The plateau above Collaroy Beach - home to a WWII radar station, a celebrated war photographer, and a community that spent 27 years lobbying to be called a suburb again.
Collaroy Plateau is a suburb on Sydney's Northern Beaches, 22 kilometres north-east of the CBD, sitting elevated above Collaroy Beach with views across Collaroy, Long Reef, Narrabeen Beach, and Narrabeen Lagoon. The suburb name derives ultimately from the steamer SS Collaroy, which ran aground on Long Reef in 1881 - crowds from across the district came to see the wreck and the vessel gave its name to the coastal area. Collaroy Plateau takes its character from its elevated position above that coastal strip, sitting at around 96 metres above sea level on a rocky sandstone plateau.
The suburb has an administrative history that mirrors Wheeler Heights exactly: it was designated a separate suburb in 1977 with postcode 2098, downgraded to a locality within Collaroy in 1984, and restored as a suburb in 2011 after sustained community lobbying. Residents had never accepted the downgrade and continued to use Collaroy Plateau as the suburb name throughout. The plateau has wartime significance: in 1942, a RAAF radar station (54RS) was installed here, and on 3 October 1945 Australian scientist Joseph Lade Pawsey became the first person to detect radio waves from the sun from this location - work that contributed directly to the development of modern radio astronomy and, indirectly, to technologies including Wi-Fi. The famous war photographer and adventurer Frank Hurley (1885-1962) lived on Collaroy Plateau and died at his home there.
Collaroy Plateau is predominantly freestanding family homes - 61.7% of households are couples with children. The main shopping strip is along Veterans Parade, with an IGA supermarket, Commonwealth Bank, and local cafes. Plateau Park is the central community space, with tennis courts, a large oval, a playground, and views to Narrabeen Lagoon. Collaroy Plateau Public School and St Rose Catholic Primary School serve the suburb. The Collaroy Plateau Cricket Club, founded in 1955, uses Vic Huxley Oval at Plateau Park as its home ground and has the old Collaroy Reservoir (demolished 2018) as its symbol. Narrabeen Sports High School is the local high school.
The approach to Collaroy Plateau from the coast is via the road that climbs from Collaroy onto the plateau. From the inland side, access is via Narrabeen and Wheeler Heights roads connecting to the plateau streets. The plateau itself is relatively flat compared to the hillside Northern Beaches suburbs, making most residential streets in the central section of the suburb straightforward to work in. Veterans Parade is the main local road and the shopping strip - for any move near the Veterans Parade commercial section, Billy positions the truck from an adjacent residential street rather than holding on the main strip.
The edges of the plateau are where the terrain becomes more specific. Properties on the eastern edge of the suburb with views over Collaroy and Long Reef beaches are elevated above the coastal strip and can have driveways that reflect the drop toward the coast. The Edgecliff Boulevard section near McLeans Lookout has some of the suburb's most elevated properties with corresponding access considerations. Billy assesses driveway gradient and truck positioning for any address on the plateau edge at quoting stage.
The suburb's lack of rail and its plateau position makes it car-dependent, with buses on Veterans Parade and Pittwater Road providing the only public transport. The bus routes connect Collaroy Plateau to Narrabeen, Dee Why, and Brookvale. For a removal truck, the approach from Pittwater Road up to the plateau is the practical entry and exit point for most jobs, and the timing around school drop-off and pick-up at Collaroy Plateau Public School is worth noting for any weekday move near the school on Veterans Parade.
We also cover neighbouring Collaroy, Narrabeen, and Wheeler Heights regularly.
Fully insured by QBE on every job. No deposit required. No cancellation fees.
"Moved from a Collaroy Plateau home on the eastern edge with views. Billy had assessed the driveway beforehand and had it all planned out. Smooth day, nothing damaged, exactly on time."- Sandra and Phil, Collaroy Plateau plateau-edge home move
We price by the hour. The rate depends on crew size, truck size, and access at both addresses. Use the quote form to get a clear estimate, or read our guide on how much removalists cost in Sydney.
Collaroy Plateau was designated a separate suburb in 1977 with postcode 2098, then downgraded to a locality within Collaroy in 1984. Residents never accepted the change and continued using Collaroy Plateau as the suburb name. After sustained community lobbying, the Geographical Names Board of NSW restored it as a suburb in 2011 - the same year Wheeler Heights was restored through the same process.
In 1942, the RAAF installed radar station 54RS on Collaroy Plateau. On 3 October 1945, Australian scientist Joseph Lade Pawsey first detected radio waves from the sun here - work that contributed to the development of modern radio astronomy and, indirectly, to technologies including Wi-Fi.
We charge by the hour. Plateau-edge addresses with views can have elevated driveways that add to job time. Most of the central plateau streets are straightforward. Get in touch for a clear quote.
Yes - same crew the whole way, no handoffs. Get in touch for an interstate quote.
We cover all of Sydney. Nearby suburbs we regularly work in include Collaroy, Narrabeen, and Wheeler Heights.
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