The second route to the Northbridge Walking Track features this
While Route 1 mostly follows a nature trail, Route 2 features some of the most notable landmarks in Lower North Shore.
It begins at the row of waterfront houses in Minimbah, Coolawin and Dorset Roads near Clive Park. Among these houses with the highest value in Northbridge is the home of a former prime minister at 3 Minimbah Road.
Further down Minimbah road is house the Waks House at number 21, the second house designed by well-known architect Harry Seidler in 1959 for
Next stop on this walking trail is the Northbridge Baths, which was opened in 1924 and extended in 1937. It’s the established homebase of the Northbridge Amateur Swimming Club and has been managed by the National Trust since 1994.
Just off the beach on 5 Coorabin Road is the other Waks House built in 1949 by Mr Seidler. This was the first property the architect completed and has been restored by his company in 2000.
A few doors down on 9 Coorabin is the Snelling House, designed by revered architect Douglas Snelling for his own family.
The house on 64 Kameruka Road is classified as an inter-War period property and along this winding street are 26 other houses designed by famous landscape architect and planner Walter Burley Griffin in the 1920s. It would become part of the Castlecrag Estate that Griffin designed for many areas in the Lower North Shore.
To the north of Kameruka Road leading to Castlecrag is Warners Park, where cows used to graze and where the Waratah Dairy had its farm in 1914. This establishment delivered fresh milk to residents during those days using horse-drawn carriages. The dairy farm and milking sheds have since closed in 1951 and the park has been restored as a reserve.
Across Warners Park was the milk depot for Waratah Dairy at the Eastern Valley Way. Used today as the base of the Sailors Bay Sea Scouts, its old building is now part of the National Trust as a relic that used to supply milk for Sydney.
Up the Eastern Valley Way is the former market gardens, where fresh vegetables, plants
Down by the corner of Eastern Valley Way and Sailors Bay Road was the site of the former Northbridge Theatre, which was demolished in 1955. Today, it’s a car war/cafe. On its footpath, look down and find the sign that says “Eric St” as this area was part of Eric Street Subdivision in the early 1900s.
Across this car wash is the Northbridge Plaza, the largest shopping site in the neighbourhood. Built in 1961, this centre has been restored and redeveloped over the years.
To the west of Northbridge Plaza is the Masonic Hall, which opened in 1925 as a social site where dances, celebrations, school events and fundraisers were held. It has been rented out to the Presbyterians but Masonic meetings are still held on the upstairs floors today.
Finally, the last stop to this route is Harden Avenue, a residential site developed in 1904. It remains a residential area amidst the commercial developments in Northbridge.