[citation needed] The construction of the Main Northern and North Shore railway lines in the 1890s brought about a name change.

[5] Normanhurst was derived from the name of a prominent resident, civil engineer Norman Selfe (1839–1911),[6] with hurst being the English word for a wooded hill.

Normanhurst continued to develop following the end of World War II, when many new homes were built during the 1950s and 1960s, as part of Sydney's post-war housing boom.

It remains popular with families due to its proximity to quality schools, transport links and leafy neighbourhoods.

On the western side, the suburb backs onto the southern reaches of the Berowra Valley, a continuous section of bush stretching all the way to Broken Bay.

The area is home to cockatoos, rainbow lorikeets, kookaburras, noisy miners, native brush turkeys, and powerful owls.

Additionally, Normanhurst has several small waterfalls, which promote reptile and marsupial life, such as Eastern grey kangaroos, echidnas and red-bellied black snakes.