This suburb gets its name from the Aboriginal word “Turramurra” which translates to “high hill”.

During first European settlement, the area was referred to as Eastern Road until the name Turramurra was adopted when the railway station was built in 1890. One of the early local landmarks was Ingleholme, a two-storey Federation home in Boomerang Street. It was designed by John Sulman (1849–1934) as his own home and built circa 1896. The house was part of the Presbyterian Ladies College (now the Pymble Ladies’ College) until 1977 and is now on the Register of the National Estate. It is notable as an example of John Sulman’s style.

Location

Snuggly fitting in-between Wahroonga and Pymble, Turramurra is located 17 kilometres north of the Sydney CBD. Turramurra is a large suburb, extending from the Lane Cove National Park in the south to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in the north. Both these parks govern the boundaries of North and South Turramurra. North and South Turramurra are classed as separate suburbs.

Demographics

Turramurra is an ideal location for families, with the dominant age group in Turramurra being 0-14 years with close to 80% being family households. The population of Turramurra in 2006 was 10,343 people. By 2011 the population was 11,084 showing a population growth of 7% in the area during that time.
In general, people in Turramurra work in a Professional occupation. In 2006, 81.6% of the homes in Turramurra were owner-occupied compared with 82.7% in 2011.

Type of Dwellings

There are a handful of apartments in Turramurra, with many recent modern developments along the Pacific Highway but separate houses make up 85% of Turramurra’s dwelling types, with many set on large blocks of land, again a testament to a family friendly suburb.

Transport

Turramurra train station almost acts as the dividing line of Turramurra. It is roughly 40 minutes by train to the CBD. Buses run frequently to and from the station, servicing residential areas in all directions. The Pacific Highway is the main road through the suburb, but the Commenara Parkway also runs through Turramurra, making for easy access to in both directions to the respective Thornleigh and Macquarie areas.

Shopping

The largest commercial area in Turramurra is located along the Pacific Highway and Rohini Street, in close proximity to Turramurra station. The shopping precinct includes real estate agents, fruit markets, banks, bakeries, café’s and a bar. There are also two supermarkets in this vicinity. IGA is located in Turramurra Plaza, just off the top of Kissing Point road, with shops including a butcher and a florist. On the other side of the Highway you will find Coles. South Turramurra has its own host of shops, including a newsagency, bakery, petrol station, post office and other services. There is also a small shopping village in North Turramurra on Bobbin Head Road which has a bakery, post office, newsagency and other facilities.

Schools

Turramurra boasts many schools, including:

• Turramurra Public School; a government run primary school.
• North Turramurra Public School; a government run primary school.
• Kuringai Creative Arts High School; a government run high school specialising in the creative arts.
• Turramurra High School; a government run high school located in South Turramurra.

Other local schools include Warrawee public school, Knox Grammar, Abbotsleigh and Pymble Ladies College.

Local Parks

The size of Turramurra is approximately 6 square kilometres. It has 14 parks that cover nearly 15% of total area. These parks include facilities such as:

• Electric BBQ’s
• Playgrounds
• Dog areas
• Cricket nets
• Tennis courts
• Basketball courts

Turramurra is also home to large sporting areas. There is a tennis and netball facility in South Turramurra, a golf course in North Turramurra and many sporting ovals giving host to football, rugby and cricket.

Article source: CENTURY 21 Australia