Strathfield, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Strathfield is an Inner West
suburb
of Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Strathfield is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district
and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield
. A small section of the suburb north of the railway line sits in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay
, while the area east of The Boulevard, sits within the Burwood Council
. North Strathfield
and Strathfield South
are separate suburbs, to the north and south respectively.
started with the Wangle Indigenous Australians
but then involves the first disastrous white settlement at Liberty Plains. After this settlement failed the land became part of the Redmire estate and then was subdivided and sold into lots of land. A house called Stratfield Saye was built and it is from this that the Strathfield area derives its name. In 1887 Strathfield council was formed and after it went through many mergers and threats of amalgamation the Municipality of Strathfield
was formed.
prior to European settlement is limited there is evidence that Indigenous Australians were living in the Sydney Basin
for at least 20,000 years prior to 1788.
wrote to the Duke of Portland in August 1796 complaining that the English settlers had arrived in the colony with high expectations and unfounded reports of government assistance without any real understanding of the level of work they would have to undertake to develop the land. Further, Governor Hunter complained that "the settlers have more than once killed what they received from the Government – every reduction of the ration of animal food occasioned the destruction of what might then have been in their possession." The settlers soon exhausted their own resources and were living on credit. In March 1798 Samuel Marsden
, following a visit to the settlement with D'Arcy Wentworth
, found them in a dire situation. They had run out of "seed wheat" and he wrote that "should a ship arrive with any articles of consumption, they can't raise a single pound in the two districts[ Concord
and ?? areas] ." Most of the settlers eventually moved away from the area. However, Edward Powell returned and successfully established a Halfway Hotel on Parramatta Rd [now site of the Horse & Jockey Hotel]. Assistant surgeon D'Arcy Wentworth settled in what is now the North Homebush
area.
Frank Smith was granted 243 acres (1 km²) of land by Governor Macquarie in 1808 [regranted 1810] following representations from Lord Henden, a relation by marriage of Wilshire. Ownership was transferred in 1824 to ex-convict Samuel Terry. The land became known as the Redmire Estate, which Michael Jones says could either be named after his home town in Yorkshire
or could be named after the "red clay of the Strathfield area". Subdivision of the land commenced in 1867. An early buyer was one-time Mayor of Sydney, Walter Renny who built in 1868 a house they called Stratfieldsaye, possibly after the Duke of Wellington's
mansion near Reading, Berkshire
. It may have also been named after the transport ship of the same name that transported many immigrants – including Sir Henry Parkes – to Australia, though the transport ship was probably also named after the Duke's mansion as it was built soon after his death and was likely named in his honour. A plaque marking the location of Stratfield Saye can be found in the footpath of Strathfield Avenue, marking the approximate location of the original house [though some of the wording on the plaque is incorrect]. According to local historian Cathy Jones, "ownership of [Stratfieldsaye] was transferred several times including to Davidson Nichol, who shortened the name to ‘Strathfield House’, then ‘Strathfield’."
Strathfield was proclaimed on 2 June 1885 by the Governor of NSW, Sir Augustus Loftus
, after residents of the Redmyre area petitioned the New South Wales State government. Residents in parts of Homebush and Druitt Town [now Strathfield South] formed their own unsuccessful counter-petition. It is possible that the region was named Strathfield because the Redmyre land was sold as "Strathfield" land, and the naming was an attempt to avoid the rivalry between Homebush and Redmire. At the time of incorporation the population of the Strathfield municipality was estimated at 600 (thus satisfying the 1867 Municipalities Act's requirement of a minimum of 500 residents in an area before a municipality could be established) and the net revenue was £1,210. The area at that time was only about 1/3 of the size of today's municipality with boundaries at Homebush Crescent and the railway in the north, the Boulevard in the east, Liverpool Road
and the Cooks River in the south and undeveloped land in the west.
Strathfield Municipal Council opened their Council Chambers along the corner of Redmyre and Homebush Roads in October 1887. The building was a reasonably expensive undertaking for the newly formed council. The Council Chambers was designed by architectural firm Sulman and Blackmann, however the design is credited primarily to John Sulman
who was a resident of Strathfield. The Chambers provided limited space for community activities. In 1923, the Strathfield Town Hall was built, designed by architect Harry C. Kent
. Soon after the Council Chambers were opened, however, the council was scandalised when they discovered that the town clerk, Bennett, had embezzled £635, which was at this time, a third of the Council's assets. The clerk refunded the money and was dismissed and evicted from the council cottage he had been living in.
