Eastern suburbs

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The Eastern Suburbs of Sydney are located east of Sydney CBD at the northern end of Eastern Sydney starting with Moore Park, Paddington and Darling Point then continuing east until Bronte, Tamarama and Bondi on the coast and as far north as Watsons Bay at south head. It is one of the most popular areas for visitors to Sydney, including the famous Bondi Beach. It is well-served by public transport and located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour. For Sydney's South-Eastern Suburbs see here.

Understand

Sydney Inner City and East Map

The Eastern Suburbs enjoys extensive frontages on the Harbour, the Ocean beaches and extensive towering sandstone clifftops. This part of Sydney has a choice of over 5 different beaches. Sydney's eastern suburbs connect through to the City Centre through the City east precinct east towards Double Bay, Watsons Bay, Bondi Beach and Bronte Beach through New South Head Road and Oxford Street.

Harbourside

Sydney's Eastern Suburbs lines the southern side of the harbour from the city to North Head, with some of Sydney's finest views, and most expensive houses. Starting with the inner eastern suburbs of Woolloomooloo, Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay and Rushcutters Bay within City of Sydney then continuing on through Darling Point, Double Bay, Rose Bay, and Watsons Bay in Woollahra Municipal Council.

Oceanside Areas

Waverley Council

• Bondi Beach - World famous beach and beach culture.
• Tamarama Beach
• Bronte Beach

Districts

Eastern Sydney overall is a relatively small metropolitan area of Sydney compared to its counterparts of Northern, Western and Southern but still has much to offer with some of Sydney’s most famous and beautiful spots. Eastern Sydney is comprised of The Eastern Suburbs and The South-Eastern Suburbs stretching from Watsons Bay down to La Perouse.

Eastern Suburbs

Sydney's Eastern Suburbs are made up of the districts of Woollahra-Double Bay, Waverley-Bondi and The Centennial Parklands, starting with Paddington, Edgecliff and Darling Point to the west, The Centennial Parklands in the south, Bronte, Tamarama and Bondi to the east, Bellevue Hill at the centre and Watsons Bay in the north.

Eastern Sydney Districts

Woollahra-Double Bay The affluent harbourside of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs with famous harbour beaches and locations such as Darling Point, Point Piper, Rose Bay, Nielsen Park and Watsons Bay. Its major commercial centre is Double Bay which is home to The Woollahra Municipal Council administrative centre in Redleaf in front of Redleaf Pool. Double Bay and Paddington is where you’ll find fine dining, fashion and old fashioned bars.

Waverley-Bondi The coastal region of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs within Waverley Council with beaches such as Tamarama, Bronte and the world famous Bondi Beach. Its major commercial centre is Bondi Junction which is packed with shopping destinations such as Oxford Street Mall, Eastgate and Westfield Bondi Junction one of Sydney’s largest shopping centres.

Centennial Parklands The Centennial Parklands are the three parks of Moore Park, Queens Park and Centennial Park which is the largest. Centennial Park is a popular destination for horse riding, bike riding and picnics with ponds, walk and bike tracks. Moore Park is home to the sporting grounds of The Moore Park Golf Course, The Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium along with The Entertainment Quarter which contains entertainment, markets, events and dining. Moore Park also contains the shopping centre called Supa Centa for homewares.

Get in

By bus

• Sydney Buses runs extensive services throughout the Eastern Suburbs. Most originate from Circular Quay in the city. There are two main bus routes from the city:
  • William St/New South Head Rd (to Rose Bay, Double Bay, Vaucluse, Watsons Bay)
  • Oxford St (to Bondi Junction)
• City Sightseeing operates a hop-on hop-off bus touring the Eastern Suburbs, which travels east along the southern shore of the harbour to south head, through Double Bay out to Watsons Bay and South Head before tracking down the coast through Bondi Beach, before heading directly back to the city.

By train

Surprisingly there are no trains that take you to the beaches, however the Eastern Suburbs Line goes to Martin Place, Kings Cross, Edgecliff and terminates at 1 Bondi Junction Station which is 3 km (1.9 mi) from Bondi Beach itself. Passengers can interchange with frequent buses to Bondi Beach.

Coogee beach can also be accessed via bus from Bondi Junction, although it can be faster to take a direct bus from the city centre instead.

By car

Sydney's Eastern Suburbs are very accessible by car with lots of major roadways. Main roads connected Sydney's Eastern Suburbs to Sydney CBD include New South Head Road and Oxford Street. Traffic can sometimes be a struggle but is generally alright and parking can be a competition that never let's you win at the beaches in summer.

