Surry Hills

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Distinguish Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Australian place

Surry Hills is an inner-east suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney. Surry Hills is surrounded by the suburbs of Darlinghurst to the north, Chippendale and Haymarket to the west, Moore Park and Paddington to the east and Redfern to the south.<ref>Gregory's Sydney Street Directory, Gregory's Publishing Company, 2002, Map 19</ref> It is often colloquially referred to as "Surry".

It is bordered by Elizabeth Street and Chalmers Street to the west, Cleveland Street to the south, South Dowling Street to the east, and Oxford Street to the north. Crown Street is a main thoroughfare through the suburb with numerous restaurants, pubs and bars. Central is a locality in the north-west of the suburb around Central station. Prince Alfred Park is located nearby. Strawberry Hills is a locality around Cleveland and Elizabeth Streets and Brickfield Hill to the east of that.

A multicultural suburb, Surry Hills has had a long association with the Portuguese community of Sydney.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

History

The first land grants in Surry Hills were made in the 1790s. Major Joseph Foveaux received Template:Convert. His property was known as Surry Hills Farm, after the Surrey Hills in Surrey, England. Foveaux Street is named in his honour.<ref>The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson, 1990, p. 249 Template:ISBN</ref> Commissary John Palmer received Template:Convert. He called the property George Farm and in 1800 Palmer also bought Foveaux's farm. In 1792, the boundaries of the Sydney Cove settlement were established between the head of Cockle Bay to the head of Woolloomooloo Bay. West of the boundary, which included present-day Surry Hills, was considered suitable for farming and was granted to military officers and free settlers.

After Palmer's political failures, his reduced financial circumstances forced the first subdivision and sale of his estate in 1814. Isaac Nichols bought Allotment 20, comprising over Template:Convert. Due to the hilly terrain, much of the suburb was considered remote and 'inhospitable'. In the early years of the nineteenth century the area around what is now Prince Alfred Park was undeveloped land known as the Government Paddocks or Cleveland Paddocks. A few villas were built in the suburb in the late 1820s. The suburb remained one of contrasts for much of the nineteenth century, with the homes of wealthy merchants mixed with that of the commercial and working classes.

File:Salvation Army - Surry Hills Sunday morning service in street, Sept 1949, from Series 02- Sydney people & streets, 1948-1950, photographed by Brian Bird (6977871553).jpg
A Surry Hills street scene, 1940s

In 1820, Governor Macquarie ordered the consecration of the Devonshire Street Cemetery. A brick wall was erected before any interments took place to enclose its Template:Convert. Within a four-year period the cemetery was expanded by the addition of Template:Convert to its south. A road was formed along the southern boundary of the cemetery in the first half of the 1830s and was called Devonshire Street. The Devonshire Street Cemetery, where many of the early settlers were buried, was later moved to build the Sydney railway terminus. Central railway station was opened on 4 August 1906. The area around Cleveland and Elizabeth streets was known as Strawberry Hills. Strawberry Hills post office was located at this intersection for many years.<ref>Book of Sydney Suburbs, p. 249</ref>

In 1833, the Nichols estate was subdivided and sold. One purchase was by Thomas Broughton and subsequently acquired by George Hill who constructed Durham Hall on this and adjoining lots. Terrace houses and workers' cottages were built in Surry Hills from the 1850s. Light industry became established in the area, particularly in the rag trade (clothing industry). It became a working class suburb, predominately inhabited by Irish immigrants. The suburb developed a reputation for crime and vice. The Sydney underworld figure Kate Leigh (1881–1964), lived in Surry Hills for more than 80 years.

