister of Australia),
Admiralty House (the official Sydney residence of the
Governor-General of Australia), and the headquarters and marina of the
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron located on the former Carabella mansion. The Sydney headquarters of
ASIO was formerly at 31 Carabella Street. The
Sydney Flying Squadron is located adjoining Milson Park, formerly Kirribilli Park.
Admiralty House, originally a private dwelling belonging to Colonel
John George Nathaniel Gibbes, is Kirribilli's oldest extant building, the earliest portions of which date to 1842. Kirribilli House was built next door by Adolphus Frederick Feez, a wealthy merchant, in 1854–55.
The following buildings are on the Register of the National Estate:
*
St Aloysius' College, Upper Pitt Street
* St Aloysius' College's junior school (formerly Kirribilli Public School), Burton Street
*
Loreto Convent (formerly Elamang), Carabella Street
*
Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre, Fitzroy Street
* Sunnyside (house and grounds), Holbrook Avenue
[http://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/sunnyside-the-mirror-image-of-kirribilli-house-sets-new-suburb-record/story-fnd91nhy-1227161614686]
*
Kirribilli House, Kirribilli Avenue
*
Admiralty House and Lodge, Kirribilli Point
Image:Wiki0131.jpg|Karlsrue, Fitzroy Street
Image:Wiki0130.jpg|Craiglea House, Upper Pitt Street
Image:Wiki0129.jpg|Burnleigh, Carabella Street
Image:Sunnyside, Holbrook Avenue, Kirribilli, New South Wales, Sydney.jpg|Sunnyside, Holbrook Avenue
Transport

Kirribilli supports the northern end of the
Sydney Harbour Bridge. The
Warringah Freeway provides a link south to the Sydney CBD and north to
Chatswood. Kirribilli is serviced by rail, bus and ferry services.
Milsons Point railway station is the closest train stop. It forms part of the
North Shore & Western Line of the
Sydney Trains network. It is located next to the main shopping streets, and has frequent services to the Sydney CBD and the North Shore.
State Transit operate regular services from Kirribilli to many parts of northern Sydney. The 269 bus service runs a loop within the Kirribilli -
Milsons Point -
McMahons Point -
North Sydney railway station area on weekdays.
There are four operating
ferry wharves near Kirribilli, serviced by both public and private ferries. They are:
* On the eastern side is
Kirribilli wharf, part of the
Sydney Ferries Neutral Bay service. The wharf is one stop from
Circular Quay and has two services per hour in each direction. Kirribilli Wharf also has a small local cafe serving coffees, cakes, and newspapers to commuters and many local regulars.
* At the southernmost tip of Kirribilli is the Beulah Street Wharf. This small wharf was dropped from public Sydney Ferries services when an inner harbour ferry route was cancelled, though was briefly pressed into service between 7–13 February 2011 and again on 27–28 October 2012 while the main Kirribilli wharf was undergoing maintenance. In 2005, private operator
Matilda Cruises started using Beulah Street Wharf as part of their Matilda Express loop from Circular Quay to
Darling Harbour but it was suspended by 2006. Outside ferry hours, Beulah Street Wharf is frequently used for fishing and recreation and being directly north of the
Sydney Opera House, offers spectacular harbour views.
* On the eastern side of the
Sydney Harbour Bridge,
Jeffreys Street Wharf is also no longer used by Sydney Ferries, with just a few services by
Matilda Cruises. It is still used by private charter services, but is more popular as a fishing location. The panoramic views of the Opera House, Circular Quay, and the Harbour Bridge make
Jeffrey Street a popular location for wedding photography.
* On the western side of the Bridge is
Milsons Point ferry wharf, which carries many more services than the Kirribilli wharves and joins Kirribilli to the CBD, the inner harbour, and along the Parramatta River to
Parramatta.
Commercial area
Kirribilli has a small shopping strip opposite
Milsons Point railway station. The 'Kirribilli Markets' are held on the fourth Saturday of each month, on the lawns of the former Kirribilli Bowling Club. The markets contain a mixture of new and second-hand clothing, bric-a-brac, jewellery, and food-and-drink stands.
Schools
The two main schools in the suburb are
St Aloysius' College and
Loreto Kirribilli.
Image:Kirribilli_St_John_the_Baptist_Anglican_Church.jpg|St John the Baptist's Anglican Church, Broughton Street
Image:(1)St_Aloysius_College_Kirribilli-1.jpg|Senior School, St Aloysius College, Upper Pitt Street
Image:(1)Loreto_Kirribilli.jpg|Loreto Kirribilli
Image:Wiki0132.jpg|Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre, Fitzroy Street
Churches
* Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, part o
North Sydney Parish* St John's Anglican Church ("
Church by the Bridge")
Culture
Kirribilli is the home of Australia's oldest continuously operating professional theatre company, The
Ensemble Theatre. Located in a converted boatshed, it shows productions of contemporary works by both Australian and International playwrights.
People
*
Elizabeth von Arnim (1866-1941), German-British novelist
See also
Streets
* Beulah Street, Bligh Street, Bradley Avenue, Broughton Street, Burton Street, Carabella Street, Clark Road, Crescent Place, Elamang Avenue, Ennis Road, Fitzroy Street, Hipwood Street, Holbrook Avenue, Humphrey Place,
Jeffrey(s) Street, Kirribilli Avenue, McBurney Lane, McDougall Street, Olympic Drive, Parkes Street, Peel Street, Pitt Street, Robertson Lane, Upper Pitt Street, Waruda Street, Willoughby Street, Winslow Lane, Winslow Street
Landmark buildings, structures and heritage
*
Kirribilli House
*
Admiralty House
*
Sydney Harbour Bridge
*
Reserve Bank of Australia
*
Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre
*
Jeffrey(s) Street
*
Church by the Bridge
* Huntingdon ('the Don'), Holbrook Avenue
Tourism, theatres and sport
*
Luna Park Sydney
*
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
*
Ensemble Theatre
*
Sydney Flying Squadron
*
The Miguel Pro Playhouse
Transport
*
Milsons Point railway station
*
Milsons Point ferry wharf
*
Kirribilli ferry wharf
Schools
*
Loreto Kirribilli
*
St Aloysius' College (Sydney)
Suburbs and localities
*
Lavender Bay
*
North Sydney
*
Milsons Point
*
Milson Park
*
Careening Cove
Other
*
Kirribilli agreement
*
Garfish Restaurants
References
External links
*
CC-By-SA.html" style="text-decoration: none;"class="mw-redirect" title="Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA">Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA/nowiki>
Kirribilli Markets
* Kirribilli Wharf ferry services
*
Parliamentary discussion of the condition of Kirribilli wharves
{{Sydney North Sydney suburbs
Category:Suburbs of Sydney