See

Ocean beaches

Swim, surf, walk or explore the Eastern Suburbs beaches. All of them have public transport access by bus, check Transport Info for more information.

From north to south:

Waverley Council

• Bondi Beach. World famous surf beach. Pretty beach, nice for swimming, walking, with plenty of food and accommodation places lining the shoreline. Parking and car access can be extremely difficult summer weekends, and challenging even at other times. Public transport access is bus from the City, Bondi Junction, or Watsons Bay.
• Tamarama Beach. A small surf beach 2 km south from Bondi Beach. Worth a walk along the cost from there. The walk, although nice, is not quite as pretty as walking from Clovelly. Only kerbside parking. Public transport is by direct bus, or walking from the bus at Bondi Beach.

Bronte Beach

• Bronte Beach. A nice surf beach around 3km walk south from Bondi Beach, much smaller than its northern neighbour. Good for walking. Nice ocean rock pool for swimming. Nice beachfront park with barbeques. Popular with surfers. Car access and parking can be difficult summer weekends - get there early or late if you want to drive. Public transport access is very easy from Bondi Junction, with very regular buses stopping right at the beach.

Harbour Shoreline

See the different aspects of the harbour to walk, admire the views. Take a swim in the Sydney Harbour. You can access all of the harbour shoreline by ferry or bus.

From the city to the heads:

• Rushcutters Bay (Royal Cruising Yacht Club and extensive private mooring facilities are at Rushcutters Bay), New South Head Road and New Beach Rd (turn off New South Head Road and park on New Beach Rd or nearby. Buses run along New South Head Road from the City and inward bound from further east). Rushcutters Bay has many small parks, the largest and most popular being at the southern end of Rushcutters bay. These parks are busy on weekends with walkers, people exercising their dogs, picnicers and locals playing ball games. Rushcutters Park at the southern end has a cafe located toward the centre near the water. To the north west the bay sweeps toward Elizabeth Bay. Further along the bay on the eastern side New Beach Road passes the Yacht club and marina complexes have restaurants, cafes, shops and boat servicing operations catering to local boaters and visitors. Parking can be difficult at times.
  Towards Darling Point there is more parkland lining the shoreline. The bay was originally called Blackburn Cove honouring the Master of HM Armed Tender Supply and still has a small Naval depot. The area was popular for cutting the reeds often used as roof thatching in the early days of the colony. The name hence became established as the 'Rushcutting Bay'. The bay was fed by a creek with two arms; one rising in present day Darlinghurst and the other, Glenmore Brook, rising in Woollahra and which passed through lower Paddington. This lower valley of Paddington also carried the name Lacro. If you walk further north and toward the east to Darling Point there is a ferry wharf there to catch a ferry to the City or onwards eastward along the harbour shoreline [1]. Some of the marina and dock areas have restricted access. 
• Double Bay. Best known for its shopping, restaurants, and cafes. A marina and a ferry wharf dominate the harbourfront. Swimming isn't popular here, and the waterfront park is a little worn. There is an enclosure further east, but you can't walk to it along the harbour front. The shopping district used to be irreverently referred to as "Double Bay-double pay" due to the range of upmarket and exclusive boutiques situated there. The bay itself has extensive mooring areas for private water craft. Public transport access by ferry or bus.
• Rose Bay. See the seaplanes take off and land. This was the original international airport for Sydney when the airlines operating toward the Pacific, SE Asia and onward to Europe used seaplanes. The old seaplane terminal and airport administration building has been converted into use a waterfront restaurant. The water landing strip remains in service and is generally used for light seaplanes doing charter work and scenic flights northward to Palm Beach. Look at the harbour views. Not really a swimming place and can feel a bit like a harbourside transport hub at times due to the ferries and the buses coming and going. There is an enclosure for swimming at the headland on the east of the bay, which is nice to cool off. The bay has extensive mooring areas for private water craft. Parking is tight. Public transport access by ferry or bus.

