Beecroft, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Beecroft is a suburb
of northern Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Beecroft is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district
in the local government area of Hornsby Shire
. Beecroft is considered to be in the Northern Suburbs
of Sydney.
. The commercial area is located between Beecroft Road and Beecroft railway station. In keeping with the spirit of the traditional heritage, Old English is used throughout as the typeset of the Beecroft Village arcade. Hannah Street, the Suburb's main Commercial Street, underwent a significant beautification upgrade in 2005.
Beecroft railway station is on the Northern railway line
of the CityRail
network. In addition to the usual passenger railway traffic, the Main Northern Line also acts as an intercity and freight train thoroghfare passing through Beecroft. Beecroft is also serviced by various bus routes including route 553 from Sydney Buses and routes 651 and 635 from Hillsbus.
Prior to the construction of the M2 Hills Motorway
, Beecroft's main road thoroughfare was commissioned as part of Sydney's Metroad
system of major arterial roads and throughways. Beecroft Road was part of the Metroad 2
thoroughfare which took motorists between Sydney's Central Business District and Windsor via the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Epping and Castle Hill.
Anglican school
and a high school
on the border of Carlingford
:
Beecroft is also bestowed with a number of recreational facilities within its boundaries. Beecroft is home to Pennant Hills Golf Club, as well as a lawn bowls club near the school, a lawn tennis club, as well as general park space at the Village Green, walking trails through Chilworth Reserve and other forested areas.
, and many blue objects such as milk bottle tops and clothes pegs from nearby homes can be found in their nests. Other bird species found in the local bush include the kookaburra
, yellow-tailed black cockatoo
, galah
, corella
, sulphur-crested cockatoos
, rainbow lorikeet
, whipbird
, king parrot
, Eastern
and crimson rosella
, bush turkey
, butcher bird
, crested pigeon
, powerful owl
, magpie
and currawong
.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of northern Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, in the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Beecroft is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
in the local government area of Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire is a Local Government Area in the Northern region of Sydney, Australia. The Shire stretches from the suburb of Eastwood in the south to the Hawkesbury River town of Wisemans Ferry, some to the north...
. Beecroft is considered to be in the Northern Suburbs
Northern Suburbs (Sydney)
The Northern Suburbs is a general term used to describe the metropolitan area on the northern bank of the Parramatta River in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia east of West Pennant Hills and west of the Lane Cove National Park, south of Hornsby...
of Sydney.
History
Beecroft was, before its suburban development, orchard country. The railway came through the area in 1886 and Sir Henry Copeland, Minister of Lands, conducted a survey of the area to determine its suitability as a residential area. He named the suburb after the maiden name of his two wives, Hannah and Mary Beecroft, (two sisters he married in succession). Their names are also remembered through the respective naming of the suburb's east/west streets; Hannah Street, Copeland Road and Mary Street. Due to the strength of the temperance movement in Beecroft a century ago, there have never been any hotels in Beecroft.The bushland and amenity of Beecroft has been largely preserved due to the efforts of the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust which has been very active since its inception in 1958.Commercial area
The majority of commercial activity conducted in Beecroft is concentrated within a couple of blocks. Although not large by Sydney standards, it is nonetheless important in servicing the suburb and its immediate area, including parts of CheltenhamCheltenham, New South Wales
Cheltenham is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cheltenham is located 21 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire...
. The commercial area is located between Beecroft Road and Beecroft railway station. In keeping with the spirit of the traditional heritage, Old English is used throughout as the typeset of the Beecroft Village arcade. Hannah Street, the Suburb's main Commercial Street, underwent a significant beautification upgrade in 2005.
Transport
Northern railway line, Sydney
The Northern Line is part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney known as CityRail. It serves the northern suburbs of Sydney and the Lower North Shore, along with parts of the Inner West and the Hills District. The line utilises the Epping to Chatswood Line and parts of the Main Northern Line,...
of the CityRail
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
network. In addition to the usual passenger railway traffic, the Main Northern Line also acts as an intercity and freight train thoroghfare passing through Beecroft. Beecroft is also serviced by various bus routes including route 553 from Sydney Buses and routes 651 and 635 from Hillsbus.