Strathfield Council soon started expanding its boundaries. The Flemington
district was unincorporated and was annexed by Strathfield in 1892 and increased the area of the Strathfield Municipality by about 50%. The council was further divided into three separate wards soon after: the Flemington ward, the Homebush ward and the Strathfield ward. These wards were abolished in 1916. Following the introduction of the Local Government Act in 1919, the Municipality was one of the first to proclaim the major part of its area a residential district by proclamation in 1920. The proclamation excluded any trade, industry, shop, place of amusement, advertisements or residential flats and largely stayed in place until 1969 when the proclamation was suspended by the Strathfield Planning Scheme Ordinance.
. The push to amalgamate the councils into one mega-council was known as The Greater Sydney Movement, and it had many supporters, but just as many opponents. Supporters included Sidney Webb, who visited Sydney in 1898, as well as John Daniel Fitzgerald, who was a journalist, editor, barrister, and politician and who was deeply involved in municipal affairs. When Fitzgerald became the State Minister for Local Government in 1916 he pushed for a bill to create a Greater Sydney area. This was energetically opposed by Strathfield and other local councils who did not wish to be amalgamated. A petition was tabled in parliament in August 1914 opposing such a push. Bills to amalgamate councils were brought raised in parliament in 1912, 1927 and 1931 but each time they failed to gather any support, mainly due to campaigning by most local councils in Sydney.
In May 1947, the Municipality of Homebush voluntarily amalgamated with Strathfield and in January 1949 the west ward of the former Municipality of Enfield was added. As this doubled the population that was managed by Strathfield local council the threats of amalgamation after the Second World War ended subsided. However, in 1974 C. J. Barnett wrote a Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Local Government Areas and Administration in New South Wales and recommended that Strathfield be amalgamated with Ashfield
. In 1983 it was further recommended by the State Boundaries Commission that Strathfield be amalgamated into Burwood. A great deal of uproar greeted this plan and a circus tent was erected for a town meeting in which 2,000 people attended (from a population of 26,000) after the plan was announced. The then Mayor, Clarrie Edwards, spoke at the meeting and after seeing the tremendous opposition to the merger the then New South Wales Premier, Neville Wran
finally decided that a merger would not be in anyone's best interest.
In 1992, a section of the northern part of the Municipality which included parts of Bicentennial Park and the State Sports Centre was transferred to the Auburn Council area, in order that this area (the future Sydney Olympic Park) could be consolidated under one local government area. In return, the area of and between Boundary Creek and the railway line, occupied by the former Ford factory building, was transferred from Auburn Council to Strathfield Council.
stepped down over allegations of corruption. Pictures had been published in The Australian
of him accepting a wad of $100 bills from a developer, Michael Saklawi. However, it was not clear why the money was given to him, though it was alleged that he was talking to Mr Saklawi about the redevelopment of an 800 m2 council-owned carpark. Mr Tsang had previously released a statement that "Councils need to take leadership roles in this area, we simply cannot continue to support unsustainable development, for the sake of our children, grandchildren and the future environment, we need to make changes now." According to the Australian he was heard to have said that "Basically, we get it for nothing," Mr Tsang says. "I am making Strathfield a better place ... I am doing it for the area." Strathfield council soon afterwards released a press statement that it "will not and does not" tolerate misconduct. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is currently investigating whether claims developers were given inside information about land rezoning proposals put to Strathfield Council have any substance and the pictures taken by The Australian were handed to them for further investigation.
According to Anne Davies, who reports for The Sydney Morning Herald
, "behind the Strathfield saga is a ferocious battle among developers for sites. These developers are not from the big end of town; they are locals - many are Lebanese - who regard the inner west as their development playground." She has alleged that more corruption may be revealed as the new year progresses. (Davies, SMH, pg. 4). As the inquiry has progressed, former Mayor John Abi-Saab has also been investigated.
