Kirribilli, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Kirribilli 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 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...

. It is located three kilometres north 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 administered by North Sydney Council
North Sydney Council
North Sydney Council is a Local Government Area on the North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.- Demographics :According to the :...

. Kirribilli is a harbourside 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...

, sitting on the Lower North Shore
North Shore (Sydney)
The North Shore is an informal term used to describe the primarily residential area of northern metropolitan Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The term usually refers to the suburbs located on the north shore of Sydney Harbour between Middle Harbour and the Lane Cove River, up to...

 of Sydney Harbour
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...

.

History

The name Kirribilli is derived from 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 Kiarabilli, which means 'good fishing spot'. The suburb initially formed in the vicinity of Jeffrey Street
Jeffrey Street
Jeffrey Street or Jeffreys Street, Kirribilli is famous as one of the most popular vantage points for views of the city of Sydney, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House...

 and was subsequently part of a grant to James Milson (1785-1872), after whom Milsons Point
Milsons Point, New South Wales
Milsons Point is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of North Sydney Council....

 was named. The area was largely covered in native bush. As the decades passed, the land was cleared bit by bit and sub-divided, first for the construction of large family residences during the 1840s, secondly for the erection of Victorian terrace houses from the 1860s onwards, and finally for 20th-Century flats.

Prominent early landowners in Kirribilli included members of the Campbell, Jeffrey and Gibbes families. Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes (1787-1873), the Collector of Customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...

 for New South Wales, built 'Wotonga' - the forerunner of Admiralty House
Admiralty House, Sydney
Admiralty House is the official Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia. It is located in the suburb of Kirribilli, on the northern foreshore of Sydney Harbour . This large, Italianate, sandstone mansion occupies the tip of Kirribilli Point...

 - in 1842-43 on a 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) site which he leased, and then purchased, from the Campbells. Gibbes' son, William John Gibbes, lived nearby in Beulah House during the 1840s. Beulah was later lived in by the Riley and Lasseter families. Eventually, the house was demolished and its grounds subdivided into numerous residential blocks which were put up for public auction in 1905.
The Kirribilli area opened up further for development with the completion of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...

 in 1932, which linked the municipality of North Sydney directly by road and rail with the CBD of the City of Sydney.

Landmarks

Kirribilli is one of Australia's older suburbs, with the first land grants in the area being granted by the colonial government during the 1790s. A scattering of Georgian and Gothic-revival houses and mansions were built in the 1830s, '40s and '50s. Most of these have since been razed. Originally, Kirribilli formed part of the Parish of St Leonard's and was served by a private ferry service. In a process which began in the 1860s, the area's old estates were subdivided. New residential streets were laid out and terrace houses, Victorian villas and, later, blocks of apartments erected. During the early decades of the 20th century, Kirribilli's shoreline was dominated by a large, multi-storey brick warehouse which was eventually torn down to make way for housing.

The suburb contains Kirribilli House
Kirribilli House
Kirribilli House is the official Sydney residence of the Australian Prime Minister. The house is located at the far eastern end of Kirribilli Avenue in the harbourside suburb of Kirribilli...

 (the official Sydney residence of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...

 of Australia), Admiralty House
Admiralty House, Sydney
Admiralty House is the official Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia. It is located in the suburb of Kirribilli, on the northern foreshore of Sydney Harbour . This large, Italianate, sandstone mansion occupies the tip of Kirribilli Point...

 (the official Sydney residence of the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...

 of Australia), and the headquarters and marina of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is a yacht club located in North Sydney, Australia in the suburb of Kirribilli.The squadron was originally founded in 1862...

.

Admiralty House, originally a private dwelling belonging to Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes
John George Nathaniel Gibbes
Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes was a British army officer who emigrated to Australia in 1834, becoming a Crown-appointed member of the New South Wales Legislative Council and the Collector of Customs for the Colony of New South Wales for a record term of 25 years.In his capacity as head of...

, is Kirribilli's oldest extant building, the earliest portions of which date to 1842. Kirribilli House was built next door by Adolphus Frederick Feez, a wealthy merchant, in 1854-55.

The following buildings are on the Register of the National Estate:
  • St Aloysius' College's junior school (formerly Kirribilli Public School), Burton Street
  • Loreto Convent (formerly Elamang), Carabella Street
  • Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre, Fitzroy Street
  • Sunnyside (house and grounds), Holbrook Avenue
  • Kirribilli House, Kirribilli Avenue
  • Admiralty House and Lodge, Kirribilli Point

Transport

Kirribilli supports the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...

