Birchgrove, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Birchgrove is a suburb
in the inner-west
of Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia. Birchgrove is located 5 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district
, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt
.
Birchgrove is located on the north-west slope of the Balmain peninsula, overlooking Sydney Harbour, and includes Yurulbin and Ballast Points. Balmain
is the only adjacent suburb. The long waterfront provides views of the Parramatta River
with Cockatoo Island
dominating the foreground. It is one of the wealthier suburbs of Sydney thanks to its harbour frontages.
In March 1814, the estate was purchased by merchant trader Roland Walpole Loane
. By 1818, Loane had returned to land holdings in Tasmania
and the estate was leased for many years. Loane unsuccessfully attempted to sub-divide the lot into four parcels in 1833. In 1838, the estate was purchased along with land in the Balmain
estate by Captain John McLean. Financial difficulties forced McLean to mortgage the estate and additional land, but the Supreme Court finally foreclosed on loans in April 1844. In 1850, the estate was briefly owned by Henry Watson Parker, who would later become the third premier of New South Wales. Later the same year, the estate was purchased by Didier Numa Joubert. Jourbert leased the property to William Salmon Deliotte until 1856.
Between 1856 and 1860, Joubert instructed William Brownrigg to survey the first subdivision of ten lots. Streets were named after the Joubert family. Birchgrove House was sold to Jacob Levi Montefiore during the subdivision. Sale of the allotments fell well short of expectations with three lots remaining unsold by 1866. By December 1862, Joubert was forced to surrender his remaining interest to the Bank of New South Wales.
From the 1860s, a number of waterfront businesses appeared in the area including coopers
, boat builders and the Morrison & Sinclair
shipyard.
By 1878, due to market pressure from prices in nearby Balmain estate, 82 lots of the original subdivision remained unsold. Additional land was carved from the Birchgrove House when it was sold to John Lowry Adams in 1878. A syndicate of businessmen purchased the remaining lots of the estate and commissioned architect Ferdinand Reuss to draw up a new plan for subdivision. This second subdivision was much more successful with all lots sold within several years.
The local landmark is Clifton Villa, a three-storey sandstone house in the Gothic style. The house was built in the late 1860s and is surrounded by a covered verandah. In the mid-1870s a ballroom was added. The house's interior features a marble fireplace and cedar woodwork, while the exterior includes a caretaker's cottage that was originally a carriage house. Clifton Villa is now listed on the Register of the National Estate
.
In 1900 Adams subdivided the Birchgrove House grounds into 12 lots. In 1911 Mary Scot further subdivided Birchgrove House into 5 lots. The house was eventually demolished in 1967 to make way for units.
The suburb was the location of the Balmain Colliery
, Australia's deepest coal mine.
Sydney Buses operates a service from Birchgrove Park
to Art Gallery of NSW via the Queen Victoria Building
(QVB). During peak hour this service terminates at QVB. Another service runs from Birchgrove Park, along Darling Street, Balmain
, through Glebe
and Ultimo
to Millers Point and The Rocks
, via George Street.
, which hosts the annual Balmain Regatta, claimed to be the oldest regatta in Australia, run for the first time in 1849.
Census of Population and Housing, the population of Birchgrove stood at 3,520 people, 51.5% females and 48.5% males, with a median age of 38 years. 25.4% of the population was born overseas with England (9.4%), New Zealand (2.6%) and Ireland (1.1%) the most common. The five strongest religious affiliations in the area were in descending order: no religion (32.4%), Catholic
(21.3%), Anglican (18.9%), Uniting Church (2.3%) and Presbyterian and Reformed
(2.1%).
Birchgrove's population is typically wealthy, with a median weekly household income of $2,340, compared with $1,027 in Australia. The most common types of occupation for employed persons were Professionals (44%), Managers (23.7%), and Clerical and Administrative Workers (13.5%). 58% of the suburbs occupied private dwellings were family households, 26.7% were lone person households and 4.9% were group households.
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...
in the inner-west
Inner West (Sydney)
The Inner West is a general term which is used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia...
of 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. Birchgrove is located 5 kilometres 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 the Municipality of Leichhardt
Municipality of Leichhardt
The Municipality of Leichhardt is a Local Government Area in the inner-west of Sydney, in state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The Municipality of Leichhardt stands on land that traditionally belonged to the Gadigal and Wangal people, of the Eora nation...
.
Birchgrove is located on the north-west slope of the Balmain peninsula, overlooking Sydney Harbour, and includes Yurulbin and Ballast Points. Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
is the only adjacent suburb. The long waterfront provides views of the Parramatta River
Parramatta River
The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
with Cockatoo Island
Cockatoo Island, New South Wales
Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located at the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers, Cockatoo Island is a former imperial prison, industrial school, reformatory and gaol. It was also the site of one of Australia's biggest...
dominating the foreground. It is one of the wealthier suburbs of Sydney thanks to its harbour frontages.
History
Birchgrove was named after Birchgrove House, built by Lieutenant John Birch, paymaster of the 73rd regiment, around 1812. He added 'grove' to his surname when naming the house because of the large number of orange trees growing on the original site. The house was constructed of stone believed to have been quarried on site.In March 1814, the estate was purchased by merchant trader Roland Walpole Loane
Roland Warpole Loane
Roland Walpole Loane was a merchant descended from a family of English landlords and early settler in New South Wales. Concerned more with his personal wealth than contributing to colonial society, Loane became a well-known within the colony for his unscrupulous actions and unceasing...
. By 1818, Loane had returned to land holdings in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and the estate was leased for many years. Loane unsuccessfully attempted to sub-divide the lot into four parcels in 1833. In 1838, the estate was purchased along with land in the Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
estate by Captain John McLean. Financial difficulties forced McLean to mortgage the estate and additional land, but the Supreme Court finally foreclosed on loans in April 1844. In 1850, the estate was briefly owned by Henry Watson Parker, who would later become the third premier of New South Wales. Later the same year, the estate was purchased by Didier Numa Joubert. Jourbert leased the property to William Salmon Deliotte until 1856.
