JaneyAnne

Northmead is a suburb of Sydney 25 kilometres west of the CBD. It is in the local government area of the Baulkham Hills Shire and is in the Hills District. It has a population of just under 7,000, 23% of whom are under 18 and 16% of whom are over 60.

Originally the area was one of orchards and small farms.

Today it is a suburb of medium density housing with houses, townhouses and apartments. Expect to spend about $450,000 on a house.

Children are well looked after in Northmead with a public primary school and high school and The Hills School, for children with special needs. The Northmead High School is a performing arts and creative high school catering for talented and gifted children. There are also a couple of child care centres and pre-schools.

Coca Cola Amatil has a factory at Northmead working 24/7 with three eight hour shifts daily. There is a shopping centre on Windsor Road with a supermarket and other specialty shops. There is a commercial area at the corner of Windsor and Brien’s Roads known as the Junction with car accessories, hardware, furniture and various other retailers.

Northmead is a reasonably quiet suburb that has kept some of its tranquillity known in its farming days.

Narrabeen is a suburb of Sydney 23 kilometres north of the CBD in the local government area of the Warringah but still considered to be in the Northern beaches district of Sydney.

Bounded on the north by North Narrabeen and Warriewood, the east by the Pacific Ocean, the south by Cromer, Collaroy Plateau and Collaroy and to the west by Belrose. The population in 2006 was 6364 with 13% under 18 and 32% over 60.

The northern end of Narrabeen Beach is often used for surfing competitions. It is also the breeding ground for many Australian surfing champions. The waves are famous for their varying behaviour depending on the lake's outflow, the tide and the swell. Some well known configurations are known as Carpark Rights and Alley rights. The latter referring to the Alleyway – a rip known as The Alley which provides an easy ride out.

In December 2007 human remains were discovered by workmen excavating for a bus shelter. Upon further investigation the remains were discovered to be those of an Aboriginal male who had been speared to death 4000 years ago. He was called the "Narrabeen Man" and he is reported to be reburied in nearby Kuringai National park in 2008.

Surfin city it sure is

North Narrabeen is a suburb of Sydney 25 kilometres north of the CBD in the local government area of the Pittwater but still considered to be in the Northern Beaches Region of Sydney.

Bounded on the north by Warriewood, the east by the Pacific Ocean, the south by Narrabeen and to the west by Elanora Heights. The population in 2006 was 5186 with 26% under 18 and 15% over 60.

The suburb is mainly residential. There is no major shopping in North Narrabeen, except the trades, car sales and light industry between Garden Street and Warraba Road. There are only 6 restaurants in the suburb so most time out would be a short trip north or south. Shopping would be done at Warriewood on the Jacksons Road centre.

Garden St and Powder Works Road provide the main traffic thoroughfare for the suburb which leads to Pittwater Road for access north and south.

The North Narrabeen rock pool is a pleasant diversion which is underutilised. It can be accessed from Narrabeen Pde. There is little beach in the suburb, however most would swim at the beautiful beaches either side of the lakes outlet.

A pretty place to live.

On the north west outskirts of Sydney, 44 kilometres from the CBD, is Glenorie, a semi rural suburb in the Hills and Hornsby Shires and in the Hills District. It has a population of just over 3,300, 27% of whom are under 18.

It was formally known as North Dural but this was changed to Glenorie in 1894 after a town in Scotland.

Most of the houses in Glenorie are situated on small farms. There are market gardens and orchards.

There is only a primary school which was established in 1888. High school children have to travel to neighbouring suburbs for their schooling.

The Glenorie RSL club offers meals and entertainment with the friendly atmosphere of a small community club.

Probably the best feature of Glenorie is the award winning Glenorie Bakery/Café/Deli which was opened in 1994. Its pies and sausage rolls have won numerous awards. It is a popular destination for weekend drives.

People living in Glenorie would need to do their shopping in either Dural or Castle Hill. However, roadside stalls will provide a lot of their fresh produce at reasonable prices. The stone fruit available in summer is wonderful!

Glenorie is a suburb for those who want total peace and quiet and the lifestyle to match.

The semi-rural suburb of Glenhaven is located 32 kilometres north west of Sydney’s CBD in the Hills Shire and it is part of the Hills District. It has a population of just over 5,500 of whom nearly 30% are under 18.

