East Ryde, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
East Ryde is a suburb
in the Northern Suburbs
of Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. East Ryde is located 12 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district
, in the local government area of the City of Ryde
. East Ryde sits on the western bank of the Lane Cove River
. East Ryde shares the postcode of 2113 with adjacent suburb of North Ryde
.
overlook the mangrove
swamps and are characterised by large, modern homes (mainly along Pittwater Road).
East Ryde is bounded by Cressy Road, Coxs Road, the Lane Cove River
, and Strangers and Buffalo creeks. It was originally part of the Field of Mars Common. This was an area set aside by Governor King in 1804 for breeding stock owned by the early settlers whose allotments were inadequate to sustain their sheep and cattle. Because of its size and rugged character however, the common became infamous as a haven for escaped convicts and robbers. As early as 1856 there were proposals to sell the Field of Mars Common to raise finance for much needed infrastructure, but it was not until 1874 that the Field of Mars Common Resumption Act was passed in the New South Wales parliament. The first land sale of the new subdivision was held in September 1885 and included lots around Kittys Creek and today's East Ryde, though at this time East Ryde did not have a distinctive suburb name – it was part of North Ryde. An early proposal to link the released land to other parts of Sydney involved a tramway to the Field of Mars. In 1884 it was proposed that the tram would run through Balmain
and Gladesville, crossing Strangers Creek where a bridge would be built. The tramway would traverse the common on its eastern side, probably along Pittwater Road, and then proceed north. More than 16 years later, on the same day as the opening of the De Burghs Bridge across the Lane Cove River, the Minister for Works proceeded to Gladesville to turn the first sod of the Field of Mars tramway – a tramway that was never built. In 1925 the finance committee of the New South Wales government approved the construction of a railway line between Eastwood
and St Leonards
. Housing developments appeared along the proposed route. One of these was on a hill near a proposed station at the eastern corner of today's Macquarie Hospital grounds. Because of its elevated position it was called the Dress Circle Estate. This estate was roughly two-thirds of the modern suburb of East Ryde. The 1926 subdivision plan clearly shows the influence that the promised railway had on this development. In larger typeface than 'The Dress Circle Estate' are the words 'Eastwood–St Leonards New railway' - "60 choice elevated lots overlooking the beautiful Lane Cove River... close to a proposed station on the new electric railway from Eastwood to St Leonards". There were two roads indicated – Twin Road and Mary Avenue. There was confidence that the railway would go ahead because it had been passed by the State Parliamentary Works Committee. In 1929 the estate was extended with an addition called The Hill Top Estate. However, in the same year the government cancelled the proposed railway. Development of the estate ceased after only one house had been built.
In the building booms of the late 1950s, Hooker Rex Pty Ltd proposed redeveloping the Dress Circle Estate. Until 1956 there had been a sewerage dump just beyond the north-western end of the estate. The council therefore said that the area could not be built on for 50 years. Hooker Rex overcame this by bringing in bulldozers and removing all of the contaminated soil. In addition they covered the exposed clay with a five-metre layer of clean soil. Hooker Rex retained the original name of the Dress Circle Estate and named the streets according to a theatrical theme. Some of the greatest Australian stars of stage and screen are commemorated in the street names of East Ryde. Personalities commemorated include opera singers June Bronhill
, Ronald Dowd and Dame Nellie Melba; actors Dianne Cilento, Peter Finch
, Cecil Kellaway
, John McCallum
, Michael Pate
and Madge Elliott (Elliott Avenue was previously called Mary Avenue); comedians Kitty Bluett, Roy Rene
and Gladys Moncrieff
; song writer, entertainer and radio broadcasting pioneer Jack Lumsdaine; author and playwright Steele Rudd
; and Peggy Sager, prima ballerina. On 1 October 1960 the Mayor of Ryde, Alderman ELS Hall, unveiled a drinking fountain and plaque in the reserve outside the shopping centre, commemorating the successful development of 500 home sites and the construction of 250 modern homes on the Dress Circle Estate. Following the increase in the area's population, Ryde East Public School opened in 1961. In 1970 another 20 home sites were created when Finch Avenue was extended into rezoned crown land between Moncrieff Drive and Stranger's Creek. Covenants controlled the type and quality of houses on the estate. The blocks were only one-sixth of an acre (650 square metres) instead of one-quarter of an acre (1,000 square metres). These were big enough for single dwellings, the only type allowed under the covenant, rather than multiple dwellings.
A group of residents, in July 2006 unsuccessfully campaigned to have the suburb name changed to increase the area's housing prices. Suggestions included Bel Air, Melba, Dress Circle, Boronia Heights, Bennelong and Wallumatta. The motion was ultimately defeated at a public meeting, with approximately 75% of East Ryde residents present voting to keep the suburb's present name.