, Federation
, Interwar period
architecture, Californian Bungalow and contemporary periods. In the early 1900s, grand mansions were constructed here as the country homes of wealthy merchants, many of which have been recognised for their historic value. Some examples include 'Bellevue' in Victoria Street and 'Radstoke' in Malvern Crescent, as well as Helikon, built in 1893 and designed by Charles Slayter, which is now listed on the Register of the National Estate. Since the mid 1990s, a construction boom has seen the redevelopment of many of Strathfield’s more modest homes, typically Californian Bungalows built during the 1930s and 1940s. Primarily these have been replaced by modern, multi-million dollar mansions, although Strathfield has retained its wide avenues and most of the extensive natural vegetation. Streets such as Victoria Street, Llandillo Avenue and Kingsland Road predominantly feature older mansions, while Agnes Street, Newton Road and Barker Road are common locations for new homes. Additionally, decreasing land sizes through subdivision has led to an increase in residential densities, reflecting the outward expansion of Sydney's inner city. A large proportion of Strathfield’s population now dwells in apartments with the area immediately surrounding Strathfield railway station dominated by high rise residential towers. Smaller apartment buildings are located in other areas within the suburbs, were mostly built during the 1960s and 1970s. In the last century a number of grand Strathfield homes have become private schools:
contains Strathfield Plaza shopping centre
and a small strip of shops, restaurants, cafes and a Police shopfront. Strathfield railway station is a major interchange
on the CityRail
network and for buses serving the inner west. The M4 Western Motorway
begins at Strathfield and heads west to Parramatta
, Blacktown
and Penrith
. Parramatta Road
links Strathfield east to Burwood
and the Sydney CBD and west to Parramatta
.
(the suburb in which The Easybeats and AC/DC
were formed and cricketing legend Don Bradman was married), Strathfield has made a contribution to Australia's cultural landscape. Strathfield has made an impact on the indie rock
and indie pop
scene, producing bands such as Prince Vlad & the Gargoyle Impalers, The Upbeat
, Lunatic Fringe
, The Mexican Spitfires
and Women of Troy. It has also inspired pop songs
such as The Mexican Spitfires
's song "Rookwood" about Rookwood Cemetery
and the legendary Blitzkrieg punk rock
of Radio Birdman
's classic mid-1970s "Murder City Nights". Indie pop
legend Grant McLennan
of The Go-Betweens
also called Carrington Avenue, Strathfield home for a few years in the 1990s.
Inner West (Sydney)
The Inner West is a general term which is used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia...
suburb
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...
. Strathfield is located 14 kilometres 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...
and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield
Municipality of Strathfield
The Municipality of Strathfield is a Local Government Area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Municipality incorporates the suburbs of Flemington, Homebush, Homebush West, Strathfield South entirely, and shares the following suburbs with other Councils, Belfield, Greenacre, and Strathfield...
. A small section of the suburb north of the railway line sits in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay
City of Canada Bay
The City of Canada Bay is a Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia and located in the metropolitan area of Sydney. The city was formed in December 2000, following the merger of Concord and Drummoyne councils...
, while the area east of The Boulevard, sits within the Burwood Council
Burwood Council
The Municipality of Burwood is a Local Government Area in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.- Suburbs in the local government area :Suburbs serviced by Burwood Council are:* Burwood* Burwood Heights* Enfield...
. North Strathfield
North Strathfield, New South Wales
North Strathfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Strathfield is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay...
and Strathfield South
Strathfield South, New South Wales
Strathfield South is a suburb, in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Strathfield South is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield....
are separate suburbs, to the north and south respectively.
History
The history of the Strathfield area, in New South WalesNew 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...
started with the Wangle Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
but then involves the first disastrous white settlement at Liberty Plains. After this settlement failed the land became part of the Redmire estate and then was subdivided and sold into lots of land. A house called Stratfield Saye was built and it is from this that the Strathfield area derives its name. In 1887 Strathfield council was formed and after it went through many mergers and threats of amalgamation the Municipality of Strathfield
Municipality of Strathfield
The Municipality of Strathfield is a Local Government Area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Municipality incorporates the suburbs of Flemington, Homebush, Homebush West, Strathfield South entirely, and shares the following suburbs with other Councils, Belfield, Greenacre, and Strathfield...
was formed.
Aboriginal history
The Municipality of Strathfield area was once home to the Wangal clan who were part of the Turuwal tribe, whose country was known as Wanne. Although knowledge of life in SydneySydney
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...
prior to European settlement is limited there is evidence that Indigenous Australians were living in the Sydney Basin
Sydney Basin
The Sydney Basin is a sedimentary basin on the east coast of New South Wales, Australia consisting of Permian and Triassic sedimentary rocks...
for at least 20,000 years prior to 1788.
