Parramatta is a suburb of
SydneySydney 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 WalesNew 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...
,
AustraliaAustralia , 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...
. It is located in
Greater Western SydneyGreater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...
23 kilometres (14 mi) west of the
Sydney central business districtThe 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...
on the banks of the
Parramatta RiverThe Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area (LGA) of the
City of ParramattaThe 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...
. Part of the suburb is shared with the
City of HolroydHolroyd is a Local Government Area and suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, located in the Western Sydney region. Originally known as the Municipality of Prospect and Sherwood it was incorporated in February 1872, in 1927 it was renamed the Municipality of Holroyd after Arthur Holroyd,...
LGA.
Parramatta is the economic capital of
Greater Western SydneyGreater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...
and the sixth largest central business district in Australia. Since 2000, Parramatta has seen the consolidation of its role as a government centre with the relocation of agencies such as the New South Wales Police Force headquarters and
Sydney WaterSydney Water is a New South Wales government owned corporation that provides drinking water, wastewater and some stormwater services to Sydney, Illawarra and the Blue Mountains, in Australia...
, from the Sydney CBD. Simultaneously, major upgrades have occurred around the railway station with the expansion of
Westfield ParramattaWestfield Parramatta is a shopping centre in Parramatta, a city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The centre is owned and managed by The Westfield Group. It has a net leasable area of approximately 137,269m² and contains 488 shops built over five levels, making it Australia's fourth...
, the creation of a new transport interchange, and the ongoing development of the Civic Place local government precinct.
Aboriginal culture
The
Darug peopleThe 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...
had lived in the area for many generations, and regarded the area as rich in food from the river and forests. They called the area Baramada or Burramatta ('Parramatta') which means "head of waters" or "the place where the eels lie down". To this day there is a plenitude of eels and other sea creatures attracted to the profusion of nutrients created by the saltwater of
Port JacksonPort Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
meeting the freshwater of the
Parramatta RiverThe Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
's catchment. The eel has been adopted as the symbol of the
Parramatta EelsThe Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
Rugby LeagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club.
European settlement
Parramatta was founded in 1788, the same year as Sydney. The British Colony, which had arrived in January 1788 in the
First FleetThe 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 ...
at
Sydney CoveSydney Cove is a small bay on the southern shore of Port Jackson , on the coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia....
, had only enough food to support itself for a short time and the soil around Sydney Cove proved too poor to grow the amount of food that 1,000
convictA 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...
s, soldiers and administrators needed to survive. During 1788, Governor
Arthur PhillipAdmiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
had reconnoitred several places before choosing Parramatta as the most likely place for a successful large farm. Parramatta was the furthest navigable point inland on the Parramatta River (i.e. furthest from the thin, sandy coastal soil) and also the point at which the river became freshwater and therefore useful for farming.
On Sunday 2 November 1788, Governor Phillip took a detachment of marines along with a surveyor and, in boats, made his way upriver to a location that he called The Crescent, a defensible hill curved round a river bend, now in Parramatta Park. As a settlement developed, Governor Phillip gave it the name "Rose Hill" (now used for a nearby
suburbFounded on the 2 November 1788, Rose Hill in New South Wales was the first inland colonial settlement, established by Governor Phillip. On the King's Birthday in 1791 it was renamed to become the town of Parramatta, after the indigenous Aborigines of the region, the Burramatta people, a clan of...
) which in 1791 he changed to Parramatta, approximating the term used by the local Aboriginal people.
In an attempt to deal with the food crisis, Phillip in 1789 granted a convict named
James RuseJames Ruse was a Cornish farmer who, at the age of 23, was convicted of breaking and entering and was sentenced to seven years' transportation to Australia. He arrived at Sydney Cove on the First Fleet with 18 months of his sentence remaining...
the land of Experiment Farm at Parramatta on the condition that he develop a viable agriculture. There Ruse became the first person to successfully grow grain in Australia. The Parramatta area was also the site of
John MacarthurJohn Macarthur was a British army officer, entrepreneur, politician, architect and pioneer of settlement in Australia. Macarthur is recognised as the pioneer of the wool industry that was to boom in Australia in the early 19th century and become a trademark of the nation...