Prior to the construction of the M2 Hills Motorway
M2 Hills Motorway
The M2 Hills Motorway is a motorway in north-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network. West of Pennant Hills Road, the M2 is also part of the National Highway.-History:Previously, Sydney's western suburbs were poorly served...
, Beecroft's main road thoroughfare was commissioned as part of Sydney's Metroad
Metroad
Metroads are the primary road routes serving the Sydney and Brisbane metropolitan areas in Australia. The Metroads form a network of radial and circumferential routes throughout the city, lengths of some of which are of freeway grade.-History:...
system of major arterial roads and throughways. Beecroft Road was part of the Metroad 2
Metroad 2
Metroad 2 is a Metroad in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It links Windsor to Artarmon.-Route Information:* Extremities: Lane Cove Tunnel at Artarmon to Windsor* Approximate length: 53 km...
thoroughfare which took motorists between Sydney's Central Business District and Windsor via the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Epping and Castle Hill.
Churches
The Anglican church - formerly the Church of England - was especially prominent in Beecroft society. The suburb itself has three churches within its boundaries; St. John's Anglican (Church of England) Church and Beecroft Uniting Church on Beecroft Road, with Beecroft Presbyterian Church on Mary Street, opposite the school.Education
Beecroft has three Primary Schools, an independentIndependent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
Anglican school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
and a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
on the border of Carlingford
Carlingford, New South Wales
Carlingford is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Carlingford is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the The Hills Shire, Hornsby Shire and the City of Parramatta...
:
- Beecroft Primary School - established in 1897
- Roselea Public School
- St. Gerard Majella Catholic Primary School
- Arden Anglican SchoolArden Anglican SchoolArden Anglican School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational day school, located in Beecroft and Epping, both north-western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
- Carlingford High SchoolCarlingford High SchoolCarlingford High School is a government high school located in Carlingford, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.-History:The decision to build a new high school at North Carlingford was made in early 1967...
Sport and recreation
Birdlife
The central bushlands are known for the presence of the Satin BowerbirdSatin Bowerbird
The Satin Bowerbird, Ptilonorhynchus violaceus is a bowerbird endemic to eastern Australia.A rare natural intergeneric hybrid between the Satin Bowerbird and the Regent Bowerbird is known as Rawnsley's Bowerbird.-Distribution:...
, and many blue objects such as milk bottle tops and clothes pegs from nearby homes can be found in their nests. Other bird species found in the local bush include the kookaburra
Kookaburra
Kookaburras are terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. They are large to very large, with a total length of . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, and is onomatopoeic of its call...
, yellow-tailed black cockatoo
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo is a large cockatoo native to the south-east of Australia measuring 55–65 cm in length. It has a short crest on the top of its head. Its plumage is mostly brownish black and it has prominent yellow cheek patches and a yellow tail band...
, galah
Galah
The Galah , Eolophus roseicapilla, also known as the Rose-breasted Cockatoo, Galah Cockatoo, Roseate Cockatoo or Pink and Grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.It is endemic on the mainland and was...
, corella
Licmetis
Licmetis is a subgenus of the white cockatoos . They are collectively known as corellas in Australia. Three of the six species are primarily - or only - found in Australia, while the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Solomons each have an endemic species...
, sulphur-crested cockatoos
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita, is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia and New Guinea. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being considered pests...
, rainbow lorikeet
Rainbow Lorikeet
The Rainbow Lorikeet, is a species of Australasian parrot found in Australia, eastern Indonesia , Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. In Australia, it is common along the eastern seaboard, from Queensland to South Australia and northwest Tasmania...
, whipbird
Eastern Whipbird
The Eastern Whipbird is an insectivorous passerine bird native to the east coast of Australia, its whip-crack call a familiar sound in forests of eastern Australia. Two subspecies are recognised. Heard much more often than seen, it is a dark olive-green and black in colour with a distinctive white...