In 1896 Patineur Grotesque one of Australia's first films and first comedy routine filmed was shot in Prince Alfred Park by Marius Sestier.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The government enacted legislation during 1945-1951 to require all municipalities to prepare 'town plans' for the purpose of guiding future development for a thirty year period (to 1975). In 1948, there was a proposal for Surry Hills by the Municipal County for Sydney titled Sunny Hills.<ref name="SunnyHills1948">Template:Cite web</ref> This proposed the almost complete demolition of Surry Hills and redevelopment of the street plan to accommodate a new expressway<ref name="SunnyHills1948"/>Template:Rp (carrying the Eastern Distributor, at that time proposed as a surface expressway), residential zones dominated by blocks of flats set in parkland and separated zoning. A 300 foot diameter roundabout was proposed for the intersection of Crown Street and Foveaux Street.<ref name="SunnyHills1948"/>Template:Rp This town plan was never implemented, and the City of Sydney Council archivist note states that the Sunny Hills plan was probably only ever an exercise.<ref name="SunnyHills1948"/>

Surry Hills was favoured by newly arrived families after World War II when property values were low and accommodation was inexpensive. From the 1980s, the area was gentrified, with many of the area's older houses and building restored and many new upper middle-class residents enjoying the benefits of inner-city living. The suburb is now a haven for the upper middle class and young rich.<ref>Christopher Keating. "Surry Hills, The City's Backyard". Halstead Press, Australia. 1991 (Template:ISBN)</ref>

Trams

File:Elizabeth St. from Eddy Ave. 1940s colour.jpg
Tram lines from Eddy Avenue running into Elizabeth Street in the early 1940s

Template:Main The West Kensington via Surry Hills Line operated from 1881 down Crown Street as far as Cleveland Street as a steam tramway. It was extended to Phillip Street in 1909, Todman Avenue in 1912, and then to its final terminus down Todman Avenue in 1937. When the line was fully operational it branched from the tramlines in Oxford Street and proceeded down Crown Street to Cleveland Street in Surry Hills, then south along Baptist Street to Phillip Street, where it swung left into Crescent Street before running south along Dowling Street. It passed the Dowling Street Depot, then turned left into Todman Avenue, where it terminated at West Kensington. The line along Crown Street closed in 1957, the remainder stayed open until 1961 to allow access to Dowling Street Tram Depot. Transdev John Holland routes 301, 302 and 303 generally follow the route down Crown and Baptist Streets as far as Phillip Street.<ref>David R. Keenan. CITY LINES of the Sydney Tramway System. Transit Press Australia,1991. (Template:ISBN)</ref>

Urban character

File:Crown Street-Campbell Street, Surry Hills, Sydney.jpg
Commercial buildings on the corner of Crown and Campbell Streets

Surry Hills has a mixture of residential, commercial and light industrial areas. It remains Sydney's main centre for fashion wholesale activities, particularly on the western side. The area is also home to a large LGBTQIA+ community, where Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (Pride Parade) takes place each year.

Surry Hills Markets are held in Shannon Reserve at the corner of Crown and Collins Streets, on the first Saturday of every month,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Surry Hills Festival is an annual community event, attracting tens of thousands of visitors, held in and around Ward Park, Shannon Reserve, Crown Street and Hill Street.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Surry Hills Library and Community Centre sits opposite Shannon Reserve and houses the local branch of the city library and the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Literature

The Harp in the South is a novel by Ruth Park. Published in 1948, it portrays the life of a Catholic Irish-Australian family in Surry Hills, which was an inner city slum at the time. A sequel, Poor Man's Orange, was published in 1949.

Transport

Central railway station, the largest station on the Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink networks, sits on the western edge of Surry Hills. Surry Hills is also serviced by Transdev John Holland and Transit Systems buses. The Eastern Distributor is a major road, on the eastern edge of the suburb. Major thoroughfares are Crown Street, Cleveland Street, Bourke Street and Foveaux Street. Surry Hills is within easy walking distance of the Sydney CBD, and is included in a widening network of cycleways.

Major construction took place on the Surry Hills section of the CBD and South East Light Rail which opened in December 2019 and April 2020 respectively.<ref>About Sydney Light Rail</ref> Transport for NSW managed this project.<ref>Sydney light rail opening delayed another two months to May 2020, Sydney Morning Herald, 4 October 2018</ref> It has been reported that there has been some disruption to local businesses because of the construction work taking place.<ref>Surry Hills businesses count the toll of light rail construction, Daily Telegraph, 2 February 2017</ref>

