Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

West Ryde

North-western residential suburb which began to be subdivided after the building of the railway line from Homebush to Hornsby in 1886. It is the site of Ryde Pumping Station, the largest water pumping station in Australia.

-33.796264288926, 151.06755357604

Property
Administered by
Part of
Type

West Ryde

CC BY-SA 2.0
,
2008

Built on Wallumedegal land, West Ryde was mostly rural estates until the railway arrived, and with it, subdivision and development, in the 1880s. Housing development was fast and varied, with a commercial centre growing near the railway station. West Ryde has also been crucial to Sydney's water system, with two pumping stations built there.