European settlement in "Liberty Plains"
European settlement began in 1793 when the first free settlers were granted land to establish farms in the area then known as "Liberty Plains". Eventually there were 63 settler farmers in the area, however they were largely unsuccessful in their efforts. Governor HunterJohn Hunter (New South Wales)
Vice-Admiral John Hunter, RN was a British naval officer, explorer, naturalist and colonial administrator who succeeded Arthur Phillip as the second governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1795 to 1800.-Overview:...
wrote to the Duke of Portland in August 1796 complaining that the English settlers had arrived in the colony with high expectations and unfounded reports of government assistance without any real understanding of the level of work they would have to undertake to develop the land. Further, Governor Hunter complained that "the settlers have more than once killed what they received from the Government – every reduction of the ration of animal food occasioned the destruction of what might then have been in their possession." The settlers soon exhausted their own resources and were living on credit. In March 1798 Samuel Marsden
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...
, following a visit to the settlement with D'Arcy Wentworth
D'Arcy Wentworth
D'Arcy Wentworth was born in Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland and emigrated to Australia as an assistant surgeon to then-new colony of Sydney.- Emigration to Australia :...
, found them in a dire situation. They had run out of "seed wheat" and he wrote that "should a ship arrive with any articles of consumption, they can't raise a single pound in the two districts
Concord, New South Wales
Concord is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay....
and ?? areas
Homebush, New South Wales
Homebush is an inner western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Homebush is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield. Homebush West and Homebush Bay are separate suburbs...
area.
Birth of Strathfield
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
or could be named after the "red clay of the Strathfield area". Subdivision of the land commenced in 1867. An early buyer was one-time Mayor of Sydney, Walter Renny who built in 1868 a house they called Stratfieldsaye, possibly after the Duke of Wellington's
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
mansion near Reading, Berkshire
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
. It may have also been named after the transport ship of the same name that transported many immigrants – including Sir Henry Parkes – to Australia, though the transport ship was probably also named after the Duke's mansion as it was built soon after his death and was likely named in his honour. A plaque marking the location of Stratfield Saye can be found in the footpath of Strathfield Avenue, marking the approximate location of the original house [though some of the wording on the plaque is incorrect]. According to local historian Cathy Jones, "ownership of [Stratfieldsaye] was transferred several times including to Davidson Nichol, who shortened the name to ‘Strathfield House’, then ‘Strathfield’."
Augustus Loftus
Lord Augustus William Frederick Spencer Loftus GCB, PC was a British diplomat and colonial administrator.Loftus was the fourth son of John Loftus, 2nd Marquess of Ely...
, after residents of the Redmyre area petitioned the New South Wales State government. Residents in parts of Homebush and Druitt Town [now Strathfield South] formed their own unsuccessful counter-petition. It is possible that the region was named Strathfield because the Redmyre land was sold as "Strathfield" land, and the naming was an attempt to avoid the rivalry between Homebush and Redmire. At the time of incorporation the population of the Strathfield municipality was estimated at 600 (thus satisfying the 1867 Municipalities Act's requirement of a minimum of 500 residents in an area before a municipality could be established) and the net revenue was £1,210. The area at that time was only about 1/3 of the size of today's municipality with boundaries at Homebush Crescent and the railway in the north, the Boulevard in the east, Liverpool Road
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
and the Cooks River in the south and undeveloped land in the west.
Strathfield Council
John Sulman
Sir John Sulman was an Australian architect. Born in Greenwich, England, he emigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1885. From 1921 to 1924 he was chairman of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee and influenced the development of Canberra.-Early life:Sulman was born in was born at Greenwich, England...
who was a resident of Strathfield. The Chambers provided limited space for community activities. In 1923, the Strathfield Town Hall was built, designed by architect Harry C. Kent
Kent Budden & Greenwell
Kent Budden & Greenwell was an Australian architectural practice working in Sydney, New South Wales from 1913 until 1919. The partners were Harry Kent, Henry Budden and Carlyle Greenwell. -History:...
. Soon after the Council Chambers were opened, however, the council was scandalised when they discovered that the town clerk, Bennett, had embezzled £635, which was at this time, a third of the Council's assets. The clerk refunded the money and was dismissed and evicted from the council cottage he had been living in.
Strathfield Council soon started expanding its boundaries. The Flemington
Flemington, New South Wales
Flemington is an inner western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Flemington is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield.-Commercial area:...
district was unincorporated and was annexed by Strathfield in 1892 and increased the area of the Strathfield Municipality by about 50%. The council was further divided into three separate wards soon after: the Flemington ward, the Homebush ward and the Strathfield ward. These wards were abolished in 1916. Following the introduction of the Local Government Act in 1919, the Municipality was one of the first to proclaim the major part of its area a residential district by proclamation in 1920. The proclamation excluded any trade, industry, shop, place of amusement, advertisements or residential flats and largely stayed in place until 1969 when the proclamation was suspended by the Strathfield Planning Scheme Ordinance.