. The trail partly follows the Lane Cove River and passes through East Ryde between Buffalo Creek and Magdala Park. Major features in this area are the mangrove communities at Buffalo Creek and Kittys Creek, where boardwalks have been constructed to allow walkers to walk easily through the mangroves. Buffalo Creek Reserve offers picnic facilities.
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 Northern Suburbs
Northern Suburbs (Sydney)
The Northern Suburbs is a general term used to describe the metropolitan area on the northern bank of the Parramatta River in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia east of West Pennant Hills and west of the Lane Cove National Park, south of Hornsby...
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
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...
. East Ryde is located 12 kilometres north-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 City of Ryde
City of Ryde
The City of Ryde is a Local Government Area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on the Lower North Shore and Greater Western Sydney over West Ryde and Eastwood District....
. East Ryde sits on the western bank of the Lane Cove River
Lane Cove River
The Lane Cove River is a tributary of the Parramatta River, Sydney, Australia. Its lower reaches form an arm of Sydney Harbour.-Description:...
. East Ryde shares the postcode of 2113 with adjacent suburb of North Ryde
North Ryde, New South Wales
North Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Ryde is located 15 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde...
.
Location
East Ryde is a relatively small, quiet suburb surrounded by bushland and water on all but one side. The majority of East Ryde is located on top of a large hill. The areas of East Ryde that are at the banks of the Lane Cove RiverLane Cove River
The Lane Cove River is a tributary of the Parramatta River, Sydney, Australia. Its lower reaches form an arm of Sydney Harbour.-Description:...
overlook the mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
swamps and are characterised by large, modern homes (mainly along Pittwater Road).
History
The entire area was once turpentine-ironbark forest. During the late 1950s this area was used as the council rubbish dump, before the whole area was re-levelled from the landfill and developed into what is now East Ryde. The area that is now East Ryde was originally known as the 'North Ryde Dress Circle Estate', as it was part of North Ryde before forging its own identity as a suburb.East Ryde is bounded by Cressy Road, Coxs Road, the Lane Cove River
Lane Cove River
The Lane Cove River is a tributary of the Parramatta River, Sydney, Australia. Its lower reaches form an arm of Sydney Harbour.-Description:...
, and Strangers and Buffalo creeks. It was originally part of the Field of Mars Common. This was an area set aside by Governor King in 1804 for breeding stock owned by the early settlers whose allotments were inadequate to sustain their sheep and cattle. Because of its size and rugged character however, the common became infamous as a haven for escaped convicts and robbers. As early as 1856 there were proposals to sell the Field of Mars Common to raise finance for much needed infrastructure, but it was not until 1874 that the Field of Mars Common Resumption Act was passed in the New South Wales parliament. The first land sale of the new subdivision was held in September 1885 and included lots around Kittys Creek and today's East Ryde, though at this time East Ryde did not have a distinctive suburb name – it was part of North Ryde. An early proposal to link the released land to other parts of Sydney involved a tramway to the Field of Mars. In 1884 it was proposed that the tram would run through Balmain
Balmain
Balmain can refer to:Places:* Balmain, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia* Electoral district of Balmain, an electoral division in New South Wales, Australia* Balmain East, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia...
and Gladesville, crossing Strangers Creek where a bridge would be built. The tramway would traverse the common on its eastern side, probably along Pittwater Road, and then proceed north. More than 16 years later, on the same day as the opening of the De Burghs Bridge across the Lane Cove River, the Minister for Works proceeded to Gladesville to turn the first sod of the Field of Mars tramway – a tramway that was never built. In 1925 the finance committee of the New South Wales government approved the construction of a railway line between Eastwood
Eastwood
-Places:in Australia*Eastwood, New South Wales**Eastwood railway station*Eastwood, South Australiain Canada*Eastwood, Ontario*Eastwood, Edmonton, Alberta, a neighborhoodin the Philippines*Eastwood Cityin the UK*Eastwood, Essex, England...
and St Leonards
St Leonards
- Places :in the United Kingdom:*St Leonards, Buckinghamshire*St Leonards, Dorset*St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex*St Leonards, East Kilbride*St Leonards, Edinburgh*St Leonards railway station*St Leonard's , Lambeth, London...
. Housing developments appeared along the proposed route. One of these was on a hill near a proposed station at the eastern corner of today's Macquarie Hospital grounds. Because of its elevated position it was called the Dress Circle Estate. This estate was roughly two-thirds of the modern suburb of East Ryde. The 1926 subdivision plan clearly shows the influence that the promised railway had on this development. In larger typeface than 'The Dress Circle Estate' are the words 'Eastwood–St Leonards New railway' - "60 choice elevated lots overlooking the beautiful Lane Cove River... close to a proposed station on the new electric railway from Eastwood to St Leonards". There were two roads indicated – Twin Road and Mary Avenue. There was confidence that the railway would go ahead because it had been passed by the State Parliamentary Works Committee. In 1929 the estate was extended with an addition called The Hill Top Estate. However, in the same year the government cancelled the proposed railway. Development of the estate ceased after only one house had been built.
