sans souci

Sans Souci is a southern Sydney suburb in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sans Souci is 17 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the Bayside Council and the Georges River Council. It is part of the St George area.

Sans Souci sits on the western shore of Botany Bay. Lady Robinsons Beach and Cook Park run along the eastern border. Kogarah Bay runs along the western border. Sans Souci is connected to Taren Point, in the Sutherland Shire, to the south, by the Captain Cook Bridge over the Georges River.

Sans Souci took its name from a grand house built on Rocky Point Road on land bought in 1853, by Thomas Holt (1811–1888), wool merchant and politician, for his German wife. It was named after Sanssouci in Potsdam, Germany, the summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. However, Holt thought that the area was too isolated so he built another house at Marrickville, overlooking the Cooks River, which he called The Warren. He bred rabbits for hunting and kept exotic animals, including an alpaca on this property. In the 1860s, Holt sold his Sans Souci property to William Rust, who turned it into a popular hotel, despite its isolation.

Sans Souci is mostly residential. A shopping strip is located on Rocky Point Road, near the intersection of Sandringham St, including the Sans Souci Shopping Village, The Party People, various fast food outlets and the post office. Another small group of shops is located at the intersection of Clareville Avenue and Russell Avenue, on the border with Dolls Point and Sandringham. It includes Sans Souci Library and a variety of small shops and retailers. Two primary schools are located in the suburb: Sans Souci Public and St Finbars.

Transportation is mainly by car or bus, with the closest railway stations being Kogarah and Caringbah, although only approximately 11 minutes from the CBD, Sans Souci is seen as an accessible destination.

Sans Souci is centred around its waterways and parks with the St George Sailing Club, St George Motor Boat club and Botany Bay Yacht Club all surrounding Sans Souci for the pleasures of a water side lifestyle.