Discover a suburb: Roseville
Say hello to Roseville, the boutique village-feel suburb that enjoys close proximity to Chatswood's lively shopping district while maintaining its relaxed local atmosphere.
The location
Located just 12km northwest of Sydney’s CBD, Roseville is a small community-oriented suburb that marks the beginning of the Upper North Shore.
Roseville Chase and Castle Cove border Roseville to the east on Middle Harbour, East Lindfield and Lindfield to the north, Chatswood West to the southwest and Chatswood to the south. With its own train station, Roseville is also an easy choice for those who need to commute or rely on public transport. Roseville is capped by Roseville Golf Club and is close to the natural oasis of Lane Cove National Park. The residents of Roseville are also minutes away from the shopping havens at Chatswood, including Westfield and Chatswood Chase.
The name
One of Ku-ring-gai’s first European settlers, Willian Henry, used the Roseville area for farming, where there were also a few fruit orchards and market gardens. Other significant settlers in the area were David Mathew, who owned a property called Clanville, and Richard Archbold, who was granted an area of 600 acres adjacent to Clanville (locals will recognise these as street names in the area).
Archbold’s son-in-law had a stone cottage in the same area called Rose Villa, from which Roseville obtained its name. Once knocked down, the area became part of the North Shore railway line.
The history
The eastern side of Roseville was first inhabited by the family of Samuel Bate and his sons Richard and John who squatted, then rented in 1831 and later bought land at Echo Point. Aside from the history of the land, several local buildings in town tell a story of Sydney’s past and evolution.
Roseville Cinema not only serves the local area with entertainment now, but has been a longstanding fixture in the community with a great historical background. Erected in the early 1900’s by Kuring-Gai council to serve as the Town Hall for the area, the building was used for dances and festivities, a meeting place for locals, and for Roseville College events.
When World War I broke out, the first Australian recruitment drive for soldiers was held in the building. After the war in 1919, the building was renamed Traynor’s Picture Palace and underwent its cinematic evolution. In 1936 DB O’Connor, a pioneer of Australian film production, transformed it with the Art Deco style to a large theatre with a seating capacity of over 500 people. It is one of the few surviving independent local cinemas that showcases local and foregin language films, making it a shining star on the Roseville community scene and a destination for film buffs from everywhere.
A central feature of Roseville’s cultural scene, the Roseville Cinema entertains the local community daily with a selection of local, foreign language and blockbuster films across 2 screens.
The lifestyle
Roseville offers great local schools. Roseville Kindergarten, Roseville Public School and Roseville College are just some of the local schools, with the latter being a home of education in the community for over 110 years. Nearby Chatswood and Killara are home to excellent Public High Schools with an innovative Learning Village recently opened at Lindfield.
There are also a number of parks scattered throughout Roseville, providing the perfect green oases with play equipment to keep the kids entertained. These include Roseville Park, Loyal Henry Park, Roseville Memorial Park and Bancroft Park.
Roseville Golf Club has been serving the community since 1923 as private members golf club. Set amongst native bushland, the course overlooks valleys and creeks from Garigal National Park and Sydney’s famous Middle Harbour. It’s also a popular space for events, such as weddings and anniversary parties.
With over 22 restaurants in the area and with plenty more choices close by, you won’t be short on a variety of dining choices in Roseville. Calibrate Coffee on Lord St, Cafe Nate on Hill St, Sous Le Soleil which is housed in a 19th century cottage and upscale European restaurant Saveur.
The Roseville property market
Roseville is a popular area for both young, establishing families, professionals and retirees, with generally strong historical growth figures making it a solid investment for buyers and investors.
Roseville is home to 10,340 residents, and 72.3% of Roseville properties are owned rather than rented. And 74.2% of the population are families who are naturally drawn to the 3 to 5 bedroom houses that dominate the Roseville property market1.
The majority of the properties sold in 2021 were 4 and 5 bedroom houses, with the average sale price being $3.43 million and $4.61 million respectively3. On average, these properties are on the market for 50 days before being sold. House prices in Roseville have grown by 2.1% in the past year, showing the potential for continued growth, despite the slowdown in the market in the last year.
Units are more rare in the Roseville market, with 2 bedroom units selling on average for $903,000 after being on the market for 50 days2. They have, however, shown signs of slight slowdown in recent years, as unit prices have dropped by 9.3% in the past 5 years. Roseville is also a solid choice for investors, with the median weekly rental price on units being $697 per week and the rental return coming in at 4.0%.
In terms of property mix, Roseville’s historical roots come through in its property selection, with charming Federation-style homes and California bungalows dominating the market.
Recently we’ve sold 34 Roseville Avenue, an extensively renovated and stunningly designed 6 bedroom home with a 3-car garage space, and 13 Glen Road, a scenic family residence in an elegant location with multiple flowing living zones.
If you’d like to discover the charming properties that Roseville has to offer, now is the perfect time.
References
[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics: Roseville NSW 2021 Census
