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Killara () is a
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
on the Upper North Shore of
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
in the state of
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. Killara is located north-west of the
Sydney central business district The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main Central business district, commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or ...
in the
local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...
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''.''The Book of Sydney Suburbs'', Compiled by Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia , page 136 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. Killara Post Office opened on 7 November 1904. Following
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Sydney experienced significant suburban expansion. Killara, previously a semi-rural area, began to develop more as a residential suburb during the interwar years. The suburb became gradually popular with middle and upper-middle-class families seeking a peaceful environment away from the bustling city. In the 1920s and 1930s, property development increased, as did the construction of grand homes in styles of Federation and California Bungalow, reflecting the growing affluence of the period. Killara's picturesque setting, for its proximity to national parks and relatively large plots of land, made it a pleasant location for those seeking an affluent, suburban lifestyle. Killara later became the home of the 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 into the house on Harry Seidler's birthday in 1967. The garden contains a sculpture by the
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
sculptor Eric Orr. The house is heritage-listed. Marian Street Theatre played a significant role in the cultural life of the North Shore. The theatre is temporarily closed for renovation works since 2013, and a proposal was passed by the local council to redevelop the site into a multipurpose arts and cultural facility.


Heritage listings

Killara has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 13 Kalang Avenue: Harry and Penelope Seidler House * 1 Werona Avenue: ''Woodlands'', Killara


Transport

Killara is home to a train station that connects to the T1 and T9 lines for routes to Berowra via Gordon, City via Gordon on the T1 or routes through North Shore via City on the T9. The Pacific Highway is the main road thoroughfare through Killara. CDC NSW operates two bus routes through Killara: * 556: Lindfield to East Killara * 565: Chatswood to Macquarie University via Roseville, Lindfield and Macquarie Park


Development

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 The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...
.


Schools

Killara is served by two public primary schools, Killara Public School and Beaumont Road Public School. The suburb is also home to Killara High School, one of the highest performing non-selective government secondary school in New South Wales. A short-lived private school in Killara, Abbotsholme College, counted two future prime ministers among its pupils. Killara is also home to some child care centres, including Handprints Pre School and Child Care.


Churches

Churches in the suburb include St Martin's Anglican Church and Killara Uniting Church (formerly Killara Congregational Church) on Karranga Avenue.


Clubs

Killara has recreational sport centres including Killara lawn tennis club and Killara golf club, which is ranked in the top 100 golf courses in Australia and picturesque views to the Blue Mountains has attracted golfers.


Commercial

Commercial developments are located along the Pacific Highway, including the Greengate Hotel, Beacon Lighting, Poolwerx, and Killara hotel. Residents usually travel to nearby suburbs of Gordon, Macquarie Park and Chatswood for regular shopping.


Residential style

The majority of residential properties are built in the
Federation A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...
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.


Politics

For federal elections, Killara lies in the
electorate Electorate may refer to: * The people who are eligible to vote in an election, especially their number e.g. the term ''size of (the) electorate'' * The dominion of a prince-elector in the Holy Roman Empire until 1806 * An electoral district ...
of Bradfield, currently represented by Nicolette Boele. For state elections, Killara falls under the state electoral district of Davidson. The member for Davidson is Matt Cross. In terms of local government, Killara is part of the Ku-ring-gai municipal council.


Demographics

In the 2021 Australian census, the total population of Killara was 10,620 people; 48.1 percent were male and 51.9 percent were female. 50.6% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were China 13.8%, England 4.3%, Hong Kong 4.0%, South Korea 2.7% and India 2.2%. 56.1% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 17.3%, Cantonese 7.8%, Korean 3.4%, Hindi 1.1%, and Japanese 1.0%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 43.4%, Catholic 15.4% and Anglican 12.5%, Of persons aged 15 years and over, 57.4% were married, 29.0% never married, 5.5% widowed, 6.2% divorced, and 1.8% separated. The median weekly personal income was $1,117, compared with $805 nationally. The median weekly household income was $2,802, compared with $1,746 nationally. The median weekly family income was $3,294, compared with $2,120 nationally. At the 2021 census, 54.7% of occupied private dwellings were separate houses and 42.6% were flat or apartments. The average household size was 2.8 people.


Notable residents

* John Alexander OAM MP- Tennis champion and former Federal Member for
Bennelong Woollarawarre Bennelong ( 1764 – 3 January 1813) was a senior man of the Eora, an Aboriginal Australian people of the Port Jackson area, at the time of the first British settlement in Australia. Bennelong served as an interlocutor between ...
* Robert Alan Crook – electrical engineer, owner of Alan Crook Electrical manufacturers * Kim Gamble – children's book illustrator and artist * Carlyle Greenwell – Architect, philanthropist and designer of Killara Uniting Church and many, now heritage listed, houses7.4 Woodlands 1 Werona Avenue Killara
Heritage Council of NSW Meeting 7 June 2006 page 6
*
Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand filmmaker. He is best known as the director, writer, and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy (2012–2014), both of which ar ...
– boxer, British Commonwealth and Heavyweight champion * David Koch, an Australian financial analyst, television presenter and host of
Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...
on the
Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
*
Elle Macpherson Eleanor Nancy Macpherson ( ; ; born ) is an Australian model, businesswoman, television host, and actress. She is known for her record five cover appearances for the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' beginning in the 1980s, leading to her ...
– grew up in Killara and also attended the local high school, Killara High School * Harry Messel – head of the School of Physics at
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
,
Australian Atomic Energy Commission The Australian Atomic Energy Commission (AAEC) was a statutory body of the Australian Government devoted to nuclear science, engineering and research. It was established in 1952, replacing the Atomic Energy Policy Committee. In 1981, parts of th ...
(1975-1981), Chancellor of
Bond University Bond University is Australia's first private university, private not-for-profit university and is located in Robina, Queensland, Robina on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Since its opening on 15 May 1989, Bond University has primarily been a teachi ...
(1992-1997) *
Charles Scrivener Charles Robert Scrivener (2 November 1855 – 26 September 1923) was an Australian surveyor, and the person who surveyed numerous sites in New South Wales for the selection of a site for the Australian Capital Territory and Australia's capital ...
– surveyor * Penelope Seidler – architect * Ethel Turner – author of '' Seven Little Australians'', lived on a large property now known as Kiamala Crescent


References


External links

* CC-By-SA">Creative_Commons_license.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA/nowiki> * {{Sydney Ku-ring-gai suburbs Suburbs of Sydney 1821 establishments in Australia Killara, New South Wales, Populated places established in 1821 Lane Cove River North Shore (Sydney)