Holt had built Sutherland House on the foreshore of Gwawley Bay in 1818, on the eastern side of Sylvania, which took its name from the original wooded vegetation.

James Goyen won the tender to design the estate, construct the houses, and promote the new suburb.

Streets of the development were named after Australian rivers – such as Shoalhaven, Tweed, Murrumbidgee, Hawkesbury and Barwon – to emphasize the association with water.

Next to this is the Sylvania Waters Tennis Court Complex and the home ground of the Southern Districts Rugby Club.

The most-common responses regarding religious affiliation were Roman Catholic 25.2%, No Religion 22.7%, Eastern Orthodox 18.3%, Anglican 11.3% and Not stated 5.0%.