Watsons Bay, with the Gap on the left and Sydney city centre in the background

• Watsons Bay. Famous for its seafood, city and harbour views. Immensely popular on summer weekends, it can be impossible to park anywhere close. Visit Nielsen Park and the famous Gap above the sandstone cliffs at South Head, it has stunning views and is part of an extended coastal walkway. The Gap also has a macabre history as the site of many mysterious deaths and many suicides Public transport access by ferry or bus.
  • 1 Vaucluse Bay Range Front Light. Viewing the lighthouse from the street (80 Wentworth Rd) is very difficult due to the steep terrain so the lighthouse is best viewed from the water. (updated Jun 2021)
  • 2 Vaucluse Bay Range Rear Light. Active lighthouse located on the east side of the entrance to Vaucluse Bay and one of four such lighthouses designed by architect Maurice Festu in a style now sometimes called "Disney Castle". (updated Jun 2021)
• Harbour Bridge to South Head and Clovelly-walking routes (there are signs but the pathways are fairly obvious, you just follow the beaches, bays and clifftops). A development of the Sharing Sydney Harbour Access Program (SSHAP) including the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and NSW Maritime and Department of Planning. A shared vision to improve public access and enhance the recreational enjoyment of Sydney Harbour and its tributaries for the people of Sydney and visitors to the City. Extensive information and downloadable maps and brochures are available at the website. This program has established pathways to follow the coastline and access many of the smaller parks and reserves that line the harbour shoreline. Brochures are free and all access to the program is free.. 

Parks and gardens

Centennial Park

• Centennial Park, Oxford Street, Centennial Park (Several entrances, see their website for details), ☏ +61 2 93396699, +61 412 718611 (24-hour ranger assistance), fax: +61 2 93604215, info@centennialparklands.com.au. April: 6AM-6PM, May to August: 6:30AM-5:30PM, Sept to Oct: 6AM-6PM, Oct to April: 6AM-8PM. Paddington Gates (exit gate) is the last to close every day. This is a large formal park in Sydney eastern suburbs with its own internal road and walking trail system, grand avenues, historic buildings, lakes and many groves of shady trees dotted with picnic areas. Bike and walking trails, horse trails and equestrian facilities, some restaurant, cafe and kiosk facilities are available. This park is both a playground and a giant green lung for the city. Popular all days but especially on the weekends. Centennial Park covers 220 hectares and draws more than 3.6 million visitors annually. There are no access charges to the park, however some sporting facilities and formal activities may attract fees. 
  • Moonlight Cinema (is held during the summer months), Belvedere Amphitheatre, Centennial Park (see the Moonlight Cinema website for special entry and admission charge information). 
  • Cycling. The main circuit is 4 km in length, and there is a separate, much smaller circuit, for children just learning to ride. 
    • Centennial Park Cycles, 50 Clovelly Road, Randwick, ☏ +61 2 93985027. Cycle hire. 
  • Roller-blading (Centennial Park is a venue for all levels from children to club competitors), Centennial Park. 
    • Roller Bladers Total Skate, 36 Oxford Street, Woollahra, ☏ +61 2 9380-6356. hire blades 
    • Centennial Park Cycles, 50 Clovelly Road, Randwick, ☏ +61 2 93985027. Hire blades. 
  • Horse riding track (Centennial Park is a popular site for horse riding), Centennial Park (Pavilion B, Corner of Cook and Lang Roads, Centennial Park), ☏ +61 2 93605650, toll-free: 1300 764000, enquiry@centennialstables.com.au. Centennial Park has a 3.6-km horse-riding track and the Centennial Parklands Equestrian Centre is nearby. 
  • Centennial Homestead, Centennial Homestead, Grand Drive, Centennial Park, ☏ +61 293809350, hello@centennialhomestead.com.au. Centennial Parklands Dining incorporates a restaurant, café, kiosk and several outdoor areas. Contemporary style menus. 

For maps of the Centennial park precincts and facilities visit Centennial Park maps.

Moore Park

• 3 Moore Park (the greater Moore Park area), ☏ +61 2 9339 6699, +61 412 718611 (24-hour Ranger assistance), info@centennialparklands.com.au. The main body of the park is open 24 hr/7 days per week however some areas may be restricted or annexed as venue sites or parking areas during major events. To the southeast corner of this part of Sydney, this 115-hectare open park area has sport fields used by local the local community, bike and walking tracks run through the park area and Kippax Lake, a small lake near the sports stadiums is a pleasant area for picnicking or relaxing on days without major functions in the adjoining facilities. This park is also the site of Sydney Boys High School and Sydney Girls High School, the ES Marks Athletics Field, an 18-hole Group One Championship Public Golf Course and Driving Range, tennis courts and netball courts and is a green buffer zone connecting thru to the Centennial Park a little further to the east. Moore Park, which adjoins the Sydney Football Stadium and is being rebuilt from the ground up (as of 2019), and Sydney Cricket Ground. Open access to all park areas except for groups of 50 or more persons requiring registration and fee payments. Special events may have entry prices fixed by the event managers and special event car parking may attract charges.  

