Double Bay is a harbour-side eastern suburb of Sydney, 4 kilometres east of the Sydney CBD. It is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra.

Double Bay takes its name from the bay of Sydney Harbour. It refers to the two geographical formations between Point Piper and Darling Point, which are interrupted by a miniature point in between. The eastern part is also known as Blackburn Cove.

Double Bay, originally called Keltie Cove after the master of HMS Sirius, developed soon after initial European Settlement in 1788. The present name came into use around 1821. In the early years of the colony, Double Bay was used as shelter for fishermen who would regularly fish around the harbour.

Double Bay Village was originally a site marked by Governor Macquarie in 1821. In 1834, Major Thomas Mitchell submitted a plan to Governor Darling for the area to be made into a village of 31 lots, bounded by present day Ocean Avenue, New South Head Road, Bay Street and the harbour – auctioned off in 1835.

Today ‘the village’ is famous for high end boutiques and popular eateries as well as glamorous beauty salons. The area experienced a commercial slow down with the opening of Westfield Bondi Junction but is now once again a thriving metropolis. The opening of the new InterContinental Hotel in Cross Street in late 2014 has further enhanced the popularity of this now trendy again suburb, attracting local and international guests once again.

Back in the 1980s Double Bay was sometimes nicknamed “Double Pay”. Whilst the expression is not as widely used today, it is not far from the truth.