Neutral Bay, New South Wales
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Neutral Bay is a
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 ...
on the Lower North Shore 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 ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. Neutral Bay is around 1.5 kilometres north 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
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
North Sydney Council North Sydney Council is a local government area on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, established on 29 July 1890 through the amalgamation of three boroughs. The area is bounded by Willoughby to the north and north-w ...
. Neutral Bay takes its name from the bay on
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 ...
.
Kurraba Point Kurraba Point is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore (Sydney), North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Kurraba Point is located 4 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australi ...
, formerly a locality in Neutral Bay, was declared a separate suburb in 2010, sharing the postcode 2089. Surrounding suburbs include
North Sydney North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. And is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney Council. History The Indigenous people on the s ...
,
Cammeray Cammeray is a residential suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Northern Sydney and is part of the North Sydney Council local government area. History Aboriginal culture Cammeray takes its name from the Cammeraygal people, an Aboriginal ...
,
Milsons Point Milsons Point is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located three kilometres north of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of North Sydney. Milsons Point is also the geo ...
, Cremorne and Cremorne Point.


History

The name "Neutral Bay" originates from the time of the early colonial period of Australia, where different bays of Sydney harbour were zoned for different incoming vessels. This bay was where all foreign vessels would dock, hence the name ''
neutral Neutral or neutrality may refer to: Mathematics and natural science Biology * Neutral organisms, in ecology, those that obey the unified neutral theory of biodiversity Chemistry and physics * Neutralization (chemistry), a chemical reaction in ...
''. The Aboriginal name for the area was 'Wirra-birra'. In 1789, soon after the arrival 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 Sydney, 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 ...
declared this bay a ''neutral harbour'' where foreign ships could anchor and take on water and supplies. Neutral Bay was far enough away from Sydney Cove to discourage convicts from escaping on these vessels and to keep possible enemy ships at a distance from the main settlement. By the beginning of the 20th century, Neutral Bay and Cremorne were developing as "alternative society suburbs", populated by the kind of people who were attracted to the
Arts and Crafts The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the Decorative arts, decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and ...
architectural style that was in vogue at the time. This style was an attempt to get away from mass production and give homes the "human touch". Notable examples soon appeared in the area. ''Brent Knowle'', in Shellcove Road (now part of
Kurraba Point Kurraba Point is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore (Sydney), North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Kurraba Point is located 4 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australi ...
), was designed by Bertrand James Waterhouse and built in 1914. It influenced home design in the area for at least the next fifteen yearsSydney Architecture and has a state heritage listing. A different style was used for ''The Cobbles'' (now in
Kurraba Point Kurraba Point is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore (Sydney), North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Kurraba Point is located 4 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australi ...
), also in Shellcove Road. Designed by Peddle and Thorp and built in 1918, it made great use of natural stones and pebbles to achieve the desired look. It is an Australian interpretation of the
California Bungalow California bungalow is an alternative name for the American Craftsman style of Residential area, residential architecture, when it was applied to small-to-medium-sized homes rather than the large "ultimate bungalow" houses of designers like Green ...
style and has a state heritage listing. ''The Gables'', in Spruson Street, was another Waterhouse design and was built in 1920. It was influenced by the "shingle style" which was brought to Sydney by Horbury Hunt, and featured prominent gables and extensive use of shingles. More Waterhouse designs appeared in Shellcove Road in the vicinity of ''The Cobbles'' and ''Brent Knowle'' (now in
Kurraba Point Kurraba Point is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore (Sydney), North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Kurraba Point is located 4 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australi ...
). An outstanding example is ''Ailsa'' (now in
Kurraba Point Kurraba Point is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore (Sydney), North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Kurraba Point is located 4 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australi ...
), which was designed by Waterhouse for Captain Robert Craig and built in 1908. It has a state heritage listing. Along with ''Keynsham'' (now in
Kurraba Point Kurraba Point is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore (Sydney), North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Kurraba Point is located 4 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australi ...
), ''St Anne's'' (now in
Kurraba Point Kurraba Point is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore (Sydney), North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Kurraba Point is located 4 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australi ...
), and ''Gundimaine House'' (now in
Kurraba Point Kurraba Point is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore (Sydney), North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Kurraba Point is located 4 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australi ...
), these homes form a significant heritage group and have a state heritage listing. Neutral Bay was also the home of the English-born children's author and painter
May Gibbs Cecilia May Gibbs Order of the British Empire, MBE (17 January 1877 – 27 November 1969) was an Australian children's author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best known for her gumnut babies (also known as "bush babies" or "bush fairies"), ...
, who lived for a time in ''Derry'', a two-storey Federation home in Phillips Street. Afterwards, she moved to the home Nutcote in nearby
Kurraba Point Kurraba Point is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore (Sydney), North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Kurraba Point is located 4 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australi ...
. Neutral Bay was the location of the Royal Australian Navy's Submarine Service HMAS Platypus (naval base) between 18 August 1967 and 29 March 1999. It was home to the HMA Oberon submarines, with the first
HMAS Oxley Two submarines of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) have been named HMAS ''Oxley'', for the explorer John Oxley John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley (1784 – 25 May 1828) was an English List of explorers, explorer and surveyor of Australia ...
arriving at the site on the same day as the commissioning. During World War 2 the site was converted for use as the RAN Torpedo Maintenance Establishment (RANTME).


