Balgowlah is a suburb

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...

. Balgowlah is located 12 kilometres north-east 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 Manly Council

Manly Council

Manly Council is a Local Government Area on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.- Demographics :According to the , there:...

, in the Northern Beaches region. Balgowlah shares the postcode 2093 with the adjacent suburbs of Balgowlah Heights

Balgowlah Heights, New South Wales

Balgowlah Heights is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balgowlah Heights is located 11 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region...

 and North Balgowlah

North Balgowlah, New South Wales

North Balgowlah is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Balgowlah is located 13 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Warringah Council, and part of the Northern Beaches region...

.

History

Balgowlah was named in 1832 after an Aboriginal

Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....

 word meaning north harbour in reference to its position from Port Jackson

Port Jackson

Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...

. In the early days of European Settlement it had been known as Little Manly. Sir Edmund Barton

Edmund Barton

Sir Edmund Barton, GCMG, KC , Australian politician and judge, was the first Prime Minister of Australia and a founding justice of the High Court of Australia....

, Australia's first prime minister, resided in the building known as Whitehall in White Street. Since 2004, Whitehall has been the site of the Norwegian Seamen's Church

Sjømannskirken

The Norwegian Church Abroad or The Norwegian Seamen’s Church is a religious organisation serving Norwegians and other Scandinavians travelling abroad...

.

Commercial area

Balgowlah is home to the Stockland Village shopping centre which is built on the site of the historic Totem shopping centre. As the Totem complex was run down at the time of its demolition the Totem name was not continued however the centre is still colloquially referred to as "Totem" in the area.

The nearest major shopping centre is Warringah Mall

Warringah Mall

Warringah Mall is a large indoor/outdoor shopping centre on Sydney's Northern Beaches in the suburb of Brookvale, approximately 15 km from the CBD...

, located 2 kilometres north of the suburb. There are a few smaller shopping areas in Balgowlah, some of them the remnants of the traditional "corner shop" prior to the 1960s. The area is serviced by boutiques, real estate agents, two banks, bakery, grocer, fish market, restaurants, florist, a hardware store, a liquor store, post office, hair dressers, travel agents, delicatessen, photocopying store etc.

Transport

Balgowlah is one of the destinations for the Hop-Skip-Jump free bus service operated by Manly Council

Manly Council

Manly Council is a Local Government Area on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.- Demographics :According to the , there:...

. Numerous public buses also operate in the area, the majority coming through Balgowlah en route to Manly

Manly, New South Wales

Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...

, Warringah Mall

Warringah Mall

Warringah Mall is a large indoor/outdoor shopping centre on Sydney's Northern Beaches in the suburb of Brookvale, approximately 15 km from the CBD...

, Seaforth

Seaforth

-Places:* Loch Seaforth, Scotland, Great Britain, United Kingdom* Seaforth Island, Scotland, Great Britain, United Kingdom* Seaforth, Jamaica* Seaforth, Merseyside, England, Great Britain, United Kingdom* Seaforth, Minnesota, United States...

 and the city

Schools

Schools in the Balgowlah region include St. Cecilias Primary School", "Balgowlah Heights Public School", "Manly West Public School" and "Balgowlah Boys High School.

Parks and reserves

The North Harbour Reserve on Condamine Street, south of the shopping centre, is a popular picnic spot for large groups. The reserve is also on the scenic walk that runs from Manly

Manly, New South Wales

Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...

 through Fairlight

Fairlight, New South Wales

Fairlight is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Fairlight is located 13 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Manly Council and is part of the Northern Beaches region....

, Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights

Balgowlah Heights, New South Wales

Balgowlah Heights is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balgowlah Heights is located 11 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region...

 and Clontarf

Clontarf, New South Wales

Clontarf is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Clontarf is located 13 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:...

 to The Spit, near the Spit Bridge

Spit Bridge

The Spit Bridge is a bascule bridge that carries Spit Road over Middle Harbour in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, at a point called "The Spit", 10 km north-east of the CBD. It connects the suburbs of Mosman, on the south bank and Seaforth, on the north bank...

External links