JaneyAnne

Terrey Hills is a suburb of Sydney situated 25 kilometres north of the CBD, in the local government area of Warringah Council and is part of the Northern Beaches region. It is bordered by Kuring-gai Chase National Park to the north, Ingleside to the east, Oxford Falls to the south and Duffy’s Forest to the west. It has a population of about 2,850, 27% of whom are under 18 and 20% of whom are over 60.

The suburb was named after two of the original land owners – a Mr Terrey and a Mr Hills.

It is a very bushy suburb with a somewhat rural atmosphere. Many houses are on small acreages and the average property price for houses is $800,000. It is also a very horsey suburb with many people owning horses. It is home to quite a few horse riding schools. Many horse trails provide an opportunity to enjoy their interest to the full..

Being a bushland suburb there is always the danger of bushfires in summer. Terrey Hills is the headquarters for the Volunteer Services Centre of Warringah Council, with the Rural Fire Service, and the State Emergency Service.

Two international schools are located in Terrey Hills – the German International School and the Sydney Japanese School – both catering for children from Kinder to Year 12. As well there are the Terrey Hills Public School, the Northern Beaches Christian School, and the Kinma School for primary, pre school and playgroup.

Terrey Hills is a suburb where one can escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

Brookvale is a suburb of Sydney 16 kilometres north-east of the CBD in the local government area of the Warringah Council but still considered to be in the Northern beaches district of Sydney.

Bounded on the north by Narraweena, the east by Curl Curl, the south by North Manly and Allambie Heights and to the west by Allambie Heights. The population in 2006 was 3210 with 19% under 18 and 18% over 60. Just on half of the dwellings are separate houses and a third is rented.

The reason for the low population is that most go home at night. It is an area of small offices, light industry, shops and trades. Warringah Mall is a case in point. It is one of the large shopping centres in Sydney. It is interesting that the storm water drainage is in need of a major upgrade underneath and around the shopping centre.

The famous Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles National Rugby League's home is at Brookvale oval.

The median price for houses is $620,000 which is not high on the Sydney scale. Units have a median price of $450,000. This is interesting as the price of a unit is three quarters that of a house. Go figure!

A fabulous place to visit or live!

Whale Beach is situated 40 kilometres north of Sydney’s CBD in the local government area of Pittwater Council and is part of the Northern Beaches. It is bordered by Palm Beach to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the east, Clareville and Avalon to the south, and Careel Bay to the west.

Whale Beach is a very prestigious area of the Northern Beaches with houses prices usually well over $2 million.

It is a quiet area during the colder months but summer is a different story when many holiday makers flock to the area. There is a lot of accommodation available but most of it is quite pricey. Probably the most luxurious and exclusive place to stay is Jonah’s which also has a wonderful restaurant. It is the only Relais & Chateaux (the most prestigious hotel association in the world) hotel in New South Wales. It is possible to get to Jonah’s from Rose Bay (in the eastern suburbs) by a 12-minute seaplane flight – what an experience that would be! I remember a very romantic dinner with my now husband at Jonah’s about 30 years ago.

There is a Surf Life Saving Club which was established in 1937. It is unusual in that the Clubhouse is owned by the members and not by the Council. The beach is relatively small at 850m long. At the north end is the area known as the “Wedge” which is a favourite surfing spot.

Whale Beach – a fabulous place to visit or live!

North Manly is a suburb of Sydney 17 kilometres north-east of the CBD in the local government area of the Warringah Council but still considered to be in the Northern beaches district of Sydney.

Its postcode is 2100

It is bounded on the north by Brookvale, the east by North Curl Curl, Harbord and Manly, the south by Manly Vale and to the west by Allambie Heights and North Balgowlah. The population in 2006 was 2666 with 25% under 18 and 20% over 60. 86% of the dwellings are separate houses and only 18% are rented. Its postcode is 2100

Warringah Golf Club is an 18 hole course and was established 70 years ago between Condamine Road and Pittwater Road. It is a favourite course for professional and social golfers alike. It is interesting that the men's joining fee is $750 while the fee for women is only $375. Are they only half the players or are they lighter on the green?

The median price for houses is $878,500.

