Brooklyn, New South Wales

Brooklyn
Sydney, New South Wales
Brooklyn; Sydney, New South Wales
	Main street of Brooklyn
	Brooklyn
Coordinates	33°32′54″S151°13′4″E / 33.54833°S 151.21778°E
Population	722 (2016 census)
• Density	85.5/km2 (221/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	2083
Elevation	10 m (33 ft)
Area	8.7 km2 (3.4 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEDT (UTC+11)
Location	48 km (30 mi) north of Sydney CBD ; 33 km (21 mi) south of Gosford ;
LGA(s)	Hornsby Shire
Region	Sydney
County	Cumberland
Parish	Cowan
State electorate(s)	Hornsby
Federal division(s)	Berowra
	Suburbs around Brooklyn:

Last updated March 02, 2024

Brooklyn is a suburb and the northern most town on the Pacific Highway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Brooklyn is located on the northern outskirts of Sydney and is located in the local government area of the Hornsby Shire with a population of 722 as of the 2016 census. Brooklyn is surrounded by the Muogamarra Nature Reserve and occupies a strip of waterfront along the southern bank of the Hawkesbury River.

The town provides a range of amenities and activities, while maintaining a quiet village atmosphere. Brooklyn provides convenient access for North Shore residents and day trippers to the Hawkesbury River and Pittwater waterways for boating, swimming and fishing, and to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Muogamarra Nature Reserve for bushwalking and scenic views. Hornsby Council is currently developing a 'Brooklyn Master Plan' to provide for further improvement of the amenities in the area.

Hawkesbury River railway station on the Main Northern railway line is served by NSW TrainLink services to the city and the Central Coast and Hunter. The Pacific Highway and the M1 Motorway are both nearby and provide easy access to the town. Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park borders the suburb to the south. Long Island runs parallel with the suburb on the opposite side of Sandbrook Inlet and is joined to Brooklyn by the railway causeway. Dangar Island is sited to the northeast.

Recreation amenities and activities

Visitors to the town can enjoy several cafés both in the town and on the waterfront with a focus on local seafood. A range of other options for meals include the Angler's Rest Hotel and the new Estuary restaurant at Kangaroo Point. The iconic 'Peat's Bite' restaurant on the Hawkesbury River is only a 10-minute boat ride from Brooklyn.

Boating and fishing are major tourist attractions in Brooklyn. There are several local marinas which provide boat hire, marine services, supplies and fuel for boaties, and houseboat rental for those who want to spend a few days enjoying the river. The Hawkesbury River is also a venue for dragon boat racing and Brooklyn is home to the 'Hawkesbury River Dragons' dragon boat racing club.

McKell Park is a popular spot for picnickers. It provides superb river views and multiple venues for recreation. The park encompasses the entire headland from the northern waterfront with its netted public swimming pool and children's playground, to the picnic area at Flatrock lookout, around to Parsley Bay which has a large new boat ramp, multiple pontoons for water access, a large parking area for cars with room for boat trailers and a park with barbecue facilities. Yachts are anchored here with permanent moorings and kayaks can be hired in Parsley Bay to explore the waterways. The waterfront trail around McKell park is a beautiful short walk. There is also a multi-use sporting field and children's playground near Baden Powell Hall on Brooklyn Road.

The town has a vibrant art scene with a number of local artists providing works which can be viewed and purchased at the Edge Art Space on Brooklyn Road and the Redfish Cafe Gallery. Brooklyn holds its annual Spring Fair and Markets at the Brooklyn Soccer Oval in September.

Brooklyn is surrounded by reserves with plenty of scope for bushwalking. The town is on the route of the famous Great North Walk, a 250 km bushwalking trail from Sydney to Newcastle. Visitors can use this trail to access excellent views within a short distance from the town. The annual Oxfam 100 km Trailwalker charity event also starts from Parsley Bay in Brooklyn. The Muogamarra Nature Reserve is open for several weeks each year during the spring wildflower season. An entry charge applies, and there are guided and unguided walks within the reserve which is closed to the public outside these times. A wide variety of very good aboriginal rock carvings can be seen here along with sections of the old Peats Ferry Road.

The Riverboat Postman which commenced in 1910, takes tourists on its mail run to boat access only settlements along the Hawkesbury River and departs weekdays from the Brooklyn Public Wharf. The trip is popular with tourists and this is a great way to enjoy the river's scenery and waterways up close. Alternately you can catch the ferry to Dangar Island for a walk, a picnic, or a meal at the island cafe. The Riverboat Postman leaves Ferry Wharf in Dangar Road adjacent to the railway station on its daily run (Monday – Friday) delivering mail and supplies to the water access only communities of Dangar Island, Wobby, Bar Point, Marlow Creek and Milsons Passage.

