Kensington, New South Wales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kensington is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 6km south east of the Sydney central business district, in the Local Government Area of the City of Randwick, in the Eastern Suburbs region. The postcode is 2033.
Kensington lies to the immediate south of Moore Park and west of Randwick Racecourse. The principal landmarks of the suburb are the main campus of the University of New South Wales, National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and the exclusive Australian Golf Club. There is a mixture of high and medium density housing, and freestanding homes for its 11,000 residents.
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| Sydney suburbs near Kensington (City of Randwick) |
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| Waterloo | Moore Park | Centennial Park |
| Zetland | Kensington | Randwick |
|---|---|---|
| Rosebery | Eastlakes | Kingsford |
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Aborigines
Little is known about the Aboriginal population prior to European occupation. The Cadigal people were part of the salt-water clans, in the Darug language group and their land included Kensington. The Cadigal people were known for their fishing skills and often travelled in canoes. The 1828 census showed some 50-60 clans of Cadigal people living by the Lachlan swamps of Kensington and surrounding areas. Swamps provided fruit, nectar, roots and tubers. Very few Aboriginals live in Kensington today. The majority around this area live in La Perouse, roughly 8km south-east of Kensington.
[edit] European Settlement
The suburb now know as Kensington was once called the "Lachlan Mills Estate", "Stannumville" and then "Epsom". It became Kensington in the late 1880s, starting life as an industrial suburb. Samuel Terry, the convict who became Australia’s first millionaire, received a land grant in 1819. Daniel Cooper (1785-1853), also an ex-convict acquired land here in 1825 with his partner Solomon Levey, whom he later bought out. Cooper's nephew Daniel (1821-1902) planned to subdivide but in 1865 all developments was forbidden. Residential land was issued in the late 1880s and Kensington was to be the equivalent of London’s distinguished suburb, Kensington.
Kensington’s local streets are mainly named after local people, places in London and local flora. Some examples are:
- Balfour Lane – Arthur James Balfour, the first earl of Balfour, a British statesman and Prime Minister (1902-1905)
- Doncaster Avenue – Named after the racecourse in England
- Boronia Street – A flowering shrub grown extensively in the area.
(Origins of Street and Place Names in Randwick, Anonymous)
Kensington Racecourse opened in 1893 on the site of the current University of New South Wales. It did not compete with nearby Randwick Racecourse because it held midweek meetings, pony racing and related sports like polo. The course was also used to house troops and horses during the Boer War and World War I. The land was resumed in 1950 to construct Sydney's second university.
[edit] Early transport
The tram was first introduced in 1900. Prior to this, buses connected Kensington and the city and from 1898 cabs were available. The first tram was a double track steam operated line and went from Coogee to Moore Park. Tay Park (Anzac Parade and Alison Road) is the site of the old Toll Bar where local maintenance revenue was collected from 1854 to 1894. The toll was 10c for a four-wheeled wagon, drawn by 2 horses.
[edit] Location
Kensington has the advantage of being very close to the Sydney CBD, yet at the same time being a residential suburb. Located approximately 6km south-east of the city, it is essentially the first real suburban suburb after the city and its surrounding industrial areas.
[edit] Topography
Kensington is located in the geographic zone known as the Botany Lowlands. The sands beneath Kensington act as a large water reservoir. Originally, Kensington was quite rugged, consisting of hills, deep gullies and 768 acres (3.1 km²) of swamps, crossed by the Lachlan Stream. Evidence of the swamps can be seen in the south-west corner of the Royal Randwick Racecourse and the ponds of Centennial Park. Today Kensington has been levelled with hills cut down and voids filled with the excess soil from the hills.
[edit] Climate
Kensington has a temperate climate, influencing lifestyle patterns and affecting vegetation and animal life. Mild conditions allow residents to spend time outdoors; gardening, swimming, socialising, playing sport and alfresco dining. In the 3 square kilometres that cover Kensington, there are 5 parks, which account for almost 1/4 of the total area. Banksias, Bottlebrushes, Waratah, Wattles and Eucalypts are some of the 400 odd native plants found in Kensington. Randwick City Council has recorded approximately 250 species of indigenous native vertebrates. 206 species of native birds have been found since 1788.
[edit] Politics
Randwick City Council is aware of environmental issues such as noise and air pollution, storm water management and community education. Environmental initiatives include:
- Water saving policies (new developments to have tanks)
- Fortnightly green waste collection
- Bush regeneration
- Education programs
- Providing calico bags
- Introducing an environment levy
(Environmental Management report, Randwick City Plan, Page 3)
[edit] Education
Kensington is served by Kensington Public School (population: around 400), Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College (High School).
