| Henley Sydney, New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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 Henley, view fromChiswick | |||||||||||||||
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| Population | 455 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2111 | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 9 km (6 mi) fromCBD | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Municipality of Hunter's Hill | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Lane Cove | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Bennelong | ||||||||||||||
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Henley is asuburb on theLower North Shore ofSydney, in the state ofNew South Wales,Australia. Henley is located 9 kilometres west of theSydney central business district, in thelocal government area of theMunicipality of Hunter's Hill. Henley sits on the northern side of theParramatta River.
Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the area was inhabited by theIndigenousWallumettagal people of theEora nation.[2] They spoke a dialect ofDharug, and their name derives from the wordswallumai, or 'snapper', andmatta, which means 'way of water'.[3] According to prominent early settler Jules Joubert, they had referred to the Hunters Hill peninsula and surrounding areas, including present-day Henley, asMoco Boula.[4]
The Wallumettagal peoples first came into contact with European settlers in 1788.[5] By the late 18th century, however, the Indigenous inhabitants of the land had been driven from the area by asmallpox outbreak in 1789 and subsequentcolonisation.[4]
In 1988, followingBicentennial celebrations, Council renamed aninlet in Henley 'Wallumatta Bay' in recognition of the area's Indigenous inhabitants. A plaque honouring the Wallumettagal was installed in 2002.[5]
Following colonisation, the area wasgranted toconvict,surgeon and notable colonial public figure DrWilliam Bland, and named 'Blandville' in his honour.[6] Bland, who had been transported to New South Wales in 1814 for killing a fellow naval officer in a duel, was pardoned in 1815 and became associated with the nearbyGladesville Hospital.[6] The plot later went into the hands of a colonist named John Williams, who used it to cultivate fruits and vegetables.[6]
In 1861, theMunicipality of Hunter's Hill was established, encompassing Blandville within its borders.[7][8] Subdivided in 1866, the land evolved over the next few decades into a small community known as the 'Village of Blandville'.[6]
From the mid-19th century onwards, the Parramatta River became a popular course forrowing races and regattas, with the first held in 1858. The “Three Brothers”, a formation of three rocks off present-day Henley, became a traditional finish line marker for many of these events,[9] and the local Mercantile Rowing Club established training facilities in the suburb in 1874.[10] In 1888, AustralianHenry Ernest Searle won the title ofWorld Sculling Champion from fellowscullerPeter Kemp at one of the Parramatta River regattas.[11] When he died oftyphoid fever a year later, a memorial was erected on the “Three Brothers” Rocks to commemorate him.[11][9]
To accommodate the area's growing transport needs, thefirst Gladesville Bridge was constructed across the Parramatta River. It opened in 1881, connecting Blandville and surrounding suburbs withDrummoyne.[12]
In recognition of the community’s strong connections to rowing, local residents lobbied Council to rename it afterHenley-on-Thames, anEnglishtown and world-renowned centre for the sport. The suburb was rechristened 'Henley' in 1895, one of several along the Parramatta River to be named after localities on theRiver Thames.[6]
The 20th century saw further development of the suburb. Between 1908 and 1949, Henley was connected to theRyde-Fort Macquarie line ofSydney's tram network, which ran alongVictoria Road.[13] In 1920, majorpublic park Gladesville Reserve was created when Council designated a large tract of land in Henley for public recreation.[3] In 1947, the Mercantile Rowing Club's Henley premises was compulsorily acquired by theHousing Commission, andhousing units were constructed on the site.[10] These units were sold for private development in 1997.[10] In 1964, a newGladesville Bridge was opened in neighbouringHuntleys Point, and the old bridge was demolished.[14]
In the2021 census, there were 455 people in Henley. 69.7% of people were born in Australia and 75.4% of people spoke onlyEnglish at home. The most common responses for religion wereCatholic (34.9%) andNo Religion (27.0%).[1]
There are several notable points of interest in Henley, including:
In addition, there are several landmarks located around the immediate vicinity of Henley in neighbouring suburbs, including:
Henley is home to twoearly learning centres; Papilio Early Learning on Crown Street, and Riverside Preschool near Henley Community Centre.[20][21]
Nearby schools includeRiverside Girls’ High School in Huntleys Point, and the Giant Steps Sydneyspecial education school on the grounds of Gladesville Hospital.[22]
Henley is serviced bybus services along the main thoroughfare ofVictoria Road, which link the suburb with Sydney's CBD, as well asWest Ryde andParramatta.
The nearbyHuntley's Point ferry wharf also connects residents toParramatta River ferry services.
Material was copied from this source, which is available under aCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.33°50′33″S151°08′05″E / 33.84252°S 151.13475°E /-33.84252; 151.13475