Sylvania Waters, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Sylvania Waters is a suburb
, in southern
Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Sylvania Waters is located 21 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district
in the local government area of Sutherland Shire
.
Sylvania Waters surrounds Gwawley Bay on the southern side of the Georges River
. Sylvania
is a separate suburb to the west, and Sylvania Heights
is a locality within that suburb. Much of the waterfront areas of Sylvania Waters were reclaimed from Gwawley Bay. Many streets and houses are built on artificial islands. The main road in Sylvania Waters, Belgrave Esplanade, essentially stretches from Tom Uglys Bridge
to Captain Cook Bridge
- two of the three main northern entry points for the Sutherland Shire across the Georges River.
(1811-88) owned the land that stretched from Sutherland to Cronulla. Holt had built Sutherland House on the foreshore of Gwawley Bay in 1818, on the eastern side of Sylvania. He established the Sutherland Estate Company in 1881 and a village grew there, with a post office opening in 1883. The school opened in 1884 but closed in 1891 and was not reopened until 1925. Sylvania Heights Public School opened in 1955.
Sylvania Waters Estate was developed by L.J. Hooker
in the 1960s: the land offered had water frontages with boating facilities. James Goyen
won the tender to design the estate, to construct the houses and to promote the new suburb. Streets were named after Australian rivers to emphasise the association with water, such as Shoalhaven, Tweed, Murrumbidgee, Hawkesbury and Barwon.
was a 1992 reality television program which followed the lives of the Donaher family living at Macintyre Crescent. The suburb became infamous when the series screened across Australia and internationally.
One of the artificial islands in Sylvania Waters (James Cook Island) was used in the filming of the movie Superman Returns
(2006) as the location of Lois Lane's house.
Census
of Population, there were 2,963 people usually resident in Sylvania Waters. 27.3% stated they were born overseas with the top countries of birth being China 3.8%, United Kingdom 2.4% Greece 2.1%. English was stated as the only language spoken at home by 62.2% of residents and the most common other languages spoken were Greek 8.5% and Cantonese 5.4% and Mandarin 4.0%. The most common responses for religious affiliation were Catholic
29.2%, Anglican 18.6% and Orthodox
15.8%.
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 southern
Southern Sydney
This article refers to an area the same as a combination of St George and SutherlandSouthern Sydney is a general term which is used to describe the southern metropolitan area of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia....
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...
. Sylvania Waters is located 21 kilometres south 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 Sutherland Shire
Sutherland Shire
The Sutherland Shire is a Local Government Area in the Southern Sydney region of Sydney, Australia. Geographically, it is the area to the south of Botany Bay and the Georges River...
.
Sylvania Waters surrounds Gwawley Bay on the southern side of the Georges River
Georges River
The Georges River is a waterway in the state of New South Wales in Australia. It rises to the south-west of Sydney near the coal mining town of Appin, and then flows north past Campbelltown, roughly parallel to the Main South Railway...
. Sylvania
Sylvania, New South Wales
Sylvania is a suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sylvania is located 22 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire....
is a separate suburb to the west, and Sylvania Heights
Sylvania Heights, New South Wales
Sylvania Heights is a locality in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sylvania Heights is located in the north-western part of the suburb of Sylvania....
is a locality within that suburb. Much of the waterfront areas of Sylvania Waters were reclaimed from Gwawley Bay. Many streets and houses are built on artificial islands. The main road in Sylvania Waters, Belgrave Esplanade, essentially stretches from Tom Uglys Bridge
Tom Uglys Bridge
Tom Uglys Bridge is one of three major road crossings of the Georges River in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It consists of two separate bridges that carry the Princes Highway, linking the St George area at Blakehurst to the Sutherland Shire at Sylvania.- Origin of the name :Tom Uglys...
to Captain Cook Bridge
Captain Cook Bridge, New South Wales
The Captain Cook Bridge is one of three major road crossings of the Georges River in Sydney, Australia. It crosses at the mouth of the river into Botany Bay....
- two of the three main northern entry points for the Sutherland Shire across the Georges River.
History
The naming of Sylvania is unclear, but ‘sylvan’ which means inhabiting the woods, relates to the setting of this suburb. The existence of a Sylvan Street, off Princes Highway, seems to confirm this. Thomas HoltThomas Holt
Thomas Holt may refer to:*Tom Holt , author of humorous fantasies and historical fiction*Thomas Holt , English architect*Thomas C. Holt, American writer and historian...
(1811-88) owned the land that stretched from Sutherland to Cronulla. Holt had built Sutherland House on the foreshore of Gwawley Bay in 1818, on the eastern side of Sylvania. He established the Sutherland Estate Company in 1881 and a village grew there, with a post office opening in 1883. The school opened in 1884 but closed in 1891 and was not reopened until 1925. Sylvania Heights Public School opened in 1955.
Sylvania Waters Estate was developed by L.J. Hooker
L.J. Hooker
LJ Hooker is an Australian real estate franchise, founded in 1928, currently owned by Janusz Hooker, the grandson of founder Sir Leslie Hooker and was established in 1928.-History:...
in the 1960s: the land offered had water frontages with boating facilities. James Goyen
James Goyen
The builder, James Goyen, constructed many houses and other buildings in the St George District, south of the Cooks River, New South Wales, Australia. Initially he had trained as a carpenter. His ability, leadership skills, personal qualities and business acumen transformed him from an employee to...
won the tender to design the estate, to construct the houses and to promote the new suburb. Streets were named after Australian rivers to emphasise the association with water, such as Shoalhaven, Tweed, Murrumbidgee, Hawkesbury and Barwon.
Commercial area
Sylvania Waters is mostly residential with three small shopping strips located on Belgrave Esplanade. Sylvania Shopping Village is located near Box Road, Sylvania shopping Centre is near Murrumbidgee Avenue and the Richmond Centre is near Richmond Avenue. Doltone House is a function centre close to Sylvania Shopping Village. Sylvania Waters has the highest median sale price for houses in the Sutherland Shire Area - $1.4535 million (2004).Sport
Sylvania Waters is home to the Sylvania Waters Athletics Track, a state-of-the-art facility, where many local and state events are held. Next to this is the Sylvania Waters Tennis Court Complex and the home ground of the Southern Districts Rugby Club.Culture
Sylvania WatersSylvania Waters (TV series)
Sylvania Waters was an Australian reality television series that followed the lives of an Australian family – one of the first such programs in Australia. It premiered on Australian television in 1992 and was co-produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the British Broadcasting...
was a 1992 reality television program which followed the lives of the Donaher family living at Macintyre Crescent. The suburb became infamous when the series screened across Australia and internationally.
One of the artificial islands in Sylvania Waters (James Cook Island) was used in the filming of the movie Superman Returns
Superman Returns
Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer. It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II by ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace .The film stars...
(2006) as the location of Lois Lane's house.
Population
According to 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
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of Population, there were 2,963 people usually resident in Sylvania Waters. 27.3% stated they were born overseas with the top countries of birth being China 3.8%, United Kingdom 2.4% Greece 2.1%. English was stated as the only language spoken at home by 62.2% of residents and the most common other languages spoken were Greek 8.5% and Cantonese 5.4% and Mandarin 4.0%. The most common responses for religious affiliation were 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...
29.2%, Anglican 18.6% and Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
15.8%.