Kensington is a suburb in Randwick City, in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. It has much to offer being close to the CBD, beaches and airport. Kensington encompasses the University of New South Wales (UNSW), NIDA, the Australian Golf Club and homes for its 11,000 residents.

Aboriginals

Little is known about the Aboriginal population prior to European occupation. The Cadigal people were part of the salt-water clans, in the Darug language group and their land included Kensington. The Cadigal people were known for their fishing skills and often travelled in canoes. The 1828 census showed some 50-60 clans of Cadigal people living by the Lachlan swamps of Kensington and surrounding areas. Swamps provided fruit, nectar, roots and tubers. Very few Aboriginals live in Kensington today. The majority around this area live in La Perouse, roughly 8km south-east of Kensington.

Names

The suburb now know as Kensington was once called the "Lachlan Mills Estate", "Stannumville" and then "Epsom". In the late 1880’s it became Kensington, starting life as an industrial suburb with Samuel Terry (the convict who became Australia’s first millionaire) as owner in 1819 after receiving a land grant. Residential land was issued in the late 1880’s and Kensington was to be the equivalent of London’s distinguished suburb, Kensington. For further history see the time line in Appendix 3. Today, Kensington’s local streets are mainly named after local people, places in London and local flora. Some examples are: <sum> Balfour Lane – Arthur James Balfour, the first earl of Balfour, a British statesman and Prime Minister (1902-1905) <sum> Doncaster Avenue – Named after the racecourse in England <sum> Boronia Street – A flowering shrub grown extensively in the area. (Origins of Street and Place Names in Randwick, Anonymous)

Early Transport

The tram was first introduced in 1900. Prior to this, buses connected Kensington and the city and from 1898 cabs were available. The first tram was a double track steam operated line and went from Coogee to Moore Park. (See Appendix 6 for other lines). Tay Park (Anzac Parade and Alison Road) is the site of the old Toll Bar where local maintenance revenue was collected from 1854 to 1894. The toll was 10c for a four-wheeled wagon, drawn by 2 horses.

Location

Kensington has the advantage of being very close to the Sydney CBD, yet at the same time being a residential suburb. Located approximately 6km south-east of the city, it is essentially the first real suburban suburb after the city and its surrounding industrial areas.

Topography

Kensington is located in the geographic zone known as the Botany Lowlands. The sands beneath Kensington act as a large water reservoir. Originally, Kensington was quite rugged, consisting of hills, deep gullies and 768 acres of swamps, crossed by the Lachlan Stream. Evidence of the swamps can be seen in the south-west corner of the Royal Randwick Racecourse and the ponds of Centennial Park. Today Kensington has been levelled with hills cut down and voids filled with the excess soil from the hills.

Climate

Kensington has a temperate climate, influencing lifestyle patterns and affecting vegetation and animal life. Mild conditions allow residents to spend time outdoors; gardening, swimming, socialising, playing sport and alfresco dining. In the 3 square kilometres that cover Kensington, there are 5 parks, which account for almost 1/4 of the total area. Banksias, Bottlebrushes, Waratah, Wattles and Eucalypts are some of the 400 odd native plants found in Kensington. Randwick City Council has recorded approximately 250 species of indigenous native vertebrates. 206 species of native birds have been found since 1788.

Issues/Implications

Randwick City Council is aware of environmental issues such as noise and air pollution, storm water management and community education. Environmental initiatives include: <sum> Water saving policies (new developments to have tanks) <sum> Fortnightly green waste collection <sum> Bush regeneration <sum> Education programs <sum> Providing calico bags <sum> Introducing an environment levy (Environmental Management report, Randwick City Plan, Page 3)

Population

The population of Kensington has steadily increased over recent years. Results from the Census of Population and Housing are shown below. Selected Characteristics Persons: 1991 Persons: 1996 Persons: 2001 Total Persons 9,323 10,456 11,071 Males 4,753 5,090 5,596 Females 4,570 5,090 5,475

Homelessness

Kensington is a fairly affluent suburb. There are very few homeless people, in fact it is rare to see one. At present, neither council nor local charities have statistics.

Ethnicity and Religion

Kensington has a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Only 56.4% of residents were born in Australia. The most common countries of origin for the remaining residents include the UK, Indonesia, New Zealand and China. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are in the minority with only 39 in Kensington. As in any multicultural society, a variety of religions are represented. There are Anglican, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches. Other religions practiced include Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and the Muslim faith.

SOCIAL SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES

Government

Kensington is in the West Ward of Randwick City council. It is predominantly a Labor area and the west ward councillors are: <sum> Bradley Hughes (Greens) <sum> Scott Nash (Liberal) <sum> John Procopiadis (Labor). Kensington is in the electorate of Heffron for the State (represented by Kristina Keneally) and the Kingsford-Smith electorate for the Federal (represented by Peter Garrett) government.

Transport

Numerous buses service Kensington, linking it with the city and surrounding suburbs. There are no trains or light rail service. Residents tend to favour cars rather than public transport, cycling or walking, leading to road congestion and increased noise and air pollution. Taxis are also available.

Tourism

Tourism in Kensington and Randwick City is a minor contributor to the economy. In 2001, Randwick city recorded 2916 tourists during the time of census. Kensington is in an ideal location for tourism, being close to the CBD and on a direct bus route to the airport, close to local beaches and other attractions such as the racecourse and NIDA. At the moment there is no campaign to maximise the potential of tourism in Kensington.

== Water Supply ==

Water for Kensington is piped from Warragamba Dam. Kensington does however have two natural water sources; the Lachlan Stream and an underground reservoir. Due to water restrictions and council initiatives, more and more residence are using bore water on their gardens. Others still are installing tanks and using ‘grey’ water.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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C. Read. (Personal communication, March 2005).

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Destitute Children’s Asylum Cemetery. South Eastern Sydney Health Service, 1996, p.2.

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Keenan, D. (1982). The South-Eastern lines of the Sydney tramway system. Sans Souci, N.S.W: Transit Press.

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McMahon, J. F. (1986). Kensington – A Model Suburb. Randwick, N.S.W: Randwick and District Historical Society.

"Origins of Street and Place names in Randwick". Anonymous.

Quick, D. (1985). Randwick- A social History. Kensington, N.S.W: New South Wales University Press.

Randwick City Council, http://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/2005.

Randwick City Plan, Randwick City Council, Date unknown.

Randwick Historical Society (personal communication, March, 12, 2005).

Randwick Historical Society. (1986). A Randwick Ramble Part 2 – Randwick and Kensington. Randwick, N.S.W: Randwick Historical Society.

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Turbet. P. (2001). The Aboriginies of the Sydney District before 1788. Roseville, N.S.W: Kangaroo Press.

UBD - http://www.whereisit.com.au

Waugh, J. W. (1997). Kensington – Land use, Development, Ownership and Control on the Lachlan Stream 1810-1890. Randwick, N.S.W: Randwick and District Historical Society Inc.

Waugh, J. W. (1997). Kensington Racecourse – 1890 - 1942. Randwick, N.S.W: Randwick and District Historical Society Inc.