Collection SummaryAs some of the most fertile land in the Sutherland Shire early settlers were drawn to Miranda and established several poultry farms and market gardens.HistoryThe land which is now the suburb of Miranda is partly located on a selection made by pioneer John Connell in 1816. The land was left to family member John Connell Laycock but was later acquired by Thomas Holt who established his Sutherland Estate in the 1860s. It included most of what is currently known as the Sutherland Shire. Holt later leased most of his estate to the Holt Sutherland Estate Land Company who set about creating estates for residential settlement. The land in this area was the most fertile of all Holt's land and attracted early settlers. This included Edward Thacker who established a farm in Sylvania Road in 1881. Most early settlers were poultry farmers or market gardeners and there were also a few flower nurseries and a vineyard. The town centre became established along Kingsway near Kiora Road with a general store and post office. Kingsway was the part of the route of the Sutherland to Cronulla tramway service which operated between 1911 and 1931. Transport links were improved with the opening of the Sutherland to Cronulla Railway in 1939. A large shopping complex was established in 1964 by Farmers and commonly referred to as Miranda Fair but continues today as a much larger complex called Westfield Miranda.