In the building booms of the late 1950s, Hooker Rex Pty Ltd proposed redeveloping the Dress Circle Estate. Until 1956 there had been a sewerage dump just beyond the north-western end of the estate. The council therefore said that the area could not be built on for 50 years. Hooker Rex overcame this by bringing in bulldozers and removing all of the contaminated soil. In addition they covered the exposed clay with a five-metre layer of clean soil. Hooker Rex retained the original name of the Dress Circle Estate and named the streets according to a theatrical theme. Some of the greatest Australian stars of stage and screen are commemorated in the street names of East Ryde. Personalities commemorated include opera singers June Bronhill
June Bronhill
June Bronhill OBE was an internationally acclaimed Australian soprano opera singer.-Biography:She was born June Mary Gough in the inland Australian city of Broken Hill, New South Wales...
, Ronald Dowd and Dame Nellie Melba; actors Dianne Cilento, Peter Finch
Peter Finch
Peter Finch was a British-born Australian actor. He is best remembered for his role as "crazed" television anchorman Howard Beale in the film Network, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor, his fifth Best Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and a...
, Cecil Kellaway
Cecil Kellaway
Cecil Lauriston Kellaway was a South African-born character actor.Cecil Kellaway spent many years as an actor, author, and director in the Australian film industry until he tried his luck in Hollywood in the 1930s. Finding he could get only gangster bit parts, he got discouraged and returned to...
, John McCallum
John McCallum
John McCallum, PC, MP is a Liberal Canadian politician, economist and university professor. Following the 2006 Federal Election, he became the Liberal Finance Critic in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet...
, Michael Pate
Michael Pate
Michael Pate was an Australian actor, writer and director.-Early life:He was born Edward John Pate in Drummoyne, Sydney...
and Madge Elliott (Elliott Avenue was previously called Mary Avenue); comedians Kitty Bluett, Roy Rene
Roy Rene
Roy Rene , born Harry van der Sluys, was an Australian comedian and vaudevillian. As the bawdy character Mo McCackie, Rene was one of the most well-known and successful Australian comedians of the 20th century. Roy Rene was born in Adelaide in the 15 of February 1892 with the name Harry van der...
and Gladys Moncrieff
Gladys Moncrieff
Gladys Moncrieff OBE was an Australian singer who was so successful in musical theatre and recordings that she became known as 'Australia's Queen of Song' and 'Our Glad'.-Early years:...
; song writer, entertainer and radio broadcasting pioneer Jack Lumsdaine; author and playwright Steele Rudd
Steele Rudd
Steele Rudd was the pseudonym of Arthur Hoey Davis an Australian author, best known for On Our Selection.-Early life:...
; and Peggy Sager, prima ballerina. On 1 October 1960 the Mayor of Ryde, Alderman ELS Hall, unveiled a drinking fountain and plaque in the reserve outside the shopping centre, commemorating the successful development of 500 home sites and the construction of 250 modern homes on the Dress Circle Estate. Following the increase in the area's population, Ryde East Public School opened in 1961. In 1970 another 20 home sites were created when Finch Avenue was extended into rezoned crown land between Moncrieff Drive and Stranger's Creek. Covenants controlled the type and quality of houses on the estate. The blocks were only one-sixth of an acre (650 square metres) instead of one-quarter of an acre (1,000 square metres). These were big enough for single dwellings, the only type allowed under the covenant, rather than multiple dwellings.
A group of residents, in July 2006 unsuccessfully campaigned to have the suburb name changed to increase the area's housing prices. Suggestions included Bel Air, Melba, Dress Circle, Boronia Heights, Bennelong and Wallumatta. The motion was ultimately defeated at a public meeting, with approximately 75% of East Ryde residents present voting to keep the suburb's present name.
Great North Walk
During the 1980s, a long-distance walking trail from Sydney to Newcastle was created, known as the Great North WalkGreat North Walk
The Great North Walk is a walking track which runs from Sydney to Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. The main track, in length, runs between the Obelisk in Macquarie Place in Sydney to Queens Wharf Tower in Bicentennial Park in Newcastle and is well sign-posted. There are many "side tracks"...
. The trail partly follows the Lane Cove River and passes through East Ryde between Buffalo Creek and Magdala Park. Major features in this area are the mangrove communities at Buffalo Creek and Kittys Creek, where boardwalks have been constructed to allow walkers to walk easily through the mangroves. Buffalo Creek Reserve offers picnic facilities.