Leppington, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Leppington is a suburb
of Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Leppington is located 55 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district
, in the local government areas of the City of Liverpool
and Camden Council.
. It was named after a property called Leppington Park granted to William Cordeaux in 1821. Cordeaux used convict
labour to build a two-storey mansion and to work in his fields. The house unfortunately burnt down in the 1940s but some of the bricks from the house were re-used at Leppington Public School.
The suburb could easily have become Raby. The first land grant in what is now Leppington was made to Alexander Riley in 1810, who named his property Raby. The property was subdivided in 1914 and a school established in 1923, called Raby Public School. However, in 1955 the name of the school was changed to Leppington Public School, possibly inspired by the bricks they inherited from William Cordeaux's mansion. The suburb has been known as Leppington since then. Ironically, Raby Road which connected the property to Campbelltown
would later lend itself to the modern suburb of Raby
.
In 2004, Leppington was identified as part of Sydney's South West Growth Centre.
taken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
, Leppington had a population of 1,892, whose median age (39) was slightly older than average (37) and whose median household income of $967 per week was slightly lower than average ($1027). There were a higher than average number of couples with children (56%) and the major industry of employment was mushroom and vegetable growing (9.3%). Leppington also had a substantial number of people speaking languages other than English including Italian
(10.4%), Arabic (8.7%) and Cantonese (4.2%).
and Liverpool
as well as the Westlink M7
, a pay road providing relatively quick connection to Sydney CBD and other parts of greater Sydney. The only public transport in the area is the Route 850 bus service running along Camden Valley Way
from Camden to Liverpool. The proposed Leppington railway station on the South West rail line
will connect the suburb with the existing rail network at Glenfield
, beginning construction in Mid 2010 but it will be finished by 2016.
. The suburb is contained within the federal electorate
of Macarthur
, represented by Russell Matheson
(Liberal
), and the state electorate
of Camden
, currently held by Chris Patterson
(Liberal
).
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...
. Leppington is located 55 kilometres south-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 areas of the City of Liverpool
City of Liverpool, New South Wales
The City of Liverpool is a Local Government Area to the southwest of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:It is one of the oldest urban settlements in Australia, founded in 1810 as an agricultural centre by Governor Lachlan Macquarie...
and Camden Council.
History
The area now known as Leppington was originally home to the Darug peopleDarug people
The Darug people are a language group of Indigenous Australians, who are traditional custodians of much of what is modern day Sydney. There is some dispute about the extent of the Darug nation. Some historians believe the coastal Eora people were a separate tribe to the Darug...
. It was named after a property called Leppington Park granted to William Cordeaux in 1821. Cordeaux used convict
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
labour to build a two-storey mansion and to work in his fields. The house unfortunately burnt down in the 1940s but some of the bricks from the house were re-used at Leppington Public School.
The suburb could easily have become Raby. The first land grant in what is now Leppington was made to Alexander Riley in 1810, who named his property Raby. The property was subdivided in 1914 and a school established in 1923, called Raby Public School. However, in 1955 the name of the school was changed to Leppington Public School, possibly inspired by the bricks they inherited from William Cordeaux's mansion. The suburb has been known as Leppington since then. Ironically, Raby Road which connected the property to Campbelltown
Campbelltown, New South Wales
Campbelltown is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campbelltown is located 51 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Campbelltown.- History :Campbelltown...
would later lend itself to the modern suburb of Raby
Raby, New South Wales
Raby is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Raby is located 55 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Campbelltown and is part of the Macarthur region.-History:...
.
In 2004, Leppington was identified as part of Sydney's South West Growth Centre.
People
According to the 2006 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
taken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
, Leppington had a population of 1,892, whose median age (39) was slightly older than average (37) and whose median household income of $967 per week was slightly lower than average ($1027). There were a higher than average number of couples with children (56%) and the major industry of employment was mushroom and vegetable growing (9.3%). Leppington also had a substantial number of people speaking languages other than English including Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
(10.4%), Arabic (8.7%) and Cantonese (4.2%).
Transport
Camden Valley Way connects Leppington to CamdenCamden, New South Wales
-Education:Camden is the location of research facilities for the veterinary and agricultural schools of the University of Sydney. The local government area has two public high schools, Camden High School and Elderslie High School, as well as eight Catholic and three Anglican schools.-Culture:The...
and Liverpool
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
as well as the Westlink M7
Westlink M7
Westlink M7 - formerly Western Sydney Orbital - is one of Sydney, Australia's urban motorways and a part of Metroad 7 and the Sydney Orbital Network. It connects three Metroads: M5 at Prestons, M4 at Eastern Creek and M2 at Baulkham Hills...
, a pay road providing relatively quick connection to Sydney CBD and other parts of greater Sydney. The only public transport in the area is the Route 850 bus service running along Camden Valley Way
Camden Valley Way
Camden Valley Way is an important link between Sydney and the historic town of Camden.It is the former Hume Highway alignment between the localities of Cross Roads and Camden. It is marked as State Route 89. The proper route is from Cross Roads, skirting Camden via the Camden Bypass and ending at...
from Camden to Liverpool. The proposed Leppington railway station on the South West rail line
South West railway line, Sydney
The South West Rail Link is an extension of the CityRail commuter rail network in Sydney, Australia. It is currently under construction and is intended to be the major piece of public transport infrastructure for the Sydney metropolitan area's "South West Growth Centre"...
will connect the suburb with the existing rail network at Glenfield
Glenfield railway station, Sydney
Glenfield railway station is an important junction station serving the small Sydney suburb of Glenfield. To the north of the station is a junction between the Main South line and the East Hills Line. To the south, a junction between the Main South and South West lines will be constructed. The...
, beginning construction in Mid 2010 but it will be finished by 2016.
Politics
The bulk of Leppington belongs to the north ward of Camden Council while the northwest part of the suburb sits within the City of LiverpoolCity of Liverpool, New South Wales
The City of Liverpool is a Local Government Area to the southwest of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:It is one of the oldest urban settlements in Australia, founded in 1810 as an agricultural centre by Governor Lachlan Macquarie...
. The suburb is contained within the federal electorate
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
of Macarthur
Division of Macarthur
The Division of Macarthur is an Australia Federal electoral division covering outer south-west Sydney. Its present boundaries cover the southern suburbs of Campbelltown, all of the local government area of Camden and small parts of Wollondilly. It covers 537 km² and is named after John...
, represented by Russell Matheson
Russell Matheson
Russell Glenn Matheson , an Australian federal politician, is a Member of the Australian House of Representatives for the seat of Macarthur representing the Liberal Party of Australia, elected at the 2010 federal election...
(Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
), and the state electorate
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
of Camden
Electoral district of Camden
Camden is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's south-west. It is currently represented by Chris Patterson of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
, currently held by Chris Patterson
Chris Patterson (politician)
Christopher Stewart "Chris" Patterson MP, an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Camden for the Liberal Party of Australia since the 2011.-Early life and background:...
(Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
).