The North Shore is a region within

Northern Sydney Northern Sydney is a large metropolitan area in Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the north shore of Sydney Harbour and Parramatta River. The region embraces suburbs in Sydney's north-east, north and inner north west. Northern Syd ...

, in

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, generally referring to suburbs located on the northern side 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 ...

up to Berowra, and suburbs between

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, Australi ...

and the

Lane Cove River The Lane Cove River, a northern tributary of the Parramatta River, is a tide-dominated, drowned valley estuary west of Sydney Harbour, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The river winds through a bushland valley and joins Parramatt ...

. The term "North Shore", used to describe this region of Sydney is customary, not legal or administrative, and is often subjective. Due to the area's greenery and manicured lawns, it has earned the nickname the 'Leafy North Shore'.

History

The region now referred to as the North Shore was home to a number of clans of the

Eora The Eora (; also ''Yura'') are an Aboriginal Australian people of New South Wales. Eora is the name given by the earliest European settlers to a group of Aboriginal people belonging to the clans along the coastal area of what is now known as ...

. These included the

Cammeraygal The Cammeraygal, variously spelled as Cam-mer-ray-gal, Gamaraigal, Kameraigal, Cameragal and several other variations, are one clan of the 29 Darug tribes who are united by a Australian Aboriginal languages, common language, strong ties of kins ...

people whose traditional lands were located within what are now the Lower North Shore local government areas of

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 ...

, Willoughby,

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 ...

, Manly and

Warringah Warringah ( ) is a name taken from the local Aboriginal word for Middle Harbour, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It may refer to: * Division of Warringah, an electoral division of the Australian House of Representatives created in 1922 * E ...

local government areas 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, province, division, or territory. The ph ...

. The Cammeraygal people lived in the area until the 1820s and are recorded as being in the northern parts of the Sydney region for approximately 5,800 years. The Lower North Shore suburb of

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 ...

takes its name from the clan, although the Cameragal clan was centred around, Kayyeemy, or Manly Cove. Other clans included: *Boregegal at

Bradleys Head Bradleys Head is a headland protruding from the north shore of Sydney Harbour, within the metropolitan area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is named after the First Fleet naval officer William Bradley. The original Aboriginal inhabi ...

*Cannalgal at Manly Beach *Birrabirrigal at The Spit * Gorualgal at Georges Head in Mosman After the British establishment of Sydney in 1788, settlement on the North Shore of the harbour was quite limited. One of the first settlers was

James Milson James Milson (25 November 1783 – 25 October 1872) was an early settler on the North Shore of Sydney, Australia. He was born on 25 November 1783 at Grantham, Lincolnshire, England and died at the age of 88 on 25 October 1872 at Milsons Point ...

who lived in the vicinity of

Jeffrey Street ''Jeffrey Street'' or ''Jeffreys Street'' is a street located in Kirribilli, famous for being one of the most popular vantage points for views of the city skyline of Sydney, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. The street is lo ...

Kirribilli Kirribilli is a Suburb (Australia), suburb of Sydney, 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 governm ...

, directly opposite

Sydney Cove Sydney Cove (Eora language, Eora: ) is a bay on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, one of several harbours in Port Jackson, on the coast of Sydney, New South Wales. Sydney Cove is a focal point for community celebrations, due to its central ...

. The north shore was more rugged than the southern shore and western areas of the harbour and had limited agricultural potential. The early activities in the area included tree felling, boatbuilding and some orchard farming in the limited areas of good soil. The

North Shore railway line The North Shore Line is a railway line serving the North Shore in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The North Shore Line extends from Sydney Central station through the western limb of the City Circle, across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and ...

was built in the 1890s. Access to the

Sydney CBD 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 ...

, located on the southern shore of the harbour remained difficult until the completion of the

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North ...

in 1932. This led to the commencement of the development of suburbs on the North Shore. Four of the five local government areas that form the Lower North Shore (the City of Willoughby and the municipalities of Mosman, Lane Cove and North Sydney) were created from the Parish of Willoughby, a cadastral unit used for land titles that was created in the early years of European settlement. "North Sydney" was formerly known as St. Leonards.

