Heritage in the City of Canterbury
There are various types of heritage items in the City of Canterbury, ranging from one of the earliest surviving industrial buildings in NSW (the Canterbury Sugar Works, built 1830), to Art-Deco shops and theatres. The area is particularly distinguished by the large number of houses built in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1920s, Canterbury was one of the fastest growing areas in metropolitan Sydney and there are many houses surviving from this period. Though a large number have been demolished or altered to various degrees, some areas still have a distinctive character as a result of the retention of large numbers of the earlier housing stock.
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| Canterbury Sugar Works | Orion Theatre, Campsie | Inter-War Bungalows, Earlwood |
The City of Canterbury also has a large number of houses from the Federation period, many of which retain a high degree of originality. These houses, along with the later California Bungalows typical of the 1920s and 1930s, are increasingly valued and sought after, particularly in areas such as Hurlstone Park, Ashbury and Croydon Park.
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| Federation Cottages, Hurlstone Park | Federation Cottages, Ashbury |
Unlike inner Sydney suburbs, the City of Canterbury does not have a high proportion of buildings from the Victorian era (second half of the nineteenth century). Those that do survive are often highly valued, for example St Paul's Church and Beulah Vista at Canterbury, or The Towers at Belmore.
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| St Paul's Church, Canterbury | Beulah Vista, Canterbury |
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| Victorian Cottages, Hurlstone Park | Timothy Daniel's House, Canterbury |
Buildings from the Colonial era are even rarer still. The most significant and well known Colonial building in the local area is the former Canterbury Sugar Works (built 1830), located between Cooks River and the Railway line at Canterbury. 'Timothy Daniel's House' on Canterbury Road at Canterbury (built c.1854) is possibly the oldest surviving house in the area.
Canterbury also exhibits significant works of industrial heritage, for example the viaducts over Cooks River and Wolli Creek at Earlwood, the Ashbury Water Tower, and Federation railway station buildings at Canterbury, Campsie and Belmore.
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| Cooks River Viaduct, Earlwood | Water Tower, Ashbury | Belmore Railway Station |
Aboriginal heritage is particularly rare in the City of Canterbury, however there is one very significant rock shelter and shell midden site which includes paintings and rare foot stencils.