![But-har-gra, Croydon Park](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/But-har-gra%2C_Croydon_Park.jpg)
Croydon Park is a
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
in the
Inner West
The Inner West of Sydney is an area directly west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. The suburbs that make up the Inner West are predominantly located along the southern shore of Port Jackson (Parramatta River) ...
of
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, in the state of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Croydon Park is 10 kilometres south-west of the
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main Central business district, commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or c ...
and is divided between the
local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
s of the
City of Canterbury-Bankstown
The City of Canterbury Bankstown (also known as Canterbury-Bankstown Council) is a local government, local government area located in the South Western Sydney, South Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The council was formed on ...
,
Municipality of Burwood
The Municipality of Burwood (also known as Burwood Council) is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the Inner West (Sydney), inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Mayor of the Municipality is ...
and
Inner West Council
Inner West Council is a local government area located in the inner western region of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The council makes up the eastern part of this wider region, and was formed on 12 May 2016 from the merger o ...
.
Croydon
Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...
is a separate suburb, to the north.
Croydon Park has a commercial shopping strip along Georges River Road and is in proximity to larger shopping and town centres of
Burwood,
Ashfield and
Campsie. Croydon Park is relatively large compared to neighbouring suburbs. It is largely residential, but has a commercial strip along Georges River Road, a local arterial that runs through the centre of the suburb.
History
Croydon Park was originally part of the territory of the
Darug
The Dharug or Darug people, formerly known as the Broken Bay tribe, are an Aboriginal Australian people, who share strong ties of kinship and, in pre-colonial times, lived as skilled hunters in family groups or clans, scattered throughout much ...
tribe which occupied much of Sydney. More specifically, it was probably home to the Wangal clan (based around Concord) but may also have been home to the Cadigal (Sydney) or Bideagal (Botany Bay) clans. There were
midden
A midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap) is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofact ...
s along the
Cooks River
The Cooks River, a semi-mature tide-dominated drowned valley estuary, is a tributary of Botany Bay, located in south-eastern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The course of the long urban waterway has been altered to accommodate various deve ...
where the indigenous people camped. These were destroyed by early British settlers to make lime for mortar in buildings.
A portion of the former Brighton Farm located between Georges River Road and the Cooks River was purchased by
Henry Parkes
Sir Henry Parkes, (27 May 1815 – 27 April 1896) was a colonial Australian politician and longest non-consecutive Premier of the Colony of New South Wales, the present-day state of New South Wales in the Commonwealth of Australia. He has ...
and was subdivided and sold by auction at the Temperance Hall, Pitt Street on Saturday, 29 September 1877. Henry Parkes renamed this subdivision as Croydon Park to differentiate it from the larger suburb of Croydon to the north.
In 1878 and 1880, following the building of a railway station at
Croydon
Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...
to the north, two large subdivisions of land were undertaken using the name Croydon Park. These constituted the entire area of the current suburb. A piece of flood-prone land at the junction of Croydon Avenue and the Cooks River was reserved as a public park. Given the name Croydon Park, it was the first reserve in the
City of Canterbury
The City of Canterbury () is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. As well as Canterbury itself, the district extends north to the coastal towns of Whistable and Herne Bay.
History
The district was formed on 1 April 1 ...
. Early settlers included many people involved in the building trade and Chinese market gardeners.
A primary school was established in 1886 to cater for the increasing number of children in the area. Mains water was connected in 1889 and sewerage in the 1910s. The Parents and Citizens Association at the public school believed that residents were rather left out of regular postal deliveries and a petition was prepared for their member of parliament asking for a Croydon Park post office to be opened in the area. They were successful in 1914 and the surrounding neighbourhood became a separate suburb.
Circa 1890, the mansion ''But-har-gra'' (formerly ''Mandama'') was built on Georges River Road. A substantial two-storey house of brick, it combines
Italianate
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...
and
Federation
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
elements. Gifted to the Church of England in 1934 by the Button Family, it is currently used as residential accommodation for students of
Moore Theological College
Moore Theological College, otherwise known simply as Moore College, is the theological training seminary of the Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia. The president of the Moore Theological College Council is ''ex officio'' t ...
and is heritage-listed.