As a piece of trivia, there are 6 public toilets registered in the suburb with 5 on Pittwater Road and one around the corner in Kentwell Road which bisects the golf club.

North Manly is a pleasant place to live but is mainly a dormitory for surrounding suburbs

The Sydney suburb of Frenchs Forest is located 13 kilometres north of the CBD in the local government area of Warringah Shire and is part of the Northern Beaches area. It has a population of about 12,500, 17% of whom are under 18 and 19% of whom are over 60.

Frenchs Forest is a suburb with lots of facilities. There is a big shopping centre – Forestway Shopping Centre – at the corner of Forest Way and Warringah Road. There are a couple of smaller shopping centres with restaurants and other shops. One, called The Skyline, was built on the site of the Skyline Drive-In Theatre which was closed in the mid-80’s.

Children are well catered for with two primary schools – Frenchs Forest Public School and the Mimosa Public School – and two high schools – Davidson High and The Forest High School.

Forest Coach Lines run regular bus services to Chatswood Railway Station, Warringah Mall and to the City.

The average price of houses in the suburb is $762,500.

The Garingal National Park is nearby abounding in native flora and fauna. Because of the proximity of the Park there is always the danger of bushfires in the summer.

All in all, Frenchs Forest is a pleasant and convenient suburb.

Mona Vale is a suburb of Sydney located in the Northern Beaches area. To the north is Newport, to the south Warriewood, to the west Bayview, and to the east the Pacific Ocean. It is situated at the junction of Mona Vale Road and Pittwater Road – two of the main (and busiest) thoroughfares in North Shore Sydney.

Mona Vale has been inhabited since 1814 when Robert Campbell was given a land grant. It is now the administrative centre for the Pittwater Council.

The suburb is a well serviced community with two primary schools, a high school, a golf club, a public library, two supermarkets and a wide variety of shops including 15 restaurants.

The beach is suitable for all – from children to serious surfers. There are actually two beaches – the Basin and Mona Vale Beach. I can remember as a child, in the early 60’s, having a fabulous week long holiday down at Mona Vale with my best school friend – boy did we have fun!

Mona Vale has a population of about 9,400, mainly in the 25-59 age bracket – nearly 40% of whom are professionals.

I’m sure Mona Vale has changed a lot since I was a child, but I still cherish very fond memories of a very happy time.

Beacon Hill is a suburb of Sydney situated 17 kilometres north east of the CBD in the local government area of Warringah Council and is part of the Northern Beaches district. It has a population of about 6,100 26% of whom are under 18 and 19% of whom are over 60.

The suburb is in a tranquil setting with affordable houses. The average price for property in Beacon Hill is $755,000.

The area has been settled since 1857 and the name was chosen because of the trigonometric beacon that was built there in 1881.

There is a bus service run by Sydney Buses but the usual mode of transport is private car. Being close to Warringah Road makes access to beaches, shopping centres and other amenities reasonably easy. The suburb has a well established nature reserve on its boundary.

There is one primary school in the suburb. Beacon Hill High School has been closed and its nearly 2 hectares of land was sold for $8.75 million to a developer. Older school children now have to travel to go to high school.

Being close to bushland there is always the risk of bushfires but the Beacon Hill Bush Fire Brigade has been established since 1948.

Allambie Heights is a suburb in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney situated 17 kilometres north east of the CBD in the local government area of Warringah Council. It has a population of about 6,600, 25% of whom are under 18 and 24% of whom are over 60.

It is bordered on the west by the Manly Warringah War Memorial Park which covers an area of 375 hectares. This park has a number of species of flora and fauna and has picnic areas, tennis courts, a sports field and an aquatic centre. The area however, is prone to bushfires which regularly destroy bushland which does fortunately regenerate fairly quickly.

The average price of houses in Allambie Heights is $800,000. There are a number of retirement villages in the suburb. There is also a small shopping centre.

There is one primary school – Allambie Height Public School. Older children need to travel to neighbouring suburbs to go to high school.

Since 1957 Allambie Heights has been home to the Spastic Centre which has done wonderful work with those suffering from cerebral palsy. Its administration building was burnt down in 2007 and is currently being rebuilt. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt in the fire.