Places of worship

Landmarks

File:Prince Alfred Park 003.jpg
Prince Alfred Park
File:White Horse Hotel Surry Hills 001.jpg
White Horse Hotel
File:Rainbow Crossing on Campbell Street in Surry Hills (2).jpg
Surry Hills' Rainbow Crossing, celebrating the area's LGBTQIA+ community
File:The Women's Hospital, Surry Hills NSW.jpg
Crown Street Women's Hospital
File:Surry Hills Library 2010.jpg
Surry Hills Library and Community Centre
  • Sydney Police Centre<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Centennial Plaza
  • Belvoir Street Theatre
  • Prince Alfred Park & Swimming Pool
  • Tom Mann Theatre
  • Harmony Park
  • Ward Park, Devonshire Street
  • Rainbow Crossing, Taylor Square
  • Surry Hills Library and Community Centre, Crown Street
  • The Kirk, Cleveland Street

Restaurants

Surry Hills boasts a diverse range of cafes and restaurants serving a wide variety of cooking styles and cultures.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The suburb has one of the highest, if not the highest, concentration of restaurants in Sydney.<ref>Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide</ref> Local chefs include Andrew Cibej and Bill Granger.

Pubs and bars

Because of its industrial and commercial history, the Surry Hills area contains a significant number of pubs. The style of pubs range from the Victorian period to Federation and Art Deco pubs from the mid-1900s. Many of these have been refurbished in recent years to include restaurants and modern facilities.

Heritage buildings

Surry Hills has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the following sites listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register:

The following buildings are listed on the now defunct Register of the National Estate:<ref>The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, p.2/88</ref>

File:Surry Hills Court House.JPG
Heritage-listed former police station

Housing

File:(1) Nichols Street Homes.JPG
Terraces on Nichols Street

Surry Hills is largely composed of grand Victorian terraced houses and some complexes of public housing units to the west of Riley Street. Examples of converted buildings previously used as hospitals include Crown Street Hospital and St. Margaret's, in addition to other building conversions.

Schools

Bourke Street Public School, Crown Street Public School, Inner Sydney High School, Sydney Community College, Sydney Boys High School and Sydney Girls High School are notable examples. The Australian Institute of Music's Sydney Campus is also located in Surry Hills.

Population

Demographically, Surry Hills is now characterised as a mixture of wealthy newcomers who have gentrified the suburb, and long-time residents.

At the Template:CensusAU, the population of Surry Hills was 15,828.<ref name="census2021">Template:Census 2021 AUS</ref> At the Template:CensusAU, it had a population of 16,412.<ref name="census2016">Template:Census 2016 AUS</ref>

In 2021, 68.5% of dwellings were flats, units or apartments, compared to the Australian average of 14.2%. 29.1% are semi-detached terraced houses or townhouses, compared to the Australian average of 12.6%. Only 1.1% of dwellings are separate houses, compared to the Australian average of 72.3%. Surry Hills was categorised as a high wealth area, with a median weekly household income of $2,308, compared to the Australian average of $1,746.<ref name="census2021"/> Historically, the suburb had an influx of post-war immigrants from Europe, particularly those from Greece, Portugal<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Italy.

In 2021, 48.7% of people were born in Australia. The most common foreign countries of birth were England 6.4%, New Zealand 3.4%, China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) 3.3%, Thailand 3.0% and the United States of America 2.1%. 73.0% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Cantonese 4.0%, Mandarin 3.0%, Thai 3.0%, Greek 2.0% and French 2.0%.<ref name="Microburbs 2023">Template:Cite web</ref>

47.5% of dwellings have no cars, compared to the Australian average of 7.3%. 11.0% of the population walked to work, compared to the Australian average of 2.5%, and 9.1% travelled to work by public transport, compared to the Australian average of 4.6%. 57.0% worked at home, compared to the Australian average of 21.0%.<ref name="census2021"/>

In 2021 Surry Hills was a significantly more irreligious suburb than the Australian average. Most (55.3%) reported no religion whilst 8.4% did not answer the question. The most common religions reported were Catholic 14.0%, Buddhism 4.8% and Anglican 4.8%.<ref name="census2021"/>

Notable people

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Commons category Template:Commons category

Further reading

Template:Sydney City of Sydney suburbs

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Surry_Hills&oldid=342227"