Amalgamations
In 1898, Strathfield council was threatened by a forced amalgamation into a greater Sydney council. Heading the push was Strathfield Alderman George Christie who outlined the scheme in his pamphlet "The Unification of the Municipal Council of Sydney and its Suburbs". Christie felt that local councils operated under severe limitations that constrained their own management and growth, as well as self-determination and proposed that 41 municipal councils be merged into the City of SydneyCity of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
. The push to amalgamate the councils into one mega-council was known as The Greater Sydney Movement, and it had many supporters, but just as many opponents. Supporters included Sidney Webb, who visited Sydney in 1898, as well as John Daniel Fitzgerald, who was a journalist, editor, barrister, and politician and who was deeply involved in municipal affairs. When Fitzgerald became the State Minister for Local Government in 1916 he pushed for a bill to create a Greater Sydney area. This was energetically opposed by Strathfield and other local councils who did not wish to be amalgamated. A petition was tabled in parliament in August 1914 opposing such a push. Bills to amalgamate councils were brought raised in parliament in 1912, 1927 and 1931 but each time they failed to gather any support, mainly due to campaigning by most local councils in Sydney.
In May 1947, the Municipality of Homebush voluntarily amalgamated with Strathfield and in January 1949 the west ward of the former Municipality of Enfield was added. As this doubled the population that was managed by Strathfield local council the threats of amalgamation after the Second World War ended subsided. However, in 1974 C. J. Barnett wrote a Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Local Government Areas and Administration in New South Wales and recommended that Strathfield be amalgamated with Ashfield
Municipality of Ashfield
The Municipality of Ashfield is a Local Government Area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It lies approximately 10 kilometres west of the central business district.- Demographics :According to the , there:...
. In 1983 it was further recommended by the State Boundaries Commission that Strathfield be amalgamated into Burwood. A great deal of uproar greeted this plan and a circus tent was erected for a town meeting in which 2,000 people attended (from a population of 26,000) after the plan was announced. The then Mayor, Clarrie Edwards, spoke at the meeting and after seeing the tremendous opposition to the merger the then New South Wales Premier, Neville Wran
Neville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
finally decided that a merger would not be in anyone's best interest.
In 1992, a section of the northern part of the Municipality which included parts of Bicentennial Park and the State Sports Centre was transferred to the Auburn Council area, in order that this area (the future Sydney Olympic Park) could be consolidated under one local government area. In return, the area of and between Boundary Creek and the railway line, occupied by the former Ford factory building, was transferred from Auburn Council to Strathfield Council.
Alleged corruption
On 20 December 2004, Strathfield council's mayor, Alfred TsangAlfred Tsang
Alfred Tsang was the former mayor of the Municipality of Strathfield in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.- Early career :Tsang was formerly a staff at IBM, and also ran his own chain of restaurants known as "I love sushi". After Tsang became leader of the Unity Party, he was elected to...
stepped down over allegations of corruption. Pictures had been published in The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
of him accepting a wad of $100 bills from a developer, Michael Saklawi. However, it was not clear why the money was given to him, though it was alleged that he was talking to Mr Saklawi about the redevelopment of an 800 m2 council-owned carpark. Mr Tsang had previously released a statement that "Councils need to take leadership roles in this area, we simply cannot continue to support unsustainable development, for the sake of our children, grandchildren and the future environment, we need to make changes now." According to the Australian he was heard to have said that "Basically, we get it for nothing," Mr Tsang says. "I am making Strathfield a better place ... I am doing it for the area." Strathfield council soon afterwards released a press statement that it "will not and does not" tolerate misconduct. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is currently investigating whether claims developers were given inside information about land rezoning proposals put to Strathfield Council have any substance and the pictures taken by The Australian were handed to them for further investigation.
According to Anne Davies, who reports for The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
, "behind the Strathfield saga is a ferocious battle among developers for sites. These developers are not from the big end of town; they are locals - many are Lebanese - who regard the inner west as their development playground." She has alleged that more corruption may be revealed as the new year progresses. (Davies, SMH, pg. 4). As the inquiry has progressed, former Mayor John Abi-Saab has also been investigated.
