The first land grant of the suburb that was to become Haberfield was in 1803 to a former officer in the NSW Corps, Nicholas Bayly. He called the grant ‘Sunning Hill Farm’.

In 1826, Simeon Lord bought this property and renamed it ‘Dobroyde Farm’ after his birthplace in Yorkshire. This rogue turned businessman gave the property to his daughter Sarah as part of her dowry when she married Dr David Ramsay in 1825.

The Ramsay’s were rather prolific and soon had 10 children, and in their spare time, developed a profitable nursery on the site. They contributed heavily to local development and were pillars of the Presbyterian Church. Subdivision began in the late part of the 19th century, but progress steamrollered in the early part of the 20th century when Richard Stanton bought much of the estate.

He decided to create a garden suburb and engaged an architect to design 10,000 original houses, which were sold on low deposit and long term mortgages. He called the estate Haberfield after his forebears in England. He also ensured the peace and beauty of the area by placing covenants on each property to ensure they were only one storey.

His foresight has left Sydney with a suburb of fine Federation architecture and glorious gardens.

Aside from a couple of home unit buildings that crept into Haberfield in recent times, the architecture is still a perfectly preserved example of fine Federation period housing.

The atmosphere is close to a universal sentiment. La Disfida has the best pizza in Sydney, and if it’s too crowded, there are a couple of other local Italian restaurants that will keep you very, very happy. Pastry lovers will also find two superb Italian bakeries that do a great line in coffee and gelato.

Haberfield and its surrounding areas have excellent and plentiful state schools and private schools, both denominational and non-denominational.

Yasmar House, now a court facility, and St David’s Church are two notable local landmarks. However, with its unique design and preservation the entire suburb might be a local landmark.

Great cooks and passionate foodies head to Ramsay Street for brilliant Italian produce, meat and pastry. All the basic services are here, or you can take a quick drive into the shopping complexes of nearby Leichhardt.

On a sublime autumn afternoon what could be better than a light jog or brisk walk amidst the scented gardens and long established trees. In nearby Leichhardt you’ll find pools and gyms to work off the pastry and coffee that kept you busy during the morning.

Haberfield is 9 km from the CBD and is well served by buses or a fast train from Ashfield.