| Type: | suburb |
| Wheeler Heights | |
| City: | Sydney |
| State: | nsw |
| Local Map: | yes |
| Zoom: | 12 |
| Lga: | Northern Beaches Council |
| Postcode: | 2097 |
| Pop: | 2,986 |
| Elevation: | 87 |
| Stategov: | Pittwater, Wakehurst |
| Fedgov: | Mackellar |
| Near-Nw: | Narrabeen Lagoon |
| Near-N: | Narrabeen |
| Near-E: | Collaroy Plateau |
| Near-Sw: | Cromer |
| Dist1: | 22 |
| Location1: | Sydney CBD |
Wheeler Heights [1] is a suburb of Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wheeler Heights[2] is located 22 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council[3] and is part of the Northern Beaches region.Wheeler Heights was designated as a separate suburb in 1977 with a postcode of 2097 but was reassigned as a locality within Collaroy in 1984. In 2001, all localities were renamed Urban Places. In 2011, Wheeler Heights, along with Collaroy Plateau, was re-established as a suburb by the Geographical Names Board of NSW, after lobbying by the community, who had never ceased considering it to be a suburb since its loss of that title in 1984.
'How a school gave a suburb its name'[6] [7] 'Collaroy Plateau and Wheeler Heights to get their names back'[8] 'Our suburbs saved'[9]
In 1961 Collaroy Plateau West Primary school was built. The school has access from Rose Ave, Berith St and Veterans Pde.
Over the next six years buses used for taking Collaroy Plateau West Primary school sports teams to interschool sports on Friday afternoons frequently went to the wrong school - Collaroy Plateau Primary School due to the similarity of the name of the two schools.
In 1969 there was an opportunity to change the name of the school and avoid the problem of two schools with very similar names. The name was changed to Wheeler Heights Public School. This was at the suggestion of Stan Walters, a teacher at the school who was interested in the local history.
Wheeler Heights became the commonly used name by locals for the streets surrounding the school, including the name for the shopping strip in South Creek Road, Wheeler Heights.
In 1977 Wheeler Heights was registered as a suburb by the Geographical Names Board.[10]
In 2002 both Wheeler Heights and Collaroy Plateau were stripped of their suburb status by the Geographical Names Board and were downgraded to 'urban places'.
In 2010 a community campaign 'Save our Suburbs' was successful in regaining Wheeler Heights and Collaroy Plateau their status as suburbs.
Sir Arthur Rickard (1868-1948), real estate developer advertised the Superb View Estate in 1917.[11] This estate developed allotments on Lantana Avenue, Rose Avenue, Ettalong Street, Heather Street, Plateau Road (now Veterans Parade) and Berith Street (Wheeler Heights).
Jamieson Park is a 42.8ha reserve located along the southern foreshores of Narrabeen Lagoon. It is bounded by the suburbs of Narrabeen, Wheeler Heights, and Cromer. From Wheeler Heights, it can be accessed from James Wheeler Place and South Creek Rd, Wheeler Heights.
On 25 February 2015, Warringah Council opened the last link in the Narrabeen Lagoon Bush trail from South Creek, Middle Creek and to Deep Creek. The 8.4km (05.2miles) complete trail around the Lagoon crosses two steel bridges and runs adjacent to the Sydney Sports Academy. The path and bridges allow bushwalkers, cyclists, and joggers to travel in safety while being close to nature and enjoying the breathtaking beauty of Narrabeen Lagoon.[12]
Warringah is home to over 900 native plant species, subspecies, varieties, and forms that can be found from the coastal sand dunes and estuaries to sandstone ridgetops and plateaux.Wheeler Heights has dry sclerophyll forests (Shrubby sub formation) 'Shrubby dry sclerophyll forest has typically Australian species such as waratahs, banksias, wattles, pea-flowers, and tea-trees. There is a sparse ground cover of sedges and grasses growing on sandy soils that are among the world's least fertile.'[13] [14]
The main form of transport after private cars is by public transport buses.
Wheeler Heights is served by the 179 bus route, operated by Keolis Downer Northern Beaches. It runs between Warringah Mall and the War Veterans retirement village. [15]
There is no rail transport, the nearest railway station is in Chastwood.
Wheeler Heights has one place of worship, St Rose Catholic Church.
There are two schools in Wheeler Heights
There is one Long Day Care Centre
Wheeler Heights has a shopping centre located along South Creek Road. This includes Wheeler Heights Post Office. In late 2017, the shopping centre was sold and plans to redevelop the shopping centre surfaced. As of November 2020, the shopping centre has nearly completed construction, having stores and restaurants on the ground, while apartments above with underground private parking for residents.