Ryde, New South Wales

This article is about the suburb. For the city and local government area, see City of Ryde.

Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ryde is located 13 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and 8 km east of Parramatta. Ryde is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Ryde and part of the Northern Sydney region. It lies on the north bank of the Parramatta River. People from Ryde are colloquially known as Ryders, Rydiens or Rydemen.

Ryde Sydney, New South Wales
Ryde Civic Centre
Population	31,907 (2021 census)^[1]
• Density	4,490/km^2 (11,640/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	2112
Elevation	59 m (194 ft)
Area	7.1 km^2 (2.7 sq mi)
Location	13 km (8 mi) north-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	City of Ryde
Region	Northern Sydney
State electorate(s)	Lane Cove Ryde
Federal division(s)	Bennelong
Suburbs around Ryde: Eastwood Marsfield North Ryde West Ryde Denistone East Ryde East Ryde Meadowbank Putney Tennyson Point Gladesville

North Ryde, West Ryde, and East Ryde are separate suburbs from Ryde.

History

Ryde was named after the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. It may have been adopted from G.M. Pope, who came from Ryde on the Isle of Wight, who settled in the area and opened the "Ryde Store".^[2]

Originally known by its Aboriginal name Wallumatta, it was named Eastern Farms when the first 10 land grants were made in 1792. Within a few years this had changed to Kissing Point. The road from Ryde to Parramatta was called Kissing Point Road until changed to Victoria Road in 1887. The name Ryde was used from the 1840s and adopted as the name of the municipality in 1870. The suburb contains the oldest settler's cottage in Australia,^[3] Addington, on Victoria Road. Addington was built by the emancipist James Stewart, c. 1800.^[3] James Shepherd bought the property in 1810 and added a six-room house to the original sandstone cottage.^[4] Addington House, also known as "New Farm", is included on the NSW Heritage Register and the National Trust of NSW.^[5]

Other historic buildings in the area include the police station on Victoria Road and Willandra, Willandra Street. The police station, a simple sandstone structure, was designed by Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis and built in 1837. Willandra is a two-storey Georgian home built by the Devlin family c. 1845, and more recently used as an art gallery and headquarters for the Ryde and District Historical Society. Both Willandra and the police station are listed on the Register of the National Estate.^[6]

In 1892, the public school at 2 Tucker Street was opened. The building, which still survives, is the Infants Department, a two-storey, sandstone building which is heritage-listed.^[7]

The cottage Riversdale, in Wade Street, was the home of a well-known riverboat captain by the name of Robert Gascoigne, who lived in the area c. 1900.^[8] In 1973 a Builders Labourers Federation organised a green ban to save Dunbar Park from becoming a rubbish tip.^[9]

As Ryde was located at the top of the hill it also became known as 'Top Ryde'. Ryde Swimming Centre was demolished and rebuilt as Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre, and hosted events of the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Trams

Main article: Trams in Sydney

The majority of services operated from Fort Macquarie and Circular Quay down George Street to Broadway and Parramatta Road. In the peak hours and other busy periods, supplementary services operated from Railway Square.

Tram services to Drummoyne and Ryde were serviced by the Rozelle Tram Depot. The service, after departing the depot traveled along The Crescent and Commercial Road (now City West Link Road) in Glebe, turning left onto Victoria Road. It then crossed the Iron Cove Bridge and the former Gladesville Bridge before turning right onto Blaxland Road. It then wound its way along Blaxland Road, behind the site of the current council chambers, terminating near the intersection of Pope and Devlin Street in Ryde.^[10]

Heritage listings

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

• 782 Victoria Road: Willandra, Ryde^[11]
• 808-810 Victoria Road: Ryde police station^[12]
• 813 Victoria Road: Addington House^[13]
• 817 Victoria Road: The Retreat, Ryde^[14]
• 46 Church Street: St Anne's Ryde Anglican Church and Cemetery^[15]

Commercial areas

 

Top Ryde City

Top Ryde is an unofficial locality within Ryde, which contains the commercial area of the suburb, centred on the intersection of Devlin Street and Blaxland Road. Top Ryde City is a major shopping centre located on the intersection of Devlin Street and Blaxland Road. The original Top Ryde shopping centre on this site was the second of its type to be built in Australia.^[16]

Top Ryde is the location of the Ryde council office, and library.

2RRR is a community radio station in Sydney, Australia broadcasting to the Ryde area on 88.5 FM.

Transport

The Ryde Bridge links Ryde south to Rhodes, over the Parramatta River. Busways and Transit Systems operate a number of services in Ryde including:

• 500X - Town Hall station to West Ryde station
• 287 - Milsons Point via Lane Cove (Weekday AM peak service)
• 410 - Marsfield via Lane Cove Road
  Hurstville via Campsie
• 458 - Burwood via Concord Hospital & Strathfield
• 501 - Railway Square via Victoria Road & Pyrmont
  Parramatta station
• 517 - Macquarie University to Top Ryde City
• 515 - Eastwood station to Top Ryde City
• 518 - Meadowbank ferry wharf
  Macquarie Centre via Denistone East
• 533 - Chatswood via Lane Cove North
  Sydney Olympic Park via Rhodes

The main closest train station for the access to Ryde is West Ryde railway station which is on the Main Northern railway line.

