The Sydney suburb of Kearns was named after an early landholder who had a reputation for dubious morals and despite this somehow managed to prosper. Originally owned by his two brothers, the land eventually came into his keeping, and was previously known as River Hill. Kearns property expanded, and the land was used for dairy purposes as well as grain crops and orchards. Some of the high areas of the property were densely forested, so he changed the name to Epping Forest. The land eventually passed on to his children when he died and then subsequently passed on to his nephew on their passing.
Up until 1978 the land remained the property of the Clark family. When development started to take place in the area, many names for the area were submitted and rejected until the name Kearns was eventually settled upon. Housing development did not begin until the middle 1980s, and developers decided to name the streets in this area of real estate after rivers of the world. The opening of the upmarket MacArthur Estate in Kearns took place in 1985 with large open spaces and seven acres put aside for the opening of the Kearns Public School, adjacent to the shopping centre.
This area of real estate near Liverpool also has two reserves for the enjoyment of the local inhabitants as well as visitors to the suburb. Both reserves are named after local early pioneers, keeping the history of the area alive. Kearns is located 57km south west of the Sydney CBD and the census of 2006 had the population listed as 2,757, which of course by now would have grown to a much higher number. Kearns has it’s own shopping centre, takeaway outlets, an Asian restaurant and a Country Club for dining out or grabbing a bite on the run.
Real estate agencies have listings of homes for sale as well as rentals, so if you are contemplating moving to the area, get online or on the phone and get an idea of what is available that meets your needs. Outline your specific ideas and ask for some photos of anything they have that comes close to matching. This might just turn out to be one of the best moves you have made in a while, and you may not be far off from enjoying all that Kearns has to offer residents and visitors alike. After all, you know what they say, “ A tree change is often good for the soul.”
