Cremorne

Cremorne is one of the major districts on the Lower North Shore and part of the North Sydney Council. Located six kilometres north-east of the Sydney CBD, the suburb occupies approximately 170 hectares, surrounded by the suburbs of Cammeray and Northbridge in the north, Neutral Bay in the west, Cremorne Point in the south and Mosman in the east. The suburb of Cremorne belongs to the local government area of North Sydney Council.

ABOUT CREMORNE

History

Prior to European settlement, the Cammeraygal group of the Ku-ring-gai Aboriginal nation inhabited the land now known as Cremorne. The group was considered the largest in the Sydney area as they occupied the north shore of Port Jackson.

After the arrival of the First Fleet, the area was named Robertsons Point after James Robertson, a Scottish watchmaker who arrived in Sydney aboard the Providence in 1822 and was subsequently appointed by governor Thomas Brisbane as the curator of government clocks and astronomical instruments. Robertson was granted 35 hectares of land in 1833, where he constructed a Georgian house. The land was eventually sold to James Milson in 1853.

In 1856, Cremorne Gardens was officially opened during an Easter Monday. Soon enough, the suburb adapted the name Cremorne, derived from a popular pleasure ground in England. 

Between the 1860s and 1880s, the area became popular for leisure seekers and holiday-makers, but after some time, the peninsula was eventually pursued for land development and mineral exploration.

The North Sydney Council was established in 1890, following the amalgamation of the boroughs of St Leonards, East St Leonards and Victoria. Cremorne now occupies the land formerly known as the borough of East St Leonards.

Demographics

As of 2018, Cremorne is home to 12,645 people, with a population density of 74.26 persons per hectare. Apart from Australia-born citizens, which represents about 56 per cent of the local population, other residents list their countries of birth as England, New Zealand, China, South Africa and Japan. Some of the common languages spoken in the suburb apart from English are Mandarin, Japanese, Cantonese, Spanish and French.

Covering 16.2 per cent of the total land area of the North Sydney Council, the suburb features predominantly residential areas, with federation styles and California bungalow style as the most common characteristics.

Famous residents

Professional sportsmen Mitchell Pearce, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Wayne Pearce own homes in Mosman, Cremorne and Neutral Bay, while The Today host Karl Stefanovic has rented a home in Cremorne before moving into a home in Mosman near Taronga Zoo. 

Studio 10 presenter Sarah Harris has also purchased a $2 million house in Cremorne with her husband Tom Ward.

LIFESTYLE

While mainly residential, Cremorne has a commercial area centred along Military Road, around Cremorne Junction. The suburb has shopping centres, high-rise hotels and a number of restaurants and shops, as well as small companies leasing office spaces.

Cremorne also boasts historical sites, such as the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, known originally as the Cremorne Orpheum Theatre. The cinema, designed by GN Kenworthy and constructed by Angelo Virgona in 1935, features a Wurlitzer pipe organ that is played at selected film screenings, In 1987, it underwent a restoration, led by the new owner Mike Walsh.

The suburb, which cascades down to the quieter Willoughby Bay on one side and opens out onto the Sydney Harbour on the other, also features leafy waterside parklands, magnificent views and hilly streets, which all make for a homely atmosphere. 

Public transport

Cremorne’s main modes of transportation are either by road or water. 

One of the major roads in the suburb, Military Road, connects Cremorne to Neutral Bay and the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the west and to Mosman to the east.

Bus services from State Transit provide transport between Military Road and Sydney CBD via routes L80, L85, 178, 180 and 244 to 249. There are also bus routes on Military Road heading to business districts in North Sydney and Chatswood, as well as the Northern Beaches. 

Ferry services are provided by Sydney Ferries, with its Mosman route running from Cremorne’s two wharves, Cremorne Point and Old Cremorne, to the Circular Quay.

Schools and universities

• SCECGS Redlands

Hospitals

• Northside Cremorne Clinic
• Mater Hospital
• Royal North Shore Hospital

Landmarks

• St Peter’s Anglican Church
• Willoughby Bay

Shopping centers

• Big Bear Shopping Centre
• Cremorne Garden Plaza

Other major shopping centres are located in neighbouring suburbs, including Chatswood, Brookvale, Balgowlah and Mosman.

Sports and recreation

• Brightmore Reserve
• Cammeray Park
• Cremorne Reserve
• Grasmere Reserve
• Primrose Park
• Sirius Street Park