. The Warringah Freeway
Warringah Freeway
The Warringah Freeway is a major road in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. This freeway forms part of the Sydney Orbital Network to provide access to most of the suburbs in Sydney and is also a major route to the north, south, east and west of the metropolis.-History:Planning began in 1951...

 provides a link south to the Sydney CBD and north to Chatswood
Chatswood, New South Wales
Chatswood is a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Chatswood is located 10 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Willoughby. Chatswood West is a separate suburb...

. Kirribilli is serviced by all the three main modes of Sydney public transport (that is, rail, bus and ferry).

Milsons Point railway station is the closest train stop. It forms part of the North Shore line
Northern railway line, Sydney
The Northern Line is part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney known as CityRail. It serves the northern suburbs of Sydney and the Lower North Shore, along with parts of the Inner West and the Hills District. The line utilises the Epping to Chatswood Line and parts of the Main Northern Line,...

 of the CityRail network
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...

. It is located next to the main shopping streets, and has frequent services to the Sydney CBD and the North Shore.

Sydney Buses operate regular services from Kirribilli to many parts of northern Sydney. The 269 bus service runs a loop within the Kirribilli - Milsons Point
Milsons Point, New South Wales
Milsons Point is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of North Sydney Council....

 - McMahons Point - North Sydney railway station area on weekdays.

There are four operating ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 wharves near Kirribilli, serviced by both public and private ferries. They are:
  • On the eastern side is Kirribilli wharf, part of the Sydney Ferries Neutral Bay service. The wharf is one stop from Circular Quay and has two services per hour in each direction. Kirribilli Wharf also has a small local cafe serving coffees, cakes, and newspapers to commuters and many local regulars.
  • At the southern-most tip of Kirribilli is the Beulah Street Wharf. This small wharf was dropped from public Sydney Ferries services when an inner harbour ferry route was cancelled, though was briefly pressed into service again between 7-13 February 2011 while the main Kirribilli wharf was undergoing maintenance. In 2005, private operator Matilda Cruises
    Matilda Cruises
    Matilda Cruises operates commuter ferry and cruise services on Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia. The company is a subsidiary of Captain Cook Cruises.-Fleet:*Matilda*Matilda III*Aussie Venture*Aussie Magic*Aussie One*Aussie Legend*Alice*Megan...

     started using Beulah Street Wharf as part of their Matilda Express loop from Circular Quay to Darling Harbour. As of 15 September 2006 the Matilda Cruises
    Matilda Cruises
    Matilda Cruises operates commuter ferry and cruise services on Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia. The company is a subsidiary of Captain Cook Cruises.-Fleet:*Matilda*Matilda III*Aussie Venture*Aussie Magic*Aussie One*Aussie Legend*Alice*Megan...

     ferry service has been suspended. Outside ferry hours, Beulah Street Wharf is frequently used for fishing and recreation. The wharf is directly north of the Sydney Opera House
    Sydney Opera House
    The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...

     and offers spectacular harbour views.
  • On the eastern side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
    Sydney Harbour Bridge
    The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...

    , Jeffreys Street Wharf
    Jeffrey Street
    Jeffrey Street or Jeffreys Street, Kirribilli is famous as one of the most popular vantage points for views of the city of Sydney, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House...

     is also no longer used by Sydney Ferries, with just a few services by Matilda Cruises
    Matilda Cruises
    Matilda Cruises operates commuter ferry and cruise services on Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia. The company is a subsidiary of Captain Cook Cruises.-Fleet:*Matilda*Matilda III*Aussie Venture*Aussie Magic*Aussie One*Aussie Legend*Alice*Megan...

    . It is still used by private charter services, but is more popular as a fishing location. The panoramic views of the Opera House, Circular Quay, and the Harbour Bridge make Jeffrey Street
    Jeffrey Street
    Jeffrey Street or Jeffreys Street, Kirribilli is famous as one of the most popular vantage points for views of the city of Sydney, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House...

     a popular location for wedding photography. During mid-late 2010, whilst Milsons Point Wharf is closed for refurbishment, all ferry services use Jefferys St instead.
  • On the western side of the Bridge is Milsons Point ferry wharf, which carries many more services than the Kirribilli wharves and joins Kirribilli to the CBD, the inner harbour, and along the Parramatta River to Parramatta.

Commercial area

Kirribilli has a small shopping strip opposite Milsons Point railway station. The 'Kirribilli Markets' are held on the fourth Saturday of each month, on the lawns of the former Kirribilli Bowling Club. The markets contain a mixture of new and second-hand clothing, bric-a-brac, jewellery, and food-and-drink stands.

Schools

The two main schools in the suburb are St Aloysius' College and Loreto Kirribilli
Loreto Kirribilli
Loreto Kirribilli is a Roman Catholic, day school for girls, located in Kirribilli, a Lower North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....

.


