G’day James Sutton here and today I’m on Bancroft Avenue in Roseville, which has a very significant landmark for the area. Bancroft Avenue is of course the home of the Roseville College girls school, considered one of the top private schools on the North Shore of Sydney. The school was recently given approval to build a $29.5 million sport and wellbeing centre and it now has plans to add a new prep school. The new addition would cater for girls aged 3 to 5 and cost a projected $435,000. It would have capacity for 20 children and is projected to open next year. The school purchased the neighbouring 19 Bancroft Avenue where it proposes to convert a federation home into the prep school on the border of the current campus. The conversion would involve minor alterations to the existing internals as well as outdoor landscaping to develop some new play spaces for the children. The sports and wellbeing facility that has already been approved would bring a new swimming pool, rooftop multisports court, a strength and conditioning gym as well as a range of academic facilities, which would absorb 37 Bancroft Avenue into the current campus, a property owned by the school.

Roseville College was founded in 1908 by Isobel Davies who was the daughter of a retired Welsh clergyman. Initially only 7 students attended the school, the cohort growing to 24 by the end of the first year. By the 1930s there were 100 students and by 1976 there were 500 students, the school now has over 1000 students. But did you know that boys attended the school until the 1970s? We were delighted to be asked to take number 11 Bancroft Avenue to market just recently. This 5 Bedroom, 4 Bathroom Federation Manor on 1,303 square metres is set on the high side of the street.

It has been exquisitely renovated and provides a magnificent large-scale family home. Bancroft Avenue has evolved a lot since Isobel Davies and her 7 students began the Roseville College journey, though many of the homes are Federation style. It’s no surprise that Bancroft Avenue homes are so tightly held,
with 44% of the properties having been held for over a decade. You can now find all past episodes of my stories about Roseville at  JamesSuttonStories.com.au. My name’s James Sutton, I’m the Principal at McGrath Wahroonga. If you’d like to discuss your property I’d be delighted to help you, you can reach me at 0422 704 370 or drop into my office at 17 Redleaf Avenue, Wahroonga. Bye for now.