Balgowlah is a suburb of Sydney 12 kilometres north-east of the CBD in the local government area of the Manly Council but still considered to be in the Northern Beaches district of Sydney.

It is bounded on the north by Manly Vale, the east by Fairlight, the south by Balgowlah Heights and to the west by Seaforth. The population in 2006 was 6,228 with 23% under 18 and 19% over 60. 38% of the dwellings are separate houses and 18% are high density units.

An interesting piece of trivia is that Captain Arthur Phillip observed a group of Aborigines on the beach at North harbour. These would have been the ones that he named Manly after. Over the years the district of Manly has shifted to its present location and the area that was originally called Manly is now Balgowlah which supposedly meant "North Shore".

When it comes to aboriginal names I am of the firm conviction that half of them mean "Your finger you fool" or something equivalent. This would be because of the early European habit of pointing at something and asking for its name. Aboriginal humour is often subtle and understated and they are still capable of taking the mickey out of anybody.

Balgowlah is a pleasant place to live with some outstanding views.

Balgowlah Heights is a suburb of Sydney 11 kilometres north-east of the CBD in the local government area of the Manly Council but still considered to be in the Northern Beaches district of Sydney.

It is bounded on the north by Balgowlah, the east by the waters of North Harbour, the south by Sydney harbour and Clontarf and to the west by Clontarf. The population in 2006 was 3,102 with 31.6% under 18 and 20% over 60. 92% of all dwellings are separate houses. The rental rate is very low at 9.5%.

It is interesting that over 10% of the population were born in the United Kingdom.

The median price for houses is $1,600,000. Some of the larger houses have good views south over the harbour and east towards the heads. The Manly ferry would be in plain sight for most of its trip from Circular Quay. Some on Cutler Road are not only magnificent, they are spectacular as well.

There is the usual cluster of boats on the water off Sandy Bay Road. The tidal pool is nearly full of sand at the moment, but that will change in time.

Overall, Balgowlah Heights is a very pleasant place to live.

North Balgowlah is a suburb of Sydney 13 kilometres north-east of the CBD in the local government area of the Warringah Council but still considered to be in the Northern Beaches district of Sydney.

It is bounded on the north by Allambie Heights and Manly Vale, the east by Fairlight and Balgowlah, the south by Clontarf and Balgowlah Heights and to the west by Seaforth. The population in 2006 was 3,264 with 30% under 18 and 13.8% over 60. 85% of dwellings are separate houses. The rental rate is 24%.

Until the 1940's the hilly suburb of North Balgowlah was a scattering of houses on a dirt road in the scrub. Development did not really commence until the transit routes were tarred and footpaths installed.

The median price for houses in the suburb is $905,000 with a slow but regular increase. The short term fall of 30% of recent times will be made up in the next real estate cycle with some change to spare. It is interesting to note that units have held their value better than houses. This is possibly due to more units being rented than houses.

The Wakehurst Golf Club off the Wakehurst Parkway in neighbouring Seaforth is a destination for those seeking good food, fresh air and an overdose of natural beauty. I would suggest that this is one of the prettiest golf courses in Greater Sydney.

Manly Vale is a suburb of Sydney 17 kilometres north-east of the CBD in the local government area of the Warringah Council but still considered to be in the Northern Beaches district of Sydney.

It is bounded on the north by North Manly and Allambie Heights, the east by Queenscliff and Manly, the south by North Balgowlah, Balgowlah and Fairlight and to the west by Allambie Heights. The population in 2006 was 5010 with 20% under 18 and 16% over 60. 47% of people live in high density dwellings.

Most of the suburb is devoted to residential however there is a light industrial area on Condamine Street.

Manly Dam was created to provide a freshwater supply for the then township of Manly. It has had the wall raised a couple of times in the past century. It is now too small to supply the huge appetite for water of those living in Manly. It now functions as a park and refuge for wildlife.

Mountain bike tracks attract many riders each year and as the tracks are narrow, they have become eroded in spots. This has led to the closure of the park after rain to allow the roads and tracks to settle.

I have pleasant memories of partying at the dam with a mob of friends, one of whom is now my wife.

