Balmoral is an urban locality in the

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

of Mosman in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, Australia. 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 federated state, state, province, division (politica ...

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. Ann Marie Kimber, a representative of the Serving Mosman independent political group. Suburbs and ...

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

Before British colonisation, Balmoral was on the country of the Cammeraygal clan of

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...

. Balmoral Beach was used by these people as a burial ground. 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 ...

, the large estate house in

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

known as

Royal Deeside The River Dee () is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It source (river), 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 in ...

and a favourite summer royal residence. The Star Amphitheatre, an open-air temple constructed by the

Theosophical Society The Theosophical Society is the organizational body of Theosophy, an esoteric new religious movement. It was founded in New York City, U.S.A. in 1875. Among its founders were Helena Blavatsky, a Russian mystic and the principal thinker of the ...

-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 an Indian Philosophy, philosopher, speaker, writer, and Spirituality, spiritual figure. Adopted by members of the Theosophy, Theosophical tradition as a child, he was raised to fill ...

, 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, 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 called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

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

Demographics

At the Balmoral recorded an urban population of 365. Of these: * 4.4% of people in urban areas of Balmoral identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander * The median age was 42 compared to the national median of 38 * 78.4% of respondents for this area were born in Australia; the next most common countries of birth included

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

4.1%,

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

1.4%,

1.1%,

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

1.1%, and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(excluding Special Administrative Regions (SARs) and

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

) 1.1% * 90.4% of people only spoke English at home; the next most common languages spoken at home included

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

1.4%, and German 1.1% * No Religion was the most common religious affiliation in Balmoral at 33.4%, followed by

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

at 24.4%,

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

at 23.6%, and

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, not further defined at 4.1%; a further 9.9% of respondents for this area elected not to disclose their religion.

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 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. The excavation work conducted during the construction of the promenade uncovered at least seven

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...

skeletons interred in ceremonial fashion, indicating that Balmoral Beach was used by the original Eora speaking people as a burial ground. 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 File:The Balmoral Skull.png, The Aboriginal "Balmoral Skull" unearthed in 1927

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 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 Heri ...

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 2021

Transport for NSW Transport for NSW (TfNSW) is a Government of New South Wales, New South Wales Government transport services and roads List of New South Wales government agencies, agency established on 1 November 2011. The agency is a different entity to the NSW ...

named one of its Emerald class ferries used on the Manly ferry service ''Balmoral''.New ferries to be named after popular harbour beaches

3 February 2021

References

External links

Guide to Sydney Beaches
*"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 North Shore (Sydney)