Crows Nest, New South Wales

Crows Nest is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Crows Nest is located 5 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council.

History

Crows Nest was originally part of a 524-acre (2.12 km²) land grant made to Edward Wollstonecraft in 1821.^[2] The grant extended from the site of the present day Crows Nest to Wollstonecraft. Edward Wollstonecraft built a cottage, the 'Crow's Nest' and, according to his business partner Alexander Berry, chose the name "on account of its elevated and commanding position".^[3] Berry later built a more substantial Crow's Nest House on the estate in 1850, taking the name of the earlier cottage.^[4] This site is now the building site of North Sydney Demonstration School and the gates of Crows Nest House (added in the 1880s) still stand at the Pacific Highway entrance to the school. Berry died at Crows Nest House on 30 November 1873.^[5]

Population

At the 2011 census, there were 4,048 residents in Crows Nest. 41% of people were in the 25-39 year age group, compared to 20.9% nationally. The most common ancestries in Crows Nest were English 24.2%, Australian 19.7%, Irish 9.1%, Scottish 6.8% and Chinese 4.9%. For employed people aged 15 years and over, the most common occupations included Professionals 41.6%, Managers 20.4%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 13.4%, Technicians and Trades Workers 7.6%, and Sales Workers 6.6%.^[6]

Commercial area

Crows Nest is a significant commercial district which is noted for its variety of shops and restaurants. It is centred on the junction of five main roads about 1 kilometre north by northwest of the original site of Crows Nest House.

Transport

The Warringah Freeway runs along the northern border of Crows Nest and the Pacific Highway is a major road along the western border.

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  Crows Nest Hotel, Willoughby Road

• 

  Willoughby Road, view north to Naremburn

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  The Gates of Crow's Nest House

Schools and colleges

• North Sydney Girls High School (which since 1993 has occupied the site of the former Crows Nest Boys High School)
• North Sydney Boys High School
• Crows Nest College (TAFE)

Churches

• Northside Community Church
• Crows Nest Uniting Church
• Northside Baptist Church
• The Lighthouse Church
• The Alpersteinistani Orthodox Church of the Latter Day Saints

Landmark

St Thomas' Rest Park, the former St. Thomas' Cemetery, was the first burial ground established on Sydney's North Shore. The land for the Cemetery was donated to the Anglican Parish of St Leonards in 1845 by the prominent landowner and merchant, Alexander Berry. St. Thomas' Rest Park is in West Street, Crows Nest. Notable figures buried there include Alexander Berry and George Barney. Alexander Berry was buried there with his wife, in 1873, when he passed away at the age of 92. They are interred in an unusual Pyramid shaped tomb with her brother Edward Wollstonecraft former owner of Crows Nest Farm, after which the area is named. George Barney (lieutenant Colonel) was born in London in 1792, and arrived in Sydney in 1835. He held a number of posts including Commander of the Royal Engineers and he designed Victoria Barracks. He was responsible for the completion of Fort Denison, Circular Quay, Cockatoo Dock and Darlinghurst Gaol.

^[7]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Crows Nest, New South Wales.

• North Sydney Heritage Centre, Stanton Library, From Land Grant to Subdivision, A walking tour of the Berry Estate, Wollstonecraft (PDF), retrieved 27 October 2009 
• Crows Nest at the Open Directory Project

Coordinates: 33°49′34″S 151°12′18″E / 33.82613°S 151.20505°E / -33.82613; 151.20505