![Enfield tram depot late 1940's](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Enfield_tram_depot_late_1940%27s.jpg)
Between 1891 and 1948, Croydon Park was served by a tram line centred around a depot in Tangarra Street. The line began as a steam tramway, opened in 1891, between
Ashfield Station and Enfield. In 1901, this line was extended north via Liverpool Road and Burwood Road through Burwood to
Mortlake
Mortlake is a suburban district of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes. Historically it was part of Surrey and until 1965 was in the Municipal Borough of Barnes. For many centu ...
, and in 1909 a branch to
Cabarita Park was opened. The system was electrified in 1912. The line was never connected to any of the other tram lines in Sydney, although its eastern terminus, at Ashfield station, was only one station away (on the main suburban railway line) from the nearest tram terminus at Summer Hill station.
Commercial area
Croydon Park has a commercial strip along Georges River Road, which cuts through the centre of the suburb, as well as some other commercial enterprises in other parts of the suburb. Shops in the suburb include Australia Post, Cafeteria Espresso, Saba Hair Design, Pure Gelato, Maranello's Veloce Italian Pizzeria, Renee's Pizzeria, Samir Abla Pastry, ANAR Lebanese Charcoal Chicken, Little Thailand,
Domino's
Domino's Pizza, Inc., trading as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware General Corporation Law, Delaware domiciled and headquartered at the Domino ...
, McDonald's, Subway, TAB, IGA Supermarket, Croydon Park Chinese Restaurant, Croydon Park Petroleum, Croydon Park Hotel, OzAboriginal Gallery. The Enfield branch of Flower Power Garden Centre, and a Whole Farms Market produce store, are also located in Croydon Park.
Transport
There is no
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
station at Croydon Park, but it is well serviced by
bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
es to neighbouring stations at , and
* 413 is the most significant service connecting to both the Sydney CBD and Campsie.
* 420 is a major orbital bus route travelling from
Westfield Burwood
Westfield Burwood is a large shopping centre in the suburb of Burwood in the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Transport
The Northern and Inner West & Leppington Line offer frequent train services to Burwood station which ...
to
Westfield Eastgardens
Westfield Eastgardens is a large shopping centre in the suburb of Eastgardens in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.
Transport
Westfield Eastgardens has bus connections to the Sydney CBD, Eastern Suburbs, Inner City and Inner West, as well ...
via Croydon Park, Campsie, Rockdale and
Sydney Airport
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (colloquially Mascot Airport, Kingsford Smith Airport, or Sydney Airport; ; ) is an international airport in Sydney, Australia, located 8 km (5 mi) south of the Sydney central business district, in the ...
.
* 420N
Westfield Burwood
Westfield Burwood is a large shopping centre in the suburb of Burwood in the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Transport
The Northern and Inner West & Leppington Line offer frequent train services to Burwood station which ...
to
Westfield Eastgardens
Westfield Eastgardens is a large shopping centre in the suburb of Eastgardens in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.
Transport
Westfield Eastgardens has bus connections to the Sydney CBD, Eastern Suburbs, Inner City and Inner West, as well ...
Night service.
* 464 Ashfield to Mortlake via Croydon Park and Burwood
* 466 Ashfield to Cabarita via Croydon Park and Burwood
* 490 Drummoyne to Hurstville via Burwood, Croydon Park and Campsie
* 492 Drummoyne to Rockdale via Burwood, Croydon Park and Campsie
* 410 Hurstville to Macquarie Park via Croydon Park and Burwood
There is also a
cycleway
Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except w ...
along the Cooks River connecting Olympic Park at
Homebush
Homebush is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local government area of the Municipali ...
with
Botany Bay
Botany Bay (Dharawal: ''Kamay''), an open oceanic embayment, is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point and the Cook ...
.
Schools
There are two primary schools in Croydon Park: Croydon Park Public School and St Francis Xavier's Catholic School.
Parks
Croydon Park, commonly mistaken for Croydon, boasts numerous parks and parklands, particularly close to the
Cooks River
The Cooks River, a semi-mature tide-dominated drowned valley estuary, is a tributary of Botany Bay, located in south-eastern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The course of the long urban waterway has been altered to accommodate various deve ...
. Picken Oval is home to the Western Suburbs Magpies Australian Rules team. Lees Park is a homeground of Canterbury Junior Soccer Association and tennis courts. Other parks and reserves include Flockhart Park, Jackson Park, Rosedale Reserve and Croydon Park.
