Northmead - Origin of Street Names | Parramatta History and Heritage

Hammer's Road and Hammer's Bridge across Toongabbie Creek, Northmead, circa 1900. LSP 00309

Northmead is a residential suburb to the north of the Parramatta CBD. The irregularly shaped boundary follows the course of Old Windsor Road, Toongabbie Creek, Northmead Gully and Windsor Road on the western side, along Darling Mills Creek to the east and Toongabbie Creek to the south. The suburb is part of the Parramatta Ward of the City of Parramatta.

The origin of the street names in Northmead reflects its English heritage with many pioneers of the area acknowledged. English politicians, military figures, explorers and geography are often referred to. Also of note in the naming policy is the area's relationship with New Zealand and its acknowledgement of the Aboriginal people, the original custodians of the land.

Name	Origin & Meaning	Source
Allambie Avenue	The name ‘Allambie’ comes from the Aboriginal term to remain a while.	Budawa Aboriginal signage group (2020) Meaning
Anderson Road	First used in 1920. 37 blocks on Windsor Road & Anderson Street were auctioned on the 20 November 1920 as Northmead Orchard Estate. Edward Anderson was the draftsman of the subdivision plan.	The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins NSW State Library (2020) Northmead subdivision plans
Balfour Street	Possibly named after Arthur James Balfour, British politician and Prime Minister 1902-05.	Wikipedia (2020) Arthur Balfour
Balmoral Road	Part of Coronation Estate subdivision in 1926.	NSW State Library (2020) Northmead subdivision plans
Barden Street	Origin unknown.
Beamish Road	Part of the Coronation Estate subdivision in 1926.	NSW State Library (2020) Northmead subdivision plans
Beaufort Street	Possibly referring to Sir Francis Beaufort, Admiral of the Royal Navy involved in the exploration of Australia.	Australia for everyone (n.d.), The discovery and exploration of Australia
Bevan Street	Former convict John Bevan and wife Ann raised 14 children in the area. Many descendants operated orchards or plant nurseries.	The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Bismark Road	Possibly in reference to the colonial apple the Prince Bismark apple.	The Prince Bismark Apple (1893, April 22) The Cumberland Argus.
Boundary Road	Formerly Telfer Road. The road between Parramatta and Northmead.
Brelogail Street	Part of the Smee Estate subdivision, 1953.	Advertising (1953, March 11) The Cumberland Argus.
Briens Road	Named after the Briens family who owned the Hollywood orchard that was on either side of the road.
Burlington Street	Origin unknown.
Burton Avenue	James Burton, son Charles and grandson James Charles were orchardists in Northmead from 1877.	The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Byron Place	Possibly referring to Francesco Byron Rajola who was an architect with the Commonwealth Department of Housing 1953-1970.	The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Campbell Street	The emancipist surveyor James Meehan, who owed his position to Governor Macquarie, named Campbell Street in 1814. The name remembers the maiden name of the Governor’s second wife.
Caprera Road	James Pye built 'Caprera' in the late 1800s and the Pye family lived there until the 1980s. Caprera means rocky and the land was rocky.	Trimmer, P. (2009) Northmead: Between two Councils, p 21
Christine Street	Origin unknown.
Churchill Drive	Named after Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945.
Cumberland Highway	Reference to County of Cumberland. It was completed in 1988.	Wikipedia (2019) Cumberland Highway
James Ruse Drive	The genesis of today's Freeway in this location was a narrow lane heading from Kissing Point Road to the Orphan School, a lane which was known as Orphan School Lane or Road. After the function of the Orphan School was changed to become Rydalmere Psychiatric Centre the lane was widened and took the name of Rydalmere Avenue. The erection of the bridge linking the road to Aston Street, Rosehill, in 1963 was the commencement of the Freeway system which is now in place, a system which when completed in the 1980's was named after the famed colonial experimental private farmer, James Ruse.	Parramatta Council (1994) Suburban names review, part 1.
Cumbrian Close	Possibly in reference to the ancient extinct language Cumbric and land Cumbria and its relationship to the county of Cumberland in England. Cumberland County is a county which incorporates most of the Sydney metropolitan area.	Wikipedia (2020) Cumbrian dialect
Deed Place	Archibald Deed, Principal of Northmead Public School 1932-1946.	Trimmer, P. (2009) Northmead: Between two Councils, p 100
Dorset Avenue	Possibly named after Dorset a county in South-West England. Continuing the theme of English counties.
Dremeday Street	Named in honour of the Day family. Thomas Day was the first landholder in this vicinity. Macquarie granted him 80 acres of land.	Trimmer, P. (2009) Northmead: Between two Councils, p 22. The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Edith Place	Origin unknown.
Edward Street	Herbert Edwards was the first Principal of Northmead Public School 1924-1929.	Trimmer, P. (2009) Northmead: Between two Councils, p 100
Elizabeth Crescent	Robert Henry Moxham arrived in Sydney in 1850 on board the ship Elizabeth.	Trimmer, P. (2009) Northmead: Between two Councils, p 51
