Interesting Facts About Glebe

Glebe, located in Sydney, Australia, is a peaceful but vibrant suburb with a mix of history and modern life. The suburb is famous for its streets lined with Victorian-era houses, many of which are heritage-listed, and trendy cafes. Glebe Markets offers unique crafts, art and delicious food with rare things, including second-hand items, every weekend. Glebe has many beautiful parks and recreation hubs like Jubilee Park and Wentworth Park and stunning views along Blackwattle Bay. Read more exciting facts and things to do in Glebe here.

Location

Glebe is an inner-western suburb of Sydney and is located just 3 kilometres from the Sydney central business district (CBD). Blackwattle Bay and Rozelle Bay are in the north of the suburb, while the southern side has Parramatta Road and Broadway.

History

Glebe is named after the fact that it was developed on land that was originally a glebe and owned by the Anglican Church.

Points of Attraction (Landmarks)

Glebe is full of many heritage-listed historic buildings and landmarks, including the Glebe Point Road, which is one of the most popular streets in the suburb.

Architect Edmund Blacket from England had made Glebe his home in the 19th century. He built his family home, called Bidura, which is now a heritage-listed building. He also built St John’s Church at the corner of Glebe Point Road and St Johns Road in 1870.

Glebe Town Hall, a heritage-listed government building opened in 1880, was originally used by the Glebe Municipal Council until 1948 and is now used as a community hall that hosts various local concerts, events, balls, parties, meetings, and society gatherings.

Rozelle Tram Depot in Glebe, constructed in 1904, is the largest remaining tram station in Sydney.

Sze Yup Temple, located on Edward Street, was built in 1898 and is a famous Chinese temple.

Bellevue, now a cafe, was originally built in 1896 as a house for William Jarrett.

Toxteth Park, now used as St Scholastica’s College, was built in 1829 by John Verge for George Allen, the Mayor of Sydney in 1844.

St John’s Parish Hall Glebe was built by Edward Halloran in 1870. It was used as a hostel for army personnel during World War II.

Culture and Lifestyle

Glebe is a lively suburb of Sydney, located just about three kilometres from the CBD. It is a popular destination for travellers, known for its remarkable history, diverse restaurants, cafes, and markets.

‘The Glebe’ was offered as a land grant by Governor Arthur Phillip to Reverend Richard Johnson in 1790. It was spread over 162 hectares (400 acres).

According to the 2021 Census, there were 11,680 people in Glebe (NSW). Of these 46.7% were male and 53.3% were female. Of the suburb’s residents, there are Australian 57.0%, English 4.4%, Chinese 4%, New Zealand 2.7%, Vietnamese 2.2% and Americans 1.4%. The most common languages spoken include English 68.2%, Mandarin 4.4%, Vietnamese 2.7%, Spanish 2.1%, Cantonese 1.7% and Greek 1.0%.

Wentworth Park is the most popular and biggest park, which also has a dog-racing track. Bicentennial Park has the Glebe mini skateboarding ramp. Jubilee Park, or Jubilee Oval, was a sporting ground created in 1895 and is famous for its historic cricket pavilion. It also has multiple sports fields, green areas and a children’s playground.

Education

Top schools and institutions in Glebe include Glebe Public School, Forest Lodge Public School, St Scholastica’s College (at the site of Toxteth Park), St James Catholic School, and Tranby Aboriginal College.

Eating, Shopping and Recreation

The main shopping destination of the suburb is located at Glebe Point Road, which also hosts a variety of cafes and ethnic restaurants, offering both international and local cuisines.

Glebe Markets are held every Saturday at Glebe Primary School, offering various arts, crafts, clothing and food options as well as second-hand items.

Broadway Shopping centre is another major shopping hub. The shopping mall has a movie theatre and a food court.