THERE are many competing theories about the origins of the name “Pennant Hills”. 

The word “pennant” can refer to a flag used for signalling, therefore suggesting that soldiers stationed in the area of present-day Pennant Hills watched the rising of pennants at Government House in Sydney. 

However, insufficient evidence has prompted local historians to contest this theory, and instead look towards Thomas Pennant as the region’s namesake. 

Thomas Pennant (1726-1798) was an ornithologist and zoologist, a prolific author on natural history and close friend of Sir Joseph Banks and Captain James Cook. Although Pennant never visited Australia, colonial pioneers acknowledged their supporters in England by naming places and geographical features in their honour. 

One of the first notable landowners in the Pennant Hills region was David Kilpack, a former convict. In January 1783, Kilpack was found guilty of stealing poultry and was sentenced to seven years transportation. Thirteen days into his transportation to America, the prisoners mutinied and rowed back to England – where they were promptly found guilty and sentenced to death. 

Eventually, Kilpack’s sentence was rescinded for life transportation. Kilpack was interred on the Censor hulk, eventually sailing to Australia aboard the Scarborough in 1787.

Kilpack received a conditional pardon in 1794. In October that same year, Kilpack was granted 25 acres of land along present-day Pennant Hills Road, making him one of the earliest European landowners in the region.

But not all land in present-day Pennant Hills was obtained through respectable means. John Macarthur, who briefly employed Kilpack as an overseer, started acquiring land in December 1794 – through any means necessary. Joseph Holt, an Irishman in the colony, recalled, “Every soldier got twenty-five acres of land in fee; many of them, when intoxicated, sold their ticket for a gallon of rum. Mr M’Arthur used to supply them with goods, and so obtained from these improvident and foolish men their tickets, by which he acquired an enormous landed property.” 

By 1798, Macarthur had accumulated around 500 acres of land in this Pennant Hills area and continued to double his holdings within the next four years, stretching into what is now present-day Carlingford, Beecroft and Thompson’s Corner.  

The development of Pennant Hills as a suburb follows a similar pattern to the rest of Hornsby Ku-ring-gai. Timber getters set up a camp in 1816, felling blue gum, blackbutt, cedar and forest oak until the 1830s. Once land had been cleared, orchardists moved in and began establishing farms. By the 1860s, the orchards at Pennant Hills became widely known throughout the colonies, famous for the quantity and quality of the fruit which was produced there. Notable orchardists include James Bellamy, who purchased 723 acres of land in 1856 and parcelled out the property to his children. 

The Pennant Hills railway station opened in April 1887. With the travel time to Sydney significantly reduced, orchardists began growing soft fruits such as plums, peaches and nectarines, produce which previously spoiled during the long hauls to the city. With up to four trains a day, business increased significantly. 

In 1898, Hampden Hotel was built. Later renamed Eaton’s Hotel and Hotel Pennant Hills, its location adjacent to the railway station made it a popular thoroughfare with both locals and passing travellers. 

As Pennant Hills began to coalesce as a suburb, other skilled workers set up shop as a blacksmith, farrier and wheelwright. In 1899, Red Hill Observatory was constructed as part of an international star mapping program. 

However, light and vibration from the Pennant Hills road disturbed the equipment and brought the end of star mapping in 1917. 

In 1931, the observatory officially closed with the retirement of the resident astronomer James Short.

PennantHills: Fast facts

Pennant Hills is located on the Upper North Shore, approximately 20km of the Sydney CBD within the Hornsby Shire.

• t’s known for having wide streets, with large properties and being safe and family friendly. 
• It’s located within easy travel to several shopping centres, cafés and restaurants and having a great selection of schools.
• The median house price in Pennant Hills is $1,475,000 in today’s market compared with $22,000 in 1976. 80 per cent of homes are now owner-occupied.
• The suburb is comprised of older couples followed by families with children with a population of 7296 (from the 2016 census).

Notable residents

Past and present residents include:

• The Mayor of Hornsby, The Honourable Philip Ruddock AO.
• St Kilda midfielder Lenny Hayes, who played for the Pennant Hills Demons in the NSW Football League.
• Essendon tagger Mark McVeigh, who also played for the Demons in the NSW Football League.

Did you know? West Pennant Hills was split off from Pennant Hills as a separate suburb on August 23, 1996.