This is a very picturesque suburb with views to the Blue Mountains. The air is clean and fresh with lots of trees. The houses are on small rural blocks – up to five acres – or on typical suburban house blocks.

There is a small local shopping centre – where your goods are carried to your car for you – a rarity these days! However, if larger shops are needed Dural and Castle Hill are not very far away.

The schools in Glenhaven are the Glenhaven Primary School, and the Lorien Novalis School – a Rudolf Steiner School. Most high school children would have to travel to neighbouring suburbs for school.

There are two retirement villages – Glenhaven Green on The Old Northern Road, and Living Choice Glenhaven on Glenhaven Road. Glenhaven would be an idyllic place to retire with its peace and quiet.

One drawback of living in Glenhaven and working in the city would be the travel – the roads in the area become very congested during peak hours. But think of the serenity awaiting you when you get home every evening!

Kellyville is a fast growing suburb in the north west of Sydney 36 kilometres from the CBD. It is in the Hills District of Sydney. Its population has grown from about 4,500 in 1996 to over 18,000 in 2006.

It enjoys the best of both worlds. Parts of Kellyville are semi-rural while other parts are suburban. There are quite a few housing estates offering modest modern houses to large affluent properties. Kellyville has as peaceful and relaxed atmosphere.

There are good shopping facilities with the Kellyville Plaza opened in 2003 and The Village a commercial strip along the Windsor Road.

The children of Kellyville are well catered for as regards schooling. There are four government and private (Catholic) primary schools, a government high school and a private high school. There is also a special needs school. Very young children are also looked after as there are numerous child care and pre school centres. All these schooling and day care facilities are needed as one third of the population of Kellyville is under the age of 18.

To support this growing population upgrades have been undertaken to the roads in the area. Windsor Road has been widened to four lanes which have greatly helped the flow of traffic in the area.

Kellyville is definitely a suburb for young married couples with small children.

Galston is a suburb on the North West outskirts of Sydney in the Hills District and the local government area of Hornsby Shire Council. It is situated to the north of Dural.

Historically, Galston is a suburb of orchards, nurseries and small farms. There are still lots of these but many people have moved to Galston to appreciate the peace and quiet of the semi rural community. Recently, modern brick townhouses and home units have been built near the Galston shopping village. There is also a new sub-division with several hundred brick dwellings. There are many five acre lots in the area and the houses on these range from older simple, weatherboard dwellings to large, substantial mansions.

There are some magnificent gardens in the suburb. For example, the gardens of the Buddhist Golden Wheel Temple on Galston Road are wonderful – well worth a visit when they are open to the public.

Spring is the happening time for events in Galston – there is the annual Galston Country Music Festival, the Galston SpringFest and Street Parade and the Galston Garden Club hosts an Open Gardens Weekend. Of course we can’t forget the annual Scarecrow Festival!

Galston is a well knit community and a good place to escape the hustle and bustle of areas closer to the CBD.

Dural is a semi-rural suburb in the Hills District of Sydney situated 36 km north-west of the CBD. It is in the Hornsby Shire Council.

It is an orchard, nursery and hobby farm area. It is not unusual to be forced to give way to horses! It is very popular as a weekend drive destination where you can unwind from the working week browsing through art and craft galleries and wandering through nurseries.

Dural has grown considerably over the last 30 years or so as more and more people have decided they would like to live a semi rural existence and still be within commuting distance of the city. As of 2006 it had a population of nearly 6,000. It is an ideal place to bring up children where they can have room to move and even keep a pony if they want to.

There is a delightful little sandstone chapel built on the Old Northern Road in 1846 which has been placed on the Register of the National Estate. Very few weekends go by without a wedding in this little church!

It is easily understood why those people who live in Dural and work in the city wish to escape at the end of a long hard day from the hustle and bustle to the tranquillity of this area.

Baulkham Hills is a suburb 31 kilometres north west of the Sydney CBD in the Hills District and is part of the Hills Shire.

It has a population of over 34,000, with 24.1% being 18 or under and 17% being over 60.

This area has been settled since 1794 when William Joyce was given a grant of 30 acres. The name was given to the suburb by a Scottish settler from Buckholm Hills in Scotland as the area reminded him of his home.

