Bondi, New South Wales

Bondi is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, seven kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council.LocationBondi is a mostly medium and high-density residential area centred on Bondi Road, where the shopping area is situated. Bondi Beach is a neighbouring suburb and beach on the east side of Bondi. Bondi Junction is a neighbouring suburb and commercial centre to the west of Bondi. Tamarama, Bronte and Waverley are situated on the south side of Bondi.HistoryBondi is said to be a corruption of an Aboriginal word boondi meaning water breaking over rocks. It has been spelt a number of different ways over time, e.g. Boondi, Bundi, Bundye. The current spelling was accepted in 1827. The whole Bondi area was part of a 200acre land grant to road-builder William Roberts in 1809. In 1851, Edward Smith Hall, editor of the Sydney Monitor, purchased the land for 200 pounds.In the 1880s, Malcolm Campbell built Scarba, a two-storey, Italianate house in Wellington Street. It was later the residence of A.M.Loewenthal, an alderman in the local council. It was purchased by the New South Wales Government just before the First World War, then acquired by the Benevolent Society of New South Wales, who turned it into a children's welfare home known as Scarba House. This lasted until 1986, after which Scarba House became part of the Bondi Centre, which included a retirement village and various other welfare services. It is heritage-listed.