Geography

The "North Shore" is a term used to describe a region of

. It is a customary term, not administrative or legal, and its boundaries are not definitive. Generally, the "North Shore" includes the peninsula north of Sydney Harbour and is bounded in the west by the Lane Cove River/National Park, in the north west by the M1 motorway to Newcastle, in the southeast by Middle Harbour, and in the northeast by

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a national park on the northern side of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The park is north of the Sydney central business district and generally comprises the land east of the Highway 1 (New South Wales ...

. East and north of this boundary are the

Northern Beaches The Northern Beaches is a region within Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, near the Pacific coast. This area extends south to the entrance of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), west to Middle Harbour and north to the ...

region and to the west is the general Northern Sydney region. Local government areas within the North Shore include

City of Willoughby The City of Willoughby is a Local government in Australia, local government area on the North Shore (Sydney), Lower North Shore of Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located north of the Sydney central business d ...

Municipality of Lane Cove The Lane Cove Council is a Local government in Australia, local government area located on the North Shore (Sydney), Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The administrative seat of Lane Cove is located north-west of the Sydn ...

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 ...

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 ...

Ku-ring-gai Council Ku-ring-gai Council is a local government area in Northern Sydney ( Upper North Shore), in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The area is named after a fictional Aboriginal language group. Major transport routes through the area include th ...

Municipality of Hunter's Hill The Municipality of Hunter's Hill or Hunter's Hill Council is a local government area on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was first proclaimed in 1861, which includes the suburbs of H ...

, and some suburbs of

City of Ryde The City of Ryde is a Local government areas of New South Wales, local government area in the Northern Sydney region, in New South Wales, Australia. It was first established as the Municipal District of Ryde in 1870, became a municipality in 190 ...

and

Hornsby Shire Hornsby Shire is a local government area situated on the Upper North Shore as well as parts of the Hills District, of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The shire stretches from the M2 Hills Motorway in the south to the Hawkesb ...

. In this conception, the North Shore roughly corresponds with the cadastral parishes (used for land title purposes) of the Willoughby (in the south) and

Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Gordon Heuck ...

(in the north). However, these boundaries are not fixed, and those suburbs that sit close to the boundary between, for example, the cadastral Parish of Gordon and the neighbouring Parish of Manly Cove in the east, may be identified in different contexts as part of either the Upper North Shore region or the Northern Beaches region. The entirety of the

Lane Cove National Park The Lane Cove National Park is a protected national park that is located within metropolitan Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. The national park is situated about north-west of the Sydney central business district and features various v ...

and its adjoining suburbs to the north are generally regarded as part of the North Shore region, such as the suburbs of

Thornleigh Thornleigh is a suburb in the Upper North Shore region of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Thornleigh is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the Local government in Australia, local gov ...

Pennant Hills Pennant Hills is a suburb in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Pennant Hills is located 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. History The ...

and Beecroft. Likewise, while the

Municipality of Hunters Hill The Municipality of Hunter's Hill or Hunter's Hill Council is a Local government in Australia, local government area on the North Shore (Sydney), Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was first ...

is west of the Lane Cove River and in the Parish of Hunters Hill, the suburbs in that parish along the northern shore of the Parramatta River are sometimes referred (especially in commercial contexts) as part of the Lower North Shore. Most of the North Shore suburbs are part of the

Hornsby Plateau The Hornsby Plateau is a dissected sandstone plateau lying to the north of Sydney Harbour that rises 200 metres. The plateau is a part of the larger Sydney Basin structure. Geography The North Shore and the Berowra Valley National Park are loc ...

, a large

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

overlaid by a system of ridges and gullies. The Plateau begins north of the Port Jackson and runs up until the

Hawkesbury River The Hawkesbury River, or Hawkesbury-Nepean River (Dharug language, Dharug: Dyarubbin) is a river located northwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its associated main tributary, the Nepean River, almost encircle ...

. Thus much of the North Shore is hilly with many steep valleys running down into the harbour and the rivers on either side. Parks and areas of sclerophyll forest are present throughout the area. The Lane Cove National Park,

Garigal National Park The Garigal National Park is a protected national park that is located within the North Shore and Forest District regions of Sydney, New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The national park is situated approximately north of the Sydney ce ...

and

Sydney Harbour National Park The Sydney Harbour National Park is an List of national parks of Australia, Australian national park comprising parts of Port Jackson, Sydney and its foreshores and various islands. The national park lies in New South Wales and was created progr ...

contain remnant bushland along the Lane Cove River, Middle Harbour and

respectively.