Independent schools
- St Patrick's CollegeSt Patrick's College, StrathfieldSt Patrick's College is an independent, Roman Catholic, day school for boys, located in Strathfield in the inner west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
is an independent, day school for boys. Founded as a Christian Brothers school in the tradition of Edmund RiceEdmund Ignatius RiceBlessed Edmund Ignatius Rice , was a Roman Catholic missionary and educationalist. Edmund was the founder of two orders of religious brothers: the Congregation of Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers....
in 1928, the collegeCollegeA college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
currently caters for approximately 1430 students from Years 5 to 12. - Santa Sabina CollegeSanta Sabina CollegeSanta Sabina College, is a Roman Catholic, Dominican, day school for girls K-12 and boys K-4, located in Strathfield, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
is a Roman Catholic, DominicanDominican OrderThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, day school for girls K-12 and boys K-4. The primary school is known as Santa Maria Del Monte. Established in 1894, Santa Sabina has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1,400 students, with co-education from Kindergarten to Year 4, and girls only from Years 5 to 12. The CollegeCollegeA college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
is a school of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. - Meriden Anglican School for Girls is an independentIndependent schoolAn independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, AnglicanAnglican Church of AustraliaThe Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
, day schoolDay schoolA day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
for girls. Founded in 1897 by Mrs Jane Monckton, the schoolSchoolA school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 850 students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12. - Sydney Adventist CollegeSydney Adventist CollegeSydney Adventist College is an independent, co-educational, Seventh-day Adventist, day school, located in Strathfield, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
is an independent, co-educational, Seventh-day Adventist, day school is colloquially known as SAC or Sydney Adventist. Established in 1919 at Burwood, Sydney Adventist College is open to students from all religious and cultural backgrounds. - Trinity Grammar School Preparatory SchoolTrinity Grammar School Preparatory SchoolTrinity Grammar School Preparatory School is a campus of Trinity Grammar School, which is used for the education of students from Pre-Kindergarten through to Year 6. While they serve to educate the same age group of boys, this is separate from Trinity Grammar School Junior School, which is found in...
campus is on The Boulevarde and has classes from Pre-KindergartenKindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to Year 6. - St Martha's Primary School
State schools
- Strathfield Girls High with classes from (7-12) opened as Homebush Intermediate High School, founded in 1926. In 1953, it was established as Strathfield Girls High School, and became a languages high school (due to the rich cultural diversity and backgrounds of its students) in 1990. Over 85% of its students are from non-English speaking backgrounds.
- Strathfield South High School - Co-educational secondary school for years 7-12.
- Homebush Boys High with classes from (7-12) is one of the academically best-performing comprehensive schools, and has, in the past, been ranked above selective schools on the Higher School Certificate results.
- Chalmers Road Public School (state government primary school)
Tertiary institutions
- A campus of the Australian Catholic UniversityAustralian Catholic UniversityAustralian Catholic University is a national public university. It has six campuses and offers programs in five faculties throughout Australia.-History:...
, the former home of the Christian BrothersCongregation of Christian BrothersThe Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
novitiateNovitiateNovitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
and Catholic Teachers' College. - The Catholic Institute of Sydney, where priests for the Archdiocese of SydneyRoman Catholic Archdiocese of SydneyThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Erected in 1842 and directly responsible to the Holy See, the Archdiocese is responsible for the suffragan dioceses of Armidale, Bathurst, Broken Bay, Lismore,...
, and other theologians and ministers, are trained, is located on the site of the old Australia PostAustralia PostAustralia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
training centre.
