Wollstonecraft is a harbourside suburb on the Lower North Shore and part of the local government area of the North Sydney Council. Located 4 kilometres north of the Sydney CBD, the suburb is occupies approximately 118 hectares of land and is bounded Nicholson Place, Shirley Road, Sinclair Street, the Pacific Highway and Hazelbank Road in the north, Crows Nest Road, King Lane and King Street in the east, Wollstonecraft Bay and Balls Head Bay in the south, and Gore Cove and Berry Creek in the west.
ABOUT WOLLSTONECRAFT
History
Sydney’s North Shore was originally inhabited by the Birrabirragal, Boregal, Kuringgai, Wallumedegal, Gorualgal and Cammeraygal Aboriginal people.
Between 1794 and 1814, the first European settlement was recorded across the land now known as the local government areas of Hornsby Shire, Ku-ring-gai Council, Municipality of Lane Cove, Mosman Council, City of Willoughby, Municipality of Hunters Hill and North Sydney Council. The LGAs were named after notable European settlers, including Police Constable Samuel Horne, John Lane, Archibald Mossman, Sir James Willoughby Gordon, Captain John Hunter, and 1st Viscount Sydney Thomas Townshend. Only the Ku-ring-gai Council was named after its original inhabitants, the Kuringgai Aboriginal people.
Based on the Cumberland County mapping from 1792 to 1894, four local government areas were derived from the Parish of Willoughby, including the City of Willoughby, Mosman Council, Municipality of Lane Cove and North Sydney, which was formerly known as St Leonards.
Wollstonecraft was named after the suburb’s first settler Edward Wollstonecraft, who received a 200-hectare land grant in 1821. He is the nephew of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman author Mary Wollstonecraft.
During the post-war years, the rest of North Shore also saw the most significant development, with population and medium- to high-density housing growing rapidly. Several suburbs stood out as growth centres, including Castle Hill, Cherrybrook, Dural, Gordon, Killara, St Ives, Turramurra, Wahroong, Chatswood, Artarmon, St Leonards and North Sydney,
The 21st century saw urban consolidation across the region, with multiple infrastructure, transport systems and different types of dwellings built to support the needs of the 400,000-strong population of the entire North Shore area.
Demographics
As of 2019, Wollstonecraft is home to 9,025 people, with an average population density of 76.21 persons per hectare. Australia-born citizens represent 55.7 per cent of the local population, with other residents born in England, China, New Zealand, Hong Kong and India. About 69.3 per cent of people spoke only English at home, while others speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish and Japanese.
Famous residents
Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard, who served the office from 1996 to 2007, hails from the suburb of Wollstonecraft.
LIFESTYLE
Wollstonecraft offers a quiet and reserved neighbourhood for people who enjoy tranquility and a snippet of water frontage. A mere four stops away to the Sydney CBD through the railway line, the suburb also boasts accessibility to Sydney’s vibrant hubs.
In general, Sydney’s North Shore is known mainly for its elegant neighbourhoods that are sought-after by professionals and families for its prestigious school catchments and easy access to the city centre, major commercial areas and employment hubs through efficient transport systems.
The region also boasts multiple well-known landmarks across its local government areas, as well as several multicultural festivals.
Public transport
All local government areas in the North Shore region are serviced by the Pacific Highway.
Hornsby Shire and Ku-ring-gai Council are served by the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway while the Lane Cove Council is served by the Lane Cove Tunnel, the City of Willoughby served by the Gore Hill Freeway, the North Sydney Council served by the Bardfield Highway and Warringah Freeway and Hornsby Shire served by the Hills (M2) Motorway, and Pennant Hills Road.
Other main transport routes across the region are the Military Road and parts of Ryde Road and Mona Vale Road.
North Shore, Northern & Western Line provides access to the Sydney CBD, while ferries connect harbourside suburbs to Circular Quay and the CBD. Transdev NSW and State Transit Authority provide bus services across Upper North Shore and Lower North Shore, respectively.
T1 North Shore line services multiple suburbs from Chatswood north to Hornsby, including Chatswood, Roseville, Lindfield, Killara, Gordon, Pymble, Turramurra, Warrawee, Wahroonga, Waitara and Hornsby. Meanwhile, railway stations within Lower North Shore serve Milsons Point, North Sydney, Waverton, Wollstonecraft, St Leonards, Artarmon & Chatswood.
The upcoming Sydney Metro, which is expected to commence operations in 2019, will run through Chatswood and Crows Nest, linking Sydney’s North West and South West to Sydney City.
Schools and universities
Some of the most notable schools across Sydney’s North Shore are:
- TAFE NSW Northern Sydney Institute (Hornsby College)
- TAFE NSW Northern Sydney Institute (St Leonards Campus)
- TAFE NSW Northern Sydney Institute (Bradfield Senior College)
- The Northern Sydney Institute (McMahons Point Campus)
- Australian Catholic University (North Sydney - MacKillop Campus)
- Sydney Church of England Grammar School
- St Joseph’s College
Hospitals
Among the major hospitals in North Shore are:
- Sydney Adventist Hospital (The SAN)
- Lady Davidson Private Hospital
- Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital
- HammondCare McMahons Point Hospital
- Royal North Shore Hospital
- North Shore Private Hospital
- The Mater Hospital
Landmarks
Some of the major landmarks across North Shore are:
- Luna Park
- North Sydney Circle Walk
- Sydney Harbour Bridge
- Great North Walk
- Parramatta River Regional Park (Bedlam Bay)
- The Priory
- Sydney Harbour National Park
- HMAS Penguin Naval Base
- Taronga Zoo
- Mosman Art Gallery
Shopping centers
Some of the major shopping centres and shopping districts across North Shore are:
- St Ives Village Shopping Centre
- Westfield Hornsby Shopping Centre
- Hornsby Mall
- Lane Cove Plaza
- Lane Cove Market Square
- Chatswood Chase Shopping Centre
- Westfield Chatswood Shopping Centre
- Chatswood Central
- Bridgepoint Shopping Centre
Sports and recreation
North Shore’s residents and visitors enjoy several sports activities, including golf and swimming. The region is home to notable sports centres, such as the North Sydney Olympic Pool and North Sydney Oval.
Other sports centres in Sydney’s North Shore are:
- Asquith Golf Club
- Berry Island Reserve
- Badangi Reserve
- Waverton and Gore Cove Reserve
- Pennant Hills Golf Club
- Thornleigh Brickpit Sports Stadium
- Hornsby Aquatic and Leisure Centre
- Galston Aquatic and Leisure Centre
- Lane Cove Aquatic Centre
- Lane Cove Golf Course
- Castlecove Golf Club
- Chatswood Golf Club
- Northbridge Golf Club
- Mosman Swim Centre
- Cammeray Golf Course
- North Sydney Olympic Pool
- North Sydney Oval
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