12 kilometres north east of the Sydney CBD is the Northern Beach suburb of Seaforth. It is in the local government area of Manly Council. It is bordered by Clontarf, Balgowlah, Manly Vale and Middle Harbour. It has a population of about 6,300, 29% of whom are under 18 and 17% of whom are over 60.

The suburb is located above Middle Harbour and The Spit and commands fabulous views of Sydney Harbour. It celebrated its centenary in 2006. Most of its development has been since World War II. The average price of houses is $1.2 million and the average price for units is $808,500.

The shopping centre has recently been expanded with the opening of the Panorama Shopping Centre. There are quite a few restaurants and Seaforth is home to the Balgowlah RSL Club.

Dalwood Children’s Home is situated in Seaforth. This home gives short term care to underprivileged and disadvantaged children. I can remember being asked to donate old clothes every year to the Dalwood Children’s Home when I was at primary school.

There is a primary school in Seaforth. Older children need to travel to neighbouring suburbs to go to high school.

The suburb is serviced by public bus transport. access to Mosman is via the Spit Bridge.

Seaforth is a very pleasant suburb with panoramic views.

The beautiful harbour side suburb of Clontarf is situated 13 kilometres north east of the Sydney CBD in the local government area of Manly Council and is part of the Northern Beaches. It has a population of about 1600 people, 28% of whom are under 18 and 23% of whom are over 60.

It is a suburb of large beautiful homes that have an average price of $2.6 million. Most of the houses have views to Spit Bridge and over Middle Harbour. Clontarf is a very desirable address.

However, this was not always so. During the middle 1800’s it was a popular place for Sydney workers to spend days off – often as many as 5,000 would arrive via ferry to have a picnic and many drunken brawls and loutish behaviour would ensue.. It was also at Clontarf that the first royal visitor to Australia, in 1868, was shot by an Irishman. This was Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, one of Queen Victoria’s sons. Alfred survived but the perpetrator was hung!

There is a long narrow beach at Clontarf that has a playground, a pool, barbecues and a marina. There are no schools in the suburb so children need to travel to neighbouring suburbs.

Clontarf would be one of the nicest places to live in Sydney.

Manly is a suburb of Sydney 17 kilometres north-east of the CBD in the local government area of the Manly Council but still considered to be in the Northern beaches district of Sydney.

Bounded on the north by Queenscliff, the east and south by the Pacific Ocean and to the west by Fairlight and Manly Vale, Manly had a population in 2006 of 13,934 with 12.8% under 18 and 20.3% over 60. 55% of the dwellings are privately owned. Nearly half are high density with only 13% being separate houses.

Transport to and from Manly by road will take you over the Spit Bridge. OK during off peak times but a bit slow at other times. The ferries are a great way to travel to and from the city. 40 minutes of gentle ocean cruise is a great way to start and finish the work day. It gives you time to separate your life into work and play.

The Corso is a pedestrian plaza that is famous for shopping and it's restaurants. There is a good variety of food all within a small area. The Corso leads from the ferry terminal to the beach on the other side of the peninsula and the Norfolk Pine trees.

This is a place that is perfect to visit and play, but not for me to live.

Queenscliff is a suburb of Sydney 16 kilometres north-east of the CBD in the local government area of the Warringah Council but still considered to be in the Northern beaches district of Sydney.

Bounded on the north by North Manly and Freshwater, the east by the Pacific Ocean, the south by Manly and to the west by North Manly. The population in 2006 was 3049 with 12% under 18 and 12% over 60.

The Queenscliff Rock Pool is located at the top end of Manly Beach at North Steyne. Measuring 50m by 14 m the pool is shallow and the sides are not parallel. The pool is cut into the rock platform and has marked lanes. As it is a tidal pool it is flushed by the ocean twice daily. A good place to swim your laps.

A small piece of trivia, there are 2 public toilets in Queenscliff. These are at the Amateur Swimming Club and the Surf Club.

Property is not cheap in the area with the median price of houses at $950,000 and units at $490,000. At the time of writing house prices were falling slightly while unit prices are increasing. Swings and roundabouts I guess.

Fairlight is a suburb of Sydney located 13 kilometres north east of the CBD in the local government area of Manly Council and part of the Northern Beaches area. It is surrounded by the suburbs of Manly, Balgowlah, Manly Vale, North Balgowlah and Clontarf. It has a population of about 5,400 of whom 19% are under 18 and 18% are over 60.