Culture

Kirribilli is the home of Australia's oldest continuously operating professional theatre company, The Ensemble Theatre
Ensemble Theatre
The Ensemble Theatre is an Australian theatre company, situated in Kirribilli, New South Wales. It is promoted as Australia's longest continuously running professional theatre group, established in 1958.- References :...

. Located in a converted boatshed, it shows productions of contemporary works by both Australian and International playwrights.

Governance

Kirribilli is part of the federal electorate of North Sydney
Division of North Sydney
The Division of North Sydney is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division is named after the North Sydney area where it is located. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...

 and has been held by Joe Hockey
Joe Hockey
Joseph Benedict "Joe" Hockey , is an Australian politician and member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of North Sydney for the Liberal Party of Australia since 1996....

 since 1996.

See also

Streets
  • Bligh Street, Bradley Avenue, Broughton Street, Burton Street, Carabella Street, Clark Road, Crescent Place, Elamang Avenue, Ennis Road, Fitzroy Street, Hipwood Street, Holbrook Avenue, Humphrey Place, Jeffrey(s) Street
    Jeffrey Street
    Jeffrey Street or Jeffreys Street, Kirribilli is famous as one of the most popular vantage points for views of the city of Sydney, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House...

    , Kirribilli Avenue, McBurney Lane, McDougall Street, Olympic Drive, Parkes Street, Peel Street, Robertson Lane, Upper Pitt Street, Waruda Street, Willoughby Street, Winslow Lane


Landmark buildings, structures and heritage
  • Kirribilli House
    Kirribilli House
    Kirribilli House is the official Sydney residence of the Australian Prime Minister. The house is located at the far eastern end of Kirribilli Avenue in the harbourside suburb of Kirribilli...

  • Admiralty House
    Admiralty House, Sydney
    Admiralty House is the official Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia. It is located in the suburb of Kirribilli, on the northern foreshore of Sydney Harbour . This large, Italianate, sandstone mansion occupies the tip of Kirribilli Point...

  • Sydney Harbour Bridge
    Sydney Harbour Bridge
    The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...

  • Reserve Bank of Australia
    Reserve Bank of Australia
    The Reserve Bank of Australia came into being on 14 January 1960 as Australia's central bank and banknote issuing authority, when the Reserve Bank Act 1959 removed the central banking functions from the Commonwealth Bank to it....

  • Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre
    Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre
    The Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre occupies two restored old stone houses, known as 16 and 18 Fitzroy Street at the northern end of Jeffrey Street, Kirribilli. The houses were built by Henry Hocken Bligh in 1875-1876. Bligh was born on 19 October 1826 in Bodmin, Cornwall England and died at his...

  • Jeffrey(s) Street
    Jeffrey Street
    Jeffrey Street or Jeffreys Street, Kirribilli is famous as one of the most popular vantage points for views of the city of Sydney, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House...

  • Church by the Bridge
    Church by the Bridge
    Church by the Bridge, Kirribilli and Lavender Bay is an Anglican Church on Sydney's Lower North Shore. Church by the Bridge meets at St John’s Anglican Church, Kirribilli and at Christ Church, Lavender Bay....

  • Huntingdon ('the Don'), Holbrook Avenue


Tourism, theatres and sport
  • Luna Park Sydney
    Luna Park Sydney
    Luna Park Sydney is an amusement park, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...

  • Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
    Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
    The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron is a yacht club located in North Sydney, Australia in the suburb of Kirribilli.The squadron was originally founded in 1862...

  • Ensemble Theatre
    Ensemble Theatre
    The Ensemble Theatre is an Australian theatre company, situated in Kirribilli, New South Wales. It is promoted as Australia's longest continuously running professional theatre group, established in 1958.- References :...

  • Sydney Flying Squadron
  • The Miguel Pro Playhouse


Transport
  • Milsons Point railway station
  • Milsons Point ferry wharf
  • Kirribilli ferry wharf


Schools
  • Loreto Kirribilli
    Loreto Kirribilli
    Loreto Kirribilli is a Roman Catholic, day school for girls, located in Kirribilli, a Lower North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....

  • St Aloysius' College (Sydney)


Suburbs and localities
  • Lavender Bay
    Lavender Bay, New South Wales
    Lavender Bay is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Lavender Bay is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council....

  • North Sydney
    North Sydney, New South Wales
    North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney...

  • Milsons Point
  • Milson Park
  • Careening Cove


Other
  • Kirribilli agreement
    Kirribilli agreement
    A Kirribilli agreement refers, in Australian culture, to an agreement - typically confidential - between a leader and their deputy leader for the handing over of power on the satisfaction of an agreed precondition....

  • Garfish Restaurants
    Garfish Restaurants
    Garfish Restaurants is a seafood restaurant with 3 locations in the Sydney, Australia area that offers lunch and dinner.-History:There are three locations...


External links

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