Glebe is an inner-western suburb of

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 ...

. Glebe is located southwest of the

Sydney central business district The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main Central business district, commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or ...

in the

Inner West The Inner West of Sydney is an area directly west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. The suburbs that make up the Inner West are predominantly located along the southern shore of Port Jackson (Parramatta River) ...

region. Glebe is surrounded by Blackwattle Bay and Rozelle Bay, inlets of

Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a ria, natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove River, Lane ...

, in the north. The suburb of Ultimo lies to the east and the suburbs of Annandale and Forest Lodge lie to the west. The southern boundary is formed by

Parramatta Road Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, connecting the Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD with Parramatta. It is the easternmost part of the Great Western Highway. S ...

and

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

. Broadway is a locality sited along the road of the same name, which is located on the border of Glebe, Chippendale and Ultimo.

History

Glebe's name is derived from the fact that the land on which it was developed was a

glebe A glebe (, also known as church furlong, rectory manor or parson's close(s)) is an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest. The land may be owned by the church, or its profits may be reserved to the church. ...

, originally owned by the

Anglican Church 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 ...

. 'The Glebe' was a

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

of given by Governor

Arthur Phillip Arthur Phillip (11 October 1738 – 31 August 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first Governor of New South Wales, governor of the Colony of New South Wales. Phillip was educated at Royal Hospital School, Gree ...

to Reverend Richard Johnson, Chaplain of the

First Fleet The First Fleet were eleven British ships which transported a group of settlers to mainland Australia, marking the beginning of the History of Australia (1788–1850), European colonisation of Australia. It consisted of two Royal Navy vessel ...

, in 1790. In the 19th century, Glebe was home to the architect

Edmund Blacket Edmund Thomas Blacket (25 August 1817 – 9 February 1883) was an Australian architect, best known for his designs for the University of Sydney, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney and Goulburn Cathedral (St. Saviour), St. Saviour's Cathedral, Goulbu ...

, who had migrated from England. Blacket built his family home, Bidura, on Glebe Point Road in 1858, designing it along conventional Victorian Regency lines. He also designed St John's Church, on the corner of Glebe Point Road and St Johns Road. The church was built from 1868 to 1870. The suburb of Glebe was home to a first grade football team in the

New South Wales Rugby League The New South Wales Rugby League Ltd (NSWRL) is an Australian rugby league football competition operator in rugby league in New South Wales, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Co ...

. The

Glebe Dirty Reds The Glebe Dirty Reds are an Australian rugby league foundation club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League, New South Wales Rugby Football League's New South Wales Rugby League premiership, Sydney premiership, the major competition for ...

were formed in 1908 and played in the first seasons of rugby league in Australia, with home games at

Wentworth Park Wentworth Park is a park near the suburbs of Glebe and Ultimo in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The park contains several multi-purpose sporting pitches, cricket nets and a number of fitness installations. There is a playground in the s ...

. The foundation club did not win a premiership and was excluded from the competition in 1930. In the 1970s,

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

activists took over an abandoned

terrace house A terrace, terraced house ( UK), or townhouse ( US) is a type of medium-density housing which first started in 16th century Europe with a row of joined houses sharing side walls. In the United States and Canada these are sometimes known as row ...

in Westmoreland Street and set up Australia's first women's shelter, the Elsie Refuge. This was one of many properties left empty in the area due to government plans to build the North-East Expressway. The demolition of parkland and houses in Glebe was averted after the NSW Builders Labourers Federation placed bans on such work.

Original vegetation

The original vegetation was the

Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 km (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in ...

. A veteran Ironbark still grows at the grounds of St John's Anglican Church, at Glebe Point Road.

Landmarks

Glebe Town Hall The Glebe Town Hall is a landmark civic building in Glebe, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It stands at 160 St Johns Road and was built in 1880 in the Victorian Italianate style by architect Ambrose Thornley. The Town Hall was the seat of The Gle ...

