Lane Cove is a suburb on the Lower North Shore and part of the local government area of the Lane Cove Council. Located 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney CBD, the suburb occupies approximately 44 hectares, bounded by the suburbs of Lane Cove North and Artarmon in the north, Osborne Park and Gore HIll in the east, Northwood, Longueville and Riverview in the south, and Linley Point and Lane Cove West in the west.
One of Sydney’s most affluent suburbs, Lane Cove occupies a peninsula on the northern side of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), at the opening of the Lane Cove River.
ABOUT LANE COVE
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.
Lieutenant Ralph Clark was the first European to settle within the area, a short distance from the entrance to the Lane Cove River on 14 February 1790. Shortly after, there were land grants in 1794 to some privates and non-commissioned officers in the New South Wales Corps.
Most of the residential growth occurred after World War II, when land value surged, particularly between the 1980s and the 1990s as the water views, large suburban blocks, ease of transport and quiet streets became popular among home buyers.
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 across all of North Shore.
Demographics
As of 2016, Lane Cove is home to 10,817 people. Australia-born citizens represent 58.6 per cent of the local population, with other residents born in England, China, India, New Zealand and Malaysia. About 69.0 per cent of people spoke only English at home, while others speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Spanish and Persian.
Famous residents
Among the notable residents of Lane Cove are poet Christopher Brennan, art critic and author of Things I Didn’t Know Robert Hughes, A Mother’s Disgrace author Robert Dessaix and historian Xavier Brien-Arnold.
Landscape artist Lloyd Rees and Archibald Prize winner Brett Whiteley also lived in the affluent suburb, as well as former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, cricketer and Bollywood star Brett Lee, Australian rules football player and television presenter Sam Newman, journalist Natarsha Belling and INXS vocalist Michael Hutchence.
Lane Cove was also home to actor, singer, television, film and radio star Smoky Dawson and award-winning Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman.
LIFESTYLE
As one of Sydney’s most affluent neighbourhoods, Lane Cove boasts lush bushland and family-friendly vibrant village atmosphere, accentuated by expansive parks and playgrounds, including the Lane Cove National Park, and a thriving arts and festivals scene. Proud of its diversity, Lane Cove celebrates the local Indigenous culture in a nine-week festival.
The village shopping precinct situated along Longueville and Burns Bay roads is considered the heart of the city as it teems with multicultural cafes, restaurants and open spaces for social gatherings, as well as a thriving Farmers and Produce Market.
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.
The Gore Hill Freeway, which brings traffic from the city, the airport and southern suburbs, connects the Pacific Highway, which travels north, and Epping Road, which goes north-west. The traffic problems at these intersections led to the construction of the Lane Cove Tunnel, which takes vehicles straight from the Gore Hill Expressway to the M2.
Further, a new major bus interchange was opened in 2008 as part of the Lane Cove tunnel works, featuring approximately 25 separate bus routes which provide connections to north-west Sydney with services to Castle Hill and Rouse Hill operated by HillsBus, as well as publicly operated services to Chatswood, Epping, North Sydney, Macquarie Park/Centre, Gladesville and Drummoyne.
A cyclepath has also been constructed along the southern edge of Epping Road from the Pacific Highway to the Lane Cove River, which links to the Gore Hill Freeway Cyclepath and ultimately allows cyclists to journey to Chatswood, North Sydney, Willoughby and the Macquarie Park area.
There are also ferry services that stop at Longueville Wharf and Greenwich Wharf.
The closest train stations are around three kilometres away at Chatswood and Artarmon.
Schools and universities
Some of the most notable schools across Sydney’s North Shore are:
- Lane Cove Public School
- Currambena School
- St Michael’s School
- Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview
- TAFE NSW Northern Sydney Institute (Hornsby College)
- TAFE NSW Northern Sydney Institute (St Leonards Campus)
- TAFE NSW Northern Sydney Institute (Bradfield Senior College)
- Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview
- The Northern Sydney Institute (Lane Cove 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 Lane Cove Hospital
- Royal North Shore Hospital
- North Shore Private Hospital
- The Mater Hospital
Landmarks
Some of the major landmarks across North Shore are:
- Lane Cove Library
- Greenwich Library
- Northside Community Church
- St Michael's Catholic Church
- St Andrew's Anglican Church
- Lane Cove Uniting Church
- The Christian City Church
- Shinnyo-en Buddhist Temple
- 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:
- Lane Cove Markets (opposite Milsons Point railway station)
- 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
Sports and recreation
Around 16 per cent of the total land area of Lane Cove is devoted to public recreational areas. Some of the major sports and recreation facilities in Lane Cove and across North Shore are:
- Burns Bay Park
- Tambourine Bay Park
- Pottery Green
- Blackman Park
- Lane Cove Aquatic Leisure Centre
- Pottery Green Oval
- Tantallon Oval
- Longueville Sporting Club
- 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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