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Fiddletown
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TypeSuburbDetailsFiddletown is a quiet area to the north of Arcadia. It obtained its name because three of its early settlers, the Henstack brothers and a man named Small, played the violin. Many school cadets in the 1960s will recall bivouacs held in the Fiddletown area, where trails still provide access for walkers and mountain bikes.
An interesting feature of the area is the name 'Smugglers Ridge'. Such is the tidal activity on Marramarra Creek that a ship could anchor near its mouth, hidden from possible observation, and transport contraband by ship's boat to the foot of Smuggler's Ridge. From there, it could have been taken overland to the North Road and into Sydney. If there were such smugglers, none were caught, so evidence is lacking. The area, however, remains as a place of natural beauty and rich heritage.
'Our Bushland Shire' (2021) pp.92-93
Patricia Dewey wrote in Local Colour (2008) Vol.7 No.6 p.15 Fiddletown is between Arcadia and the Old Northern Road part of Galston. In the late 1890s William Small together with Horace and Fred Henstack were granted Crown selections beyond the land owned by Fred Powell subject to the residential clause. This meant they were required to spend at least one night each week on their grants. To relieve the boredom of their isolation the three men took fiddle lessons from Chris Wellings of Galston. They often played at local dances on a Saturday night and Frank Waddell referred to them as the men from Fiddletown. In recent years there was a move afoot by some local residents to have the small suburb included in the suburb of nearby Arcadia. However, when the Geographical Names Board was approached about the matter, it was found there is no other area in the world so named. Hornsby Council, proud of the uniqueness of its smallest suburb, did not pursue with the incorporation of the area into the suburb of Arcadia.
An interesting feature of the area is the name 'Smugglers Ridge'. Such is the tidal activity on Marramarra Creek that a ship could anchor near its mouth, hidden from possible observation, and transport contraband by ship's boat to the foot of Smuggler's Ridge. From there, it could have been taken overland to the North Road and into Sydney. If there were such smugglers, none were caught, so evidence is lacking. The area, however, remains as a place of natural beauty and rich heritage.
'Our Bushland Shire' (2021) pp.92-93
Patricia Dewey wrote in Local Colour (2008) Vol.7 No.6 p.15 Fiddletown is between Arcadia and the Old Northern Road part of Galston. In the late 1890s William Small together with Horace and Fred Henstack were granted Crown selections beyond the land owned by Fred Powell subject to the residential clause. This meant they were required to spend at least one night each week on their grants. To relieve the boredom of their isolation the three men took fiddle lessons from Chris Wellings of Galston. They often played at local dances on a Saturday night and Frank Waddell referred to them as the men from Fiddletown. In recent years there was a move afoot by some local residents to have the small suburb included in the suburb of nearby Arcadia. However, when the Geographical Names Board was approached about the matter, it was found there is no other area in the world so named. Hornsby Council, proud of the uniqueness of its smallest suburb, did not pursue with the incorporation of the area into the suburb of Arcadia.
Related
LocationFiddletownGeotag[1]
Fiddletown. Hornsby Shire, accessed 26/04/2026, https://hornsbyshire.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/4396