Churches
- Carrington Avenue Uniting Church
- St Anne's Anglican Church
- St David's Presbyterian Church
- St Martha's Catholic Church
- Sts Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Cathedral
- Ukrainian Autocephalic Orthodox Church of the Protection of the Theotokos
- Strathfield Korean Uniting Church
- Sydney Chinese Seventh-day Adventist Church
- Trinity Uniting Church
Residential landscape
Strathfield’s residential landscape is extremely varied, ranging from country-style estates to high-rise apartments. Many styles of architecture have been employed over past decades, with dwellings having been constructed in VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
, Federation
Federation architecture
Federation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
, Interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
architecture, Californian Bungalow and contemporary periods. In the early 1900s, grand mansions were constructed here as the country homes of wealthy merchants, many of which have been recognised for their historic value. Some examples include 'Bellevue' in Victoria Street and 'Radstoke' in Malvern Crescent, as well as Helikon, built in 1893 and designed by Charles Slayter, which is now listed on the Register of the National Estate. Since the mid 1990s, a construction boom has seen the redevelopment of many of Strathfield’s more modest homes, typically Californian Bungalows built during the 1930s and 1940s. Primarily these have been replaced by modern, multi-million dollar mansions, although Strathfield has retained its wide avenues and most of the extensive natural vegetation. Streets such as Victoria Street, Llandillo Avenue and Kingsland Road predominantly feature older mansions, while Agnes Street, Newton Road and Barker Road are common locations for new homes. Additionally, decreasing land sizes through subdivision has led to an increase in residential densities, reflecting the outward expansion of Sydney's inner city. A large proportion of Strathfield’s population now dwells in apartments with the area immediately surrounding Strathfield railway station dominated by high rise residential towers. Smaller apartment buildings are located in other areas within the suburbs, were mostly built during the 1960s and 1970s. In the last century a number of grand Strathfield homes have become private schools:
- Holyrood - Santa Sabina
- Brunyarra - Santa Maria Del Monte
- Lauriston - Santa Maria Del Monte
- Llandilo - Trinity Grammar School
- Somerset - Trinity Grammar School
- Milverton - Trinity Grammar School
- Lingwood - Meriden School
Commercial area and transport
Strathfield is known as a regional centre for education and Strathfield railway station is a major transport hub. Strathfield town centreTown centre
The town centre is the term used to refer to the commercial or geographical centre or core area of a town.Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping or retail. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train or bus stations...
contains Strathfield Plaza shopping centre
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
and a small strip of shops, restaurants, cafes and a Police shopfront. Strathfield railway station is a major interchange
Interchange station
An interchange station or a transfer station is a train station for more than one railway route in a public transport system, and allows passengers to change from one route to another. Transfer may occur within the same mode, or between rail modes, or to buses...
on the CityRail
CityRail
CityRail 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 and for buses serving the inner west. The M4 Western Motorway
M4 Western Motorway
The M4 Western Motorway,, is a motorway in central Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
begins at Strathfield and heads west to Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, Blacktown
Blacktown, New South Wales
Blacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of City of Blacktown.Blacktown is the largest...
and Penrith
Penrith, New South Wales
Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
. Parramatta 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...
links Strathfield east to Burwood
Burwood, New South Wales
Burwood is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Burwood is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of Burwood Council....
and the Sydney CBD and west to Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
.
Demographics
According to the 2006 census, Strathfield had a total population of 20,482 people. It has become one of the most culturally diverse suburbs in Sydney, particularly so in the high-density housing regions around Strathfield railway station. Overall 51.5% of people were born overseas, with migrants born in South Korea (8.6%), China (8%), India (7.8%), Hong Kong (2.6%) and Sri Lanka (2.4%). Of residents born in Australia, only 22% have Australian parents. Overall, common ancestries (by country of birth parents) include China (18%), UK (8.3%), India (8.2%), Italy (5.6%), Lebanon (4.8%), Ireland (4.6%) and Greece (2.7%).Entrepreneurs and Business
- A J Bush, founder of Bushs' Meats
- Stafford BullenStafford BullenStafford Bullen was a circus proprietor and co-founder of the African Lion Safari, Warragamba....
(1925-2001), circus proprietor and co-founder of the African Lion SafariAfrican Lion Safari (Warragamba)The African Lion Safari was a wildlife park that Stafford Bullen opened in 1968. It operated near Warragamba on the outskirts of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia until 1991.There was a dolphinarium in African Lion Safari.-History:...
, Warragamba and, Bullen's Animal WorldBullen's Animal WorldBullen's Animal World was a circus style theme park located at Wallacia on the outskirts of Sydney. Its address was 11 Park Road, Wallacia.It was opened in 1969 by Stafford Bullen, the son of circus founder Alfred Percival Bullen, and operated until 1985...
.
Bureaucracy, politics and the law
- Prime Minister George ReidGeorge Reid (Australian politician)Sir George Houstoun Reid, GCB, GCMG, KC was an Australian politician, Premier of New South Wales and the fourth Prime Minister of Australia....
- Prime Minister Billy HughesBilly HughesWilliam Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
- Prime Minister Frank FordeFrank FordeFrancis Michael Forde PC was an Australian politician and the 15th Prime Minister of Australia. He was the shortest serving Prime Minister in Australia's history, being in office for only eight days.-Early life:...
- Prime Ministers wife Lady McMahonSonia McMahonSonia McMahon, known from 1977 as Lady McMahon , was the wife of Sir William McMahon, Prime Minister of Australia, and a philanthropist and Sydney socialite.-Biography:...
