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Ryde, New South Wales facts for kids

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This page is about the suburb. For the city and local government area, see City of Ryde.
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Ryde
Sydney, New South Wales
Ryde civic center.jpg
Ryde Civic Centre
Population 26,499 (2016 census)
 • Density 3,732/km2 (9,670/sq mi)
Postcode(s) 2112
Elevation 59 m (194 ft)
Area 7.1 km2 (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

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.

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'.

Originally known by its Aboriginal name Wallumatta, the whole area between Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers became known as the Field of Mars. 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, Addington, on Victoria Road. Addington was built by the emancipist James Stewart, circa 1800. James Shepherd bought the property in 1810 and added a six-room house to the original sandstone cottage. Addington House, also known as "New Farm", is included on the NSW Heritage Register and the National Trust of NSW.

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 circa 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.

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.

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 circa 1900.

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 Olympics.

Trams

Main page: Trams in Sydney

The majority of services operated from Fort Macquarie and Circular Quay down George St 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 travelled 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.

Places of worship

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 honour. 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. Church Street is also the location of Ryde Wesley Uniting Church.

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 Pool was home to water polo events for the Sydney Olympics, held in 2000. The pool is now owned by Ryde City Council.

Population

Demographics

At the 2011 census, Ryde recorded a population of 21,599. Of these:

Notable residents

  • 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.
  • Laura Forster - World War I surgeon and nurse who was born in Ryde.
  • Karen Moras - Olympic bronze medallist 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.
  • 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.
  • Hayden Turner - Zookeeper and TV presenter.
  • John Watkins - The former Deputy Premier of NSW and Minister for Transport and Finance in NSW.
  • Iggy Azalea - Australian rapper born in Ryde Hospital
  • (1)Ryde Public School Infants Section

    Ryde Public School, Tucker Street

  • Ryde Police Station

    Police station (designed by Mortimer Lewis), Victoria Road

  • Ryde Court House

    Court House, Victoria Road

  • (1)heritage home Ryde

    Addington cottage, circa 1800, Victoria Road

  • Riversdale4

    Riversdale, the former home of a Ryde riverboat captain



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:

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

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