's pioneering of the Australian wool industry at Elizabeth Farm in the 1790s.
Governor Arthur Phillip built a small house for himself on the hill of The Crescent. In 1799 this was replaced by a larger residence which, substantially improved by Governor
Lachlan MacquarieMajor-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
from 1815 to 1818, has survived to the present day, used as a retreat by Governors until the 1850s with one Governor (
Governor BrisbaneMajor-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet GCH, GCB, FRS, FRSE was a British soldier, colonial Governor and astronomer.-Early life:...
) making it his principal home for a short period in the 1820s. The house, Old Government House, is currently a historic site and museum within Parramatta Park and is Australia's oldest surviving public building.
In 1803, a famous incident occurred in Parramatta, involving a convicted criminal named
Joseph SamuelJoseph Samuel was an Englishman legendary for the manner in which he survived execution. Convicted for robbery in 1795, he was sentenced in 1801 to transportation to Australia, aboard the Nile, Canada and Minorca. Australia at this time held a penal settlement at Sydney Cove...
, originally from England. Samuel was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging, but the rope broke. In the second attempt, the noose slipped off his neck. In the third attempt, the new rope broke. Governor Phillip was summoned and pardoned Samuel, as the incident appeared to him to be divine intervention.
Heritage
Parramatta has many buildings on the
Register of the National EstateThe Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
, including:
Elizabeth Farm HouseElizabeth Farm is an historic estate in Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Elizabeth Farm was the family home of wool pioneer, John and his wife Elizabeth Macarthur. It was commenced in 1793 on a slight hill overlooking the upper reaches of Parramatta River, 23 kilometres...
, Experiment Farm Cottage,
Lancer BarracksThe 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers is a current Australian Army Reserve Light Cavalry Regiment. The regiment is based at Lancer Barracks in Parramatta, New South Wales. The regiment has recently re-equipped with 4x4 Land Rover patrol vehicles as part of the conversion to a Light Cavalry ...
, Parramatta Town Hall, the former Post Office in Church Street, Centennial Clock,
Lennox BridgeLennox Bridge in Parramatta is a stone arch bridge that spans the Parramatta River, in Parramatta, Sydney, Australia. It was designed by David Lennox and constructed with convict labour over the period 1836 to 1839, making it one of the oldest bridges in Australia.This was Lennox's third bridge,...
, St John's Cathedral, St John's Cemetery, St Patrick's Cathedral, Parochial School in Elizabeth Street, Arthur Phillip High School, Brislington in Marsden Street, Hambledon Cottage in Hassall Street, former King's School Group, Roman Catholic Cemetery in North Parramatta, Parramatta Psychiatric Centre (Cumberland Hospial), Parramatta Park – including
Old Government HouseOld Government House is a former "country" residence of 10 early governors of New South Wales, located in Parramatta Park in Parramatta, New South Wales, now a suburb of Sydney...
, All Saints Church Group (Source: The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981)
Old Parramatta Gaol
Parramatta Correctional Centre is Australia's oldest serving Correctional Centre. Parramatta Gaol was formally proclaimed on 2 January 1842 with progressive opening of wings up until approximately 1910. It was closed from 1918 to 1922 and again for a short period in 1997/1998.
Commercial area
Parramatta is a major business and commercial centre, sometimes called Sydney's "second central business district". Parramatta has many high density commercial and residential developments. It is home to
Westfield ParramattaWestfield Parramatta is a shopping centre in Parramatta, a city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The centre is owned and managed by The Westfield Group. It has a net leasable area of approximately 137,269m² and contains 488 shops built over five levels, making it Australia's fourth...