Bushwalking A hike is a long, vigorous walking, walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer tim ...

abseiling Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling, the person descending controls their own movement down a static or fixed rope, in cont ...

and

bouldering Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or Climbing wall, artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or Climbing harness, harnesses. While bouldering can be done without any equipment, most climbers ...

opportunities can be found around Lindfield and

North Turramurra North Turramurra is a suburb on the Upper North Shore (Sydney), Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Turramurra is located north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in ...

has one of Sydney's largest bat colonies in a bat reserve leading to Middle Harbour.

Upper North Shore

The "Upper North Shore" usually refers to all suburbs within the local government area of Ku-ring-gai, and a small area of

, situated between Lane Cove National Park and Ku-ring-gai National Park, or suburbs between Boundary Street, Roseville and the

M1 Motorway The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) motorway, A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the count ...

Wahroonga Wahroonga is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire. ...

. It is located to the north-west of the

. It roughly corresponds with the cadastral Parish of Gordon. Sometimes, all suburbs adjoining the upper section of Lane Cove National Park are considered part of the Upper North Shore. According to

Australian Bureau of Statistics The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is an List of Australian Government entities, Australian Government agency that collects and analyses statistics on economic, population, Natural environment, environmental, and social issues to advi ...

data collected from the Australian census of 2016, the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council, which makes up almost the entirety of the Upper North Shore region, is the wealthiest local government area in Australia. In 2015, the NSW government proposed merging Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Council. In July 2017, the Berejiklian government decided to abandon the forced merger of the Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai local government areas, along with several other proposed forced mergers on the North Shore following backlash from members of the community and court proceedings.

Lower North Shore

The "Lower North Shore" usually refers to the land that is located to the north of the

, between

and

and as far north as Boundary Street, Roseville, or all suburbs within the local government areas of

Mosman Council Mosman Council is a Local government in Australia, local government area on the North Shore (Sydney), Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The mayor of Mosman Council is Councillor, Cr. Ann Marie Kimber, a representative of ...

and some suburbs of

. The Lower North Shore roughly corresponds with the Parish of Willoughby, a cadastral unit used for land title purposes. In 2016, the NSW government proposed merging three of the four lower north shore councils (Mosman, Willoughby, and North Sydney councils). In July 2017, the Berejiklian government decided to abandon the forced merger of the North Sydney, Willoughby and Mosman local government areas. The other lower north shore council, Lane Cove, was similarly proposed to be merged with nearby Hunters Hill and Ryde councils, but that plan was also eventually abandoned. The Lower North Shore suburbs adjacent to Sydney Harbour include

Cremorne Point Cremorne Point is a harbourside suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia located six kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council. Cremorne Point sh ...

Neutral Bay Neutral Bay is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Neutral Bay is around 1.5 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council. Neutral Bay takes ...

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 ...

Lavender Bay Lavender Bay is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore (Sydney), North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Lavender Bay is located three kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Austral ...

McMahons Point McMahons Point is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. McMahons Point is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council. ...

, Waverton,

Wollstonecraft Mary Wollstonecraft ( , ; 27 April 175910 September 1797) was an English writer and philosopher best known for her advocacy of women's rights. Until the late 20th century, Wollstonecraft's life, which encompassed several unconventional ...

Woolwich Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...

and

Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...

Port Jackson Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a 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 and Parramatta ...

, including the

Parramatta River The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, Ria, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average Altitude, height, and depth, depth of , the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour ...

, Lane Cove River, Sydney Harbour, and Middle Harbour, defines the region's southernmost extent.

Transport

The main road routes on the North Shore are

Military Road A military road is a type of road built by an armed force A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily Weapon, armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and ma ...

, the Pacific Highway, the

Warringah Expressway 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 ...

as well as parts of the

Pennant Hills Road Pennant Hills Road is a arterial road located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The road links the suburb of Wahroonga in the northeast, to the major central business district of Parramatta in the southwest. Apart from a small section at ...