, a heritage-listed civic building, which was used as the seat of the Glebe Municipal Council from its opening 1880 to 1948. Since merging with the

City of Sydney The City of Sydney is the Local government in Australia, local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament ...

council in that year, the building has been used extensively as a community hall for local concerts, rehearsals, balls, parties, conferences, and society meetings. *

Rozelle Tram Depot Rozelle Tram Depot is a former tram storage and operations centre that was part of the Trams in Sydney, Sydney tram network. It is the largest remaining former tram depot in Sydney. In 2016, the tram depot was redeveloped into a retail complex ...

, constructed in stages from 1904, is the largest remaining tram depot in Sydney, and is one of five remaining tram depots in the state of New South Wales. Operations ceased on 22 November 1958. The depot at present contains six historic trams, some of which date back to the 1930s, as well as an old coach that has been heavily vandalised. The trams that were in near mint condition prior to 2000 have now been vandalised, stripped and painted with graffiti. The depot served the inner western suburbs tram routes to Leichhardt, Balmain, Birchgrove, Abbotsford, and Lilyfield. During its peak of operations the depot was a major place of employment, employing up to 650 staff and was one of few workplaces of significant size in the Glebe area during its period. The depot ceased operations on 22 November 1958. * Sze Yup Temple (Chinese: 四邑廟) is located in Edward Street and was originally built in 1898 by Chinese immigrants from

Sze Yup The Siyi (Seiyap or Sze Yup in Cantonese; ) refers to the four former counties of Xinhui (Sunwui), Taishan (Toisan), Kaiping (Hoiping) and Enping (Yanping) on the west side of the Pearl River Delta in Southern Guangdong Province, China. Geo ...

, Guangdong, China. It provided a focal point for the early Chinese market gardeners in the area and is still in use today. The present building, which replaced one destroyed by fire, dates from 1955. Arsonists caused another fire in January 2008, damaging the roof and all its contents. Racism and anti-Chinese sentiments just prior to Chinese New Year in February were suspected as motives, but police refused to confirm or deny this. While refusing to agree to community suspicions that the fire was racially motivated, in January 2009 the local council allowed reconstruction work as a sign of goodwill. The temple is heritage-listed. *

Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. Bellevue or Belle Vue may refer to: Places Australia * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales Canada * Bellevue, Alberta * Bellevue, Newfoundlan ...

, located in Blackwattle Park, was built in 1896 by Ambrose Thornley for prominent Glebe resident William Jarrett. It was later restored and turned into a café. Bellevue is heritage-listed. * Bidura, situated on Glebe Point Road, was built by architect

for his family. Built in 1857, the house may have been influenced by the design of the nearby Toxteth Park. It is heritage-listed. * St Scholastica's (Toxteth Park), Glebe, Sydney George Allen, who established a legal firm and became

Lord Mayor of Sydney The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Sydney is the head of the Council of the City of Sydney, which is the local government area covering the central business district of Sydney in the State of New South Wales, Australia. The Lord Mayor has b ...

in 1844, constructed the building as his home and called it Toxteth Park. St Scholastica's College moved to this site from Pitt Street in central Sydney in 1901. The building is heritage-listed. * Lyndhurst This mansion was built between 1834 and 1837 for Dr James Bowman, who was the principal surgeon of the nearby Sydney Hospital. It was designed by the noted architect

John Verge John Verge (1782–1861) was an English architect, builder, pioneer settler in the New South Wales, Colony of New South Wales, who migrated to Australia and pursued his career there. Verge was one of the earliest and the most important architec ...

, in the Regency style. The building was resumed in 1972 with the intention of demolishing it as part of a proposed freeway project. However, it was saved as a result of public protest and the placing of a

green ban A green ban is a form of strike action, usually taken by a trade union or other organised labour group, which is conducted for environmentalist or conservationist purposes. They mainly took place in Australia during the 1970s, led by the Bui ...