, which is the
second largest shopping centre in Australia. Church Street is home to many shops and restaurants. The northern end of Church Street, close to Lennox Bridge, features
al fresco dining with a diverse range of cuisines. The southern end of Church Street features many Chinese restaurants and extends past Westfield to 'Auto Alley', named for the prevalence of car dealerships. Parramatta Town Hall is located in the heart of the city, near Church Street Mall. There are plans for the redevelopment of the Parramatta Civic Centre and street mall. The proposal includes a state of the art culture and art centre and new plaza.
Immediately south of the CBD Church Street is known across Sydney as
Auto Alley for the many car dealerships lining both sides of the street as far as the M4 Motorway.
Parramatta's Woolpack Hotel claims to hold Australia's oldest pub licence (dating to 1796).
Government centre
Since 2000, Parramatta has seen the consolidation of its role as a government centre, with the relocation of agencies such as the New South Wales Police Force Headquarters and the Sydney Water Corporation from Sydney CBD. At the same time, major construction work occurred around the railway station with the expansion of Westfield Shoppingtown, the creation of a new transport interchange and the ongoing development of the Civic Place local government precinct. Numerous private businesses have also relocated their offices to Parramatta.
The western part of the Parramatta CBD is known as the Parramatta Justice Precinct and houses the corporate headquarters of the (NSW) Department of Attorney General and Justice. Other legal offices include the Children's Court of New South Wales and the Sydney West Trial Courts, Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales, Office of Trustee and Guardian (formerly the Office of the Protective Commissioner), NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, as well as a branch of the Family Court. Nearby on Marsden Street is the Parramatta Court House and the Drug Court of New South Wales.
The Garfield Barwick Commonwealth Law Courts Building (named in honor of
Sir Garfield BarwickSir Garfield Edward John Barwick, was the Attorney-General of Australia , Minister for External Affairs and the seventh and longest serving Chief Justice of Australia...
), houses courts of the Federal Magistrates Court and the Family Court of Australia.
Parramatta Gaol is Australia's oldest prison. Located on O'Connell Street, it is now known as the
Parramatta Correctional CentreParramatta Correctional Centre is a medium security short term Remand Centre, Transient Centre and Metropolitan Periodic Detention Centre. It houses unsentenced and sentenced B and C classification male inmates, including Drug Court Sanctions and male periodic detainees...
and functions as a short-term detention centre. The gaol's more infamous guests over the years include
Neddy SmithArthur Stanley "Neddy" Smith is an Australian criminal who has been convicted of rape, armed robbery and murder.Smith has been serving a life sentence since 1989 and is presently imprisoned in Long Bay Correctional Centre after being moved from Lithgow Correctional Centre in New South Wales,...
.
Health Services
A hospital known as The Colonial Hospital was established in Parramatta in 1818. This then became Parramatta District Hospital. Jeffery House was built in the 1940s. With the construction of the near-by
Westmead HospitalWestmead Hospital is a major 975 bed tertiary hospital in Sydney, Australia, opened on 10 November 1978 by the then Premier, Neville Wran, and guest of honour was former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam...
complex public hospital services in Parramatta were reduced but after refurbishment Jeffery House again provides clinical health services.
Near-by, Brislington House has had a long history with health services. It is the oldest colonial building in Parramatta, dating to 1821. It became a doctors residence before being incorporated into the Parramatta Hospital in 1949.
On the northern fringe of Parramatta stands
Cumberland HospitalCumberland Hospital is a public psychiatric hospital located in Westmead, in Sydney's west. Along with Bungarribee House, Blacktown Hospital it serves the mental health needs of Western Sydney. As a public hospital it is part of Sydney West Area Health Service .-History:The site was formally the...
, providing psychiatric health services.
Transport
Parramatta is the major transport hub for western Sydney, servicing trains and buses, as well as having a ferry service.
Trains
Parramatta railway station is a major transport interchange on the
CityRailCityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
network. It is served by the Blue Mountains line, Cumberland line and the
Western lineThe Western Line is part of the CityRail metropolitan rail network in Sydney, and is the suburban section of the Main West line which connects Sydney with the west of New South Wales. It connects the Sydney CBD to the employment centre of Parramatta and the outer western suburbs, terminating at Emu...
