Introduction
Bellevue Hill is an affluent suburb, located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra.
Appropriately positioned the suburb straddles a large hill with commanding views towards both Sydney Harbour and the Pacific Ocean. The central position within the eastern suburbs means that living in Bellevue Hill means not being more than 10 minutes from all the best Sydney has to offer.
Lifestyle
With some of the most enviable panoramic vistas in the eastern suburbs, Bellevue Hill is primarily a privileged suburb for families with many large homes, stately gardens and two of Australia’s most exclusive private boys schools. Apartments in Bellevue Hill are mostly on a grand scale favoured by affluent couples whose children have left home, often seeking a luxury lock-up-and-go lifestyle. Stroll to cosmopolitan Double Bay or Bellevue hill village shops providing all the necessities. There are also several shops at the bottom of Cooper Park and, at the bottom of the hill, the popular Plumer Road cafés and shops alongside Woollahra Golf Course. Larger and more mainstream shopping is nearby at Bondi Junction. Other schools in the area are Ascham, Kambala and Rose Bay-Kincoppal (three top private girls schools) and within Bellevue Hill itself Bellevue Hill Primary.
Cooper Park’s covers over 38 hectares providing locals a calm oasis for a gentle walk, a tennis match even a barbeque with friends and family. Adjacent is Lough Playing Field with its facilities and amenities for anything as simple as a friendly casual footy game to serious athletic events. With Rose Bay and the harbour at the bottom of the hill to the north both sailing and kayaking are on offer, while sand and surf are on the other coastal side, equally accessible. What Bellevue Hill offers is akin to a garden sanctuary in the midst of Sydney’s most populated, lifestyle-rich region.
History
Governor Macquarie took great exception to the original name of Vinegar Hill. He renamed this part of the original Cooper Estate ‘Belle Vue’. As the name suggests, its magnificent position and breathtaking views were and are, a draw card for the wealthy. As a result, Bellevue Hill is dotted with numerous grand and gracious estates and historic residences such as Rona, Leura, Barford, Caerlon (considered Australia’s finest example of Queen Anne style architecture and sold for $22million in 2008), Aspinall House, McIntyre and Fairfax Houses and many more. Two of Australia’s most prominent architects in the first half of the 20th century, F.Glen Gilling and Professor Leslie Wilkinson also left their gracious influences on many homes in the area. The suburb continues today to be home to many high profile names, some of whose families have held the same estates for generations. Indeed a tiny street known as Rose Bay Avenue with just five homes is considered the most expensive non-waterfront address in Australia. A recent sale of note was the $23 million paid for the former French consulate on Victoria Road in 2009 (now owned by Lachlan Murdoch).