, then handed over to the

Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales Museums of History NSW is a statutory body of the government of New South Wales that is responsible for historic sites, state collections and archives in New South Wales, Australia. In 2023, the former State Archives and Records Authority of New ...

in 1983. In 2004 it was sold and then returned to use as a private home. Lyndhurst is heritage-listed. * Johnstons Creek rises in Stanmore and flows in a generally northward direction towards

Rozelle Bay Rozelle Bay is a bay located to the south of Glebe Island and the west of Blackwattle Bay, on Sydney Harbour. The naming of the bay is derived from either the Rosella, Rosella bird or the Roselle (plant), Rosella plant, with the latter being m ...

. The creek passes beneath the stands of the former Harold Park Paceway prior to emptying into Rozelle Bay at Bicentennial Park, Glebe. *Glebe Jubilee fountain erected in 1909 on the corner of Glebe Point Road and Broadway commemorates the Jubilee of Glebe as a municipality. *St John's Glebe, also known as St John's Bishopthorpe. Opened in 1870 it was designed by John Hunt and Glebe resident Edmund Blacket. The tower was added in 1909 by Blacket's son Cyril. *St John's Parish Hall Glebe. Built in 1870 and designed by Edward Halloran. There is a horse trough near Glebe Point Road. The hall was used as a hostel during World War II as part of the Church of England National Emergency Fund's efforts to offer hostel accommodation in Sydney for armed services personnel visiting from the surround military barracks. The hall had 30 beds.

Population

At the , 11,680 people were living in Glebe, compared to 11,532 people at the 2016 census. In 2021, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.3% of the population. Of people attending an educational institution, 13.5% were in primary school, 10.8% in secondary school and 44.5% in a tertiary or technical institution. 57.0% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were England 4.4%, China 4.0%, New Zealand 2.7%, Vietnam 2.2% and United States 1.4%. 68.2% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 4.4%, Vietnamese 2.7%, Spanish 2.1%, Cantonese 1.7% and Greek 1.0%. The most common responses for religion were no religion 51.6% and Catholic 15.6%. Of occupied private dwellings in Glebe, 47.2% were semi-detached, 46.0% were flats or apartments and 5.0% were separate houses. 61.4% were rented, 19.4% were owned outright and 19.4% were owned with a mortgage.

Culture

Commercial areas, restaurants and cafés

Glebe Point Road is the main road through the suburb, featuring a shopping strip, known for its specialty shops and cafés and for its variety of ethnic restaurants – Indian, Thai, Italian, Nepalese, Dutch-Indonesian, and other minority ethnic tastes.

Broadway Shopping Centre Broadway Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in Sydney, located in the Broadway locality. It features a 500-seat Food Court and Hoyts 12-screen cinema complex along with major retailers Kmart, Coles, Target, Aldi, H&M, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey No ...

was built on the landmark site of the former

Grace Bros Grace Bros was an Australian department store chain, founded in 1885. It was bought by Myer (later Coles Myer) in 1983. There were 25 stores across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory plus a few in Victoria, until they wer ...

department store. The shopping centre includes a food court and cinema complex, and completed a renovation in July 2007 which added a fourth floor. Glebe has a popular market which is held on Saturdays in the grounds of Glebe Primary School. Arts, crafts, clothing and edibles are sold. They are known as the alternative markets for the alternative lifestyle goods that are offered. New and second-hand goods are sold there.

Sport and recreation

, which features a

greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...

racing track, is on the border with Ultimo. Glebe mini skateboarding ramp is located in Bicentennial Park off Chapman road, in between Glebe and Annandale. The mini was originally tall with a hump in the middle. Circa 2005 the original mini was removed and replaced with a traditional ramp, sans hump. Balmain South Sydney Cricket Club play at Jubilee Oval in Glebe.

compete in the Ron Massey Cup.

