Darling Point is a harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, Australia. It is 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Woollahra Council.[Gregory's Sydney Street Directory, Gregory's Publishing Company, 2007]
Darling Point is bounded by Port Jackson to the north, Double Bay to the east, Edgecliff to the south and Rushcutters Bay to the west. Darling Point, renowned for its desirable and expensive real estate, is mostly residential and regarded as one of the most exclusive and prestigious suburbs in Australia.
History
What is now the Darling Point area was originally known as Eurambi, Yarranabbi, Yarrandabbi and Yaranabe by the local Aboriginal people. It was named Darling Point in recognition of Elizabeth Darling, the wife of New South Wales Governor
Ralph Darling.
[ The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollen, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia , page 79]
During the 2000 Summer Olympics, Darling Point hosted the sailing events.
Transport
Darling Point Road follows the ridge of the headland that is Darling Point. Mona Road and Greenoaks Avenue act as two other main access roads to the suburb. New Beach Road runs between the western boundary of the suburb and Rushcutters Bay Park. Darling Point is served by Transdev John Holland bus route 328. Darling Point ferry wharf provides access to Double Bay ferry services. Darling Point is also serviced by the nearby Edgecliff railway station.
Parks
McKell Park was originally the site of the now-demolished Canonbury House, but is now a public park. Situated at the northern end of Darling Point Road, it has panoramic views of Sydney Harbour and is a popular location for picnics and weddings. It also provides access to Darling Point's ferry stop.
"The Drill Hall" forms part of the Sir David Martin Reserve and was previously part of the Royal Australian Navy base, HMAS Rushcutter. The Drill hall is one of the oldest-surviving Australian military buildings and was originally located on Bennelong Point, now the location of the Sydney Opera House.
Places of worship
Saint Mark's Anglican Church in Darling Point Road was designed by
Edmund Blacket in 1852 and is now a popular wedding venue. It has hosted weddings such as
Elton John's first wedding and the fictional wedding in the film
Muriel's Wedding. The rectory, also designed by Blacket, is listed on the local government heritage register.
Landmarks
Craigend
Situated close to McKell Park,
Craigend is a mansion constructed in the
Moorish and
Art Deco styles in 1935, including a pair of doors from an ancient
mosque in
Zanzibar and a traditional Japanese garden. In 1948, the property was acquired by the
United States government as the official residence of the Consul-General. It has since returned to the private sector. In 1975, it served as the shooting location for the villain's lair in the
Hong Kong / Australian co-production
The Man from Hong Kong. The house is heritage-listed.
[ Craigend - house State Heritage Website]
Carthona
Built in 1841 for the Surveyor-General Sir Thomas Mitchell,
Carthona is a harborside sandstone mansion located at the end of Carthona Avenue. With its panoramic water views across Double Bay, to
Point Piper, and north toward Manly, it is considered one of Sydney's most-valuable properties. It is currently held by descendants of Philip Bushell, the tea merchant, who died at the home in 1954. It is heritage-listed.
[The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, p.2/132]
Glanworth
In 1966,
James Fairfax paid $240,000 to purchase
Glanworth in Lindsay Avenue. The house designed by Joseph Alexander Kethel had been built in 1916 for Peter Britz, an American from Buffalo, New York, on a lot carved from the Lindsay Estate and was originally known as
Youbri. It is a rare example of an American plantation-style residence with deep verandas and oversized antebellum concrete columns and piers. Faifax owned the house for 28 years and sold it for $8.5 million to a Singaporean hotel magnate who sold it to
Kerry Stokes for $9.5 million in 1998.
[ Sydney's changing waterfront Retrieved 13 April 2023.]
Heritage listings
Darling Point has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
-
1a Carthona Avenue: Lindesay
-
68 Darling Point Road: The Swifts
-
103 Darling Point Road: Babworth House
-
11–21 Greenoaks Avenue: Bishopscourt
In additional, the following buildings are on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate.[The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, pp. 2, 132–133]
-
Cloncorrick, Annandale Street
-
Callooa and garden, Bennett Avenue
-
Carthona, Carthona Avenue
-
Mona, Mona Road
Clubs
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Australia's premier yacht club, is situated near Rushcutters Bay Park and runs the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
Population
Demographics
At the , the population of Darling Point was 3,977. The most common ancestries in Darling Point were
English people (36.2%), Australian (23.4%),
Irish people (13.5%), Scottish 11.1% and Chinese 5.8%. 59.5% of residents were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were England 6.1%, South Africa 3.3% and New Zealand 3.1%. 80.3% of people spoke only English at home.
Notable residents
