Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Kirribilli

North Shore residential suburb built on Cammeraygal land in North Sydney local government area. Now containing the residences of the Prime Minister (Kirribilli House) and the Governor-General (Admiralty House), its uninterrupted views across the Harbour make it one of Sydney's most desirable suburbs.

-33.843358040197, 151.21298884494

Name
Alternate
Kiarabilli
Aboriginal
Kiarabilly
Alternate
Russian Point
Property
Administered by
Part of
Type

Kirribilli

CC BY-SA 2.0
,
2008

Part of the traditional lands of the Cammeraygal people, Kirribilli was granted to an ex-convict, Samuel Lightfoot, while the Cammeraygal still lived there, and despite later grants and leases, there was still a band of Aboriginal people living there in the 1820s, including Bungaree. From the 1840s Kirribilli was subdivided and large villas built, taking advantage of proximity to the city. Small scale waterfront industry continued into the twentieth century, when flats replaced many villas, making Kirribilli one of Sydney's densest suburbs.