Brooklyn Public School is the local primary (junior) school, with high school students going to either private schools (Abbotsleigh, Barker College, Knox Grammar), selective high schools (Hornsby Girls, Normanhurst Boys) or public high schools such as Asquith Boys and Asquith Girls. All these high schools are located next to the train line and are a short train journey from Brooklyn (Hawkesbury River Station).

Accommodation can be found at the Brooklyn Hotel, The Anglers Rest Hotel, and on various websites.

Pop culture

Robert Buie was a local resident who fought in World War I, and his headstone in the Brooklyn cemetery credits him with shooting down Manfred von Richthofen, the German air ace who is more commonly known as the "Red Baron".
The 2005 movie Oyster Farmer was filmed in and around Brooklyn. Many local residents were employed as extras.

Demographics

According to the 2016 census, there were 722 residents in Brooklyn. 76.6% of people were born in Australia and 86.8% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 40.0%, Anglican 19.4% and Catholic 16.2%.^[1]

History

General view showing Hawkesbury River and densely wooded ridges in the background Berowra0006.jpg — General view showing Hawkesbury River and densely wooded ridges in the background

The general area was known as Peat's Ferry crossing for a long time until January 1884 when a plan of survey for the subdivision of land owned by Peter and William Fagan was registered with the suburb name of Brooklyn. A hotel of the same name followed later in the year. The town owes its existence and location to the main northern railway line with the railway arriving in Brooklyn in 1887 when the single track section north from Hornsby was completed.

In January 1886, the Union Bridge Company from New York was awarded the contract to build a railway bridge across the Hawkesbury River. The American roots of the bridge are reflected in the name given to the construction camp, which was named after the 1883 Brooklyn Bridge. The town name survives to the present day.^[6] The Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge was the final link in the Eastern seaboard rail network and was a major engineering feat at the time of its construction. "Hawkesbury River" was the original platform name when the station opened in 1887 but the nomenclature varied over the following twenty years with the names "Flat Rock", "Brooklyn" and "Hawkesbury" all being used until the final change in 1906 to Hawkesbury River.

Peat's Ferry Post Office opened on 1 January 1874 and was renamed Brooklyn in 1888.^[7]

Brooklyn is positioned at the northern end of the Cowan Bank, a scenic stretch of steep track on a 1 in 40 grade. The line drops 200 metres from the ridgetop near Cowan to almost water level, passing through four tunnels in the process. Prior to electrification and diesel locomotives, Brooklyn was a staging post for trains heading south to Sydney with "push up" or bank engines being attached to the rear of steam trains here for extra assistance on the 8-kilometre climb to Cowan.

There have been three major railway accidents in Brooklyn over the years. On 21 June 1887, an excursion train from Sydney ran out of control down the steep Cowan Bank. There were two other trains full of holidaymakers standing at the platforms at Hawkesbury River railway station and disaster was only averted by the alert station master who could hear the roaring engine and frantic whistling. He dispatched a railway porter to throw the points lever open and divert the runaway down a siding that led to the new bridge site. The train lost speed along the railway causeway out to Long Island and collided with some empty wagons. The locomotive slid off the embankment and ended up partially submerged in the river. The engine driver was trapped in the cabin and drowned but the fireman escaped. The toll was six dead and seventy injured.

On 20 January 1944 the local bus stalled across the railway tracks at the level crossing in Brooklyn Road and was hit by the northbound Kempsey mail train. Seventeen people were killed. In the Cowan rail accident on 6 May 1990 an interurban electric train ran into the rear of a heritage steam train which had stalled climbing the Cowan Bank. Six people lost their lives.

Early road traffic was conveyed across the river by George Peat's ferry and prior to the first road bridge being completed there were two vehicular ferries in operation, the "Frances Peat" and the "George Peat". The new concrete road laid down between Hornsby and Gosford had been completed by 1930 and the increased traffic was beyond the capacity of the ferries. Long queues formed on holiday weekends as vehicles awaited their turn.

Work began on the first road bridge in September 1938 and it opened in May 1945. The width and depth of the river between Kangaroo Point and Mooney Mooney presented problems. The total distance to be covered was nearly 800 metres, but an embankment of fill was built out from the northern side, and the actual bridge spans only covered 580 metres. The southern foundation pier was sunk to 233 feet below high water before reaching bedrock, only 8 inches (20 cm) short of a world record. The bridge cost A£190,000 to build. This was supplemented by a second road bridge, a six-lane concrete construction that was completed in 1973 as part of the Sydney to Newcastle freeway.

In 1901 the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George V and Queen Mary), whilst in Australia for the inaugural opening of federal parliament, anchored their yacht the "Ophir" in Cowan Creek and boarded the paddle wheel steamboat the "General Gordon" for a tour of the lower Hawkesbury.

A small obelisk unveiled in 1939, adjacent to the railway station and the avenue of tall palms in McKell Park, commemorates the discovery and naming of the Hawkesbury River by Governor Phillip in 1789.