Heritage listings

Neutral Bay has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 2 Hayes Street: ''Hastings'' (Neutral Bay) * Yeo Street: St John's Uniting Church and Pipe Organ


Commercial area

The main shopping district of Neutral Bay, known as Neutral Bay Junction, is along Military Road, which is the main road that runs through Neutral Bay, Cremorne and
Mosman Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local governm ...
. It features many shops, restaurants and cafes. The Big Bear shopping centre is a
shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...
that features a supermarket and grocery shops. The
North Sydney Bears The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in Cammeray on Sydney's North Shore (Sydney), North Shore. The club currently competes in the NSW Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL s ...
rugby league team took their name from this shopping centre in 1959 after accepting a sponsorship from Big Bear. Keolis Downer Northern Beaches' North Sydney Bus Depot is located behind the Big Bear. The Oaks Hotel is a well-known and popular venue located on the corner of Military Road and Ben Boyd Road. It opened in 1885 and features a number of restaurants, bars, function rooms and a
beer garden A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...
with the main focal point an old oak tree. Near the oaks, shops such as a pizza shop and a bakery can be found on Ben Boyd Road. Neutral Bay includes several places of worship: there is St Joseph's Catholic Church on Lindsay St, The Bridge Anglican Church on Shellcove Rd (which is also called "Church by the Bridge" or "St Augustine's"), St John's Uniting Church and Sydney Life Church both on Yeo St. A synagogue can also be found on Yeo Street.


Transport

At the 2016 census, 39.2% of employed people travelled to work on public transport and 36.4% by car (either as driver or as passenger). The Neutral Bay wharf sits at the end of Hayes Street and it is serviced by both public Neutral Bay ferry services and private ferries. The
Warringah Freeway Warringah Freeway is a divided freeway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia that is part of the Sydney Orbital Network. The primary function of the freeway is to provide an alternative high-grade route from the Sydney Harbour Tunnel and B ...
runs along the western border of Neutral Bay, providing links south to the Sydney CBD and north to Chatswood. Military Road has been a prominent local electoral issue, due to issues relating to the heavy traffic congestion on the road.


