Education-focused families prefer this area’s schools,
Beecroft, once a peaceful, leafy suburb, changed dramatically when the M2 motorway sliced through bushland in the 1990s.
While the new toll road improved access to the city and increased home values, it also introduced noise issues.
Local resident Ross Walker, who has lived here long-term, explains that the motorway created a physical divide in the community.
This division deepened in 2016 when Beecroft was split between two local government areas after council amalgamations.
Hornsby Council now oversees 70% of Beecroft, while the area south of the M2 falls under Parramatta’s jurisdiction.
As vice president of the Beecroft Cheltenham Civic Trust, Walker says representing the entire community is sometimes challenging.
Nevertheless, the community works together to protect Beecroft’s charm, including its old homes, garden blocks, and surrounding bushland.
The village shopping centre and train station remain central to Beecroft’s identity, which locals are eager to preserve.
Therefore, the trust actively engages in discussions about housing reforms to avoid uncontrolled development in the suburb’s leafy streets.
Walker highlights that efforts to increase density since 2018 around the commercial centre have been limited to five storeys.
This restriction has allowed for much-needed downsizing opportunities, which have been a welcome addition to the suburb’s landscape.
Resident and local agent Kevin Dearlove describes Beecroft as “the Mosman of the northwest,” but with bushland instead of beaches.
Much like Mosman, the village centre of Beecroft caters to most daily needs, offering a variety of services.
Dearlove points out that the area includes several well-patronised eateries, making it a hub for local dining and socialising.
“We live local and shop local,” says Dearlove, emphasizing that the village provides everything residents need for day-to-day life.
The village offers a supermarket, gym, pilates centre, vet, restaurants, and cafes, all within easy reach of residents.
According to Dearlove, people living in Beecroft spend time in the village, enjoying meals out with friends and neighbours.
“The community is very close-knit,” he adds, highlighting the friendly, supportive atmosphere that characterizes daily life in Beecroft.
Dearlove is confident that Beecroft will continue to thrive in the future, as it is a safe, welcoming place.
“It’s multicultural, it’s respectful, and it’s safe,” he says, describing the suburb as an ideal location for families.
For Dearlove, Beecroft is not only a place to live but a wonderful community in which to raise a family.
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