Beecroft, New South Wales

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Beecroft
city = Sydney
state = New South Wales

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caption = Beecroft Village retail centre, Hannah Street
lga = Hornsby Shire
postcode = 2119
est =
pop = 8,614 (2006)
area =
propval =
stategov = Epping
fedgov = Berowra
near-nw = West Pennant Hills
near-n = Pennant Hills
near-ne = Pennant Hills
near-w = West Pennant Hills
near-e = Cheltenham
near-sw = Carlingford
near-s = Carlingford
near-se = Epping
dist1 = 22
dir1 = north-west
location1= Sydney CBD

Beecroft is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Beecroft is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. Beecroft is considered to be in the Upper North Shore region.

History

Beecroft was, before its suburban development, orchard country. The railway came through the area in 1886 and Sir Henry Copeland, Minister of Lands, conducted a survey of the area to determine its suitability as a residential area. He named the suburb after the maiden name of his two wives, Hannah and Mary Beecroft, (two sisters he married in succession). Their names are also remembered through the respective naming of the suburb's east/west streets; Hannah Street, Copeland Road and Mary Street. [ Beecroft and Cheltenham, The Shaping of a Sydney Community to 1914" (Beecroft Cheltenham History Group Inc, 1995). ISBN 0-646-24286-5 ] Due to the strength of temperance societies in Beecroft a century ago, there have never been any hotels in Beecroft.

Location

Like much of the surrounding area of Northern Sydney, Beecroft is located on a number of hills and gullies. Its highest point lies along its Northern frontier along Pennant Hills Road and slopes downward toward the South and the East. The slope poses constraints upon the Main Northern Railway Line, with numerous diesel freight trains subject to stalling while travelling uphill.Fact|date=April 2008

A number of small creeks flow through into the Lane Cove River, including Devlins Creek and Byall Creek.Fact|date=April 2008

Beecroft, with its leafy, tree-lined streets, is unusually reminiscent of a village in the English counties. [ [http://lib.councilsonline.com.au/hornsby/webquery.dll?v1=pbMarc&v2=ATHOL%20FUGARD&v4=0&v5=5J&v8=5169&v9=17&v10=N&v11=0&v13=4J&v20=4&v22=4J@S795242007&v23=0&v25=BEECROFT&v27=68771&v29=5J&v35=N&v40=5164&v46=5169 Beecroft and Cheltenham : the shaping of a Sydney /Beecroft Cheltenham History Group. - Full Catalogue Listing ] ]

Commercial area

The majority of commercial activity conducted in Beecroft is concentrated within a couple of blocks. Although not large by Sydney standards, it is nonetheless important in servicing the suburb and its immediate area, including parts of Cheltenham. The commercial area is located between Beecroft Road and Beecroft railway station. In keeping with the spirit of the traditional heritage, Old English is used throughout as the typeset of the Beecroft Village arcade. Hannah Street, the Suburb's main Commercial Street, underwent a significant beautification upgrade in 2005.

Transport

Beecroft railway station is on the Northern railway line of the CityRail network. In addition to the usual passenger railway traffic, the Main Northern Line also acts as an intercity and freight train thoroghfare passing through Beecroft.Beecroft is also serviced by various bus routes including routes 623 and 635 from Sydney Buses and Hillsbus respectively.

Prior to the construction of the M2 Hills Motorway, Beecroft's main road thoroughfare was commissioned as part of Sydney's Metroad system of major arterial roads and throughways.Fact|date=April 2008 Beecroft Road was part of the Metroad 2 thoroughfare which took motorists between Sydney's Central Business District and Windsor via the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Epping and Castle Hill.

Like many of the other suburbs of Sydney, most residents of Beecroft are employed outside the immediate area. The most common locations include the Sydney Central Business District, North Sydney, Hornsby, Macquarie Centre (in Macquarie Park), Epping, Chatswood and Parramatta.Fact|date=April 2008 Some of these links have strengthened in recent years due in part to the construction of the M2 Hills Motorway.Fact|date=April 2008

Although no Metro station is planned for Beecroft, the dual-tunnel North West Metro Link, formerly known as the "North-West Rail Link", will pass underneath the suburb. It is due to commence operations in 2015. Planners anticipate that this link may take some pressure off Beecroft traffic flows along Pennant Hills Road and Beecroft Road (as well as feeder roads within Beecroft) by encouraging commuters in adjoining suburbs to use the Metro instead of their cars.Fact|date=April 2008

There is also the likelihood that an important Metro surface facility for ventilation, fire extinguishment, storage, amenities and possible emergency egress [http://www.tidc.nsw.gov.au/Documents/1155_PPRVol1.pdf Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation, "North West Rail Link, Preferred Project report, Volume 1, May 2007", s.7.7.1, document page 73 (Adobe Page 81)] will need to be constructed somewhere in Beecroft, at or near to the midpoint of the tunnel between Epping and Cherrybrook [ [http://www.tidc.nsw.gov.au/Documents/1155_PPRVol1.pdf Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation, "North West Rail Link, Preferred project report, Volume 1, May 2007"] , s.7.7.1, document page 73 (Adobe Page 81)] , to service the long (6km) tunnel between the two stations. Although the specific location and design of this facility have not been finalised, the 13 hectare Chilworth Reserve, which directly straddles the tunnel alignment [ [http://www.sydlink.com.au/site/page.cfm?u=27 SydneyLink, The Future Of Sydney's Transport] ] and in which this midpoint falls, has not yet been ruled out as a location for the facility, particularly as the technical requirements, including maximum distance from stations, is still under consideration, and it not known whether one or two such egress points will be required.

Churches

The Anglican church - formerly the Church of England - was especially prominent in Beecroft society. The suburb itself has three churches within its boundaries; St. John's Anglican (Church of England) Church and Beecroft Uniting Church on Beecroft Road, with Beecroft Presbyterian Church on Mary Street, opposite the school.

Schools

Beecroft has two Primary Schools residing on Beecroft Road, and two other Primary schools, and a High School on the border of Carlingford.
* Beecroft Primary School
* Arden Anglican School
* Roselea Public School
* St. Gerard Majella Catholic Primary School
* Carlingford High School

Sport and recreation

Beecroft is also bestowed with a number of recreational facilities within its boundaries. Beecroft is home to the exclusive Pennant Hills Golf Club, as well as a lawn bowls club near the school, a football pitch at Booth Park, a lawn tennis club, as well as general park space at the Village Green, walking trails through Chilworth Reserve and other forested areas.

Birdlife

The central bushlands are known for the presence of the Satin Bowerbird, and many blue objects such as milk bottle tops and clothes pegs from nearby homes can be found in their nests. Other bird species found in the local bush include the kookaburra, yellow-tailed black cockatoo, galah, corella, sulphur-crested cockatoos, rainbow lorikeet, whipbird, king parrot, Eastern and crimson rosella, bush turkey, butcher bird, crested pigeon, powerful owl, magpie and currawong.

Population

According to the 2006 Census, Beecroft has 8,614 permanent (human) residents.

Notable residents

* Sir Garfield Barwick (Australian High Court Justice)
* George Sargent of Australian meat pie fame
* Allan Seale (former ABC TV gardening expert) Fact|date=April 2008
* Ruth Cracknell (Australian actress of "Mother and Son" fame)
* Mark Milligan ( Australian soccer player, Olyroo's U'23 Captain) Fact|date=April 2008

External links

References