Dundas Valley, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Dundas Valley is a suburb
of Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Dundas Valley is located 21 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district
in the local government area of the City of Parramatta
.
The valley has been shaped by the Ponds Creek, around which many of the area's parks are located. The valley is bounded by both steep and gentle slopes feeding into the creek.
The Ponds walk is a marked 6.6 kilometre track which follows the Ponds and Subiaco Creeks from Eric Mobbs Memorial Park in Carlingford to Jim Crowgey Reserve in Rydalmere. This walk follows a number of the parks in the Dundas Valley area.
Parramatta City Council has erected signs in the suburb documenting the initial land grants in the area. One subsequent grant was the 30 acre Lot 108 to John Love, a member of the NSW Corps, on 20 February 1794.
In the early 1800's a number of the early settlers sold their grants to Lieutenant William Cox of the NSW Corps. Cox's holdings spread from Brush Farm into Dundas Valley where he grazed sheep and cattle and grew corn and wheat. Gregory Blaxland
purchased Brush Farm in 1806.
The name Dundas was first used in the area in 1799, taken from a parish of the same name in England
, although it is also claimed the area was initially named after Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
.
The area was developed during the 1950s and 1960s with the construction of public housing.
Dundas Valley was formally declared a suburb on 19 October 2007.
Thomas Mitchell openend a quarry in 1832 on the site of the park that now bears his name. The quarry was a supplier of ‘blue metal’, used in road construction, into the 20th century. The 'blue metal' was quarried by convicts and carried to Ermington Wharf where it was ferried to Sydney.
The quarry exposed a large volcanic formation between 200 and 250 million years old.
Due to the geological significance of the area, it was visited by a number of famous scientists, including Charles Darwin
and Douglas Mawson
.
A number of streets in Dundas Valley are named after ships of the First Fleet
(Sirius, Supply, Alexander, Charlotte and Friendship) and the Second Fleet
(Neptune).
Dundas Valley Uniting Church
Faith Baptist Church
Dundas Park covers 6.5 hectares and also boasts two playgrounds, picnic & BBQ facilities and a Boy Scout and Girl Guides Hall.
Curtis Oval has a dedicated bicycle and walking track.
Sir Thomas Mitchell Reserve covers 3.9 hectares and is on the site of an old quarry.
There are also a number of smaller parks in the suburb, including Lachlan Macquarie Park which features a netball court.
The Dundas United Recreation Club, based at Curtis Oval, fields teams in cricket, football (Soccer) and netball catering for players aged from Under 6 to adult (including Over 35 football).
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, in the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Dundas Valley is located 21 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
in the local government area of the City of Parramatta
City of Parramatta
The City of Parramatta is a Local Government Area in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.Initially in 1861 it was formed as Municipality of Parramatta...
.
The valley has been shaped by the Ponds Creek, around which many of the area's parks are located. The valley is bounded by both steep and gentle slopes feeding into the creek.
The Ponds walk is a marked 6.6 kilometre track which follows the Ponds and Subiaco Creeks from Eric Mobbs Memorial Park in Carlingford to Jim Crowgey Reserve in Rydalmere. This walk follows a number of the parks in the Dundas Valley area.
History
Dundas and surrounding areas were originally known as "The Ponds", a name still reflected in The Ponds Creek. The first private land grants in Sydney made in 1791 were in what is now North East Dundas and adjoining Dundas Valley and Ermington. This consisted of land grants to 14 former convicts and their families along the Ponds and Subiaco Creeks.Parramatta City Council has erected signs in the suburb documenting the initial land grants in the area. One subsequent grant was the 30 acre Lot 108 to John Love, a member of the NSW Corps, on 20 February 1794.
In the early 1800's a number of the early settlers sold their grants to Lieutenant William Cox of the NSW Corps. Cox's holdings spread from Brush Farm into Dundas Valley where he grazed sheep and cattle and grew corn and wheat. Gregory Blaxland
Gregory Blaxland
Gregory Blaxland was a pioneer farmer and explorer in Australia.- Early life :Gregory Blaxland was born 17 June 1778 at Fordwich, Kent, England, the fourth son of John Blaxland, mayor from 1767 to 1774, whose family had owned estates nearby for generations, and Mary, daughter of Captain Parker,...
purchased Brush Farm in 1806.
The name Dundas was first used in the area in 1799, taken from a parish of the same name in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, although it is also claimed the area was initially named after Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville PC and Baron Dunira was a Scottish lawyer and politician. He was the first Secretary of State for War and the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom....
.
The area was developed during the 1950s and 1960s with the construction of public housing.
Dundas Valley was formally declared a suburb on 19 October 2007.
Thomas Mitchell openend a quarry in 1832 on the site of the park that now bears his name. The quarry was a supplier of ‘blue metal’, used in road construction, into the 20th century. The 'blue metal' was quarried by convicts and carried to Ermington Wharf where it was ferried to Sydney.
The quarry exposed a large volcanic formation between 200 and 250 million years old.
Due to the geological significance of the area, it was visited by a number of famous scientists, including Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
and Douglas Mawson
Douglas Mawson
Sir Douglas Mawson, OBE, FRS, FAA was an Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer and Academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest Shackleton, Mawson was a key expedition leader during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.-Early work:He was appointed geologist to an...
.
A number of streets in Dundas Valley are named after ships of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
(Sirius, Supply, Alexander, Charlotte and Friendship) and the Second Fleet
Second Fleet (Australia)
The Second Fleet is the name of the second fleet of ships sent with settlers, convicts and supplies to colony at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson, Australia. The fleet comprised six ships: one Royal Navy escort, four convict ships, and a supply ship....
(Neptune).
Churches
St Bernadettes Catholic ChurchDundas Valley Uniting Church
Faith Baptist Church
- The local Anglican Church meets in Telopea on Saturday evenings and at Dundas on Sundays.
Parks
Sir Thomas Mitchell Reserve and Dundas Park, also known as Curtis Oval, host local club football (soccer), rugby union and cricket matches. Both parks also have recently upgraded play equipment for children.Dundas Park covers 6.5 hectares and also boasts two playgrounds, picnic & BBQ facilities and a Boy Scout and Girl Guides Hall.
Curtis Oval has a dedicated bicycle and walking track.
Sir Thomas Mitchell Reserve covers 3.9 hectares and is on the site of an old quarry.
There are also a number of smaller parks in the suburb, including Lachlan Macquarie Park which features a netball court.
Sport and Recreation
The Viking Club on Quarry Road is a registered club run by Parramatta Leagues Club.The Dundas United Recreation Club, based at Curtis Oval, fields teams in cricket, football (Soccer) and netball catering for players aged from Under 6 to adult (including Over 35 football).