Bellevue Hill, New South Wales

Bellevue Hill Sydney, New South Wales
Cooper Park
Population:	9,446 (2006)
Postcode:	2023
Location:	5 km (3 mi) east of Sydney CBD
LGA:	Municipality of Woollahra
State electorate:	Vaucluse
Federal Division:	Wentworth
Suburbs around Bellevue Hill: Edgecliff Point Piper Rose Bay Double Bay Bellevue Hill North Bondi Woollahra Bondi Bondi Junction

Bellevue Hill is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bellevue Hill is an affluent suburb, located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra.

History

In the early 19th century, Irish-Australian immigrants referred to the area as Vinegar Hill, after the Battle of Vinegar Hill, an engagement during the 1798 uprising of the United Irishmen in south-east Ireland. Governor Lachlan Macquarie took great exception to this and decided to name the suburb Bellevue Hill, the belle vue meaning beautiful view. Bellevue Hill, however, is well known for being one of Sydney's wealthiest suburbs. The historic Queen Anne home Caerleon was sold for $22 million in January, 2008. This price was surpassed by the $23 million paid for a mansion in Victoria Road in November 2009. The mansion had previously been used by the French consulate since 1955. One person who inspected it was actor Russell Crowe, who subsequently did not take part in the bidding. The house was bought by Lachlan Murdoch.

Actress Toni Collette sold her Bellevue Hill home in August 2009 for $6.4 million. The house, El Mio, had been the base for Collette and her husband, musician David Galafassi, since they bought it in 2004 for $5 million. The house was located in Rupertswood Avenue and was designed in 1928 in the Spanish Mission style. It was initially passed in at $6.3 million, but was then sold within an hour after successful negotiations with the highest bidder.

North Bondi via Paddington and Bellevue Hill tram line

Main article: Trams in Sydney

Heading south down Elizabeth Street from Circular Quay, the line turned left into Park Street, then wound through East Sydney via a right turn into Yurong Street, a left turn into Stanley Street, a right turn into Bourke Street, then a left turn into Burton Street. A feature was the tram only viaduct over Barcom Ave and Boundary Street in Darlinghurst as the line headed into MacDonald Street. This viaduct is now a road bridge. The line then twisted down Glenmore, Gurner and Hargreave Streets in Paddington, then Moncur and Queen Streets in Woollahra. Here, a connection to Oxford Street allowed access to the Waverley Depot. The line then travelled down Edgecliff and Victoria Roads, then wound along Birriga Road in Bellevue Hill, finally running down Curlewis Street in Bondi to join the Bondi Beach via Bondi Junction line on Campbell Parade, to the North Bondi terminus. The line was double track throughout with numerous points to allow short working. Services operated from Circular Quay via Elizabeth Street and Park Street. The line opened to Bellevue Hill in 1909, and to Bondi Beach in 1914. The line was cut back to Ocean Street, Woollahra in 1955; the remainder closed on 27 June 1959. The line followed approximately the current route of bus 389 between the city and Woollahra and route X84 between Woollahra and Bondi Beach.

Heritage

The following buildings are on the Register of the National Estate.

• Rona, Ginahgulla Road
• Fairfax House, Ginahgulla Road
• Rovello, Ginahgulla Road
• Caerleon, Ginahgulla Road (first Queen Anne home in Australia)
• House and Gardens, 1 Rose Bay Avenue
• Former Government House, Cranbrook School, Victoria Road
• Sports Pavilion, Cranbrook School, New South Head Road
• Trahlee, Ginahgulla Road, is listed on the Heritage Register of New South Wales

• 

  Caerleon

• 

  Fairfax House

• 

  Rona (rear view)

• 

  Rovello

Schools

Bellevue Hill has several schools, including Bellevue Hill Public School and private schools The Scots College and Cranbrook School.

• 

  Aspinall House, Scots College, Victoria Road

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  Scots College, Victoria Road

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  House in Federation Arts and Crafts style, Victoria Road

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  Trahlee, Ginahgulla Road

Notable residents

• Kerry Packer, a businessman who was Australia's richest man at the time of his death in December 2005, made his home at Cairnton on Victoria Road.
• Edmund Capon, the director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, lives in Bellevue Hill.
• Rene Rivkin, the late stockbroker, lived at Carrara, a magnificent home at 5 Rose Bay Avenue, Bellevue Hill. He later moved to Point Piper.
• Charles Blackburn, a famous chancellor of the University of Sydney. Died at his home in Bellevue Hill.
• Alan Kippax, the former Australian Test cricketer and captain of New South Wales. Lived in Bellevue Hill for many years, and died at his home in 1972.
• Sir William McMahon and Lady McMahon, Prime Minister of Australia and wife lived in Drumalbyn Road respectively.

External links

• Bellevue Hill, New South Wales is at coordinates 33°52′52″S 151°15′09″E