Annandale is a suburb on the Inner West of Sydney and part of the local government area of the Inner West Council. Located 5 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD, the suburb occupies 140 hectares of land and is bounded by Rozelle Bay in the north, Chapman Road, The Crescent, Johnstons Creek, Wigram Road, Booth Street and Mallett Street in the east, Parramatta Road in the south, and Whites Creek Lane and Whites Creek in the west.
ABOUT ANNANDALE
History
Before becoming the gentrified region that it is in the 21st century, the Inner West was home to the Darug people, which was divided to the Cadigal and Wangal clans. The clans occupied the land along Port Jackson, from South Head to Lewisham, as well as the land stretching to Homebush Bay.
The earliest European settlements in the land now occupied by the Inner West dates back to 1790s, when the first land grants were made. Most of the residents in the area used to make a living through farming and timber-getting.
Major George Johnston is considered the earliest European settler in Annandale after he was granted 600 acres of land in the area around Annandale and Stanmore, which was then called Johnston’s Bush. He renamed it Annandale after his birthplace Annan in Scotland. Johnston is remembered in various places across the suburb, including Johnston Street, Johnston Lane, Johnstons Creek and Johnstons Bay.
Annandale House, built in 1799, was sold to John Young in 1877, who then turned the Johnston Estate into an attractive suburb by building a number of picturesque houses. The land was subdivided in the late part of the 19th century and has since undergone numerous social transformations—from factory floors, migrant stop off and ageing population, to young families and modern small and micro businesses.
The rest of the Inner West region grew significantly in the 1850s as a result of land subdivision and improved access through the Sydney-Parramatta railway line. From 1870s to 1880s, there has been significant residential and industrial growth across the area, followed by a continuous expansion from the post-war years through to late 1960s. Immigration and gentrification led to the rise of the apartment market.
Inner West’s population continued to expand in the 1990s, aided by high- and medium-density housing.
Demographics
As of 2019, Annandale is home to 10,315 people, with an average population density of 73.46 persons per hectare. Australia-born citizens represent 66.3 per cent of the local population, with other residents born in England, New Zealand, the United States of America and China. About 77.5 per cent of people spoke only English at home, while others Mandarin, Spanish, Greek and Cantonese.
Famous residents
True to its cultural roots, Annandale has been home to several artists, including fashion designer Claudia Chan Shaw, painters Fred Cress and Eric Wilson, composer Ross Edwards, writer Thelma Forshaw, musician Kim Moyes, Melbourne University Press editor Barbara Ramsden and comedian Craig Reucassel.
Various sportsmen also hail from the suburb, including cricketers Sid Barnes and Amy Hudson.
The ‘Father of Federation and Premier of NSW Henry Parkes used to reside in Annandale, as well as British intelligence officer Dick Ellis, Aboriginal rights activist Isabel Flick, feminist and labor activist Belle Golding, Aboriginal draftsman and soldier Douglas Grant, naval officer Robert Johnston and politicians Allen Taylor and John Young.
LIFESTYLE
The community-centric laid-back vibe of Annandale has been sought after by families, professionals and mature independents who are looking for a quiet neighbourhood with a nostalgic feel and charming village atmosphere brought by wide streets, old mansions and heritage homes across the suburb.
Annandale has run the Eco-Annandale exhibition annually since 2009 to focus on ecological sustainability, as well as the Footprints EcoFestival every August.
Public transport
In most council areas in Sydney’s Inner West, the top modes of transportation are cars (as drivers), trains, buses, ferries and light rail.
State Transit provides most of the bus routes across the Inner West, while ferries are mostly operated by Sydney Ferries, servicing the inner harbour and Parramatta River.
For Annandale, buses are the primary mode of public transport, with the major bus corridor located along Booth St through the middle of the suburb. The corridor is served by the 470 and the 370. Several other bus routes operate along Parramatta Rd at the southern border of the suburb, including the M10 which continues to Maroubra Junction, while the north east of the suburb is served by the 433.
Sydney Trains Airport and Inner West & South Line runs south of Parramatta Road to Strathfield and to Macarthur via Granville, while the North Shore and Northern & Western Line follows the same route to Strathfield before it branches off to the north to Epping, stopping at North Strathfield, Concord West and Rhodes. The Bankstown Line services Erskineville, St Peters, Sydenham, Marrickville and Dulwich Hill, while the Dulwich Hill line connects Pyrmont, Glebe, Lilyfield, Leichhardt and Lewisham to Central railway station.
The Rozelle Bay stop on the Dulwich Hill Line of Sydney’s light rail network is the nearest to Annandale, located in the north of the suburb. The Jubilee Park stop is also accessible from Annandale. Trams also operate east to Central railway station via Pyrmont and south-west to Dulwich Hill.
Bicycles have also been a part of the overall transport task since the 1990s.
Schools and universities
Some of the most notable schools across Sydney’s Inner West are:
- Annandale Public School
- St Brendan’s Catholc School
- Newington College (Inner West’s oldest school, 1863)
- Rosebank College (Inner West’s second oldest school, 1867)
- Sydney College of the Arts - the University of Sydney (Rozelle Campus)
- Sydney TAFE (Petersham College and Design Centre Enmore)
- University of Tasmania (School of Medicine Rozelle Campus)
Hospitals
Among the major hospitals in the Inner West are:
- Balmain Hospital
- Yaralla Estate (Dame Eadith Walker Hospital)
- Concord Repatriation General Hospital
Landmarks
Annandale boasts popular music landmarks, including the Annandale Hotel, a popular music venue for rock/indie bands and the site of the first gig of pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer; Trafalgar Studios, where many 70s and 80s bands recorded their albums, including Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly; and Didgeridoo Records.
Other major landmarks across Sydney’s Inner West are:
- Annandale Council Chambers
- Village Church, Annandale
- Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church
- St. Brendan’s Catholic Church
- Annandale Uniting Church
- Parramatta River
- Concord Golf Club
- City of Canada Bay Museum
- Strathfield Park
- Sydenham Green Tempe Recreational Reserve
- Haberfield heritage conservation area
- Harbour Circle Walk
Shopping centers
Some of the major shopping centres and shopping districts across Inner West are:
- Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre
- Rhodes Waterside Shopping Centre
- Westfield Burwood Shopping Centre
Sports and recreation
Rugby League is arguably the most popular sport in the Inner West, as well as most parts of Sydney and New South Wales.
Aside from the Rugby League, Sydney’s Inner West also participates in semi-professional soccer in the various divisions of the NSW State Leagues. Among the most notable clubs are the NSW Premier League and the APIA Leichhardt Tigers.
Some of the sports centres in Sydney’s Inner Wests are:
- Concord Golf Club
- Drummoyne Oval
- Erskineville Oval
- Sydney Homebush Street Circuit
- Leichhardt Oval
- Sydney Olympic Park (including Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre, Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre, Sydney Showground-Olympic Park, Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney Super Dome).
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