There is a major road junction in Baulkham Hills where Old Northern Road, Seven Hills Road and Windsor Road meet – a very busy intersection! The fastest way to get to an from the city is on the M2 Motorway which comes out on Windsor Road.

There is no train station at Baulkham Hills but there is an efficient bus service provided by the Westbus Company.

Baulkham Hills is in the “Bible Belt” of Sydney. There are 15 Christian churches in the suburb.

There is quite a good shopping centre providing supermarkets and specialty shops. There is however, not one single book shop! There are a number of private and government schools for the children of the suburb.

There is still quite a lot of bushland reserve in the suburb where it is possible to see native animals in the wild.

I would recommend Baulkham Hills as a suburb for families

Warriewood is a low lying suburb bounded on the north by Mona Vale, the east by the Pacific Ocean, the south by North Narrabeen and to the west by Ingleside. The population in 2006 was 4892 with 27% under 18 and 15% over 60. AS is the case with the higher northern beaches, the population are well educated with over half holding some qualification, degree or higher degree.

As you would expect from a low lying area there are quite a few waterways and wetlands areas. There is an extensive swampy reserve off Garden Street. The Warriewood Wetlands Walkway allows you to venture deep into the wetlands and see just what is hiding there. The mozzies do not hide. They make themselves very well known and are not afraid of an intimate relationship.

The beach is small but clean and pleasant. Situated between Lake Park (no lake in sight unless you count the ocean) and Birdwood Park, it has a good depth of sand and can be accessed via Narrabeen Parade where it becomes Sydney Road. The rocks come and go with the sea moving the sand about.

I have always liked Warriewood for some reason. It has a pleasant feel.

The suburb of Castle Hill is situated 31 kilometres north west of the CBD in the Hills District of Sydney. It is a very old area of Sydney having first been settled in 1802 when a noble Frenchman was given a land grant of 200 acres.

This is an area of Sydney that has grown astronomically over the past thirty to forty years. It now has a population of nearly 35,000. I can remember as a child being taken for Sunday afternoon drives to Castle Hill and seeing market gardens and orchards. The area’s past as an orchard growing area is remembered each year with the Orange Blossom Festival.

Today all these have disappeared and been replaced by the suburban sprawl. There is the enormous Castle Towers Shopping Centres with Grace Bros, David Jones, Woolworths, Coles, Target, Kmart , hundreds of specialty shops and a large cinema complex. There are many schools, both private and government to cater for the number of children in the area. There are retirement villages. The Mowll Village established in 1959 on Old Castle Hill Road was the first of its kind in Sydney. Since that time many others have been built in Castle Hill.

Castle Hill is a very well serviced area. There are a number of private bus companies which operate in the area. You really do not have to leave the suburb to get anything you want.

Bayview is bounded to the north by Broken Bay and Mona Vale on the East and South and Church Point and Kuringai Chase and Ingleside to the west. It is a low density suburb with lots of mature trees. In 2006 its population was 3013 of which 21% are under 18 and 37% are over 60.

31 kilometres north of Sydney CBD the main traffic routes for Bayview are Pittwater Road leading south and Mona Vale Road which angles west to the Pacific Highway, both of which are very busy at either end of the work day.

There are hundreds if not thousands of boats and yachts scattered all around the Bayview coastline. Piers and marinas abound. It is interesting that from a bird's eye view that there appears to be no obvious marine traffic lanes.

It is a hilly suburb so the views are quite excellent. The houses are quite large with many having large outdoor swimming pools. There are many mature trees all through the land. Whilst this makes for a pleasant existence, it is also a little nervous come fire season. The northern suburbs are notorious for their bush fires.

Overall, Bayview is a very pleasant place to visit and I am sure that it is a joy to live in.

Cherrybrook is a large, fast growing suburb in the Hills District of Sydney. I can remember when my mother moved to Cherrybrook in the late 1980’s, there was still vacant land, small hobby farms and bushland. She is still living there, aged 88. Today there are wall to wall houses to support a population of over 18,000.

Cherrybrook originally was a market garden, dairy and orchard area. The land was first subdivided in 1959 and became the first project home village in Sydney. However, the most development has been since the 1980’s when more and more bushland was bulldozed to accommodate the growing population.