Education

Schools in the suburb include Glebe Public School (on Glebe Point Road), St James Catholic School (on Woolley Street), Forest Lodge Public School (Bridge Road) and St Scholastica's College (on Avenue Road). The Blackwattle Bay Campus of Sydney Secondary College sits on the site of the old Glebe High School. Tranby Aboriginal College is located in a heritage-listed house, Tranby, in Mansfield Street.

Transport

The

Inner West Light Rail The Inner West Light Rail is a light rail line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, running from Central railway station, Sydney, Central railway station through the Inner West to Dulwich Hill railway station, Dulwich Hill and serving 23 sto ...

has two stations in the suburb, Glebe and Jubilee Park, with the journey from Glebe to Central railway station taking just under twenty minutes.

Transit Systems Transit Systems Group is an Australian-based public transport company, which also operates overseas through its subsidiary Tower Transit Group. Transit Systems Group is a subsidiary of the Kelsian Group, formerly SeaLink Travel Group. History ...

route 431 runs from

Martin Place Martin Place is a pedestrian mall in the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. Martin Place has been described as the "civic heart" of Sydney.

via Elizabeth Street, Broadway and Glebe Point Road, terminating at Glebe Point. Route 433 runs from Railway Square, along Glebe Point Road and continuing to Balmain.

Transdev John Holland Transdev John Holland Buses is a bus operator in Sydney, Australia. A joint venture between Transdev Australasia, Transdev and John Holland Group, John Holland, it operates services in Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts, Sydney Bus Regio ...

route 370 runs from Glebe Point to Coogee via Newtown,

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

and the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...

Houses

19th century housing stock is largely intact, having undergone restoration as a result of

gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...

. It is popular with city-workers and students due to its proximity to the Central Business District as well as

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

, the

University of Technology Sydney The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public university, public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1988, though its origins as a Institute of technology, ...

, and the

University of Notre Dame Australia The University of Notre Dame Australia (known simply as Notre Dame; ; French language, French for 'Mary, mother of Jesus, Our Lady') is a Private university, private Catholic university with campuses in Perth, Sydney and Broome, Western Austr ...

. Glebe is a popular destination for backpacker tourism due to the bars and cafes of Glebe Point Road and the aforementioned proximity to the city.

Public Housing

At its south-eastern end is the Glebe Estate, an area of Housing Commission properties, mainly consisting of low density affordable Victorian terrace houses (similar to the surrounding private houses), single cottages and small complexes, purchased by the government of

Gough Whitlam Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 191621 October 2014) was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from December 1972 to November 1975. To date the longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), he was notable for being ...

as a massive urban renewal project to provide public housing for the needy. Some houses in the Glebe estate have been sold off to private real estate, including a high density tower block, and a large complex. This area has the third highest Aboriginal population in Sydney.

Heritage listings

Glebe has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the following sites 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 ...

: * 55–57 Leichhardt Street: Bellevue, Glebe * 160 Bridge Road: '' Reussdale'' * 281–285 Broadway: University Hall and Cottages * 61 Darghan Street: Lyndhurst, Glebe * 24 Ferry Road: Rothwell Lodge and Factory * 266 Glebe Point Road: Monteith, Glebe * 357 Glebe Point Road: '' Bidura'' * 53 Hereford Street: Hereford House * 13 Mansfield Street: Tranby, Glebe * Victoria Road: Sze Yup Temple * Wentworth Park, Jubilee Park, Johnstons Creek: Glebe and Wentworth Park railway viaducts * Metropolitan goods railway: Pyrmont and Glebe Railway Tunnels The following buildings are listed on other heritage registers: * St John's Anglican Church, Glebe Point Road * Glebe Court House, Talfourd Street * Glebe Police Station, Talfourd Street * Former Glebe Town Hall, St John's Road * Former Glebe Post Office, Glebe Point Road * Emslee, Mansfield Street * Margaretta Cottage, Leichhardt Street * Hartford, Glebe Point Road * War Memorial, Glebe Point Road

Notable residents

Sir Edmund Barton ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...