, king parrot
Australian King Parrot
The Australian King Parrot is endemic to eastern Australia. It is found in humid and heavily forested upland regions of the eastern portion of the continent, including eucalyptus wooded areas in and directly adjacent to subtropical and temperate rainforest...
, Eastern
Eastern Rosella
The Eastern Rosella is a rosella native to southeast of the Australian continent and to Tasmania. It has been introduced to New Zealand where feral populations are found in the North Island and in the hills around Dunedin in the South Island.-Taxonomy:The Eastern Rosella was named by...
and crimson rosella
Crimson Rosella
The Crimson Rosella is a parrot native to eastern and south eastern Australia which has been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It is commonly found in, but not restricted to, mountain forests and gardens. The species as it now stands has subsumed two former separate species, the Yellow...
, bush turkey
Australian Brush-turkey
The Australian Brushturkey or Australian Brush-turkey, , also frequently called the Scrub Turkey or Bush Turkey, is a common, widespread species of mound-building bird from the family Megapodiidae found in eastern Australia from Far North Queensland to Illawarra in New South Wales...
, butcher bird
Butcherbird
Butcherbirds are magpie-like birds in the genus Cracticus. They are native to Australasia. Their closest relatives are the three species of currawong...
, crested pigeon
Crested Pigeon
The Crested Pigeon is a bird found widely throughout mainland Australia except for far tropical north areas. It is the only member of the genus Ocyphaps.There are only two Australian pigeon species that possess an erect crest, being the Crested Pigeon and the Spinifex Pigeon...
, powerful owl
Powerful Owl
The Powerful Owl , also known as the Powerful Boobok, is a species of owl native to south-eastern and eastern Australia, the largest owl on that continent...
, magpie
Australian Magpie
The Australian Magpie is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. A member of the Artamidae, it is closely related to the butcherbirds...
and currawong
Currawong
Currawongs are three species of medium-sized passerine birds belonging to the genus Strepera in the family Artamidae native to Australasia. These are the Grey Currawong , Pied Currawong , and Black Currawong . The common name comes from the call of the familiar Pied Currawong of eastern Australia...
.
Notable residents
- Sir Garfield Barwick (Australian High Court Justice)Garfield BarwickSir Garfield Edward John Barwick, was the Attorney-General of Australia , Minister for External Affairs and the seventh and longest serving Chief Justice of Australia...
- George SargentGeorge Sargent (businessman)George Sargent was an Australian businessman. With his wife, Charlotte Sargent, and Foster Sargent he founded Sargent's meat pies in 1906.They started selling pies for a penny in a small shop in Paddington, New South Wales in 1891....
of Australian meat pieAustralian meat pieAn Australian or New Zealand meat pie is a hand-sized meat pie containing largely diced or minced meat and gravy, sometimes with onion, mushrooms, or cheese and often consumed as a takeaway food snack. The pie itself is similar to the United Kingdom's steak pie.It is considered iconic in Australia...
fame - Ruth CracknellRuth CracknellRuth Cracknell AM was an Australian theatre and television character actress who appeared in many comedy roles. She was known variously as "Crackers", "Dame Crackers" and "Dame Ruth" throughout a career spanning 56 years....
(Australian actress of Mother and SonMother and SonMother and Son is a Logie Award-winning Australian television sitcom produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 16 January 1984 until 21 March 1994. The show stars Ruth Cracknell, Garry McDonald, Henri Szeps and Judy Morris...
fame) - Allan Seale MBE (Australian horticulturalist and television personality)
- Anh DoAnh DoAnh Do is a Vietnamese Australian author, actor and stand-up comedian.He has appeared on many Australian TV shows such as Thank God You're Here and Good News Week, and was runner-up on Dancing With The Stars in 2007. He studied a combined Business Law degree at the University of Technology, Sydney...
(comedian)