Bexley, New South Wales

Bexley contains a mixture of residential, commercial and light industrial developments. Bexley's main shopping strip is located on Forest Road. It includes a busy intersection with Bexley Road and Harrow Road, characterised by the art deco former Commonwealth Bank building and another busy intersection at Stoney Creek Road, characterised by the Forest Inn Hotel. Before a downturn in the 1980s, the shopping centre included several banks, building societies and many grocery and specialty shops. Many of the banks have found new uses, such as office space in the former Commonwealth Bank, and an IGA supermarket for the former site of a Coles Variety Store.

Commercial developments extend some distance down Stoney Creek Road towards Kingsgrove and are also scattered along Forest Road, south towards Hurstville and north towards Arncliffe. The light industrial developments are located on Forest Road between Bexley and Hurstville, but are slowly being replaced by medium-density residential. A small group of shops, including a post office, is located on the intersection of Forest Road and Willison Road, sometimes referred to as Bexley South. There are also a small number of commercial developments on Queen Victoria Street towards Kogarah.

[edit] History

Corner of Forest and Harrow Roads, Bexley

Forest Inn, Bexley

Bexley Shopping Centre

James Chandler named the suburb after his birthplace, Bexley in Kent, England. Chandler bought Sylvester’s Farm in 1822, from Thomas Sylvester who had been granted the land about ten years earlier. That year he was also granted 1,200 acres of land which stretched from what is now Bexley North to most of Rockdale and Kogarah. The estate was heavily timbered and a track through the centre, used by timber-getters, is today called Forest Road. Queen Victoria Street, Gladstone Street and Beaconsfield Street commemorate the British Queen and two of her prime ministers. Chandler was a well respected citizen and became known locally as the Squire of Bexley, but his property attracted bushrangers, escaped convicts and other odd types. Chandler was not happy with his ill-assortment of neighbours and sold the land to Charles Thompson in 1836. Later it was bought by Charles Tindell, who began subdividing the land by 1856 for home sites.

Lydham Hall, the oldest surviving residence in the area, stands on part of the original land grant of 1822. Joseph Davis settled in this historic residence in the late nineteenth century. Herbert and Frederick Streets are named after his two sons. Henry Kinsela lived on Kinsel Grove. George Preddy occupied Besborough, part of which became Bexley Park.

Dick Stone sold meats in Bexley and Rockdale from 1868. Stone’s Slaughterhouse in Stoney Creek Road began operations in the 1890s. Cattle, sheep and pigs were driven from Homebush to the abattoirs in Kinsgrove until they closed in 1920.

An upsurge in development began after the railway line to Hurstville was opened in 1884. A two storey wagonette and hansom cab conveyed train travellers to their homes and in 1909 a steam tram ran between Bexley and Arncliffe. Many inns opened in the area including the Man of Kent, the Robin Hood and Little John Inn and the Highbury Barn. In 1900, Hurstville Council ceded its Bexley ward which became Bexley council. Bexley Council was merged with Rockdale Council in 1948 to form the Municipality of Rockdale.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Bexley underwent serious decline since its main street, Forest Road, was on the major truck route between Port Botany and the start of the M5 Motorway at Beverly Hills. This changed in the late 1990s with the completion of the M5 East Motorway and the subsequent bypass of most heavy and commuter traffic from the main street. The opening of Westfield Hurstville in 1979 also contributed to the decline of the Bexley shopping strip.

[edit] Transport

Bexley is currently served by State Transit Authority public buses and Veolia private buses. A steam tramway opened on 13th October 1909 and operated from Arncliffe railway station via Firth and Done Sts, Wollongong, Forest and Stoney Creek Roads to Bexley Park near Preddys Rd. It closed on 1st January 1927. The Bexley North railway station opened in 1931 on the East Hills line.

St Gabriels Catholic Church, Bexley

Lydham Hall, Bexley

St Elmo, Bexley

[edit] Parks

There are several parks located in Bexley, including:

Bexley Park
Seaforth Park (which is state heritage listed)
Domminey Reserve
Bexley Golf Course
Kingsgrove Park
Bardwell Creek Reserve, beside Bardwell Creek
Evatt Park
Flynn Reserve

[edit] Churches

St Gabriels Catholic Church
Christ Church Anglican
St Andrews Presbyterian Church
Bexley Baptist Church
Bexley Uniting Church, Bexley West Uniting Church,
St Mary & St Mina Coptic Orthodox Church
Bexley Congregational Fellowship
Salvation Army

Bexley Congregational Church

St Andrews Presbyterian Church Bexley

Bexley Uniting Church

Bexley Anglican Christ Church

St Mary & St Mina Coptic Orthodox Church

[edit] Schools

Bexley Primary School
Sydney Technical High School
Bethany College
Marist College Kogarah
St Mary and St Mina's Coptic Orthodox College

Sydney Technical High School

Bethany College

[edit] Landmarks

Bexley Swimming Centre, Bexley Community Centre, Bexley Library, Bexley Masonic Centre, Bexley School of the Arts.

Masonic Centre, Forest Road

Bexley School of the Arts, Forest Road

Bexley Community Centre

St George Bowling Club, Harrow Road

[edit] Homes

Gladstone Street

Dunmore Street

[edit] Pop Culture

Bexley Stamps and the Barber Shoppe in Forest Road featured in an episode of television series, Two Twisted. The episode, titled Von Stauffenberg's Stamp, starred Sam Neill and Wendy Hughes.

[edit] References

The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollen, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8

[edit] External links

Coordinates: -33.95455° 151.11442°

Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Street Directory, MSN Maps and Multimap.
- Satellite image from Google Maps, WikiMapia and Terraserver.

Suburbs and localities within the City of Rockdale \| St George \| Sydney
Arncliffe \| Banksia \| Bardwell Park \| Bardwell Valley \| Bexley \| Bexley North \| Brighton-Le-Sands \| Dolls Point \| Kingsgrove \| Kogarah \| Kyeemagh \| Monterey \| Ramsgate \| Ramsgate Beach \| Rockdale \| Sandringham \| Sans Souci \| Sydney International Airport \| Turrella \| Wolli Creek
List of Sydney suburbs

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Categories: 1822 establishments | Suburbs of Sydney

Bexley, New South Wales

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Contents

[edit] Commercial Area