There is a reasonably large shopping centre with a supermarket, banks, specialty stores and cafes. The Cherrybrook Technology High School is the largest government high school in the state with a student enrolment of over 2,000.

Traffic is quite a problem in the area. The roads have not kept up with the population growth. During peak hours Old Northern and New Line Roads are bumper to bumper and very slow moving.

Despite this Cherrybrook is a very popular area of Sydney with many professionals living there in prestigious houses enjoying the lifestyle and facilities available. I know Mum loves the area and will have to be carried out screaming!

Newport is bounded by Broken Bay to the west, the Pacific Ocean to the east, Bilgola to the north and Mona Vale to the south. It is split by Barrenjoey Road which is the main traffic thoroughfare north / south and has a population just over 9,300 of which 24% are under 18 and 18% are over 60 years old.

The suburb mainly functions as accommodation for professionals or managers between 35 and 60 years old.

There is a medieval style stone castle on Bungan head built in 1919 by a German art dealer.

The thing that I remember most of Newport is the vast number of marinas and boats hanging off the western coast like hair off a mussel. I have fond memories of time spent in the Newport Arms hotel on the corner of Beaconsfield and Kalinya St, holding a coldie and looking out over the water.

Newport Beach is a pleasant spot to spend a summer's day. There is good sand, clean water with a bit of weed in spots. The water gets a bit rough near the cliff on the northern end of the beach, but, overall it is a nice place; just do not forget the sunscreen and the beach umbrella.

Avalon is a beautiful beachside suburb, bounded on the north by Palm Beach and the south by Bilgola. East is the Pacific Ocean and west is Pittwater, the home of the famous Pittwater yacht Club. When travelling near the Pittwater it is impossible to miss the many up-market yachts. Their colour adds a certain lustre to an already beautiful scene.

In 2006 Avalon boasted a population of just over 10,200 who were mainly commuting professionals and managers. It is a suburb where nearly a third of the population is under 24. Over 10% of the population have come from England and Great Britain.

To date the only ways to travel to Avalon are by road or sea. There is a seaplane service close by.

Avalon Golf Course is bordered by Old Barrenjoey Road to the west and Barrenjoey Road to the east. Eating and entertainment for residents and visitors is provided by cinemas, shops, an RSL club, 14 restaurants and cafes, as well as bowling and sailing clubs. The Surf Lifesaving club, Soccer Club, Junior Rugby League Club, and Avalon Netball Club provide an outlet for those who are interested in sport.

For me, I prefer lounging on the beach and working on my tan.

Bilgola is bordered on the north by Avalon and Avalon Beach and to the south by Newport. To the east is the Pacific Ocean and to the west is Pittwater or more correctly the estuary of Broken Bay. In 2006 the population was just under 3,000 of which 27% were under 18 years old with 12% between the ages of 5 and 11 and 20% were over 60 years of age. 20% of the residents were born in the UK.

It is interesting that 27% of the population have a Bachelors or Higher Degree. As you would expect the majority of workers in the area are professional, management or clerical.

My most favoured memories of Bilgola are of scooting along Barrenjoey Road with the low scrub on either side. The beach views of Bilgola Beach are excellent. The beach is clean and kid safe with a preference for swimming in the salt pool to the south of the beach. Care must be taken if swimming on the northern end of the beach amongst the rocks as the waves are more broken there and there is an under tow.

I have fond memories of Bilgola beach and recommend it to families.

When I first went to Palm Beach in the northern beaches of Sydney, it was a quiet and sleepy retirement area. There were a couple of restaurants worth remembering of which Jonahs was the best. I haven't been there for some time but it was always worth the trip from Hunter's Hill on a Wednesday evening with the girlfriend who is now my wife.

Now the place seems to be more the home of more mature professionals. Mainly homes amongst the trees with a few units and businesses scattered along the main routes like Barrenjoey Road. There are no large shopping areas yet which is a real bonus.

The main attractions to me are the beaches which are clean. Palm Beach and Whale Beach seem to be kid safe and have plenty of parking. This is great for the weekend visitors even though I would think that the residents may not totally agree.

My memories of Palm Beach go back for more than 30 years and I have watched the area change and mature. It is still a favourite place. It is as laidback as any busy suburban professional area can be but still retains the atmosphere of a beach suburb.