Killara

Killara Sydney, New South Wales
Springdale Road, Killara
Population	9,284 (2011 census)[1]
• Density	1,906.4/km^2 (4,937/sq mi)
Established	1821
Postcode(s)	2071
Area	4.87 km^2 (1.9 sq mi)
Location	14 km (9 mi) north-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Ku-ring-gai Council
State electorate(s)	Davidson, Ku-ring-gai
Federal Division(s)	Bradfield
Suburbs around Killara: Gordon Gordon East Killara West Pymble Killara East Lindfield Macquarie Park Lindfield Lindfield

Killara is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) north of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. East Killara is a separate suburb and West Killara is a locality within Killara.

History

Killara is an Aboriginal word meaning permanent or always there.^[2] The name of the suburb was chosen when the railway line opened in 1899. James George Edwards was a representative of the people who requested a station be built here. The suburb was established as a 'Gentlemen's suburb', designed so that there would be no commercial ventures in the area. For this reason, the suburb has very few shops in the original development.^[2]

Killara Post Office opened on 7 November 1904.^[3]

Killara later became the home of the famous architect Harry Seidler, whose home -- designed by him and his wife Penelope in the 1960s -- can still be seen in Kalang Avenue. It is sometimes known as Killara House and sometimes as Harry and Penelope Seidler House. The couple moved in to the house on Harry Seidler's birthday in 1967. The garden contains a sculpture by the Los Angeles sculptor Eric Orr. The house is heritage-listed.^[4]

Infrastructure and development

Killara railway station is on the North Shore, Northern & Western Line of the Sydney Trains network. The Pacific Highway is the main road through Killara. Churches in the suburb comprise St Martin's Anglican Church and Killara Uniting Church (formerly Killara Congregational Church) on Karranga Avenue.

The Swain Gardens were donated to Ku-ring-gai Council by Mr Swain, a Sydney bookseller, in the 1920s, and are today maintained by the council and volunteers. The gardens have been listed by the National Trust of Australia.

Schools

Killara is served by two top ranking public primary schools, Killara Public School and Beaumont Road Public School.^[5] The suburb is also home to Killara High School, the highest performing non-selective government secondary school in the state of New South Wales.^[6][7]

Greengate Hotel, Pacific Highway  Killara Uniting Church designed by Carlyle Greenwell  St Martin's Anglican Church

Commercial

Commercial developments are located along the length of the Pacific Highway, including the Greengate Hotel. A small group of shops are located on Marian Street, close to Killara railway station; Marian Street Theatre (closed in December 2013) is located opposite.

Residential

The majority of residential properties are built in the Federation and Californian Bungalow styles, although the suburb includes many other styles.

The Harry and Penelope Seidler House at 13 Kalang Avenue was designed by Harry and Penelope Seidler. The 1960s-era modern-design home, constructed with reinforced masonry walls, concrete floors and roof, rubble-stone retaining walls and fireplace, won the Wilkinson Award in 1967.

At the 2011 census, approximately two-thirds (65.9%) of the residences in Killara were separate houses. The remainder were almost all flats, units or apartments. The average household size was 2.8 people.^[1]

Federation house, Arnold Street  Federation bungalow, Northcote Avenue  Arts and crafts house, Arnold Street  Tudor revival house, Arnold Street  Tudor revival house, Stanhope Road  Neoclassical (post-war) house, Stanhope Road  Federation revival house, Springdale Road  Contemporary home, Kylie Avenue  Modern house (c. 2005), Arnold Street  Old English house common within the area  The home of architect Harry Seidler in Kalang Avenue

Politics

For federal elections, Killara lies in the electorate of Bradfield, currently represented by Paul Fletcher. For state elections, Killara falls under the state electoral districts of Davidson and Ku-ring-gai. Kuring-gai is represented by Alister Henskens. The member for Davidson is Jonathan O'Dea. In terms of local government, Killara is part of the Ku-ring-gai municipal council.

Population and demographics

Rosetta Avenue

In the 2011 Australian census, the total population of Killara was 9,284 people; 46.9 percent were male and 53.1 percent were female. The number of residents born in Australia was 59.3 percent. Of those born overseas, the most common countries were China (6.1%), the United Kingdom (5.1%), Hong Kong (3.6%), New Zealand (2.2%), and South Korea (2.2%). In Killara, 70.2 percent only speak English, with other commons languages spoken including Cantonese (7.2%), Mandarin (6.5%), Korean (2.6%), and Japanese (1.1%). The largest religious affiliation was "no religion" (24.2%), followed by Anglican (21.8%), Catholicism (20.3%), Uniting Church (6.3%), and Presbyterian and Reformed (3.9%). Of persons aged 15 years and over, 58.3% were married, 28.3% never married, 4.6% divorced, 7.2% widowed and 1.5% separated.^[1]

Killara is an affluent suburb. The median weekly personal income was A$841, compared with A$577 in Australia. The median weekly household income was A$2,508, compared with A$1,234 in Australia. The median weekly family income was A$2,729, compared with A$1,481 in Australia.^[1]

Notable residents

• John Alexander OAM MP- Tennis champion and current Federal Member for Bennelong
• Carlyle Greenwell – Architect, philanthropist and designer of Killara Uniting Church and many, now heritage listed, houses.^{[8][9][10][11]}
• Peter Jackson – boxer, British Commonwealth and Heavyweight champion.
• David Koch, an Australian financial analyst, television presenter and host of Sunrise on the Seven Network.
• Elle Macpherson, – grew up in Killara and also attended the local high school, Killara High School.
• Charles Scrivener – surveyor
• Penelope Seidler – architect
• Ethel Turner – author of Seven Little Australians lived on a large property now known as Kiamala Crescent.
• Jim Waley – a former presenter and newsreader for National Nine News.

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Killara (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
2. The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8, page 136
3. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
4. State Heritage Register
5. "You live and learn".
6. "Outstanding HSC Results for Killara High School Students".
7. "Literacy push sends results through roof". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2010-12-16.
8. http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/07_subnav_01_2.cfm?itemid=1880514
9. http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/07_subnav_01_2.cfm?itemid=1880629
10. http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/07_subnav_01_2.cfm?itemid=1880568
11. http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/docs/heritagecouncil/shrminutes2006june.pdf

External links

• Zeny Edwards and Joan Rowland (2008). "Killara". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 27 September 2015. [CC-By-SA]
• Ailsa McPherson (2012). "Marian Street Theatre, Community Theatre and Northside Theatre". Dictionary of Sydney. Dictionary of Sydney Trust. Retrieved 10 October 2015.

Coordinates: 33°46′07″S 151°09′48″E / 33.76864°S 151.16347°E