Castlecrag - A Special Place

We are proud of Castlecrag. It stands on a beautiful peninsula jutting into Sydney's Middle Harbour and, through its strong sense of community and unique heritage, much of its special natural character and internationally significant built heritage has been retained. To the people of Castlecrag, their place is very special indeed!

Even though it is so close to the heart of a city of over four million people, Castlecrag has a strong sense of community, with a very stable base of long-term home owners, fourteen active community groups and a thriving local shopping centre. Its residents have banded together on important causes under the leadership of the Castlecrag Progress Association which was formed in 1925.

Fascinating history

Much of Castlecrag's unusual layout, its preserved bushland and even aspects of its traditions and character are due to Walter Burley Griffin and his wife Marion Mahony Griffin. These American architects came to Australia in 1914, having won an international competition to design Australia's national capital, Canberra. The true genesis of Castlecrag was in the 1920s, when the Griffins developed it to be a "model suburb" in which the houses and landscape should be in harmony with each other. Click here for further information on the Griffin heritage and Castlecrag's history.

Unique Suburban Bushland

Castlecrag derives its special character from the conservation of its natural environment. It is a suburb of some 1100 houses located only 7 kilometres from Sydney's central business district, but its careful planning and conservation of the natural bushland enable its residents to enjoy the suburb's rich diversity of fauna and flora and wander through hectares of healthy Australian bushland. Click here to learn about Castlecrag's natural environment and the conservation efforts of its residents.

This section also provides a link to the Castlecrag Local Plant Guide, a high quality pamphlet published by the Progress Association to develop awareness among residents of the indigenous flora of the peninsula and how they can obtain planting material for their gardens.

Magic Places

Our community newsletter The Crag has initiated a new occasional feature ‘Magic Places’ that provides an opportunity for readers to send in photographs of special features or sites in Castlecrag that have special meaning to the community or stand out as places of beauty. Click here to see our ‘Magic Places’.

The Castlecrag Boatshed and the northern areas of the suburb,
looking across Sailors Bay to Northbridge.
Bushland reserves have been retained to the foreshore.