Local areas

Local History Visual Tour: Curious Names in Vaucluse

Ever find yourself wondering why a street or park was named something? This short, Local History Visual Tour online video explores the stories behind curious locations around Vaucluse. Launched as part of the 2022 National Trust, Australian Heritage Festival.

Vaucluse streets and parks are curiously named and have interesting historic backstories. In this short video, we explore a handful of these from the suburb that was an independent municipality between 1895-1948, when many streets were formalised and named. Find out the who in John Dykes and the why of Myall and the taste of Parsley.

Take the online tour below.


Enjoyed the above Local History Visual Tour? There’s another one on Cooper Park in Bellevue Hill on our Historic Landscapes webpage.

The Municipality of Woollahra is made up of a number of diverse localities, each with a distinctive character shaped by an individual history. Each area contributes in its unique way to the rich cultural heritage of Woollahra.

South Head area

The South Head area, including Watsons Bay and Camp Cove, once the traditional land of the Birrabirragal, has close ties also to the earliest days of European settlement. The locality has long been recognised as a place of outstanding natural beauty at the gateway to Sydney Harbour. The historical significance of this area was acknowledged by Woollahra Council in 1995 and gazetted as a Heritage Conservation Area.

In 2008 a commemorative plaque was installed at Cliff Street, Camp Cove, featuring a timeline of significant events in the history of the Camp Cove locality. Further information on the history of the South Head area has been complied from the collection at the Local History Centre.


Vaucluse harbour foreshores

Harbour foreshore land at Vaucluse was preserved for public use through the efforts of William Notting and the Harbour Foreshores Vigilance Committee during the early years of the 20th century