Ryde Road Ryde Road is a arterial road in Sydney, Australia. It is a constituent part of the A3 (Sydney) route. Route Ryde Road commences at the interchange with Pacific Highway (Australia), Pacific Highway, between Pymble, New South Wales, Pymble and ...

Epping Road Epping Road is a is a major arterial road linking the lower North Shore and Sydney central business district to the north western suburbs of the upper North Shore and Hills District of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, being a major access ...

and

Mona Vale Road The A3 is a route designation of a major metropolitan arterial route through suburban Sydney, connecting the A8 at Mona Vale at its northern end, to Princes Highway at Blakehurst at its southern end. This name covers a few consecutive roads ...

. Smaller but major arterial roads on the Upper North Shore include the Eastern Arterial Road/Archbold Road at St Ives, East Killara and East Lindfield, the Comenarra Parkway at Thornleigh, Wahroonga, Turramurra, South Turramurra and West Pymble, as well as Lady Game Drive at West Pymble, Gordon, Killara, Lindfield and West Chastwood, providing access to major commercial hubs such as Chatswood. Much of the North Shore is accessible to railway transport with the

providing rail services between 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 ...

and Hornsby via Chatswood. The

Sydney Metro Northwest Sydney Metro North West was a rapid transit project that constructed the first section of the Metro Northwest and Bankstown Line through the north-western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The project included the conversion of ...

serves the suburbs of Chatswood,

North Ryde North Ryde is a suburb located in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. North Ryde is located 15 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde. One of ...

Macquarie Park Macquarie Park () is a suburb in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Park is located 13 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the Local government in Australia, local government ...

Macquarie University Macquarie University ( ) is a Public university, public research university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the Sydney metropolitan area. ...

and Epping before continuing to in the Hills District, replacing the previous

Epping to Chatswood railway line The Epping to Chatswood rail link (ECRL) (originally a part of the Parramatta Rail Link (PRL) proposal) is a railway line in the northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia, which connects Epping station on the Northern line with Chatswood on the ...

after almost 10 years of service. The remaining

Sydney Metro City & Southwest Sydney Metro City and Southwest is a rapid transit construction project in Sydney, Australia. The project will extend the Metro Northwest and Bankstown Line from on the North Shore, to in the city's southwest via the Sydney central busines ...

serves the Lower North Shore continuing through the

Sydenham Sydenham may refer to: Places Australia * Sydenham, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney ** Sydenham railway station, Sydney * Sydenham, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne ** Sydenham railway line, the name of the Sunbury railway line, Melbourne un ...

, with the line's further extension to

Bankstown Bankstown is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 19 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Canterbury-Bankstown region. Bankstown is the administrative centre ...

expected to be completed in 2026. The completed metro line will provide

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...

between North West Sydney and South West Sydney via the Lower North Shore. Many bus routes also serve the area, particularly the lower North Shore, and ferries connect many of the harbourside suburbs with

Circular Quay Circular Quay is a harbour, former working port and now international passenger shipping terminal, public piazza and tourism precinct, heritage area, and transport node located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on the northern edge of the ...

in the central business district.

CDC NSW CDC NSW is a bus operator in New South Wales, Australia. It is an umbrella brand of ComfortDelGro Australia established in 2017 to cover the latter's New South Wales operations, some of which had been owned by ComfortDelGro since 2005. It was sub ...

provide frequent bus services to the Upper North Shore.Upper North Shore timetables
Transdev NSW Buses on the Lower North Shore are mainly operated by the

Busways Busways is an Australian bus company operating services in Sydney, and in the Central Coast, Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales and Adelaide. It is the largest privately owned bus operator in Australia. History The origins of Busw ...

out of

Willoughby Bus Depot Willoughby Bus Depot is a bus depot in the Sydney suburb of Willoughby operated by Busways. History Willoughby Bus Depot opened on 1 July 1958 on the site of a former tannery. It operated routes, which were a combination of tram replacement rou ...

