Dover Heights

No history has been written of one of Sydney's most affluent suburbs. Bondi had its beach, Watsons Bay its dramatic entry to the harbour through the Heads, and Rose Bay its picturesque shoreline. In contrast, the neighbouring stretch of windswept scrub along the ocean cliffs had plenty of snakes but no natural attractions. It wasn't until the 1880s land boom that speculators switched attention to one of the city's remaining undeveloped areas. But buyers were few when Dover Heights was first subdivided.

The biggest problem was getting there. There was no public transport. Real estate agents pushed the myth that the suburb would be serviced by trams running straight through it, but the line was never built. It was only with increased car ownership that settlement grew. Post Second World War immigrants boosted the population.

This book traces the transformation of a terra incognita of desolation - its foothills covered by sandstorms in dry weather and stormwater when it rained - to today's patchwork of mansions, manicured lawns and swimming pools.