More Sydney Suburbs: Beverly Park, Beverly Hills

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Continuing the alphabetical look at Sydney's suburbs . . . 

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Beverly Park:

Location:

Beverley Park is located 15 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is situated in the Kogarah Local Government area.

Name origin:

From the Dictionary of Sydney entry for Beverly Park:

In 1935 the Local Government Act of 1906 was amended to help relieve unemployment and assist municipal councils to undertake water, sewerage and road works. It was in this context that the project [to dredge Kogarah Bay to reclaim the swampy land - Otto] finally began.

Kogarah Municipal Council decided to offer a £10 prize for the most suitable name for the new subdivision. From the entries, the aldermen chose the name of Glenroy, and at the same time, decided to name the streets of the subdivision after themselves. However, a rescission motion was signaled and at the next meeting it was decided to let each alderman propose one name and to draw the winner out of a hat. This time the name Bareena was chosen, and an argument broke out over who had won the prize and whether it should be split in two. The farce continued until the next meeting when a considerably altered shortlist was presented and from it, the name Beverley Park was chosen. Estelle Tucker of Kogarah submitted the name, but why she chose Beverley Park remains a mystery.

http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/beverley_park

About:

• Beverley Park is surrounded by the suburbs Kogarah Bay, Carlton, Kogarah, Ramsgate and Sans Souci. 

• It is a predominantly residential area around a large recreational area, Beverley Park Golf Course. 

• It has a few commercial developments scattered along its borders on the Princes Highway and Rocky Point Road.

• In 1988, the National Trust of Australia (New South Wales) nominated part of Beverley Park as a conservation area for its value as a rare example of a 1930s subdivision composed predominantly of Californian bungalows and the quality of the streetscapes.

• The St George Leagues Club is located on Princes Highway. Originally the largest and most lavish of the Leagues Clubs (for overseas readers – football clubs with poker machines), it was known locally as the “Taj Mahal”.

St George Leagues Club

• Sunnyside is a historic sandstone house on the corner of Princes Highway and Lacey Street, which was originally the home of Patrick J. Lacey, an early mayor of Kogarah Municipality, a Church of England rectory in 1930s and a private kindergarten and primary school from 1948. It was sold in 1958 and converted into a rooming house until 1993 when it became a private residence again.

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Beverly Hills:

Location:

Beverly Hills is located 17 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. 

Name origin:

Beverly Hills was originally known as Dumbleton after a local farm in the area, circa 1830. In the 1930’s a large residential development saw an influx of new residents who disliked the name Dumbleton. Their lobbying for a change of name coincided with the arrival of the East Hills railway line, with the Dumbleton Station opening in 1931. The name was changed to Beverly Hills in 1940, in imitation of Beverly Hills in California, USA, which was becoming famous for being the home of many famous movie stars. 

About:

• Beverly Hills is mostly residential, consisting of many freestanding red brick and tile bungalows built in the years immediately after World War 2. Many of these feature late Art Deco design elements. 

• Medium density flats have been built in the areas close to King Georges Road and Stoney Creek Road.

• In 1962 the then Department of Main Roads connected Canary's Road and Dumbleton Road, renaming it King Georges Road. The quiet suburb of Beverly Hills now had a 6 lane arterial road through the middle, cutting it in two. 

Intersection of King Georges Road and Stony Creek Road, Beverly Hills

• From the website of the Coeli Catholic Church, located in Ponyara Road, Beverly Hills:

Regina Coeli Parish Beverly Hills was established as a Parish in 1946. The first Parish Priest was Father William Evans who during the Second World War was a Chaplain in the Royal Australian Navy. He served on the HMAS 'Canberra' and was on board when the 'Canberra' was sunk off Savo Island in August 1942. He was rescued by the USS 'Paterson' and was also present at the Battle of the Coral Sea. This experience naturally had a great effect on Father Evans who developed a deep respect for the Americans and a desire to commemorate the friendship between Australia and the United States. The Parish Church commemorates Australian and American friendship in war and peace, and is also a war memorial to those who gave their lives in the Battle of the Coral Sea.

The foundation of the church was laid by his Eminence, Norman Thomas Cardinal Gilroy, Archbishop of Sydney, on Coral Sea Sunday, 6 May 1962 and the church was officially opened on Coral Sea Sunday, 5th May 1963.

[The Church building was partly funded by an Australian-US veterans' alliance and commemoration masses are held every year on the date of the Coral Sea weekend - Otto]

Coeli Catholic Church

Gallery:

Beverly Hills Railway Station

Dumbleton’s first shop, which opened in 1908 (on the site of the present day Beverly Hills Hotel). In 1910, a post office was opened within the existing store. This photo is from 1916.