Commercial areas

Significant commercial and retail centres on the North Shore include North Sydney, Crows Nest, Chatswood, St Leonards, Neutral Bay, St Ives and Hornsby. The North Shore's largest commercial centres are at North Sydney and Chatswood. A number of international companies have their Australian or Asia–Pacific Headquarters in this part of Sydney. North Sydney does not have any of Sydney's major shopping centres, however, it has a number of speciality stores and cafés. Chatswood is one of the largest retail precincts in Sydney, and has a large amount of high density residential buildings. It is home to large shopping centres such as

Westfield Chatswood Westfield Chatswood is a large indoor Shopping mall, shopping centre in the suburb of Chatswood, New South Wales, Chatswood in the North Shore (Sydney), Lower North Shore of Sydney. Transport The Metro North West & Bankstown Line, Metro North ...

and

Chatswood Chase Chatswood Chase is a shopping centre in the suburb of Chatswood on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, Australia. History In the early 1970s, Willoughby Council developed the Chatswood Plan which marked Chatswood as the centre of future comm ...

. Adjacent to Lane Cove National Park,

is home to one of Sydney's largest shopping centres,

Macquarie Centre Macquarie Centre is a shopping centre in the suburb of Macquarie Park in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney and is located opposite the main campus of Macquarie University. History 20th Century 1960s: purchase of land In 1968, Grace Bro ...

. Macquarie Park also has a substantial amount of high density residential buildings and office space. St Leonards is another large commercial area featuring mostly office space and apartments.

Attractions

The Lower North Shore has many unique landmarks such as: The Sydney Harbour Bridge,

Taronga Zoo Taronga Zoo Sydney is a government-run public zoo located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in the Lower North Shore suburb of Mosman, New South Wales, Mosman, on the shores of Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour. It offers great views of Sydney ...

in Mosman, Admiralty House (Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia),

Kirribilli House Kirribilli House is the secondary official residence of the prime minister of Australia. Located in the Northern Sydney suburb of , New South Wales, the cottage and its associated grounds are located at the far eastern end of Kirribilli Avenue. ...

(Sydney residence of the

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the Australian Government, federal executive government. Under the pr ...

Luna Park Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks. They are named after, and partly based on, the first Luna Park (Coney Island, 1903), Luna Park, which opened in 1903 during the heyday of large Coney Islan ...

, and

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, of ...

. At a Sydney or local level, however, landmarks are more plentiful and include: The Lane Cove Azalea Beds, Blues Point Tower, Eden Gardens, the Balmoral Rotunda, the Stanton Library in North Sydney, Lane Cove Plaza, Zenith Towers at Chatswood, Northpoint Tower in North Sydney, Cammeray suspension bridge at Cammeray, Echo Point Park in

Roseville Chase Roseville Chase is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia 11 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. Roseville is a ...

, the Royal North Shore Hospital, the

Hornsby Water Clock The Hornsby Water Clock, titled ''Man, Time and the Environment'' is a piece of kinetic sculpture, a decorative fountain and a functional clock in the Florence Street pedestrian mall in Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia. Unveiled in 1993, the ...

, and 'The Forum' in St Leonards. The region is home to hundreds of parks and reserves, including

and the

. Major local sports grounds include

North Sydney Oval North Sydney Oval (Also known as “Bear Park” by North Sydney Bears fans) is a multi-use sporting facility in Miller Street, North Sydney, Australia, owned and operated by North Sydney Council. First used as a cricket ground in 1867, it is ...

, the region's largest in capacity, and

Chatswood Oval Chatswood Oval is located south of the Chatswood railway station in northern Sydney. It has four small pavilions and seating surrounding the oval. It is one of the North Shore (Sydney), Lower North Shore's largest sportsgrounds, and the home gro ...

Events and celebrations

The North Shore holds a number of festivals/events throughout the year, including: Tartan Day at Lane Cove, the Guringgai Festival honouring northern Sydney's Aboriginal people, the Moocooboola Festival at Hunters Hill, the Mosman Festival, Lane Cove's Cammeraygal Festival, and Chinese New Year at Chatswood. Mosman, North Sydney, Willoughby also hold an annual art prize. All local government areas in the region and around the country celebrate Australia Day, which is on 26 January. The Willoughby Spring Festival is held throughout the Willoughby local government area, in September each year. The festival lasts for a month and features over 40 events including live music/entertainment, exhibitions, cultural celebrations, business events and many more community activities. The highlight is the annual Willoughby Street Fair where the Chatswood CBD is taken over by market stalls, performers, dancers and musicians. The StreetFair features the Willoughby Street Parade which included over 1,000 participants in 2007.

