Lavender Bay

Lavender Bay is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Lavender Bay is located three kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council.

Lavender Bay Sydney, New South Wales
Lavender Bay, NSW
Population	870 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	4,400/km2 (11,300/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	2060
Area	0.2 km2 (0.1 sq mi)
Location	3 km (2 mi) north of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	North Sydney Council
State electorate(s)	North Shore
Federal division(s)	Warringah
Suburbs around Lavender Bay: North Sydney North Sydney North Sydney McMahons Point Lavender Bay Milsons Point Dawes Point

The suburb takes its name from Lavender Bay, a natural feature of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) immediately west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It lies between Milsons Point and McMahons Point. The suburb North Sydney is located, to the north. Lavender Bay is a residential suburb with expansive views of Sydney Harbour.

History

Lavender Bay in 1931 with the Sydney Harbour Bridge under construction and Lavender Bay railway station on the left

Lavender Bay was named after the Boatswain (bosun), George Lavender, from the prison hulk "Phoenix", which was moored there for many years. The bay is dual-named Gooweebahree,^[2] (also sometimes written as Quiberee^[3]) in the Dharug language of the local inhabitants, the Cammeraygal people of the Eora nation. The colonists also called it Hulk Bay and sometimes Phoenix Bay. George Lavender lived on 14 acres (57,000 m²) adjacent to the property of Billy Blue. On 30 May 1915 Lavender Bay railway station was opened to take the place of Milsons Point railway station. This only lasted for seven weeks, as passengers refused to alight here and demanded that trains stop at Milsons Point. During the Sydney Harbour Bridge construction, Lavender Bay station was the terminus of the North Shore railway line. The area is now used to stable Sydney Trains rolling stock.^[4]

Heritage listings

A view of the Harbour Bridge taken from Clark Park in Lavender Bay.

Lavender Bay has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• 1 Walker Street: Brett Whiteley House^[5]

Population

In the 2021 Census, there were 870 people in Lavender Bay. 59.4% of people were born in Australia and 75.5% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 41.6% and Catholic 23.9%.^[1]

Landmarks

Wendy's Secret Garden. 2023

• A wharf is located in the bay which provides access to private vessels.
• The Lavender Bay Baths (1910), also known as Cavill's Baths, a tidal swimming pool, were once popular with swimmers, located in the area beside the ferry wharf.
• Wendy Whiteley created a garden adjacent to her home, in the area between Clark Park and the old railway line. It is sometimes known as Wendy's Secret Garden, and is open to the public.

Churches

• Christ Church, Lavender Bay, a Lower North Shore landmark.
• The Jesuit Church of St Francis Xavier was founded in 1856 and is now part of North Sydney Parish.

Notable residents

• Donald Bradman lived in the harbourfront Bay View Street, and was one of the first few Australians to get a private telephone number while living in Bay View Street.^[6]
• Artist Norman Lindsay lived at 'Heidelberg' at 9 Bay View Street
• Artist Brett Whiteley lived in a house overlooking the Bay with his wife Wendy Whiteley; Wendy continued to live there as of 2019^[update].^[7] In 2018 the NSW Government granted heritage status to the Whiteleys' house, its views of Sydney Harbour, and Wendy's remarkable Secret Garden in recognition of the significance of the place to the history of Australian art.^[8]