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Collingridge Way
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StreetCollingridge WaySuburbBerowraDetailsGeorge Collingridge sometimes called himself the ‘Hermit of Berowra’. But far from being a recluse, Collingridge was a very active person, who from his house in the northern suburbs of Sydney achieved renown in a polymathic range of subjects. He was one of the early settlers of Berowra in the 1870’s to 1890’s.
Born in England in 1847 and trained as an artist in Paris, Collingridge migrated to Australia in 1879. With his brother, Arthur, he founded the Royal Art Society of New South Wales in 1880; at the Garden Palace, Sydney, George exhibited 10 paintings in the Society’s inaugural exhibition.
Collingridge was one of Europe’s leading wood engravers and he was commissioned in 1878 to go to Spain and illustrate the festivities for the wedding of King Alfonso XII of Spain. In 1879 he was the first artist to exhibit paintings of Berowra Creek. But as well as being an artist and engraver, George was a linguist, historian and cartographer, and his greatest passion was research on Australian maritime discovery.
In 1880 Collingridge took up a selection of 88 acres on the bend of Berowra Creek, which later became Collingridge Point, where his stone cottage ‘Capo di Monte’ still stands. Towards the end of the century he moved to Hornsby. His stone cottage, ‘Jave-la-Grande’, is now a non-denominational chapel in the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital grounds. His final residence was ‘Nerola’ in Balmoral Street, Hornsby.
In 1905 he commenced Technical College classes at Hornsby and was an art teacher at Barker College from its foundation till 1930.
As an author his most famous book was ‘The Discovery of Australia’ (1888). He published the first newspaper in Hornsby ‘The Progress’ (1894). As a soldier he fought against Garibaldi’s forces (1867-69) and was decorated with the Cross of St. Gregory, Bene Merenti meal and the Mentana Cross.
Collingridge had visions of a colony of artists and intelligentsia in a vicinity of Collingridge Point and he campaigned quite vigorously to get the area opened up. He rectified an omission of about four miles of foreshore from the existing maps of Berowra Creek. In 1882 he petitioned the PMG for a postal service to Berowra via Hornsby. In 1886 he successfully petitioned the Department of Railways for a railway station at Berowra. In 1888 he successfully petitioned the Department of Public Works for a road from Berowra station to Berowra Waters.SourceSchofield, Claire, (1988) The shaping of Hornsby Shire, Hornsby Shire Council: Hornsby.Map[1]
Born in England in 1847 and trained as an artist in Paris, Collingridge migrated to Australia in 1879. With his brother, Arthur, he founded the Royal Art Society of New South Wales in 1880; at the Garden Palace, Sydney, George exhibited 10 paintings in the Society’s inaugural exhibition.
Collingridge was one of Europe’s leading wood engravers and he was commissioned in 1878 to go to Spain and illustrate the festivities for the wedding of King Alfonso XII of Spain. In 1879 he was the first artist to exhibit paintings of Berowra Creek. But as well as being an artist and engraver, George was a linguist, historian and cartographer, and his greatest passion was research on Australian maritime discovery.
In 1880 Collingridge took up a selection of 88 acres on the bend of Berowra Creek, which later became Collingridge Point, where his stone cottage ‘Capo di Monte’ still stands. Towards the end of the century he moved to Hornsby. His stone cottage, ‘Jave-la-Grande’, is now a non-denominational chapel in the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital grounds. His final residence was ‘Nerola’ in Balmoral Street, Hornsby.
In 1905 he commenced Technical College classes at Hornsby and was an art teacher at Barker College from its foundation till 1930.
As an author his most famous book was ‘The Discovery of Australia’ (1888). He published the first newspaper in Hornsby ‘The Progress’ (1894). As a soldier he fought against Garibaldi’s forces (1867-69) and was decorated with the Cross of St. Gregory, Bene Merenti meal and the Mentana Cross.
Collingridge had visions of a colony of artists and intelligentsia in a vicinity of Collingridge Point and he campaigned quite vigorously to get the area opened up. He rectified an omission of about four miles of foreshore from the existing maps of Berowra Creek. In 1882 he petitioned the PMG for a postal service to Berowra via Hornsby. In 1886 he successfully petitioned the Department of Railways for a railway station at Berowra. In 1888 he successfully petitioned the Department of Public Works for a road from Berowra station to Berowra Waters.SourceSchofield, Claire, (1988) The shaping of Hornsby Shire, Hornsby Shire Council: Hornsby.Map[1]
Collingridge Way. Hornsby Shire, accessed 10/04/2026, https://hornsbyshire.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/4116