Notable residents

*
Benjamin Boyd Benjamin Boyd (21 August 180115 October 1851) was a Scotland, Scottish entrepreneur who became a major shipowner, banker, Squatting (Australia), grazier, politician and Blackbirding, blackbirder in the British colony of New South Wales. He wa ...
(18011851) – entrepreneur and politician *
Peter Fitzsimons Peter John FitzSimons (born 29 June 1961) is an Australian author, journalist, and radio and television presenter. He is a former national representative rugby union player and was the chair of the Australian Republic Movement from 2015 to 20 ...
– journalist, TV and Radio presenter, former rugby player *
May Gibbs Cecilia May Gibbs Order of the British Empire, MBE (17 January 1877 – 27 November 1969) was an Australian children's author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best known for her gumnut babies (also known as "bush babies" or "bush fairies"), ...
(18771969) – author and illustrator * Sir John McLaren (18711958) – public servant *
John Meillon John Meillon ( ; 1 May 1934 – 11 August 1989) was an Australian character actor known for dramatic as well as comedy roles. He portrayed Walter Reilly in the films '' Crocodile Dundee'' and '' Crocodile Dundee II''. He also voiced advertiseme ...
(19341989) - actor *
Lisa Wilkinson Lisa Clare Wilkinson (Born 19 December 1959) is an Australian television presenter, journalist, and magazine editor. Wilkinson has previously co-hosted the Nine Network's breakfast television program, '' Today,'' with Karl Stefanovic (2007â ...
– television presenter


Demographics

At the , the suburb of Neutral Bay recorded a population of 10,090. Of these: ; Age distribution : The distribution of ages in Neutral Bay showed a large proportion in the 25-34 age group (22.1%) compared to the country as a whole (14.3%), with fewer children or seniors. Neutral Bay residents' median age was 38 years, the same as the national median. Children aged under 15 years made up 13.2% of the population (national average is 18.2%) and people aged 65 years and over made up 16.0% of the population (national average is 17.2%). ; Ethnic diversity : 58.2% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 6.5%, New Zealand 2.7%, China 2.6%, India 1.7% and South Africa 1.7%. 74.6% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 3.4%, Cantonese 1.7%, Spanish 1.6%, Japanese 1.5% and Portuguese 1.0%. ; Religion : This question is optional in the Census. Of the people who answered it, the most common responses were No Religion 45.8%, Catholic 20.7% and Anglican 11.5%. ; Income : The median weekly household income was $2,443, compared to the national median of $1,746. ; Housing : 80.2% of occupied residences were flats or apartments, 10.8% were semi-detached and 8.2% were separate houses. The average household size was 2 people. ; Employment : 67.6% of residents in Neutral Bay were working full-time, 21.4% part-time, 3.8% were unemployed.


Schools


Neutral Bay Public School


Places of worship


Cremorne Synagogue
(Orthodox Jewish)
St Augustine's Anglican Church

St John's Uniting Church

St Joseph's Catholic Church

Spiritualist Church


Parks and recreation

Th
Norths Pirates
Junior Rugby Union Club is the local village Rugby Club, the former Club being known as Cambridge Bay Junior Rugby Union Club. This Club taking its name from Northbridge,
Cammeray Cammeray is a residential suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Northern Sydney and is part of the North Sydney Council local government area. History Aboriginal culture Cammeray takes its name from the Cammeraygal people, an Aboriginal ...
and Neutral Bay. The Pirates play home games at Tunks Park Cammeray and train at Primrose Park in Cremorne and Anderson Park. The Neutral Bay Club is a tennis and bowls club situated next to Ilbery Reserve in the centre of Neutral Bay. In continuous operation since 1882, it is one of the oldest licensed clubs in New South Wales. The club features four floodlit tennis courts, a floodlit bowling green surrounded by a heated deck, two function rooms, bistro, sports bar and a members lounge. It runs teams of various levels in the Sydney tennis and bowls leagues.


Gallery

Image:(1)The_Cobbles.jpg, The Cobbles Image:Neutral Bay 2.JPG, Military Road shopping centre File:(1)_Derry(former home of May Gibbs)1.jpg, Derry, home of May Gibbs before she lived at Nutcote Image:(1)The_Oaks_Neutral_Bay.jpg, The Oaks Hotel Image:(1)Brent_Knowle3.jpg, Brent Knowle File:(1) Ailsa.jpg, Ailsa


References


External links

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