Cheltenham Avenues

Cheltenham, named after the English town, is renowned for its “hill settlement” atmosphere, fine stands of trees, Federation houses and landscaped gardens.

Cheltenham was the name given to the railway station that opened in 1898 and came to be thanks to successful Sydney tailor, William Chorley.

Chorley was a significant early settler and had built his home, Mount Pleasant, in 1889 near the railway line from Sydney to Newcastle which opened in 1886. He convinced the NSW Department of Railways to construct this station along the line, a mile closer to Sydney than Beecroft, and name it 'Cheltenham' after the town he and his wife left before migrating. The railway assisted Chorley in subdividing and selling nearby land holdings.

The Cheltenham area was originally home to the Wallumedegal people. Much later, the first land sales took place here in 1887 when part of the Field of Mars Common was sold by the Crown to help fund the Northern railway line.

Besides Chorley, other wealthy and influential settlers who chose to build amongst the trees and bushland included Andrew Murray, William Harris, Robert Vicars, Garfield Barwick, Marie Byles and Lady Sybil Murray.

Join HHA Board Member Rod Best, who is also the Chair of the local history group, as he leads our walk around some of the avenues of Cheltenham.