Wollstonecraft - Sydney Suburb Guide - NSW

INTRO

Wollstonecraft is a suburb of Sydney, located on the lower north shore and only four kilometres from the CBD. It isbounded by the Pacific Highway, Sydney Harbour and surrounding suburbs of Greenwich, St Leonards, Crows Nest and Waverton and is named after the colonial emigrant and business man, Edward Wollstonecraft.

DEMOGRAPHICS

There are approximately 8500 residents of Wollstonecraft, the median age is 36 years and around 53 per cent of its population is female – slightly higher than the national average of 50.7 per cent. Wollstonecraft is a popular suburb for professional singles, couples and very young families. Fifty-seven per cent of its residents have completed a bachelor’s degree and 7 per cent of its residents are currently enrolled in preschool compared to Australian averages, of 22 per cent and 4.8 per cent respectively. Wollstonecraft has an average, weekly, household income of $2422.

SCHOOLS

While Guthrie Children’s Centre is the only early childhood education centre within Wollstonecraft itself, there are seventeen other options within a three-kilometre radius of Wollstonecraft Station. Similarly, there are no primary or secondary schools within the suburb either, yet there are a number of schools located within walking distance of stations serviced by trains departing Wollstonecraft in both directions. 

Primary schools include Greenwich Public School K-1 campus, North Sydney Public School, Cameragal Montessori School, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Shore Preparatory School (boys, grades 3-6). Wenona School caters for girls from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and local secondary schools include the selective North Sydney Boys and North Sydney Girls Schools, Shore School (boys, grades 7-12), Monte Sant Angelo Mercy College (girls, grades 7-12) and Cammeraygal Public High School (co-educational, grades 7-10). 

TRANSPORT

Owing to the small size of the suburb, residents have less than a 1 kilometre walk to either Wollstonecraft or Waverton station. Trains to both Central and Hornsby stations depart Wollstonecraft station every 2 to 11 minutes with commutes to the central station being only around 20 minutes. Sixteen different buses service Wollstonecraft station both to and from the Pacific Highway with multiple suburban pick up and set down points. Commuter car parking is available on Belmont Street, just 130m from the station and cyclists will find bicycle racks at the western side of the station building.

HEALTH

Wollstonecraft enjoys six public green spaces that are well suited to walking and running. Brennan Park, between Hazelbank Road and King Street is dog friendly while families and young children are catered for at the harbourside Berry Island Reserve Playground where rowers and fishers are also able to launch kayaks and canoes. Bedangi reserve has four tennis courts available for hire and there are a number of gyms and Pilates studios all within walking distance of public transport. 

Royal North Shore Hospital, a tertiary referral centre, is located in the adjacent suburb of St Leonards and four private hospitals – RNS Private, the Mater, Longueville and Greenwich Hospital are all within one kilometre of the suburb centre.

REAL ESTATE

Forty-nine per cent of residents in Wollstonecraft are renting, with the average rent being $650 per week for a 1-2 bedroom unit or $1350 per week for a 3-4 bedroom house. 

Houses in Wollstonecraft have a median sale price of $2.9million whereas units fetch around $1.2million.

SHOPPING

Given its proximity to the highway and neighbouring business hubs of Crows Nest, St Leonards and North Sydney, there is little in the way of specialty stores, cafes and restaurants within Wollstonecraft itself. There are, however, a small selection of cafes, a laundromat and a general store located close to the station. Major supermarket chains are located around 1 kilometre from central Wollstonecraft in St Leonards and Crows Nest with smaller supermarkets located even closer in Greenwich and Waverton.

THINGS TO DO

Pet lovers may like to check out the Chew Chew pet café on Shirley Road but, aside from the sporting activities available to those willing to take advantage of Wollstonecraft’s green spaces, its central location and fantastic public transport mean that the whole of Sydney really is your playground. 

RESTAURANTS

Wollstonecraft is a small, suburban enclave surrounded by a bustling metropolis and so the best local restaurants are found along it’s pacific highway boundary or just across the road in Crows Nest rather than in the suburb itself. Go where the locals have been going since 1969 with either breakfast, lunch or dinner at Xenos’ family owned, Greek-Australian restaurant on Burlington Street or experience the most amazing take-away fish and chips from Hooked Gourmet Seafoods in neighbouring Greenwich. If neither of those takes your fancy, choose from Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Persian, Mexican or Cuban cuisines all within walking distance and just on the other side of the highway in Crows Nest.