Harbourfront parks

• Rushcutters Park, adjacent to Royal Cruising Yacht Club and extensive private mooring facilities at Rushcutters bay. (turn off New South Head Road and park on New Beach Rd), ☏ +61 2 9391-7000 (Monday to Friday 8AM-5PM), +61 293917000 (after hours service - Ranger or emergencies). Busy on weekends with walkers, people exersising their dogs by throwing balls and frisbees to them, picnickers sit about on the lawns and local people play come together to play informal ball games. The park caters for community sports such as cricket, rugby union and soccer. The park has a cafe and kiosk located toward the centre near the water that serves light meals, drinks and other refreshments. Open access all hours. 
• McKell Park, at the northern end of Darling Point at the end of Darling Point road, ☏ +61 2 9391 7000 (M–F 8AM–5PM), +61 2 9391 7000 (after hours service - ranger or emergencies). Park gates are open from dawn to dusk (i.e. approximately 7AM - 7:30PM) Access is available to ferry services. This small pretty park is the location of the Darling Point ferry wharf. The park comprises grassed landscape terraces stepping down to the harbour foreshore and the public ferry wharf. Set in the grounds of the original McKell mansion people picnic and relax amongst the footings and small remnant walls of the old mansion. It has become a popular site for weddings. The park was established in 1983-1985 with the heritage listed Canonbury Cottage becoming the centrepiece of the Park. Free entry with bookings and fees payable for Weddings and events. 
• 4 Nielsen Park, Vaucluse Road, Vaucluse (finding a car park can be challenging at busy times. Inside Sydney Harbour National Park). Established as a public reserve in 1911. Nearby is a 1.5-km 'Hermitage Foreshore' walk through park and bushland running along the western edge of Vaucluse between Nielsen Park and Bayview Hill Road. Has a scenic harbour swimming beach protected by a shark net during the summer months, picnic areas, meals and refreshments available at the Nielsen Park kiosk. See map and details of locality. Free.  

Historical sites

Bronte House

• Bronte House - An historic house up Bronte Road from the north end of the beach. Bronte House.
• The Historic Waverley Cemetery is on the south head of Bronte. It is Australia's oldest European graveyard, and contains a mausoleum designed by Walter Burley Griffin, the architect who designed Canberra.
• 5 Lindesay, 1 Carthona Avenue, Darling Point, ☏ +61 2 9363 2401, lindesay@nationaltrust.com.au. 45-minute tours run at 10AM and 11AM on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. One of Sydney's oldest residences with uninterrupted views of Sydney Harbour. The interior contains lots of colonial-style English furniture. It's a National Trust site today. $10 per adult, $5 per child (5–17)/concession holder, free for children under 5 and National Trust members.. (updated Nov 2022)
• Vaucluse House, Wentworth Road, Vaucluse. (Historic Houses Trust). Built in 1803, Vaucluse House is one of Sydney's oldest residences on a grand scale. The house and gardens are open to the public. 

Do

• Moonlight Cinema, in the warmer months at Centennial Park and also the nearby Botanic Gardens in the City.
• Picnic in Centennial Park, just go relax in the wonderful expanse of this sprawling park
• Play golf. In Moore Park. 
• Go to the Cinemas at Double Bay or to the Entertainment Quarter for movies and many other entertainment venues.
• Go to the beach. Pick any one of the iconic Eastern Suburbs beaches and enjoy the sand, surf and parade of Australian city beach culture.
• Hang out with the tanned set at Double Bay.
• Take a walk. Sydney's Great Coastal Walk - Barrenjoey to Royal National Park, this seven day walk traverses the great urban coastal walk of Sydney. The walk can be broken into distances and times of one’s own choosing and may be walked in either direction south from Palm Beach or north from Cronulla. There is no need to do the whole walk and a visitor can just access any part of the coastal walk they choose to experience either for a few metres or a few kilometres. For full details information and brochures see details for walks including Harbour Bridge to South Head & Clovelly and Clovelly to Cronulla. There are additional details available for Sydney Harbour coastline walks [2].
• Learn to Surf (Waves Surf School), Bondi, ☏ +61 430 496 058, info@wavessurfschool.com.au. 