Heritage listings

Brooklyn has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Main Northern railway: Hawkesbury River railway station ^[8]
Main Northern railway: Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge ^[9]

Commercial area

The town has traditionally been associated with the farming of Sydney rock oyster with generations of the same families involved. Oyster beds are a common sight along wide sections of the river but in 2004 the disease QX wiped out production and the Industry has just recently been allowed to start up again (http://hornsby-advocate.whereilive.com.au/news/story/oyster-farmers-back-from-brink-and-now-exporting-internationally/).

Transport

Hawkesbury River railway station is on the Main Northern railway line, which is served by Central Coast & Newcastle Line services. The Pacific Highway (B83) and the Pacific Motorway (M1) are major arterial roads located adjacent to Brooklyn. Access to Brooklyn via the Pacific Motorway requires exiting the motorway at Mooney Mooney on the northern shore of the Hawkesbury River and crossing the Peats Ferry Bridge via the Pacific Highway.

Brooklyn is the base for Hawkesbury Cruises running The Riverboat Postman each weekday at 10:00 am, and by Brooklyn Ferry Service running the Dangar Island ferry from 6:00 am every day.

CDC NSW operates one bus route through Brooklyn:

592: Brooklyn to Hornsby via Mooney Mooney, Cowan, Berowra and Asquith^[10]

Kangaroo Point

The southern ends of the Pacific Motorway (M1) Brooklyn Bridge and the Pacific Highway Peats Ferry Bridge across the Hawkesbury River are located at Kangaroo Point. It has been termed "the entrance to Sydney" by those commuting from the north.^[11] The first Australian five-pound note included a picture of Kangaroo Point.^[11] In 2012 the Hornsby Shire Council undertook building work to construct viewing platforms and recreational areas.^[11]

Notes

^ This is the area of the ABS Census Collection District, not the whole suburb as registered by New South Wales Land & Property Information.^[12]

Related Research Articles

Marramarra National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Hawkesbury region of northwestern Sydney, New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 11,785-hectare (29,120-acre) national park is situated approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of the Sydney central business district.

The Hawkesbury River, or Hawkesbury-Nepean River, is a river located northwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its associated main tributary, the Nepean River, almost encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney. Between Wisemans Ferry and the Pacific Ocean marks the boundary of Greater Metropolitan Sydney in the south and the Central Coast region to the north.

Hornsby Shire is a local government area situated in Northern Sydney, as well as parts of the Hills District, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The shire stretches from the M2 Hills Motorway in the south to the Hawkesbury River town of Wisemans Ferry, some 53 kilometres (33 mi) to the north, making it the largest local government council in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan region by total area. As of the 2016 census the shire had an estimated population of 142,667.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Division of Berowra</span> Australian federal electoral division

The Division of Berowra is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. The Division covers the northern parts of the Greater Sydney area with the local government areas of the Hornsby Shire and the Hills Shire.

Berowra railway station is located on the Main Northern Line, serving the Sydney suburb of Berowra. It is served by Sydney Trains T1 North Shore Line services and NSW TrainLink Central Coast & Newcastle Line services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowan railway station</span> Australian railway station

Cowan railway station is a railway station located on the Main Northern line on the northern fringes of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It serves the suburb of Cowan, and the station was opened in 1890.

Hawkesbury River railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Northern and Central Coast–Newcastle lines in Brooklyn in the Hornsby Shire local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The station serves the town of Brooklyn and is located on the southern bank of the Hawkesbury River. It was designed and build by the Department of Railways New South Wales. It is also known as Hawkesbury River Railway Station group and Brooklyn Station. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Mount Kuring-gai is an outer suburb of Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mount Kuring-gai is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Hornsby Shire.

Cowan is a small outer suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. Cowan shares the postcode of 2081 with Berowra. Brooklyn, which lies 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the north-east of Cowan, is considered the northernmost suburb of the Greater Sydney Metropolitan Area.

Long Island is an elongated island of 73 hectares in the Hawkesbury River, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of the Sydney central business district,New South Wales, Australia. It is joined to the mainland at its south eastern edge by the railway causeway across Sandbrook Inlet. At the other end of this causeway is the Sydney suburb of Brooklyn in Hornsby Shire, to which Long Island belongs.

The Berowra Creek, a watercourse that is part of the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment, is located to the north of the Sydney central business district in the Hornsby Shire of New South Wales, Australia.

The Muogamarra Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve that is located in the Sydney region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 2,274-hectare (5,620-acre) reserve is situated in the northern edge of Sydney and lies between the suburb of Cowan to the south, and the Hawkesbury River to the north.

Bar Point is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the north bank of the Hawkesbury River 53 kilometres (33 mi) north of Sydney. It is part of the Central Coast Council local government area.