It is mainly a residential suburb with house prices averaging $1.1 million and units averaging $567,500.

There are no schools in the suburb so children need to travel to neighbouring suburbs for school. There is also no commercial area; however, there are many centres nearby for shopping and entertainment. Fairlight is serviced by government buses taking residents to nearby suburbs and into the city.

Fairlight Beach is not suitable for surfing as it is quite rocky but swimming and snorkelling can be enjoyed. It is also quite a popular SCUBA diving site as just offshore there are a couple of sunken wrecks. There is a small rock pool and the beach is covered with gritty sand. It is part of the Manly Scenic Walkway.

Fairlight is a quiet suburb for those who prefer a peaceful environment rather than the more hectic pace of nearby Manly.

Edgecliff is located 4 kilometres east of Sydney’s CBD. It is the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra and is part of the Eastern Suburbs. It is surrounded by the suburbs of Double Bay, Woollahra, Paddington, Rose Bay and Darling Point. It has a population of about 1,650 8% of whom are under 18 and 28% of whom are over 60.

Due to its proximity to the city and house prices in the area are quite high average 41.05 million. The average price of home units is $450,000.

It is well serviced by public transport. It is part of the Eastern Suburbs Railway and there is a bus interchange. Edgecliff Eastpoint shopping centre is located above the railway station (which is underground) and below the bus interchange.

Edgecliff is home to the prestigious Ascham School which is one of the oldest girls’ schools in Australia, having been founded in 1886. One of the buildings occupied by Ascham dates back to 1864 and is on the Register of the National Estate. There are no other schools in Edgecliff so other children travel to neighbouring suburbs for school.

Edgecliff is a nice suburb conveniently placed with lots of facilities.

Harbord is a suburb of Sydney 17 kilometres north-east of the CBD in the local government area of the Warringah Council but still considered to be in the Northern beaches district of Sydney. Bounded on the north by Curl Curl, the east by the Pacific Ocean, the south by Manly, and to the west by North Manly. The population in 2006 was 7873 with 20% under 18 and 14% over 60.

Originally the suburb was Harbord Estate named after the wife of the then Governor of New South Wales. The name Freshwater applied to the beach and the hills behind. The owners of the tourist facilities decided that their businesses would be advantaged by the more holiday like name of Harbord.

This caused considerable debate and no small incidents of fisticuffs. When the local school was built in 1912, the Minister of Education was petitioned to name it Harbord. He refused and the name Freshwater Public School was applied.

The Post Office was the next attempt. The Postmaster General weakened and accepted the new name. Freshwater was officially renamed Harbord in 1923.

This was not the end. In 2003 the Warringah Council was petitioned by the Chamber of Commerce to rename the suburb Freshwater as the name sounded more touristy. When placed to a public vote 774 voted in for and 161 voted against the name change.

The name of Freshwater was applied officially on the 12th of January 2008.

Identity crisis aside, the suburb has a small but delightful beach beside what is effectively a dormitory suburb.

The very prestigious harbourside suburb of Point Piper is situated 6 kilometres east of Sydney’s CBD in the Municipality of Woollahra and is part of the Eastern Suburbs. It has a population of about 1,400 16% of whom are under 18 and 30% of whom are over 60. It is bounded by Sydney Harbour to the west, north and east and by Rose Bay and Double Bay to the south.

This affluent suburb has only 11 streets where house prices are astronomical. The main road, Wolseley Road is one of the 10 most expensive streets in the world! In 2008 a property sold in the suburb for the outrageous price of $32.4 million where only four years before it was sold for $16.15 million.

The area has been inhabited since 1792. There is no commercial area so residents would shop in nearby Double Bay or the city. It is home to the exclusive Royal Motor Yacht Club and the equally exclusive Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club.

A very popular place for picnics and weddings is Duff Reserve. There are two beaches Lady Martin Beach and Seven Shillings Beach which also has a pool, though I don’t think any of the residents would use it as nearly every house has a swimming pool!

Point Piper is well worth a visit just to look at the magnificent mansions that command wonderful views and such high prices.