From the 1860s, a number of waterfront businesses appeared in the area including coopers
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
, boat builders and the Morrison & Sinclair
Morrison & Sinclair
Morrison & Sinclair was a Sydney, New South Wales based company and one of the great ship and boat-building names of Port Jackson. The company was founded in the early 1890s and ceased trading in 1970.-History:...
shipyard.
By 1878, due to market pressure from prices in nearby Balmain estate, 82 lots of the original subdivision remained unsold. Additional land was carved from the Birchgrove House when it was sold to John Lowry Adams in 1878. A syndicate of businessmen purchased the remaining lots of the estate and commissioned architect Ferdinand Reuss to draw up a new plan for subdivision. This second subdivision was much more successful with all lots sold within several years.
The local landmark is Clifton Villa, a three-storey sandstone house in the Gothic style. The house was built in the late 1860s and is surrounded by a covered verandah. In the mid-1870s a ballroom was added. The house's interior features a marble fireplace and cedar woodwork, while the exterior includes a caretaker's cottage that was originally a carriage house. Clifton Villa is now listed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
.
In 1900 Adams subdivided the Birchgrove House grounds into 12 lots. In 1911 Mary Scot further subdivided Birchgrove House into 5 lots. The house was eventually demolished in 1967 to make way for units.
The suburb was the location of the Balmain Colliery
Balmain Colliery
Balmain Colliery was a coal mine located in Birchgrove in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It produced coal from 1897 until 1931 and natural gas until 1945...
, Australia's deepest coal mine.
Former tram line to Birchgrove
Tram services branched off from the main line on Darling Street, Balmain, turning left into Rowntree Street, left into Cameron Street and right into Grove Street, before terminating at Wharf Road in Birchgrove. A government bus service now follows the former tram routeLandmarks
- Ballast PointBallast Point, New South WalesBallast Point is a 2.6 hectare area located in Birchgrove at the tip of the Balmain Peninsula in the Municipality of Leichhardt in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
is a 2.6 hectare former industrial site located at the tip of the Balmain Peninsular now redeveloped as a public open space. - Yurulbin ParkYurulbin Park, New South WalesYurulbin Park is a 1.5 acre public open space located at the end of Yurulbin Point on the Balmain Peninsula in the suburb of Birchgrove in the Municipality of Leichhardt in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.-Description:...
is a former shipbuilding site located at the end of Yurulbin Point (Long Nose Point) which has been transformed into an award winning public space. - Pubs - Birchgrove and Balmain are home to many famous drinking establishments, including the Sir William Wallace Hotel, named after the Scottish hero who was the subject of the film Braveheart.
Transport
Birchgrove ferry wharf provides access to the Inner Harbour ferry services, which runs services to Circular Quay.Sydney Buses operates a service from Birchgrove Park
Birchgrove Park
Birchgrove Park is a park and sports ground located in Birchgrove, New South Wales on the waterfront of Sydney Harbour. It is the location of Birchgrove Oval, a historic rugby league football ground which served as the original home of the Balmain Tigers club...
to Art Gallery of NSW via the Queen Victoria Building
Queen Victoria Building
The Queen Victoria Building, or QVB, is a late nineteenth century building by the architect George McRae in the central business district of Sydney, Australia. The Romanesque Revival building is 30 metres wide by 190 metres long, and fills a city block, bounded by George, Market, York and Druitt...
(QVB). During peak hour this service terminates at QVB. Another service runs from Birchgrove Park, along Darling Street, Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
, through Glebe
Glebe, New South Wales
Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....
and Ultimo
Ultimo, New South Wales
Ultimo is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ultimo is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney....
to Millers Point and The Rocks
The Rocks, New South Wales
The Rocks is an urban locality, tourist precinct and historic area of Sydney's city centre, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the Sydney central business district...
, via George Street.
Recreation
Birchgrove is home to the Balmain Sailing ClubBalmain Sailing Club
Balmain Sailing Club is a sailing club in Municipality of Leichhardt in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia....
, which hosts the annual Balmain Regatta, claimed to be the oldest regatta in Australia, run for the first time in 1849.
Demographics
In the 2006 Australian Bureau of StatisticsAustralian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
Census of Population and Housing, the population of Birchgrove stood at 3,520 people, 51.5% females and 48.5% males, with a median age of 38 years. 25.4% of the population was born overseas with England (9.4%), New Zealand (2.6%) and Ireland (1.1%) the most common. The five strongest religious affiliations in the area were in descending order: no religion (32.4%), Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
(21.3%), Anglican (18.9%), Uniting Church (2.3%) and Presbyterian and Reformed
Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
(2.1%).
Birchgrove's population is typically wealthy, with a median weekly household income of $2,340, compared with $1,027 in Australia. The most common types of occupation for employed persons were Professionals (44%), Managers (23.7%), and Clerical and Administrative Workers (13.5%). 58% of the suburbs occupied private dwellings were family households, 26.7% were lone person households and 4.9% were group households.
Notable residents
- Judy DavisJudy DavisJudy Davis is an Australian actress best known for her roles in Husbands and Wives, Barton Fink, A Passage to India and in the TV miniseries Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows....
- Actress - Robert Klipple - Artist
- Bryan BrownBryan BrownBryan Neathway Brown, AM is an Australian actor.-Early life:Brown was born in Sydney, the son of John Brown and Molly Brown, a house cleaner who worked as a pianist in the early days of the Langshaw School of Ballet. He grew up in the south-western Sydney suburb of Bankstown and began working at...
- Actor