Neutral Bay is a harbourside suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Neutral Bay is around 1.5 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council.
Neutral Bay takes its name from the bay on Sydney Harbour. Kurraba Point, formerly a locality in Neutral Bay, was declared a separate suburb in 2010, sharing the postcode 2089. Surrounding suburbs include North Sydney, Cammeray, Milsons Point, Cremorne and Cremorne Point.
Neutral Bay History
The name “Neutral Bay” originates from the time of the early colonial period of Australia, where different bays of Sydney harbour were zoned for different incoming vessels. This bay was where all foreign vessels would dock, hence the name neutral.
The Aboriginal name for the area was ‘Wirra-birra’. In 1789, soon after the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney, Governor Arthur Phillip declared this bay a neutral harbour where foreign ships could anchor and take on water and supplies. Neutral Bay was far enough away from Sydney Cove to discourage convicts from escaping on these vessels and to keep possible enemy ships at a distance from the main settlement.
By the beginning of the 20th century, Neutral Bay and Cremorne were developing as “alternative society suburbs”, populated by the kind of people who were attracted to the Arts and Crafts architectural style that was in vogue at the time. This style was an attempt to get away from mass production and give homes the “human touch”.
Neutral Bay Demographics
At the 2011 census, the suburb of Neutral Bay recorded a population of 9,384. Of these:
Age distribution
The distribution of ages in Neutral Bay showed a large over-representation in the 25-34 age group (30%) compared to the country as a whole (14%), with fewer children or seniors. Neutral Bay residents’ median age was 35 years, compared to the national median of 37. Children aged under 15 years made up just 10% of the population (national average is 19%) and people aged 65 years and over made up 12% of the population (national average is 14%).
Ethnic diversity
Just over half (55%) of residents were born in Australia; the next most common countries of birth were England, New Zealand and Japan. However, only 74% of people only spoke English at home; other languages included Japanese 2.2%, Mandarin 2.0%, and Cantonese 1.9%.
Religion
This question is optional in the Census. Of the people who answered it, the most common response was “No Religion” (30%); the next most common responses were Catholic, Anglican, and Buddhism.
Income
The median weekly household income was $2,073, compared to the national median of $1,234.
Housing
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of residences were flats, units or apartments. Stand-alone houses accounted for another 10%, and 17% were semi-detached. The average household size was 1.9 people.
Document Translation Services
Sydney Translation provides legal, financial, migration, technical, marketing and medical translation services for the residents of Neutral Bay. All certified translations for the immigration department, passport office or legal courts are produced by NAATI accredited translators.