Eastwood

Beverley Mcclymont

doi:10.5130/sj.v3i2.2391

Abstract

A train journey from Sydney Central to Strathfield and thence north on the Hornsby rail line will bring a traveller to the suburb of Eastwood, some 21 kilometres from the city. Leaving the train to travel on to Hornsby and stepping out of the station on the east or west side, the visitor will see a busy suburban shopping centre, illustrating the fact that Eastwood developed around the railway station when the service began in 1886. However, the town's history goes back to the eighteenth century and even to earlier times, when the Wallumedegal Aboriginal people lived in the territory bounded by the Lane Cove and Parramatta rivers. The people were part of the Dharug group and they called their country Wallumetta.

Highlights

Eastwood is one of 16 suburbs of the City of Ryde and its population is over 14,000
The town's history goes back to the eighteenth century and even to earlier times, when the Wallumedegal Aboriginal people lived in the territory bounded by the Lane Cove and Parramatta rivers
The town's business area backs on to Terrys Creek, here restricted to a concrete canal, whose waters flow east into the Lane Cove River. This process was somewhat impeded when, in 1984, the waters overflowed into the Rowe Street shopping centre! The hills to the south of the town cause other small creeks, such as Archers Creek, to flow into the Parramatta River

Summary

Beverley McClymont

A train journey from Sydney Central to Strathfield and thence north on the Hornsby rail line will bring a traveller to the suburb of Eastwood, some 21 kilometres from the city. The town's business area backs on to Terrys Creek, here restricted to a concrete canal, whose waters flow east into the Lane Cove River. This process was somewhat impeded when, in 1984, the waters overflowed into the Rowe Street shopping centre! The house is sited on a knoll and has views of the Parramatta River to the south, distant Botany Bay and the nearby suburbs of Denistone and West Denistone. The north shore ridge and the adjacent suburb of Marsfield lie to the east. The heights above sea level, given for local stations, show the landforms – West Ryde is on the plain at 30 metres, Eastwood Station near the creek at 68 metres, and Epping on the higher ground at 97 metres

Settlement begins

Sydney Journal is part of the Dictionary of Sydney project

The Eastwood estates

The railway and the Eastwood land sales

From village to suburb in the twentieth century