Population
Demographics
According to the
2016 census, Croydon Park had a population of 11,012. In Croydon Park, 56.0% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were China 6.5%, Italy 4.7%, Lebanon 2.9%, India 1.7% and Korea, Republic of (South) 1.7%. The most common ancestries were Italian 13.5%, Australian 12.4%, English 11.7%, Chinese 10.4% and Irish 6.5%. 53.5% of residents spoke a language other than English at home, with the top languages being Italian 8.5%, Arabic 6.6%, Mandarin 6.2%, Cantonese 4.4% and Greek 3.5%. The most common responses for religion in Croydon Park in the 2016 Census were Catholic 39.8%, No Religion 20.2%, Not stated 7.5%, Eastern Orthodox 7.0% and Anglican 6.7%.
Notable residents
* Frederick Frost (1891–1971): twice awarded the
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
* Clifford Hay (1878–1949): chief public servant to seven NSW premiers starting with
William Holman
William Arthur Holman (4 August 1871 – 5 June 1934) was an Australian politician who served as Premier of New South Wales from 1913 to 1920. He came to office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch), Labor Party, ...
in 1916.
*
Brett Holman
Brett Trevor Holman (born 27 March 1984) is a former Australian professional footballer who last played for Brisbane Roar in the A-League as an attacking midfielder.
Born in Sydney, Holman played youth football for Northern Spirit before maki ...
(1984–): Australian international soccer player who grew up in Croydon Park.
*
Jack Mundey
John Bernard "Jack" Mundey (17 October 1929 – 10 May 2020) was an Australian communist, union and environmental activist. He came to prominence during the 1970s for leading the New South Wales Builders' Labourers Federation (BLF) in the fa ...
(1929–2020): union and environmental activist.
*
Edward Pierson Ramsay
Edward Pierson Ramsay FRSEFLS LLD (3 December 1842 – 16 December 1916) was an Australian zoologist who specialised in ornithology.
Early life
Ramsay was born in Dobroyd Estate, Long Cove, Sydney, and educated at St Mark's Collegiate School, Th ...
(1842–1916): curator of the
Australian Museum
The Australian Museum is a heritage-listed museum at 1 William Street, Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. It is the oldest museum in Australia,Design 5, 2016, p.1 and the fifth oldest natural history museum in the ...
from 1874 to 1894.
*
Grahame Thomas
Grahame Thomas (born 21 March 1938, in Croydon Park, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer who played in eight Tests in 1965 and 1966.
After several seasons in which he established a reputation as a hard-hitting batsman for New So ...
(1938–): Australian Test cricketer.
*
Nikki Webster
Nicole Marie Webster (born 30 April 1987) is an Australian pop singer. She is best known for her role in performing at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics opening ceremony and her song " Strawberry Kisses", which made number 21 on the list of Top ...
(1987–): Pop singer and performer at the
2000 Sydney Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...
opening ceremony.
*
Barbara Holborow
Barbara Anne Holborow ( Edmonds, 29 June 1930 – 23 May 2012) was an Australian magistrate in the New South Wales Children's Court.
Biography
Holborow was born on 29 June 1930 to William Edmonds, a painter and decorator, and Elsie () Dunlop ...
(1930–2012): NSW Children's Court magistrate. Advocate for children's rights.
Politics
Croydon Park is divided between three local government areas and as a result is frequently divided between different state and federal electorates as well. Since the 2010 federal election, it has been wholly within the
division of Watson
The Division of Watson is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales.
Watson is an urban electorate and extends from the Hume Highway, Canterbury Road and the M5 as far west as Stacey Street and Joseph Street in Sydne ...
,
represented by
Tony Burke
Anthony Stephen Burke (born 4 November 1969) is an Australian politician serving as Leader of the House, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for the Arts since 2022. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP ...
. The whole suburb is currently within the state
electoral district of Strathfield
Strathfield is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was previously represented by Jodi McKay of the Labor Party until her resignation in 2021. Jason Yat-Sen Li won the by-election on ...
, represented by
Jodi McKay
Jodi Leyanne McKay (born 16 August 1969) is a former Australian politician who was the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of New South Wales from June 2019 until May 2021. She previously served as a member of the New South Wales Legislat ...
since 2015.
References
{{City of Canterbury-Bankstown topics, state=collapsed
Suburbs of Sydney
Populated places established in 1914
1914 establishments in Australia
Inner West
City of Canterbury-Bankstown
Municipality of Burwood
Inner West Council