. The station was originally opened on 4 July 1860, five years after the first railway line in Sydney was opened in 1855, running from Sydney to Parramatta Junction (now
Granville, New South WalesGranville, is a suburb in western Sydney, Australia. Granville is located west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Parramatta. A small part in the north-west is located in the Local Government Area of the City of Holroyd.South Granville is a...
). It was recently upgraded, with work beginning in late 2003 and the new interchange opening on 19 February 2006. The original station still exists within the over-all structure as part of Platform 4.
Ferry
The Parramatta ferry wharf is at the Charles Street Weir, which divides the tidal saltwater from the freshwater of the upper river, on the eastern boundary of the Central Business District. The wharf is the westernmost destination of the
Sydney FerriesSydney Ferries is an agency of the New South Wales Government Department of Transport, providing ferry services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River in Sydney, Australia....
River Cat ferry service which runs on
Parramatta RiverThe Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
.
Road
Parramatta Road.Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, Australia, connecting the Sydney with Parramatta. It is the eastern-most part of the Great Western Highway. Much of its traffic has been diverted to modern expressways such as the M4 and the City West Link...
has always been an important thoroughfare for Sydney from its earliest days. From Parramatta the major western road for the state is the
Great Western HighwayThe Great Western Highway is a highway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs 210 km from Sydney to Bathurst.Starting as Broadway at the intersection of City Road near the fringe of the Sydney CBD, and becoming Parramatta Road to Parramatta itself, the Great Western Highway heads due west from...
The
M4 Western MotorwayThe M4 Western Motorway,, is a motorway in central Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, running parallel to the Great Western Highway has taken much of the traffic away from these roads, with entrance and exit ramps close to Parramatta.
James Ruse DriveJames Ruse Drive is a main thoroughfare route around Parramatta, in Western Sydney. It stretches from Windsor Road, Northmead in the north to Great Western Highway , Granville in the south. It formed a section of the State route 55...
serves as a partial ring-road circling around the eastern part of Parramatta to join with the Cumberland Highway to the north west of the city.
The main north-south route through Parramatta is Church Street. To the north it becomes
WindsorWindsor is a town in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Windsor is located in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. It sits on the Hawkesbury River, on the north-western outskirts of the Sydney metropolitan area. At the 2006 census, Windsor had a population of...
Road, and to the south it becomes Woodville Road.
Bus
Parramatta is also serviced by a major bus interchange. This includes the North West T-Way to Rouse Hill and the
Liverpool-Parramatta T-wayThe Liverpool-Parramatta T-way is a bus rapid transit line in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. "T-way" is short for rapid bus transitway.- Route and services :...
to Liverpool. Parramatta is also serviced by five high-frequency
metrobusMetrobus is a high frequency, high capacity public transportation network in Sydney that links key employment and growth centres. Metrobuses run every 10 minutes during peak periods, 15 minutes during off-peak weekday periods, and 20 minutes on weekends, with the intention of making timetables...
services which include:
- M52 - Parramatta to City via Victoria Road
- M54 - Parramatta to Macquarie Park via Carlingford and Epping
- M60 - Parramatta to Hornsby via Castle Hill
- M91 - Parramatta to Hurstville via Granville, Bankstown and Peakhurst
- M92 - Parramatta to Sutherland via Lidcombe, Bankstown and Padstow
Parramatta is also serviced by Hillsbus (part of Westbus), Sydney Buses, Busways and, Veolia buses which service other suburbs around Parramatta.
A free bus Route 900 is operated by Parramatta City Council in conjunction with the state government. Route 900 circles Parramatta CBD.
A free bus also links Parramatta Stadium to Parramatta railway station when the
Parramatta EelsThe Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
have a home game.