Buy

Commercial Centres

• Bondi Junction. Bondi Junction is the largest commercial centre in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs being the major connection to Bondi Beach. The suburb has high rise office and apartment buildings along with Westfield Bondi Junction, the largest shopping centre in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. Its major connection to the Sydney CBD is Oxford Street.
• Double Bay. Largest commercial centre within Woollahra Municipal Council with the Woollahra administrative centre in the famous building 'Redleaf' in front of the famous 'Redleaf Pool'. Its major connection to Sydney CBD is New South Head Road.

Shopping malls

• Westfield Bondi Junction. One of the main shopping malls of Sydney, and easily the largest in the Eastern Suburbs, is right above the station in the heart of Bondi Junction. Hundreds of retailers and food outlets. Can be very busy. Take a walk outside the mall while you are there, the surrounding area, including Oxford Street Mall also contains a wide variety of shopping and eating destinations. 
• Eastgate Bondi Junction. Smaller shopping centre in Bondi Junction which predates the Westfield. Lies below the famous Bondi Junction Eastgate Towers.
• Supa Centa Moore Park. Homemaker Centre in Moore Park with furniture, homeware and electronic stores.

Markets

• Paddington Markets - Held every Saturday from 10AM in the grounds of Paddington Uniting Church, Oxford St. Expect handmade goods, vintage bargains, international foods, etc.
• EQ Village Markets - Fresh produce markets held in the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park. Regional produce and gourmet foods. Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10AM. On Sundays, the EQ Village Sunday Market offers a greater variety of goods including clothing, jewellery, toys and homewares.
• Bondi Markets - Held every Sunday from 10AM at Bondi Beach Public School. A very popular place for local students, families and bohemian types, especially on weekends in Summer. Home-made and vintage clothing (often from up-and-coming designers), jewellery, art, homewares, etc. Reasonably cheap.
• Antiques - Stores in Woollahra, Charing Cross.

Eat

• Doyles, fish and chips at Watsons Bay.

Drink

• The Eastern Hotel at Bondi Junction is popular with young crowds on Wednesday nights, one of the more renowned mid-week venues in Sydney. Expect to pay at least $10 in cover charge.
• Around the beaches, there are many modern pubs, such as the Beach Road Hotel Bondi.

Sleep

Hotels and hostels are available throughout the Eastern Suburbs. Bondi Beach is one of the main areas for backpacker and budget accommodation in Sydney.

Stay healthy

For a serious medical emergency you should call 000 from any phone for immediate attention of the emergency services.

The Prince of Wales Hospital is the major Public Hospital servicing the Eastern suburbs. It is on a large Randwick campus which also incorporates The Prince of Wales Private Hospital, The Royal Hospital for Women and Sydney Children’s Hospital with The University of New South Wales located on an adjoining campus.

• Prince of Wales Hospital, High Street & Avoca Street, Randwich (look for signs directing to Accident and Emergency department), ☏ +61 2 93822222, fax: +61 2 93822033. The Public Hospital has 440 beds and almost 3,000 staff. The Prince of Wales Hospital has a relatively small but highly complex caseload with more than 30,000 acute patients admitted and about 40,000 patients treated in the Emergency Department annually. 
• Sydney Children's Hospital (for paediatric accident and emergency care), High St, Randwick (Accident and Emergency department entrance is on High Street, Randwick.), ☏ +61 2 93821111. 24 hours ER and serious trauma. NSW Health Department. 
• Royal Hospital for Women (Maternity services), Barker Street, Randwick, ☏ +61 2 93826111. The Royal Hospital for Women has been one of Australia’s foremost specialist hospitals for women and babies, since its beginnings as New South Wales first ‘lying-in’ hospital for women in 1820. As a principal teaching hospital of the University of NSW in the fields of obstetrics, gynaecology and neonatology the Royal has a history of innovation in women’s health care services, teaching and research. Royal Hospital for Women is part of Prince of Wales Hospital. 

Public hospital emergency departments are open 24 hours a day, including public holidays.

Sydney's Eastern Suburbs

Woollahra Municipal Council

(2021) Paddington (2023) Bellevue Hill (2025) Woollahra (2027) Darling Point (2027) Edgecliff (2027) Point Piper (2028) Double Bay (2029) Rose Bay (2030) Vaucluse (2030) Watsons Bay

Waverley Council

(2022) Bondi Junction (2024) Bronte (2024) Waverley (2026) Bondi (2026) Bondi Beach (2026) North Bondi (2026) Tamarama (2030) Dover Heights

The Centennial Parklands

(2021) Centennial Park (Randwick City Council) (2021) Moore Park (City of Sydney) (2022) Queens Park (Waverley Council)