Media

The local newspapers are the ''Sydney Observer'', ''Hornsby and Upper North Shore Advocate'', ''The North Shore Times'', ''The Mosman Daily'', ''Northern District Times'' and the North Shores' local lifestyle publication ''Northside''.

Sport

The North Shore is represented by Rugby League club, 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 ...

, officially the North Sydney District Rugby League Football Club. The Bears are the only team in the Sydney Metropolitan Area without NRL representation to have a Junior Rugby League District. There have been on going efforts to return the Bears to the top flight, either as the Central Coast Bears, in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, or as simply “Bears”. In

Rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

, the area is represented in the

Shute Shield The Shute Shield, currently known as the Charter Hall Shute Shield, is a semi-professional rugby union competition in Sydney, Australia. It is the premier club competition in New South Wales. The Shute Shield is awarded to the winning team fro ...

by the

Northern Suburbs Rugby Club Northern Suburbs Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based on Sydney's Lower North Shore, that was formed in 1900 from the merger of the Pirates and Wallaroos clubs. The club competes in the Shute Shield competition run by the New South ...

, and the Gordon Rugby Football Club. In the NSW Premier Cricket, the North Shore is represented by the Gordon District Cricket Club who play home games at Chatswood Oval, the Mosman Cricket Club who play home games at Allan Border Oval in Mosman, the Northern District Cricket Club who play home games at Mark Taylor Oval in Waitara, and UTS North Sydney Cricket Club who play home games at North Sydney Oval.

Politics

Throughout history and on all three levels of politics (federal, state and local), the North Shore has been a stronghold for the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

, the main

centre-right Centre-right politics is the set of right-wing politics, right-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. It is commonly associated with conservatism, Christian democracy, liberal conservatism, and conservative liberalis ...

liberal conservative Liberal conservatism is a political ideology combining conservative policies with liberal stances, especially on economic issues but also on social and ethical matters, representing a brand of political conservatism strongly influenced by libe ...

party in Australia. However, in recent years,

teal independents Teal independents, also known as teals and community independents, are various centrist, independent or non-party politicians in Australian politics who have been grouped together for convenience of discussion by the Australian media and who ha ...

(

centrist Centrism is the range of political ideologies that exist between left-wing politics and right-wing politics on the left–right political spectrum. It is associated with moderate politics, including people who strongly support moderate policie ...

centre-left Centre-left politics is the range of left-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. Ideologies commonly associated with it include social democracy, social liberalism, progressivism, and green politics. Ideas commo ...

independents who are

economically liberal Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic liberalism, ...

, but environmentally and

socially Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives fro ...

progressive, most of whom are women, whose campaigns are mostly funded by

Climate 200 Climate 200 is an Australian company that provides political funding. It describes itself as a "community crowdfunding initiative" that supports community-backed independents to stand for election to advance climate policy, reduce greenhouse g ...

, an organisation founded and headed by businessman

Simon Holmes à Court Simon Holmes à Court (born ) is an Australian businessman and political activist. He is the son of Australia's first billionaire Robert Holmes à Court, and convenor of Climate 200. He is also a senior advisor to the Climate and Energy College ...

that advocates for climate action) have won gained support in the area. However, on the state level, the

has managed to hold off challenges from teal candidates. Similar trends are present in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs and on the

, as well as in some parts of

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Federal

Division of Bradfield The Division of Bradfield is an Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives, Australian electoral division in the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales. It is located on Sydney's North Shore (Sydney), North Shor ...

(held by independent) *

Division of Warringah The Division of Warringah ( ) is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. It is on the north shore of Port Jackson and the Tasman Sea coast, stretching from Wollstonecraft to Curl Curl, comprising North Sydney and ...

(held by independent) *

Division of Berowra The Division of Berowra () is an Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives, Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. The seat covers the northern parts of the Greater Sydney area with the local government areas ...

(held by Liberal) *

Division of Bennelong The Division of Bennelong is an Electorates of the Australian House of Representatives, Australian electoral division in the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named after Benn ...

(held by Labor)

State

Electoral district of North Shore North Shore is an New South Wales Legislative Assembly electoral districts, electoral district of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, located on Sydney's lower North Shore ( ...