Places of worship
Church Street takes its name from St John's Cathedral (Anglican), which was built in 1803 and is the oldest church in Parramatta. While the present building is not the first on the site, the towers were built during the time of
Governor MacquarieMajor-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
, and were based on those of the church at
ReculverReculver is a hamlet and coastal resort situated about east of Herne Bay in southeast England. It is a ward of the City of Canterbury district in the county of Kent. Reculver once occupied a strategic location at the western end of the Wantsum Channel, between the Isle of Thanet and the Kent...
, England, at the suggestion of his wife,
ElizabethElizabeth Macquarie was the second wife of Lachlan Macquarie who served as Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821. She played a significant role in the establishment of the colony and is recognised in the naming of numerous Australian landmarks including Mrs Macquarie's Chair, Campbelltown...
. The historic St John's Cemetery is located nearby on O'Connell Street.
St Patrick's Cathedral (Roman Catholic) is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Australia. Construction commenced in 1836, but it wasn't officially complete until 1837. In 1854 a new church was commissioned, although the tower was not completed until 1880, with the spire following in 1883. It was built on the site to meet the needs of a growing congregation. It was destroyed by fire in 1996, with only the stone walls remaining. On 29 November 2003, the new St Patrick's Cathedral was dedicated. The historic St Patricks Cemetery is located in North Parramatta.
The Uniting Church is represented by Leigh Memorial Church.
Parramatta Salvation ArmyThe Salvation Army, Parramatta is a Salvation Army Corps located in the CBD of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the oldest active Salvation Army Corps in Australia. It is the largest of its kind within the Greater-West Division...
is one of the oldest active
Salvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
Corps in Australia.
Parramatta is also home to the Parramatta and Districts Synagogue, which services the Jewish community of western Sydney.
A Buddhist temple is located in Cowper Street, Parramatta.
Parramatta's Mosque is hidden away in an apartment building on Marsden Street, Parrmatta.
The district is served by Hindu temples located on Eleanor St, Rosehill, and a
MuruganMurugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
temple in Mays Hill.
Schools
Public Schools
- Arthur Phillip High School
Arthur Phillip High School is a coeducational public high school in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. The school was established in 1960 in its own right, in buildings which had been used continuously as a school since 1875, and is named for Arthur Phillip, the first governor of the state of...
is the oldest public school in the district (it is in buildings which have been continuously used as a school since 1875), established in 1960 in its own right;
- Parramatta High School
Parramatta High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Parramatta, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Established in 1913, Parramatta High School was the first co-educational school in the Sydney Metropolitan area...
was the first coeducational school in the Sydney Metropolitan area; established in 1913;
- Macarthur Girls High School
Macarthur Girls High School is situated on the Parramatta River next to Parramatta City, New South Wales, Australia. The school was built in 1934 with later additions in 1955 and 1975...
Successor to an earlier school Parramatta Commercial and Household Arts School.;
- St Olivers School;
- Parramatta Public School;
- Parramatta East Public School;
- Parramatta North Public School;
- Parramatta West Public School.
Private Schools
- St Patrick's Primary Parramatta;
- Our Lady of Mercy College
Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta , is a private, Roman Catholic, day school for girls, located in Parramatta, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is adjacent to St...
(OLMC);
- Marist Brothers Parramatta
Parramatta Marist High School is the oldest Catholic school in Australia.Parramatta Marist began as a school established by Father John Therry in 1820, under the direction of Mr George Morley. The school was transferred to the site of the present Cathedral in 1837 and entrusted to the care of the...
, which is the oldest Catholic School in Australia began on the St Patrick Cathedral site before moving to Westmead;
- Our Lady of Lebanon (Maronite school);
- The Kings School, Parramatta
- Redeemer Baptist School
Redeemer Baptist School, commonly known as Redeemer, is a private coeducational school in North Parramatta, Sydney, Australia. It was founded in 1981 to serve the purpose of an educational facility for the church members; however, it later expanded to its Parramatta campus to educate both local and...