(was born in Strathfield). - NSW Premier James McGirrJames McGirrJames McGirr was the Labor Premier of New South Wales from 6 February 1947 to 3 April 1952.A Catholic, McGirr was the seventh son of John Patrick McGirr, farmer and Irish immigrant, and Mary McGirr, whose maiden name was O'Sullivan. Born in Parkes, New South Wales, he grew up on a dairy farm near...
Sports and Entertainment
- Test cricketer Bob SimpsonBob Simpson (cricketer)Robert Baddeley Simpson AO is a former cricketer who played for New South Wales, Western Australia and Australia, captaining the national team from 1963–64 until 1967–68, and again in 1977–78. He later had a highly successful term as the coach of the Australian team...
- Test cricketer Alan DavidsonAlan Davidson (cricketer)Alan Keith Davidson, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer of the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all rounder: a hard-hitting lower-order left-handed batsman, and an outstanding left-arm fast-medium opening bowler...
) - The Bee GeesBee GeesThe Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
(who lived in Redmyre Road)
Authors
- Author/physicist F. J. DuarteF. J. DuarteF. J. Duarte is a laser physicist and author/editor of several well-known books on tunable lasers. He introduced the generalized multiple-prism dispersion theory and has discovered various multiple-prism grating oscillator laser configurations...
(who lived in Leicester Avenue) - The Reverend Professor Hubert Cunliffe-JonesHubert Cunliffe-JonesThe Reverend Professor Hubert Cunliffe-Jones was an Australian-born Congregational church minister and author, who became Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales and a Professor at the University of Manchester. He was an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from the University of Edinburgh...
Culture
Whilst perhaps not boasting the significant cultural contributions of neighbouring BurwoodBurwood, New South Wales
Burwood is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Burwood is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of Burwood Council....
(the suburb in which The Easybeats and AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
were formed and cricketing legend Don Bradman was married), Strathfield has made a contribution to Australia's cultural landscape. Strathfield has made an impact on the indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
and indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
scene, producing bands such as Prince Vlad & the Gargoyle Impalers, The Upbeat
The Upbeat
The Upbeat was formed in 1985, in the small beach-side community of Carpinteria, CA. Heavily influenced by the 2 Tone Ska of the late 70s and early 80s, the group was formed by rhythm guitar player, Eric "Scaric" Vallen, bass guitar player Brandon "Hossinn" Seider, lead singer Mike "Oreo"...
, Lunatic Fringe
Lunatic Fringe
Lunatic fringe is a term used to characterize members of a usually political or social movement espousing extreme, eccentric, or fanatical views. It was coined by the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt , to describe some American anarchists, especially those who engaged in...
, The Mexican Spitfires
The Mexican Spitfires
The Mexican Spitfires were a Sydney, Australia-based indie rock–indie pop band formed in suburban Strathfield in the Strathfield Municipality in the mid 1980s...
and Women of Troy. It has also inspired pop songs
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
such as The Mexican Spitfires
The Mexican Spitfires
The Mexican Spitfires were a Sydney, Australia-based indie rock–indie pop band formed in suburban Strathfield in the Strathfield Municipality in the mid 1980s...
's song "Rookwood" about Rookwood Cemetery
Rookwood Cemetery
Rookwood Cemetery is the largest multicultural necropolis in the Southern Hemisphere, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and the legendary Blitzkrieg punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
of Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman was one of the first punk bands in Australia along with The Saints. Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed the group in Sydney, Australia in 1974...
's classic mid-1970s "Murder City Nights". Indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
legend Grant McLennan
Grant McLennan
Grant William McLennan was an Australian singer-songwriter with the alternative rock band The Go-Betweens, which he co-founded with Robert Forster in Brisbane, Australia in 1977...
of The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Australia in 1977 by singer-songwriters and guitarists, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. They were later joined by Lindy Morrison on drums, Robert Vickers on bass guitar and Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, and backing vocals,...
also called Carrington Avenue, Strathfield home for a few years in the 1990s.
Climate
See also
- List of Mayors of the Municipality of Strathfield
- History of New South WalesHistory of New South WalesThe history of New South Wales refers to the history of the Australian State of New South Wales and its preceding Indigenous and British colonial societies. The Mungo Lake remains indicate occupation of New South Wales by Aboriginal Australians for at least 40,000 years...
External links
- http://www.strathfieldheritage.org