Eva Place	Origin unknown.
Fletcher Street	Origin unknown.
Frances Street	Part of the Strathhallen Estate Subdivision in 1928.	NSW State Library (2020) Northmead subdivision plans
Glenn Avenue	Origin unknown.
Grasmere Avenue	Name of a village in Cumbria, England. Continuing the theme of the relationship to the county of Cumberland in England. Cumberland County is a county which incorporates most of the Sydney metropolitan area.	Wikipedia (2020) Grasmere (village)
Hammers Road	Created as an un-named rural road in the Government subdivision of part of the Parramatta Domain in 1860. At the auction of the government land Mr George Hammer acquired 29 acres of the land which adjoined the road and the Hammer family resided there for nearly a century. At the turn of the century the road was informally referred to as Hammers Lane. Between 1909 and 1925 Blacktown Shire Council was required to formalise all un-named roads and, as a policy, elected to acknowledge the fruitgrowers of the district in the street names. The use of the name Hammer was an obvious choice in this case.	Parramatta Council (199-) Suburban names review, part 1.
Hartland Street	Part of the Sylvia Gardens Estate Subdivision in 1929.	NSW State Library (2020) Northmead subdivision plans
Hayes Avenue	Frank Hayes, representative on Blacktown Council, was the first President of the Northmead Bowling, Recreation and Sporting Club.	Trimmer, P. (2009) Northmead: Between two Councils, p 123
Hemsworth Avenue	Named after the Hemsworth Estate. J.H Hemsworth purchased land from Charles Klein in 1903 and named his property Wyandotte Grange.	Trimmer, P. (2009) Northmead: Between two Councils, p 52
Howard Avenue	Named after was Howard Auto Cultivators
John Hourigan Reserve	John Hourigan (1869-1955) was a long-time resident whose family quarried sandstone for local buildings and roads. He is buried in St Patrick's Cemetery. He ran the Northmead Quarries with his brother Robert.	Dictionary of Sydney (2011) Northmead quarries
Kira Avenue	Kira or Kirra is an Aboriginal word meaning leaf.	The Queensland Times (2017) 20 of the most beautiful Aboriginal baby names
Kleins Road	Charles Klein who arrived in Sydney in 1852 purchased land in the Old Domain in 1865 and lived in a cottage that is still on the road named after him.	Trimmer, P. (2009) Northmead: Between two Councils, p 53
Lennox Street	Named after David Lennox who built Lennox Bridge, located in the neighbouring suburb of Parramatta.
Leven Place	Origin unknown.
Lodore Place	Lodore Falls is a waterfall in Cumbria England. This continues the theme of Cumbria and its relationship to the county of Cumberland in England. Cumberland County is a county which incorporates most of the Sydney metropolitan area.	Wikipedia (2020) Lodore Falls
Lombard Street	Timber cottages were erected from about 1912 onwards in Lombard Street, and most of the houses in this street date from prior to 1920. Name possibly derived from the local tree the Lombardy Poplar.	City of Parramatta Council (2011) 4.2 Special character areas, Parramatta Development Control Plan
Madeline Avenue	Origin unknown.
Margaret Street	Origin unknown.
Martha Avenue	Martha Dick was married to Robert Henry Moxham, of the pioneering Moxham family.	Trimmer, P. (2009) Northmead: Between two Councils, p 51
Mary Street	Mary Bowes was the daughter of Billy Bowes whose subdivided farm of 72 blocks was Windermere Estate. The name was first used in 1920.	The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Model Farms Road	Named after Model Farms, a locality of Winston Hills (suburb). The name 'Model Farms' originated from when the area was set up to demonstrate farming practices to convicts and free settlers who wished to start a farm when the First Fleet colonised Australia.	Wikipedia (2020) Model Farms, New South Wales
Moir Avenue	Part of the Sylvia Gardens Estate Subdivision in 1929.	NSW State Library (2020) Northmead subdivision plans
Moss Street	Origin unknown.
Moxhams Road	Named after a member of the pioneering Moxham family, beginning with stonemason Robert Moxham (1823-1880) and his sons William (1855-) and Thomas Moxham (1860-1916) who later became Mayor of Parramatta.	Dictionary of Sydney (2011) Northmead quarries
Murray Street	Sydney Woollen Mills on Windsor Road, Northmead, formerly Parramatta Woollen Mill owned by the Murray brothers.	Trimmer, P. (2009) Northmead: Between two Councils, p 62
Northmead Avenue	Named in reference to the suburb of Northmead. The name Northmead is derived from when the Parramatta Government Domain was subdivided in 1859-1889 as Northern Meadow (or north "mead") and Western Meadow (west "mead").	McClymont, J. (2001) Pictorial History: Parramatta & District, p 114
Opal Lane	Possibly referring to the fact that Australia is the world’s biggest producer of opals, and following a gemstone theme.	Geoscience Australia (2020) Australian gems
Opal Place	Possibly referring to the fact that Australia is the world’s biggest producer of opals, and following a gemstone theme.	Geoscience Australia (2020) Australian gems
Otago Place	Following a New Zealand street naming theme in the area. Also acknowledges the historic ties with the long association and connections Māori have with Parramatta.	Maarama Kamira Black Knowledge (2016) Māori Trade & Relations in Parramatta