– situated on a heritage-listed area – former site of Burnside Orphanage;
- Tara Anglican School for Girls
Tara Anglican School for Girls is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in North Parramatta, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
sister school to Kings.
Tertiary Education
- The University of Western Sydney's
The University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
Parramatta campus occupies the site of the historic Female Orphan School.
Parramatta Park
Parramatta Park is a large park adjacent to Parramatta Stadium. It was formerly the Governor's Domain – land set aside for the Governor to supply his farming needs. As the Governor's Domain the grounds were much larger than the modern Parramatta Park – extending from Parramatta Road to the south… evident by a small gatehouse adjacent to Parramatta High School.
Over time parts of the domain were re-allocated to make way for Parramatta High School, a golf course, the Western (railway) line, Parramatta
RSLThe Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
and Bowling Club, Parramatta Swimming Centre, and Parramatta Stadium.
The park contains Old Government House and thus Parramatta was once the capital of the colony of New South Wales until Governors returned to residing in Sydney in 1846. (Sydney also has a
Governor's Domain adjacent to Government House). Another feature is the natural amphitheatre located on one of the bends of the river, named by Governor Philip as "the Crescent", which is used to stage concerts. Over 120 bird species have been recorded there. It is home to the Dairy Cottage, built from 1798 to 1805, originally a single-room cottage and is one of the earliest surviving cottages in Australia. It was built for ex-convict George Salter. Between 1814 and 1816 it was converted to a dairy. The Tudor Gatehouse, on O'Connell Street, was erected by the Park Trust in 1885 and designed by Gordon McKinnon. It was restored in 1980. The remains of Governor Brisbane's private astronomical observatory, constructed in 1822, are visible. Astronomers who worked at the observatory, discovering thousands of new stars and
deep skyDeep-sky objects are astronomical objects other than individual stars and solar system objects . The classification is used for the most part by amateur astronomers to denote visually observed faint naked eye and telescopic objects such as star clusters, nebulae and galaxies.-Origins and...
objects, include
James DunlopJames Dunlop was an astronomer's assistant who was hired by Sir Thomas Brisbane to work at his private observatory, once located at Paramatta , New South Wales, about twenty-three kilometres west of Sydney, Australia during the 1820s and 1830s...
and
Carl RümkerCarl Ludwig Christian Rümker was a German astronomer. In German, his name is spelt Karl Ludwig Christian Rümker; he was also known as Charles Rümker, Charles Rumker, Charles Luis Rumker, Christian Carl Ludwig Rümker and Dr...
. In 1822, the architect S. L. Harris designed the Bath House for Governor Brisbane and built it in 1823. Water was pumped to the building through lead pipes from the river. In 1886, it was converted into a pavilion.
Lake Parramatta
Lake ParramattaLake Parramatta is the name of both the body of water that is the dammed Hunt Creek, and the nature reserve that surrounds it, in City of Parramatta, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The catchment area for the Lake is bounded by North Rocks Rd, Pennant Hills Rd and Hunt's Creek. Entry to...
is a 10-hectare reserve, based around a former reservoir. The catchment area for the lake is bounded by North Rocks Road, Pennant Hills Road and Hunts Creek. The entrance is from Lackey Street,
North ParramattaNorth Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Parramatta is located 24 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Parramatta...
.
Parramatta RiverThe Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
runs through the suburb in an easterly direction.
Culture
- Riverbeats is an annual celebration of Parramatta River
The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
. The event includes the beautiful Loy Krathong (Thai Water Festival).
- Riverside Theatre
Riverside Theatres is a multi venue performing arts centre located in the CBD of Parramatta in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Regular companies and productions that perform there include:*The Premier State Ballet...
is located on the northern bank of Parramatta RiverThe Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
.
- The Parramatta Advertiser
The Parramatta Advertiser is a weekly regional newspaper which serves the communities of Parramatta, Auburn and Holroyd local government areas. It currently has a circulation of 82,737 and covers local news, sport, council decisions, and community events....
and the Parramatta Sun are the local newspapers serving Parramatta and surrounding suburbs.
