Lilyfield

History

Popular belief has it that the area was once farmland and was named for the lilies that reportedly grew in the fields. However, its name origin remains unclear. Lilyfield was originally part of the suburb of Leichhardt.

The most dominant landmark in the area is the former Callan Park hospital. This was built on land acquired from the Callan Estates, a property between Balmain Road and Iron Cove. A psychiatric hospital was designed by James Barnet, the government architect, based on an asylum in Kent and utilising the principles of Dr Kirkbride, an American psychiatrist. Completed in 1884, the hospital was known until 1914 as the Callan Park Hospital for the Insane; the main part of the hospital, a cluster of sandstone buildings, was called the Kirkbride complex.

More recently, the Kirkbride complex became the home of the Sydney College of the Arts, and the hospital functions were confined to the western buildings. This is now known as Rozelle Hospital. The Kirkbride complex is listed on the Register of the National Estate.

After the construction of the City West Link Road in the 1990s, the suburb was effectively split into two parts. One half on the Rozelle side of the road, the other half on the Leichhardt side. This dramatic change in the geography did much to disrupt the sense of community in the relatively secluded suburb and almost led to its being subsumed into the neighbouring suburbs.

Transport

Lilyfield was the terminus of a tram line in the original Sydney tram system, and became a bus terminus when that system was abolished. The 470 bus service runs from Lilyfield to the Sydney CBD via Glebe, Broadway and George Street. The 370 service runs from Lilyfield to Coogee via Newtown. The 440 service runs to the CBD via Norton Street, Leichhardt and Broadway. The 445 service runs from Rozelle to railway station, via Norton Street.

Lilyfield station, in Catherine Street, is a terminus of the Metro Light Rail. The station opened in 2000, using a disused spur of a goods railway line from Central railway station. Another railway line, running from White Bay to Dulwich Hill, is also no longer used and an extension of the light rail further southwest to Dulwich Hill has been proposed, with a bicycle rail trail alongside.

The City West Link Road is a major arterial road, which is part of Metroad 4 and crosses the ANZAC Bridge. It provides an alternative route to Parramatta Road for the Sydney CBD from Ashfield.

Bicycle routes in Lilyfield include part of the regional east-west route from Parramatta to the Sydney CBD, along Lilyfield Road, the Bay Run path around Iron Cove, and the Whites Creek path, which provides a north-south route from Parramatta Road to The Crescent at White Bay.

Parks and recreation

Leichhardt Park, which includes the Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre was originally part of Leichhardt, as was Leichhardt Oval. the home of the Wests Tigers/Balmain Tigers.