Park Street	Park Street named due to its proximity to Arthur Phillip Park.
Pye Avenue	Named after the Pye family. James Pye acquired 125 acres on North Rocks Road and built Rocky Hall now Rocklea'	The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Rawton Avenue	Origin unknown.
Raymond Avenue	Origin unknown.
Redbank Place	Reference to historic lower Parramatta River wharf.	Parramatta History and Heritage (2014) The Parramatta River 1848 to 1861 – Personal Observations by W S Campbell
Redbank Road	Reference to historic lower Parramatta River wharf.	Parramatta History and Heritage (2014) The Parramatta River 1848 to 1861 – Personal Observations by W S Campbell
Rifle Range Road	Rifle Range established in 1909 and used to train soldiers for combat in the First and Second World Wars	Australian Heritage Festival (2020) Baulkham Hills Rifle Range Guided Walk The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Robyn Place	Origin unknown.
Roland Avenue	Origin unknown.
Roslyn Avenue	Origin unknown.
Russell Street	Russell Street was formerly part of Mathew Pearce’s property, an early pioneer of the area.	Parramatta History and Heritage (2020) Baulkham Hills - A Brief History
Rutherglen Avenue	Origin unknown.
Sorlie Avenue	Possibly in reference to the footballer James Sorlie who played in Parramatta's Last Representative Rugby Football Team (against New Zealand), in 1893.	Remembering the past (2017) The History of Football in Parramatta 1870's to 1911
Taranaki Place	Following a New Zealand street naming theme in the area. Also acknowledges the historic ties with the long association and connections Māori have with Parramatta.	Maarama Kamira Black Knowledge (2016) Māori Trade & Relations in Parramatta
Thirlmere Avenue	Possibly named after Lake Thirlmere in England.
Thomas Street	Thomas Day was the first landholder in this vicinity. The houses in Thomas Street are on land which was originally owned by the Moxham family, and subdivided in 1915. A few cottages were erected in the years immediately following subdivision, but most of the houses in the street were built in a surge of development that occurred in the mid 1920s.	City of Parramatta Council (2011) 4.2 Special character areas, Parramatta Development Control Plan The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Trafalgar Place	Named after the Battle of Trafalgar. Admiral Horatio Nelson, the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar received a land grant in this area.	The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Ventura Road	Possibly a reference to the famous ocean liner the S.S.Ventura.	Fairfax Corporation (1930) Aerial view of the S.S. Ventura, New South Wales
Vidilini Lane	Named after the Vidilini Estate.	NSW State Library (2020) Northmead subdivision plans
Walter Place	Possibly acknowledging J.J. Walters, a significant subdivider in the area.	Parramatta Council (199-) Suburban names review, part 1.
Wandella Avenue	Wandella - Aboriginal word meaning an initiated youth	The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Ward Place	Possibly acknowledging Susanna Matilda Ward, who had early connections with the district.	Trimmer, P. (1989) Baulkham Hills: a district second to none
Watson Place	William P Watson was a member of the North Rocks Progress Association for about 40 years and drove the local Beecroft to Parramatta bus from 1926 until c1964.	The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Whitehaven Road	Named in reference to the Whitehaven Quarry, which was leased to the Moxham family before 1887 to quarry and subsequently subdivided and privately offered for sale bt the Sylvia Gardens Estate Limited in June and December 1937.	City of Parramatta Council (2011) 4.2 Special character areas, Parramatta Development Control Plan
William Street	Name first used in 1920/ William "Billy" Bowes & his son William lived at Ambleside 7 Winderemere Avenue.	The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Windermere Avenue	Billy Bowes was from Ambleside, Lake Windermere England & farmed until he subdivided into 72 blocks in December 1920.	The Hills Shire (2020) Street Name Origins
Windsor Road	Old Windsor Road dates from 1794 when land was first granted to settlers in the Hawkesbury district. The Windsor Road dates from 1810 when the Macquarie townships were established.	NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (2020) Windsor and Old Windsor Roads
Winton Avenue	Possibly named after Sir Winton Turnbull, Federal Parliamentarian from 1946 to 1972. Also fought in the AIF and was a prisoner of war at Changi for three and a half years. Also Winton is a suburb in Dorset, England.	Wikipedia (2020) Winton Turnbull
Woodlands Street	Possibly referring to the Cumberland Plain Woodland, one of six main indigenous woodland communities of Sydney. Is also means land on which many trees grow.	Wikipedia (2020) Cumberland Plain Woodland

Caroline Finlay, Regional Studies Facilitator and Neera Sahni, Research Services Leader, Parramatta Heritage Centre, City of Parramatta, 2020

Disclaimer: we have tried our best to provide a reason behind why these public roads and streets in Northmead listed were named as they are but should there be any discrepancies or if you can help us fill in the gaps, please contact us using our online enquiries form.