- Tourism - Refer Wikitravel http://wikitravel.org/en/Parramatta
Sport
- Parramatta Park is a popular venue for walking, jogging and bike riding.
- The Parramatta Swimming Centre is a busy place in the warmer months. It is currently undergoing a $7 million redevelopment program and has opened after the redevelopment
- Rosehill Gardens Racecourse
The Rosehill Gardens Racecourse is located in the Western Sydney suburb of Rosehill, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is home of the Sydney Turf Club. Rosehill holds horse races for thoroughbred gallopers on a grass surface. It is one of the two premier racecourses in Sydney, the...
hosts some of the most important events on the Australian horse racing calendar, including the prestigious Golden Slipper.
- Parramatta City Raceway hosts national and international sprintcar championships
- Parramatta Stadium
Parramatta Stadium is a sports stadium situated in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.The stadium is used primarily as the home ground of Australian National Rugby League club the Parramatta Eels...
is home to the Parramatta EelsThe Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
rugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team.
Population
According to the 2006
censusA 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...
conducted by the
Australian Bureau of StatisticsThe 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...
, Parramatta had a population of 18,448 with the average age 30, compared to a national average of 37. Place of birth of 57.6% of residents was overseas, including 14.1% from
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and 12.8% from
ChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Apart from English, the most common languages spoken were Mandarin (11%), Cantonese (6.5%),
ArabicArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
(5.5%),
HindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
(5.1%) and
GujaratiGujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
(3.2%). The religious affiliation responses were
CatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
(21.3%),
No ReligionAtheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
(18.3%),
HinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
(13.3%), Anglican (7.4%) and
IslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(6.8%).
The majority of dwellings in Parramatta were apartments (72%), compared to a national average of 14%, and 58% of all dwellings were rented compared to a national average of 27%. The average rent in Parramatta was $230 per week slightly higher than the national average of $190 but then the average weekly wage of $482 was also slightly higher than average ($466).
Notable residents
- Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
(b.1930), cricketer and commentator
- Allan Cunningham
Allan Cunningham was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in New South Wales to collect plants.- Early life :...
(1791–1839), explorer and botanist
- Harry Hopman
Henry Christian Hopman, CBE was a world-acclaimed Australian-American tennis player and coach, born in Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales, and soon moving to Parramatta, a city adjoining Sydney and now effectively a suburb of the metropolis.Hopman was a student at Rosehill Public Primary school...
(1906–1985), tennis player
- David Lennox
David Lennox was a Scottish-Australian bridge-builder and master stonemason born in Ayr, Scotland.-Personal details:...
(1788–1873), colonial bridge builder
- John Lewin
John William Lewin was an English-born artist active in Australia from 1800. The first professional artist of the colony of New South Wales, he illustrated the earliest volumes of Australian natural history.-Early life:...
(1770–1819), first professional artist in New South Wales
- Rev. Samuel Marsden
Samuel Marsden was an English born Anglican cleric and a prominent member of the Church Missionary Society, believed to have introduced Christianity to New Zealand...
(1765–1838), known as the "flogging parson"
- Mary Cover Hassall (1799–1825), Methodist missionary to Tonga Island
- Dowell Philip O'Reilly
Dowell Philip O'Reilly was an Australian poet, short story writer and politician.-Early life:O'Reilly was born at Sydney. His father, Rev. Thomas O'Reilly, was a well known clergyman of the Church of England, who came of a family with many military and naval associations...
(1865–1923), poet and politician
Climate
Parramatta falls in the
humid subtropical climateA humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen climate classification Cfa) with warm to hot, humid summers and mild winters. Rainfall is common throughout the months, but the most wet is February. Parramatta is slightly warmer than Sydney CBD, but in extreme cases it can be 5-10 degrees warmer than Sydney. Rainfall is fairly evenly divided between summer and winter, but is slightly higher during the first three months of the year, when easterly winds dominate.
External links