(1849–1920), first Prime Minister of Australia (1901-1903), federationist and judge. * Sir John Sydney James Clancy (1895–1968), judge. *

Toni Collette Toni Collette (born Collett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television, blockbusters and independent films, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, wit ...

, actress, was raised in Glebe until age six. * Eva Cox, author, sociologist, activist. * Lucy Eatock (1874 – 1950), political activist, lived in Glebe. Her house was nominated for a

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

to celebrate her life here. *

Tim Ferguson Timothy Dorcen Langbene Ferguson (born 16 November 1963) is an Australian comedian, film director, screenwriter, author and screenwriting teacher. Early life and education Timothy Dorcen Langbene Ferguson grew up in Singapore, and later on ...

, comedian, musician, author. * Sir Norman Thomas Gilroy (1896–1942), Catholic cardinal. *

Ross Gittins Ross Gittins (born 1948 in Newcastle, Australia) is an Australian political and economic journalist and author, known for "his ability to make dry, hard-to-understand economics and economic policy relevant". Early life and education Ross Roder ...

, economist, journalist, author. * Stan Grant, television presenter, journalist. * Bessie Guthrie (1905–1977), designer, publisher, feminist and campaigner for children's rights. * Tracey Holmes, journalist, sports broadcaster. * James Francis (Frank) Hurley (1889–1962), adventurer, photographer, and film maker. * Maynard, broadcaster, entertainer, event promoter. * Reg Mombassa, musician, artist, entrepreneur. * James Bradfield Moody, author, engineer, executive. * Ernest Ridding (1927–2001), well known locally as 'The Fridge Man', Ridding's community service was honoured by the Governor of New South Wales. * Patricia Easterbrook Roberts (1910–1987), floral designer. *

Leigh Sales Leigh Peta Sales (born 10 May 1973) is an Australian journalist and author, best known for her work with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). She has won three Walkley Awards, and in 2023 was nominated for the Gold Logie Award for M ...

, television presenter, journalist, author.

Gallery

Image:Glebe Nags Head.JPG, The Nag's Head, St Johns Road Image:Glebe St Johns Road.JPG, Record Reign Hall, St Johns Road File:Bicentennial Park and Glebe Point NSW.JPG, Bicentennial Park on Rozelle Bay Image:1 St Scholasticas3.jpg, St Scholastica's College, formerly Toxteth Park Image:1_Emslee_in_Mansfield_Street.jpg, Emslee, Mansfield Street Image:(1)Sze_Yup_Temple-1.jpg, Sze Yup Chinese Temple File:1 St Johns church2.jpg, St John's Church, Glebe Point Road, designed by Edmund Blacket Image:Glebe Town Hall.JPG, Former Glebe Town Hall, St Johns Road

References

External links

The Glebe Society

City of Sydney: Glebe, Forest Lodge and Broadway

Tranby Aboriginal College

Orient House

SYDNEY.com – Glebe

Colonial Secretary's papers 1822-1877

State Library of Queensland State Library of Queensland (State Library) is the state public reference and research library of Queensland, Australia, operated by the Government of Queensland, state government. The Library is governed by the Library Board of Queensland, whi ...

- Reel 6 contains digitised letters and documents written by the Church Corporation Officer to the

Colonial Secretary of New South Wales Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French colonial architecture * Spanish colonial architecture Automobiles * Col ...

regarding Glebe

Dictionary of Sydney entries

* CC-By-SA">Creative_Commons_license.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA/nowiki> * CC-By-SA">Creative_Commons_license.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA/nowiki> * CC-By-SA">Creative_Commons_license.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA/nowiki> * CC-By-SA">Creative_Commons_license.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA/nowiki> * CC-By-SA">Creative_Commons_license.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA/nowiki> {{DEFAULTSORT:Glebe, New South Wales Suburbs of Sydney">Glebe, New South Wales"> Suburbs of Sydney