Schools

 

 

St Anne's Anglican Church, Church Street and Holy Cross College, Ryde Victoria Road

Schools in Ryde include government schools such as Ryde Secondary College (formerly Malvina High School) and Ryde Public School, Tucker Street, which is heritage-listed.^[7] It also includes the private schools Holy Cross College and Northcross Christian School. The German International School Sydney operated in Ryde from 1992 to 2008 and moved to Terrey Hills in August 2008.^[17]

Places of worship

• St Anne's Anglican Church
• St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church

Ryde contains St Anne's Anglican Church, Church Street, which has the grave of Maria Ann Sherwood Smith, in whose orchards the Granny Smith apple was first found. Every year, in the suburb of Eastwood, the Granny Smith Festival is held in her honor. The church was built in 1826 and extended in later years. It was a central feature in the early life of the area and is now listed on the Register of the National Estate.^[18] Church Street is also the location of Ryde Wesley Uniting Church. C3 Church Ryde is located on Blaxland Road.

Parks and recreation

Santa Rosa Park is located between Quarry Road and Bridge Road. It features a separated pathway for walking and bike riders. Shrimptons Creek runs through the park in a north-easterly direction flowing into the Lane Cove River. The park is used for football and cricket. Gannan Park was once a quarry and brickworks and is accessed from Buna Court, Minga Street and McAuley Park. Ryde Park is located between Blaxland Road, Princes Sreet and Argyle Avenue. It features 2 rugby fields, 1 cricket field and a basketball court as well as a play area. There is also a dog park and a cafe.

Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre was home to water polo events for the 2000 Summer Olympics. The pool is owned by Ryde City Council.

Population

Demographics

At the 2016 census, Ryde recorded a population of 26,499. Of these:^[1]

Age distribution

Ryde residents' median age was 36 years, lower than the national median of 38. Children aged 0–14 years made up 16.7% of the population (national average is 18.7%) and people aged 65 years and over made up 16.7% of the population (national average is 15.8%).

Ethnic diversity

48.9% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were China 10.3%, South Korea 3.1%, India 3.1%, Italy 2.2% and Philippines 2.0%. Only 13.4% identify their ancestry as Australian. The most common ancestry in Ryde was Chinese at 15.5% with the next most common ancestries being English 14.7%, Italian 6.9% and Irish 5.5%. 47.4% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 10.0%, Cantonese 5.6%, Korean 3.7%, Italian 3.5% and Armenian 3.2%.

Religion

The most common responses for religion were Catholic 27.7% and No Religion 27.6%.

Income

The median weekly household income was $1,714, above the national median of $1,438.

Housing

71.1% of private dwellings were family households, 23.6% were single person households and 5.3% were group households. Of occupied private dwellings in Ryde, 44.2% were flat or apartments, 43.9% were separate houses and 11.3% were semi-detached.

Notable residents

• Iggy Azalea - Australian rapper born in Ryde Hospital^[19]
• Bennelong - One of the most notable Indigenous Australians, who served as a link between the colony at Port Jackson and the Eora people, is buried in present-day Putney.
• Jesse Curran - Scottish Premiership footballer who plays for Dundee F.C. as a defensive midfielder
• Laura Forster - World War I surgeon and nurse who was born in Ryde.
• David Gower - rugby league player.
• Richard Lee – chairman of Ruralco and former first-class cricketer
• Spencer Martin - racing driver
• Karen Moras - Olympic bronze medalist in swimming and world record holder, was born in Ryde in 1954.
• John Robertson - Former Leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales and the Leader of the Opposition from 2011 to 2014.
• Susan Schardt (1872-1934) Founder of the Royal Rehabilitation Hospital^[20]
• Maria Ann Smith - Credited with producing the Granny Smith apple lived in Eastwood and is buried in Ryde.
• James Squire - Convict brewer, who is claimed to have created Australia's first commercial brewery.
• James Tedesco - rugby league player.
• Hayden Turner - Zookeeper and TV presenter.
• John Watkins - The former Deputy Premier of NSW and Minister for Transport and Finance in NSW.

Gallery

•  
  Ryde Public School, Tucker Street
•  
  Ryde police station, designed by Mortimer Lewis, located on Victoria Road
•  
  Court House, Victoria Road
•  
  Addington House, c. 1800, Victoria Road
•  
  Riversdale, the former home of a Ryde riverboat captain

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Ryde (Suburbs and Localities)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 4 August 2023.  
2. The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson, 1990, p.234 ISBN 0-207-14495-8
3. "Addington". City of Ryde. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
4. Parramatta River Walk, Department of Planning, New South Wales, 1989, p.25
5. "NSW heritage search - Addington House". NSW Department of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
6. The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, p. 2/63
7. State Heritage Register
8. Parramatta River Walk, Department of Planning, New South Wales, 1989, p.21
9. "List of green bans, 1971-1974". libcom.org. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
10. Gregory's Street Directory, 1955, map 72, reference D-13. Map 26 Reference K-16
11. "Willandra". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00026. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
12. "Police Station (former)". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01017. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
13. "Addington House". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00033. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
14. "Retreat, The". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00506. Retrieved 18 May 2018.   Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
15. "St Anne's Ryde Anglican Church and Cemetery | NSW Environment, Energy and Science". www.environment.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
16. "Top Ryde City | The Dictionary of Sydney". dictionaryofsydney.org. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
17. http://www.germanschoolsydney.com^{[bare URL]}
18. The Heritage of Australia, p.2/63
19. The birth of Iggy Azalea: How a schoolgirl named Amethyst clung to a dream to become a rapper, The Daily Telegraph, 23 August 2014
20. Downie, P. T. (1988). "Susan Katherina Schardt (1872–1934)". . Vol. 11. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2017. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ryde, New South Wales.

• Angela Phippen - Ryde Library (2008). "Ryde". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 29 September 2015. [CC-By-SA]
• Ryde District Historical Society

33°48′55″S 151°06′04″E / 33.81528°S 151.10111°E / -33.81528; 151.10111