Population 21,194 (2011 census) Postcode(s) 2067 State electorate(s) Willoughby Founded 1876 | Established 1876 LGA(s) City of Willoughby Area 2.9 km² Postal code 2067 | |
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Location 10 km (6 mi) north of Sydney CBD Federal divisions Division of North Sydney, Division of Bradfield | ||
Chatswood is a major business and residential district in the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 10 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district. It is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Willoughby.
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History
Chatswood was named after Charlotte Harnett, wife of then Mayor of Willoughby and a pioneer of the district, Richard Harnett, and the original "wooded" nature of the area. The moniker derives from her nickname "Chattie" and was shortened from Chattie's Wood to Chatswood.
Residential settlement of Chatswood began in 1876 and grew with the installation of the North Shore railway line in 1890 and also increased with the opening of the Harbour Bridge in 1932.
Chatswood Post Office opened on 1 August 1879, closed in 1886 and reopened in 1887.
In 1900, Chatswood was easily accessible by public transport. In 1903 the Council Chambers moved from Mowbray Road to Victoria Ave.
At this time Chatswood's history contained orchards and dairy farms on the west side of the train station as well as factories such Dairy Farmers Inc and Three Threes Pickle Factory on what was then Gordon Road ( now the Pacific Hwy)
Chatswood has a rich history of artists who have contributed to Australian culture such as poet Banjo Patterson, poet Kenneth Slessor, artist Arthur Murch, cricketer Victor Trumper, actor Ruth Cracknell, and pianist Roger Woodward all of whom have called Chatswood home.
Other notable Australians who were educated in Chatswood include cricketer Mark Taylor, former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, painter/artist Brett Whiteley, opera singer Yvonne Kenny to name but a few.
Chatswood was declared a town centre in 1983 and a city in 1989.
Economy
Chatswood is one of the North Shore's major commercial and retail districts. Many retail outlets are situated along Victoria Avenue and many office buildings are situated along Pacific Highway.
Corporate headquarters
The Australian headquarters of CSR Limited, Smith's Snackfood, Abigroup, Coffey, Pepsico and Carter Holt Harvey as well as offices of Nortel Networks, Optus, Lenovo, NEC, Leighton Contractors, Huawei and Cisco Systems are located in Chatswood. A number of high-density residential towers are also located in Chatswood.
Retail and shopping
Chatswood has two major shopping centres, Chatswood Chase and Westfield Chatswood. There are also a few smaller shopping centres such as Mandarin Centre, Chatswood Interchange, Lemon Grove, Victoria Plaza and Orchard Arcade.
Outdoor markets
The Melody Markets are held each Thursday and Friday in Chatswood Mall, Victoria Avenue and feature food and craft stalls, and live music.
Restaurants and cafes
Chatswood has a wide variety of restaurants and cafes and is known as a major dining destination in the Lower North Shore of Sydney. There are a large number of Chinese (including Cantonese), Japanese and Korean restaurants and eateries.
Hotels
There are many hotels in Chatswood: The Mantra, near Chatswood railway station and The Sebel, near Westfield shopping centre as well as the brand new [2015] Meriton Serviced Apartments Chatswood. The Chatswood Club, located on Help Street adjacent to Pacific Highway, is a venue hall which caters to weddings, birthdays, cocktail parties, and other age-appropriate festivities.
Sydney Trains
Chatswood railway station is the junction of the Hornsby via Macquarie Park and Berowra via Gordon branches of the North Shore, Northern & Western Line of the Sydney Trains network. Rail services run south to the Sydney CBD and continue west to Strathfield and beyond. Rail services run north to Hornsby and peak hour services run to Gosford, Wyong and Newcastle. The station became a junction when the Epping to Chatswood railway line opened in 2009, connecting Chatswood to Epping.
Sydney Metro
The Sydney Metro project which is currently under construction will include a stop at Chatswood Station. This project will deliver 65 km of new high capacity metro standard rail line for Sydney.
Sydney Buses
Chatswood is a major bus terminus with services to Bondi Junction, Sydney, North Sydney, Mosman, Balmoral Beach, Manly, Warringah Mall/Brookvale, UTS Ku-ring-gai, Belrose, Narrabeen, Mona Vale, Eastwood, Gladesville, West Ryde, North Ryde, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, Castle Hill, Parramatta and Dundas. An interstate bus service between Sydney and Brisbane via the North Coast stops at Chatswood.
Roads
Major roads through Chatswood include the Pacific Highway, Mowbray Road, Boundary Street, Willoughby Road, Eastern Valley Way and Victoria Avenue. The latter forms a pedestrian mall for the section running through the main retail area.
Demographics
In the 2011 Australian census, the total population of Chatswood was 21,194 people; 10,068 (47%) were male and 11,126 (53%) were female. The number of residents born in Australia was 7,850. Of those born overseas, the most common countries were China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) (2,888), South Korea (1,642), Hong Kong (1,148), UK (598), and Taiwan (526).
In the 2011 Census, the most common responses for religion in Chatswood were No Religion 31.2% (6,607), Catholic 20.5% (4,347), Anglican 10.4% (2,211), Buddhism 7.6% (1,601) and Presbyterian and Reformed 4.2% (899).
Culture
The Willoughby Spring Festival is an annual event in Chatswood, held in September each year. The festival is the second-largest in Lower Northern Sydney and is intended as testimony to a modern, multicultural and prosperous Chatswood. The festival showcases music, theatre, live performances, outdoor events, kids' events and visual arts. Willoughby Theatre Company (formerly Willoughby Musical Society) is based in Chatswood. It specialises in musical theatre. Chatswood Musical Society also performs musical theatre, but their events are staged in Pymble. The Zenith Theatre stages both musicals and drama. The Willoughby Symphony Orchestra is based in Chatswood. Two dance companies share the Dance and Music Centre. A Chinese Cultural Centre has existed since 1996. The Willoughby Historical Society runs the Willoughby Museum in Boronia, a Federation cottage in South Chatswood. A new cultural centre called The Concourse, Chatswood was commissioned by Willoughby Council in 2007 and was completed in 2011. It includes a 5,000 m² library, Chatswood Library, a 1,000-seat concert hall, 500-seat theatre, exhibition spaces, commercial spaces, cafes and restaurants. The Concourse was opened on September 11 by the Governor of NSW, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO.
Schools
Chatswood has both public and private primary and secondary schools. These include:
Churches
Sports clubs
Parks
Chatswood Oval is located south of the railway station. Beauchamp Park, located on Nicholson Street, features a playground, an oval, a fenced dog area and a bike track. It was named after William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp, the Governor of New South Wales. In 2015 a memorial to the Armenian community was erected in the park. Another small but well-laid out park, with an industrial heritage theme, is the Mashman Park on Victoria Avenue at Septimus Street. This park pays tribute to the Mashmans brick and tile works that once stood there. Chatswood is close to Lane Cove National Park.
July 2016 saw the unveiling of Bartels Park in Chatswood West. Named in honour of the recently deceased former Willoughby Mayor Greg Bartels, the park is the former Edgar Street reserve.
The Garden of Remembrance celebrates the fallen men of the suburb who fought in the Boer War, World War 1, World War 2, The Korean War and Vietnam War. The roses were all grown from original cuttings of briar roses taken from the Somme region of France.