Kirribilli, New South Wales

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Kirribilli
city = Sydney
state = nsw


caption = The Kirribilli peninsula (foreground) in Sydney Harbour
lga = North Sydney Council
postcode = 2061
est =
pop =
area =
propval =
stategov = North Shore
fedgov = North Sydney
near-nw = Milsons Point
near-n = North Sydney
near-ne = Neutral Bay
near-w = Milsons Point
near-e =
near-sw =
near-s = The Rocks
near-se = Sydney CBD
dist1 = 3
dir1 = north
location1= Sydney CBD

Kirribilli is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kirribilli is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council. Kirribilli is a harbourside suburb, sitting on the Lower North Shore of Sydney Harbour. [Gregorys Sydney Street Directory, Gregorys Publishing Company, 2007]

History

The name Kirribilli is derived from an Aboriginal word "Kiarabilli", which means 'good fishing spot'. The suburb initially formed part of a grant to James Milson, after whom Milsons Point was named. The area was later sub-divided, first for the construction of large family residences in the 1840s, and then for the erection of Victorian terrace houses and 20th-Century blocks of flats. Prominent early landowners in Kirribilli included members of the Campbell and Gibbes families. Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes, the Collector of Customs for New South Wales, built 'Wotonga' - the forerunner of Admiralty House - in 1842-43 on a five-acre site which he leased, and then purchased, from the Campbells. The Colonel's son, William John Gibbes, lived nearby in Beulah House (since demolished) during the 1840s. [The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Frances Pollon, Angus and Robertson, 1990]

Landmarks

Kirribilli is one of Australia's oldest and most established suburbs.Fact|date=September 2008 The suburb contains Kirribilli House (the official Sydney residence of the Prime Minister), Admiralty House (the official Sydney residence of the Governor-General) and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. Admiralty House, originally a private dwelling belonging to Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes, is Kirribilli's oldest extant building, earliest portions of which date to 1842. Kirribilli House was built next door by Adolphus Frederick Feez, a wealthy merchant, in 1854-55.

The following buildings are on the Register of the National Estate: [The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981]
* St Aloysius College junior school (formerly Kirribilli Public School), Burton Street
* Loreto Convent (formerly Elamang), Carabella Street
* Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre, Fitzroy Street
* Sunnyside (house and grounds), Holbrook Avenue
* Kirribilli House, Kirribilli Avenue
* Admiralty House and Lodge, Kirribilli Point

Transport

Kirribilli supports the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Warringah Freeway provides a link south to the Sydney CBD and north to Chatswood. Kirribilli is serviced by all three means of Sydney public transport.

Milsons Point railway station is the closest station, part of the North Shore line of the CityRail network. It is located next to the main shopping streets, and has frequent services to the Sydney CBD and the North Shore.

Sydney Buses operate regular bus services from Kirribilli to many parts of northern Sydney. The 269 bus service runs a loop within the Kirribilli - Milsons Point - McMahons Point area. There are four operating ferry wharves near Kirribilli, serviced by both public and private ferries.
* On the eastern side is Kirribilli wharf, part of the Sydney Ferries Neutral Bay service. The wharf is one stop from Circular Quay and has two services per hour in each direction. Kirribilli Wharf also has a small local cafe serving coffees, cakes, and newspapers to commuters and many local regulars.
* At the southernmost tip of Kirribilli is the Beulah Street Wharf. This small wharf was dropped from public Sydney Ferries services when an inner harbour ferry route was cancelled. In 2005, private operator Matilda Cruises started using Beulah Street Wharf as part of their Matilda Express loop from Circular Quay to Darling Harbour. As of 15 September 2006 the Matilda Cruises ferry service has been suspended. Outside ferry hours, Beulah Street Wharf is frequently used for fishing and recreation. The wharf is directly north of the Sydney Opera House and offers spectacular harbour views.
* On the eastern side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Jeffrey Street Wharf is also no longer used by Sydney Ferries, with just a few services by Matilda Cruises. It is still used by private charter services, but is more popular as a fishing location. Its panoramic views of the Opera House, Circular Quay, and the Harbour Bridge make is a popular location for wedding photography.
* On the western side of the Bridge is Milsons Point Wharf, which carries many more services than the Kirribilli wharves and joins Kirribilli to the CBD, the inner harbour, and along the Parramatta River to Parramatta.

Commercial area

Kirribilli has a small shopping strip opposite Milsons Point railway station.

chools

The two main schools in the suburb are St Aloysius' College and Loreto Kirribilli.

Events

The 'Kirribilli Markets' are held on the fourth Saturday of each month, on the lawns of the former Kirribilli Bowling Club. The markets contain a mix of new and second-hand clothing, bric-a-brac, jewellery, and food and drink.

Kirribilli is the home of Australia's oldest continuously operating professional theatre company, The Ensemble Theatre. Located in a converted boatshed, it shows productions of contemporary works by both Australian and International playwrights.

Governance

Kirribilli is part of the federal electorate of North Sydney. North Sydney has been held by Joe Hockey since 1996, and is considered a fairly safe Liberal seat, with the two-party-preferred vote standing at 55% and 44% for the Liberal Party and ALP respectively.Fact|date=September 2008

References

External links

*
* [http://www.kncsydney.org Kirribilli Markets ]
* [http://sydneyferries.info/timetables/neutralbay.php Kirribilli Wharf ferry services ]
* [http://www.sydneybuses.info/commonpdfs/sydneybuses/map/265_269map.pdf 269 local bus service ]
* [http://www.matilda.com.au/dir076/mat_main.nsf/Pages/Ferry+Services~Darling+Harbour+-+Circular+Quay+-+Luna+Park Matilda Express services to Beulah Street Wharf ]
* [http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/lc/lcpaper.nsf/0/710946251839A77FCA25685D00052DED Parliamentary discussion of the condition of Kirribilli wharves ]