(Held by Liberal) *

Electoral district of Willoughby Willoughby is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It has been represented by Tim James of the Liberal Party since 12 February 2022. History Willoughby was an electoral district of the ...

(Held by Liberal) *

Electoral district of Ku-ring-gai Ku-ring-gai was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. On it's final boundaries as Ku-ring-gai, the electorate covered the suburbs and parts of the suburbs of Gordon, Hornsby, Killara, ...

(Held by Liberal) *

Electoral district of Lane Cove Lane Cove is an New South Wales Legislative Assembly electoral districts, electoral district of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Anthony Roberts of th ...

(Held by Liberal) *

Electoral district of Epping Epping is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Monica Tudehope since the 2024 Epping by-election History The seat was created in 1999, largely replacing Eastwood ...

(Held by Liberal) *

Electoral district of Hornsby Electoral district of Hornsby is an New South Wales Legislative Assembly electoral districts, electoral district of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in Australia. Hornsby is one of two post-1927 electorates to have never been held by the ...

(Held by Liberal) *

Electoral district of Ryde Ryde is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is currently represented by Jordan Lane of the Liberal Party. History Ryde was created originally in 1894 with the abolition of multi-me ...

(Held by Liberal) *

Electoral district of Davidson Davidson is an New South Wales Legislative Assembly electoral districts, electoral district of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Matt Cross (politicia ...

(Held by Liberal)

Climate

Like the rest of the Sydney basin, the North Shore has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

( Köppen ''Cfa'').

Turramurra Turramurra is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. It shares the post ...

receives one of the highest rainfalls in the Sydney area, with an average of per year. The inland parts of the North Shore are somewhat cooler than other areas of the surrounding Sydney basin in the winter months, particularly the CBD, and the further inland the area (particularly the Upper North Shore), the cooler the weather.

List of suburbs

''This list is not exhaustive. The North Shore is not strictly defined by government authorities.'' The suburbs and localities of the region generally known as North Shore are:

Upper North Shore

East Killara East Killara is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. East Killara is located 15 kilometres north of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. It i ...

East Lindfield East Lindfield is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. East Lindfield is located 13 kilometres north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Coun ...

* Hornsby *

Killara Killara () is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Killara is located north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. East Killara is ...

* Lindfield *

North Wahroonga North Wahroonga is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Wahroonga is located 23 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-ga ...

Pymble Pymble is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pymble is north of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. West Pymble is a separate suburb t ...

* Roseville *

* St Ives * St Ives Chase *

South Turramurra South Turramurra is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. Turramurra and North Turramurr ...

* Waitara * Warrawee *

West Pymble West Pymble is a suburb on the Upper North Shore (Sydney), Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the Local government in Australia, local government area of ...

Lower North Shore

Artarmon Artarmon () is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Willoughby. History In ...

* Castle Cove *

Castlecrag Castlecrag is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 8 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Willoughby. Castlecrag is ...

* Chatswood *

Chatswood West Chatswood West is a suburb on the Lower North Shore (Sydney), Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Chatswood West is located 11 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local gover ...

* Cremorne *

* Crows Nest *

Gladesville Gladesville is a suburb in the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gladesville is located 10 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde a ...

Hunters Hill Hunters Hill is a suburb of Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hunters Hill is located north-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government in Australia, local ...

Lane Cove Lane Cove is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Lane Cove is nine kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the ...

Lane Cove North Lane Cove North is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lane Cove North is located 11 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the Munici ...

Lane Cove West Lane Cove West is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lane Cove West is located nine kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Munici ...

* Longueville *

* Middle Cove *

* Naremburn *

* North Willoughby * Northbridge * Northwood * Riverview * St Leonards * Waverton * Willoughby *

Willoughby East Willoughby East is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Willoughby East is located 9 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Willo ...

References

External links

{{Sydney regions North Shore (Sydney) Regions of Sydney Sydney Harbour

History

Geography

Upper North Shore

Lower North Shore

Transport

Commercial areas

Attractions

Events and celebrations

Media

Sport

Politics

Federal

State

Climate

List of suburbs

Upper North Shore

Lower North Shore

References

Further reading

External links