Northern residential suburb, named for prominent civil engineer Norman Selfe (1839-1911), who had a property there. 'Hurst' is the Old English word for a wooded hill.
Wallumedegal country until the Europeans came, the area that became Normanhurst was known as Hornsby until 1895 when the railway came through. Another station was named Hornsby Junction and the station at Hornsby was called Normanhurst.