Cogra Bay is a locality of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the north bank of the Hawkesbury River 51 kilometres (32 mi) north of Sydney. It is part of the Central Coast Council local government area.

Mooney Mooney is a small waterfront village and suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the Central Coast Council local government area at the end of a peninsula extending southwards into the Hawkesbury River, that is situated 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Sydney. Mooney Mooney has two islands which are Peat Island and Spectacle Island.

Dangar Island is a forested island, 30.8 hectares in area, in the Hawkesbury River, on the northern outskirts of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Dangar Island is a suburb of Hornsby Shire and as at the 2021 census had a population of 313, which swells dramatically during holiday seasons. The island is serviced regularly by Brooklyn Ferry Service and departs from Brooklyn and takes about fifteen minutes. The Brooklyn ferry is itself adjacent to Hawkesbury River railway station. The ferry service is in operation 7 days a week.

Peat Island is an island in the village of Mooney Mooney located in the Hawkesbury River on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. The Island has approximately eight hectares of land and is located just upstream from the Pacific Motorway and Pacific Highway bridge. It is considered an island due to its size. There is one road connecting the landmass to the mainland.

Hawkesbury River Ferries was a ferry and cruise boat operator based at Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River in the northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The company operated the Dangar Island Ferry and the widely advertised Australia's last Riverboat Postman cruise, as well as other cruises and charters.

The Peats Ferry Bridge is a steel truss bridge that carries the Pacific Highway (B83) across the Hawkesbury River, between Kangaroo Point and Mooney Mooney Point, located 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The bridge carries the Hornsby to Kariong section of highway, while the adjacent Brooklyn Bridge carries the Pacific Motorway (M1).

The Brooklyn Bridge is a local nickname for the Hawkesbury River Road Bridge, a concrete girder bridge that carries the Pacific Motorway (M1) across the Hawkesbury River between Kangaroo Point to Mooney Mooney Point, located 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The bridge comprises a dual carriageway with three lanes in each direction of motorway grade-separated conditions.

References

1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Brooklyn (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
↑ "Suburb Search – Local Council Boundaries – Sydney – The Council of the Shire of Hornsby". New South Wales Division of Local Government. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
1 2 "Brooklyn". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales . Retrieved 7 May 2012.
↑ "Hornsby". New South Wales Electoral Commission . Retrieved 23 November 2019.
↑ "Berowra". Australian Electoral Commission. 23 February 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
↑ https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/Hawkesbury river rail bridge and Long Island group/history
↑ Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List" . Retrieved 22 January 2021.
↑ "Hawkesbury River Railway Station group". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H01166. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .
↑ "Hawkesbury River Rail Bridge and Long Island Group". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H01040. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .
↑ "| transportnsw.info". transportnsw.info. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
1 2 3 Findlay, Tracey (3 May 2012). "Overhaul for historic Kangaroo Point". The Hornsby Advocate. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
↑ "Brooklyn". Land and Property Management Authority - Spatial Information eXchange. New South Wales Land and Property Information . Retrieved 7 May 2012.

External links

History of the 1888 (initial) Railway Bridge
Joan Rowland (2008). "Brooklyn". Dictionary of Sydney . Retrieved 25 September 2015.[ CC-By-SA ]
Niall Clugston – Hornsby Shire Library (2008). "Kangaroo Point Hornsby". Dictionary of Sydney . Retrieved 27 September 2015.[ CC-By-SA ]
Niall Clugston – Hornsby Shire Library (2008). "Peats Ferry". Dictionary of Sydney . Retrieved 28 September 2015.[ CC-By-SA ]

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[census-1] 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Brooklyn (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 12 April 2018.

[lga-2] "Suburb Search – Local Council Boundaries – Sydney – The Council of the Shire of Hornsby". New South Wales Division of Local Government. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.

[gnbsuburb-3] 1 2 "Brooklyn". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales . Retrieved 7 May 2012.

[4] "Hornsby". New South Wales Electoral Commission . Retrieved 23 November 2019.

[5] "Berowra". Australian Electoral Commission. 23 February 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2012.

[6] ttps://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/Hawkesbury river rail bridge and Long Island group/history

[Post_Office-7] Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List" . Retrieved 22 January 2021.

[nswshr-1166-8] "Hawkesbury River Railway Station group". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H01166. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .

[nswshr-1040-9] "Hawkesbury River Rail Bridge and Long Island Group". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment. H01040. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .

[10] "| transportnsw.info". transportnsw.info. Retrieved 25 January 2024.

[Advocate-11] 1 2 3 Findlay, Tracey (3 May 2012). "Overhaul for historic Kangaroo Point". The Hornsby Advocate. Retrieved 7 May 2012.

[12] "Brooklyn". Land and Property Management Authority - Spatial Information eXchange. New South Wales Land and Property Information . Retrieved 7 May 2012.

[1]

Note1

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]