Heathcote, New South Wales

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Heathcote is a suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 36km south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire. Heathcote is bordered by Engadine to the north and Waterfall to the south. It is bounded by The Royal National Park to the east, and Heathcote National Park to the west.

Heathcote is separated into two sections by the railway line. Heathcote East contains two of the schools and a sports oval. Heathcote West is the larger side with the majority of residents. The Boy Scouts Association has a camping ground and training centre in Boundary Road.

1 Education
2 Transport
3 History
4 External links

[edit] Education

Heathcote has three public schools:

Heathcote Primary
Heathcote East Primary
Heathcote High School.

The high school services Heathcote residents and also residents of the nearby suburbs of Engadine, Helensburgh, Waterfall, Woronora Heights and even Stanwell Park.

[edit] Transport

Heathcote Road meets the Princes Highway at Heathcote. Heathcote Road is a major link to the north western suburbs, while the Princes Highway links Sydney and Wollongong. Heathcote railway station is on the City Rail Illawarra line. A bus service also links Engadine with Heathcote.

[edit] History

Heathcote was originally known as Bottle Forest. There were fourteen town allotments in Bottle Forest in 1842, in what is now Heathcote East. In 1835 Surveyor-General Sir Thomas Mitchell (1792-1855) conducted a survey of the area and named it Heathcote, in honour of an officer who had fought with him during the Peninsula Wars against Napoleon.

Heathcote railway station opened in 1886. Heathcote Hall was built in Heathcote East in 1887 by Isaac Harber, a brick manufacturer. This grand Victorian house included a tower, which was a symbol of wealth. Harber suffered heavy financial losses during the construction of the Imperial Arcade in Sydney and attempted to dispose of the property but the 1892 depression did not help. The Financial Institution became the house’s possessor and they arranged with George Adams of Tattersalls to organise a sweepstake with the house as a prize. The winner was Mr S. Gillett, a Sydney builder. The property was sold to E.R. Brown in 1901 and still stands today.

The Heathcote to Waterfall bushwalk became popular as a day outing in the 1930s, and the many tracks in Heathcote Bush are used by the Boy Scouts.

Over the last few years several people have been fatally struck by cars when crossing the highway to go to the other side of the suburb. After the death of a 13-year-old boy in July who was crossing the highway with his bike (while the traffic light was green, pedestrian crossing light was red), his family have been determined to get an over or under pass to prevent people needing to cross the highway. There is an underpass in Engadine and an overpass in Waterfall, and residents are confused as to why no bridge has been built in Heathcote. The speed limit along Princes Highway near Heathcote station and shops has been subsequently and ridiculously changed from 70km/h to 50km/h.