beach
Bondi Beach
Sydney's most iconic beach, a golden crescent of sand famous for its surf culture and vibrant coastal lifestyle.
1 km · about 5 min drive
OceaniaAustraliaNew South Wales
Bronte
New South Wales, Australia · Oceania
About Bronte
Bronte works well as a base: 1km from Bondi Beach.
Bronte is in New South Wales, Australia, with about 6,600 people. You drive on the left here.
Bronte House is a heritage-listed historic house and visitor attraction located at 470 Bronte Road, Bronte, New South Wales, a beachside suburb of Sydney, Australia. Built in the Australian Gothic Revival style, the house was designed by Georgiana & Robert Lowe and Mortimer Lewis and was built from 1843 to 1845. It isRead more
also known as Bronte estate. The property is owned by Waverley Municipal Council and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 and is listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate.
Described as a "magnificent, mid-Victorian mansion," the house is a sandstone, one-storey bungalow with verandahs on the west and east sides, and features a service wing that extends to the south, plus two octagonal rooms with cone-shaped roofs.
Bronte House was designed by the Architect, Mortimer Lewis, who set it on the edge of what is now known as Bronte Gully. He obtained the first land grant of 4.9 hectares (12 acres) which extended to the shoreline of Bronte Beach, and at the time was known as Nelson Bay. Lewis decided to consolidate his holdings including the entire area which formed Bronte Park and sited the house on the estate. Construction began c. 1838, but Lewis sold the house in 1843, under financial duress, for A£420 when it was still incomplete, to Robert Lowe. Lowe completed the construction of the house in 1845. Lowe's wife, Georgina Lowe, was a watercolour artist, botanist and gardener. Her sketches and watercolours provide the earliest images of Bronte House and the surrounding area. She also sketched images of the New South Wales countryside. Her sketchbook is held at the State Library of New South Wales. Georgina Lowe took an interest in the estate and established the first Bronte House gardens. The Lowes lived in the residence for four years. Robert Lowe, an Oxford graduate and member of the English Bar, was appointed to the Legislative Council of New South Wales and was admitted to the New South Wales Bar. In 1849 the Lowe family sold Bronte House and returned to England, where Lowe was elected to the House of Commons and later appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 1880 he became Viscount Sherbrooke.
The garden was neglected over the years, until well-known Sydney restaurant critic, Leo Schofield, became the tenant. Schofield has been credited with restoring the garden. The house is now owned by Waverley Municipal Council and is leased to private tenants, who are expected to maintain the house and gardens and open it to the public a few times a year. Since 2001 the garden layout has been directed by Myles Baldwin, a landscape designer.
Where to Stay in Bronte
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Bronte?
Within an hour or so of Bronte: Bondi Beach (1 km), Cafe de Wheels (Woolloomooloo) (5 km), Australian Museum (6 km), Sydney Harbour Bridge (7 km).
Are there any good drives near Bronte?
The nearest famous roads are Grand Pacific Drive and Macquarie Pass.
Where is Bronte?
Bronte is in New South Wales, Australia.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 6,553
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- Australia
- Region
- New South Wales
- Timezone
- Australia/Sydney
- Coordinates
- -33.9020, 151.2656
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Australia
112 works from mobiles. Distances between fuel stops in the outback can exceed 200 km: plan ahead. Wildlife is most active at dawn/dusk.
Full driving guide for AustraliaTags
Worth the detour from Bronte
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cafe
Cafe de Wheels (Woolloomooloo)
A legendary Sydney pie cart that has served hot pies and peas to locals, sailors, and road trippers from its harbourside van since 1945.
5 km · about 10 min drive
museum
Australian Museum
Australia's oldest museum, specializing in natural history and Indigenous Australian culture with world-class collections.
6 km · about 10 min drive
landmark
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Massive steel arch bridge spanning Sydney Harbour, affectionately nicknamed 'the Coathanger' and open for bridge climbs.
7 km · about 15 min drive
landmark
Sydney Opera House Forecourt
Harbourside promenade at Bennelong Point offering the classic combined view of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge together.
7 km · about 15 min drive
landmark
Taronga Zoo Sydney
Harbourside zoo with spectacular views of the Sydney skyline housing over 4,000 animals from around the world.
7 km · about 15 min drive
landmark
SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
Darling Harbour aquarium showcasing Australia's unique marine life including platypus, dugongs, and Great Barrier Reef displays.
7 km · about 15 min drive
tunnel
Sydney Harbour Tunnel
A 2.3 km immersed-tube tunnel opened in 1992 that dives beneath Sydney Harbour, the underwater twin to the Harbour Bridge linking the CBD with North Sydney.
7 km · about 15 min drive
Driving roads near Bronte
- Right hereSydney Harbour TunnelA 2.3 km immersed-tube tunnel opened in 1992 that dives beneath Sydney Harbour, the underwater twin to the Harbour Bridge linking the CBD with North Sydney.
- 44 kmGrand Pacific Drive140 km coastal route from the Royal National Park to Wollongong and beyond, sweeping past Bald Hill's hang-glider lookout, seaside villages and the famous Sea Cliff Bridge.
- 44 kmBald Hill LookoutClifftop lookout and hang-gliding launch at Stanwell Tops overlooking the Sea Cliff Bridge and Illawarra coastline, with roadside parking.
- 47 kmSea Cliff BridgeA 665 m balanced-cantilever bridge that curves off the Illawarra escarpment and hangs over the Pacific, the photogenic centrepiece of Grand Pacific Drive south of Sydney.
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