[edit] Population
The population of Kensington has steadily increased over recent years. Results from the Census of Population and Housing are shown below.
Selected characteristics:
| Persons: | 1991 | 1996 | 2001 |
| Total Persons | 9,323 | 10,456 | 11,071 |
| Males | 4,753 | 5,090 | 5,596 |
| Females | 4,570 | 5,090 | 5,475 |
[edit] Homelessness
Kensington is a fairly affluent suburb. There are very few homeless people, in fact it is rare to see one. At present, neither council nor local charities have statistics.
[edit] Ethnicity and religion
Kensington has a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Only 56.4% of residents were born in Australia. The most common countries of origin for the remaining residents include the UK, Indonesia, New Zealand and China. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are in the minority with only 39 in Kensington. As in any multicultural society, a variety of religions are represented. There are Anglican, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches. Other religions practiced include Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and the Muslim faith.
[edit] Government
Kensington is in the West Ward of Randwick City council. It is predominantly a Labor area and the west ward councillors are:
Kensington is in the electorate of Heffron for the State (represented by Kristina Keneally) and the Kingsford-Smith electorate for the Federal (represented by Peter Garrett) government.
[edit] Transport
Numerous buses service Kensington, linking it with the city and surrounding suburbs. There are no trains or light rail service. Residents tend to favour cars rather than public transport, cycling or walking, leading to road congestion and increased noise and air pollution. Taxis are also available.
[edit] Tourism
Tourism plays a key role for the economy of Randwick City, which is highly dependent on services. Kensington is heavily influenced by the University of New South Wales and has a rich mixture of cafes, restaurants and shops. Kensington is also close to Randwick Racecourse. More details can be found at www.randwickcitytourism.com.au
[edit] Water supply
Water for Kensington is piped from Warragamba Dam. Kensington does however have two natural water sources; the Lachlan Stream and an underground reservoir. Due to water restrictions and council initiatives, more and more residence are using bore water on their gardens. Others still are installing tanks and using 'grey' water.
[edit] Bibliography
- Board of Studies. (1998). Human Society and its Environment K-6 Syllabus. Sydney, N.S.W: Board of Studies.
- C. Read. (Personal communication, March 2005).
- Caruanamse, A. (2000). Monastery on the Hill – A History of the Sacred Heart Monastery – Kensington 1897-1997. Kensington, N.S.W: Nelen Yubu Missiological unit.
- Destitute Children’s Asylum Cemetery. South Eastern Sydney Health Service, 1996, p.2.
- Fitzgibbon, W. (2003, June, 3). Doncaster Plaza Development Approved. Southern Courier, p.6.
- Keenan, D. (1982). The South-Eastern lines of the Sydney tramway system. Sans Souci, N.S.W: Transit Press.
- Lawrence, J. (2001). Pictorial History, Randwick. Alexandria, N.S.W: Kingsclear Books.
- L. Grant. (personal communication, 1993).
- McMahon, J. F. (1986). Kensington – A Model Suburb. Randwick, N.S.W: Randwick and District Historical Society.
- "Origins of Street and Place names in Randwick". Anonymous.
- Quick, D. (1985). Randwick- A social History. Kensington, N.S.W: New South Wales University Press.
- Randwick City Council, http://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/2005.
- Randwick City Plan, Randwick City Council, Date unknown.
- Randwick Historical Society (personal communication, March, 12, 2005).
- Randwick Historical Society. (1986). A Randwick Ramble Part 2 – Randwick and Kensington. Randwick, N.S.W: Randwick Historical Society.
- R. Read. (personal communication, March, 10, 2005).
- Turbet. P. (2001). The Aboriginies of the Sydney District before 1788. Roseville, N.S.W: Kangaroo Press.
- UBD - http://www.whereisit.com.au
- Waugh, J. W. (1997). Kensington – Land use, Development, Ownership and Control on the Lachlan Stream 1810-1890. Randwick, N.S.W: Randwick and District Historical Society Inc.
- Waugh, J. W. (1997). Kensington Racecourse – 1890 - 1942. Randwick, N.S.W: Randwick and District Historical Society Inc.
[edit] External links
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- Street map from Street Directory, MSN Maps and Multimap.
- Satellite image from Google Maps, WikiMapia and Terraserver.
| Suburbs and localities within the City of Randwick | Eastern Suburbs | Sydney |
|---|
|
Centennial Park | Chifley | Clovelly | Coogee | Hillsdale | Kensington | Kingsford | La Perouse | Little Bay | Malabar | Maroubra | Maroubra Junction | Matraville | Phillip Bay | Port Botany | Randwick | South Coogee |
| List of Sydney suburbs |
