Little known Sydney suburb Kyeemagh has nine streets and strong Greek heritage

If you’ve never heard of the south Sydney suburb of Kyeemagh (pronounced kye-EE-mah), you’re not alone.

“Most people think I’m saying ‘Kiama’ when I mention Kyeemagh,” says Louise Sheehy, a nurse and president of the Kyeemagh Infants School P&C committee.

But Kyeemagh and Kiama – the sleepy surf town and holiday spot 100 kilometres south of Sydney – couldn’t be more different.

Kyeemagh Public School’s veggie garden.

Compact Kyeemagh, which comprises nine short streets and is home to just 900 people, is defined by the urban features that surround it: the international airport to the north, bustling Rockdale to the west and working Botany Bay to the south. 

Residents cite easy access to the CBD, airport and the beach as key to the suburb’s appeal.

“From Kogarah station we’re 20 minutes to the city by train, and we’re close to the beach at Brighton-Le-Sands,” says Sheehy. Rivers form Kyeemagh’s northern and western borders.

Chinese Market Gardens in Kyeemagh have been there for 125 years. Photo: Quentin Jones

Peter Tsekenis, principal at Ray White Brighton-Le-Sands, says being surrounded by water on three sides creates an alluring sense of seclusion.

“It’s away from the hustle and bustle of its neighbouring suburbs yet close enough to utilise all that they have to offer,” he says.

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Kyeemagh is often lumped in with Brighton-Le-Sands, the southerly neighbour with whom it shares a postcode, but the suburb has a distinct identity.

The Chinese Market Gardens in Kyeemagh. Photo: Quentin Jones

It is home to the Occupation Road Market Gardens, a state heritage site where Chinese-Australians have grown Asian vegetables since the 1800s, and to a characterful waterside RSL with a hockey pitch.

There’s also a multi-generational Greek-Australian community. According to the latest census figures, 7 per cent of residents were born in Greece and 19.7 per cent claim Greek ancestry. 

Adding to the close-knit vibe is the infants school, which runs from kindergarten to grade two. “At the moment we have 60 kids enrolled in the whole school,” says Sheehy. “They call us ‘the country school in the city’.”

Planes coming into land from the west on the East West runway, seen from Kyeemagh. Photo: Quentin Jones

However, the school is set for a major revamp, with the state government announcing funding in the 2017 budget to upgrade it to a full primary school for 500 students. Sheehy says P&C campaigning, combined with the impending Cook Cove residential development in nearby Arncliffe, spurred the government to act.

Historically, Kyeemagh’s real estate market has been subdued. “The suburb had an unsupported reputation for being smelly due to local farming and the river,” says Tsekenis. “It was also regarded as noisy due to the proximity of the airport.”

The low number of sales makes data on price growth and median values unreliable, according to Domain chief economist Dr. Andrew Wilson. The most expensive sale in the past six months was for $1.89 million.

People on the beach at Botany Bay, near Kyeemagh. Photo: Jon Reid

The median price in neighbouring Brighton-Le-Sands has grown 84.8 per cent in the past five years.

“Inner-south coastal suburbs such as Brighton-Le-Sands have recorded strong house price growth recently, ahead of the overall Sydney results, with local units also recording rising buyer demand.”

As for the airport? Sheehy says not to worry. “We actually don’t get much flight noise,” she says. “I previously lived in the Inner west, in Stanmore, and you get a lot more flight noise there. Occasionally we get a little bit when they open the east-west runway, but considering the proximity to the airport it’s very quiet.”