Greystanes 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
Greater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney (GWS) is a large region of the metropolitan area of Greater Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia that generally embraces the north-west, south-west, central-west, and far western sub-regions within Sydney's metropoli ...
,
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 ...
. Greystanes is located 25 kilometres 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 ...
in 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 ...
of
Cumberland Council
Cumberland Council is the local authority for Cumberland in England. It is a unitary authority, the structural change order names the new Cumberland Council as only a district council. It will operate as a shadow authority until taking up its pow ...
. Founded in the late 1790s, Greystanes is one of the oldest suburbs in Sydney.
History
![Frank Cefai First Stone OLQP](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Frank_Cefai_First_Stone_OLQP.jpg)
In the early years of British settlement the area was known as Prospect Hill and was the site of the first land grants to emancipated convicts in 1791. In this period it was one of several areas of conflict between the
Darug people
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 ...
and the settlers, the
Darug people
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 ...
being led for many years of guerrilla warfare by
Pemulwuy
Pemulwuy (also rendered as Pimbloy, Pemulvoy, Pemulwoy, Pemulwy or Pemulwye, or sometimes by contemporary Europeans as Bimblewove, Bumbleway or Bembulwoyan) (c. 1750 – 2 June 1802) was a Bidjigal man of the Eora nation, born around 1750 in th ...
.
The area later became differentiated into Prospect, to the west of Greystanes Creek, and Greystanes to the east of the Creek, the latter taking its name from a historical home on Prospect Hill, built by Nelson Simmons Lawson, third child of Lieutenant William Lawson. The name 'Grey Stanes', given by Nelson Lawson, came from the outcrops of
basalt on Prospect Hill, "Grey" being its colour and "Stanes" being the Scottish word for stones. The land was originally granted to William Cummings in 1799, before being acquired by William Lawson in approximately 1810.
The area was used for poultry farming in the early twentieth century until Greystanes developed in the 1950s and 1960s as a residential suburb. Frank Cefai, a
Maltese migrant, is a well known developer who built thousands of residential homes throughout Greystanes and its surrounding suburbs. Frank built and helped fund the Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in 1975 and the surrounding primary and secondary schools.
Heritage listings
Greystanes has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
*
Lower Prospect Canal Reserve
The Lower Prospect Canal Reserve is a heritage-listed former farm and public water supply canal and now bushy corridor and nature reserve stretching through the heart of suburban Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The lineal corridor stretches ...
Culture
Many of the early residents of Greystanes were from
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and many of them operated poultry farms. Three family poultry businesses from Greystanes became household names throughout Australia - Cordina Chickens,
Baiada Chickens and Pace Farm Eggs. Greystanes still has a large
Maltese Australian
Maltese Australians are Australian citizens who are fully or partially of Maltese descent or Malta-born people who reside in Australia. While most of them emigrated to Australia from Malta, a number emigrated from the United Kingdom where the ...
community. The Maltese community have hosted a
Festa (Festa tal-Vitorja & Maria Bambina) every October since 1965 in and around the church.
The
Maltese community purchased the land and built a new church dedicated to Our Lady of Victories in 1975. The
Maltese Festa has its origins in the religious festivals held annually in each village of Malta, celebrating the patron saint of the village. The church and parish were named after Our Lady of Victories, a beautifully hand crafted statue from
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, a replica of Maria Bambina from
Gozo
Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...
. Despite hundreds of years of tradition, the clergy of the Catholic Church deemed it incorrect to have the moniker Victories attached to Our Lady. The church then became the Parish of Our Lady Queen of Peace. The statue is on display in the church and at the annual procession of the Maltese Festa.
Religion
Greystanes has a small number of Christian churches of many denominations:
* Our Lady Queen of Peace
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
* Greystanes
Uniting Church
The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) was founded on 22 June 1977, when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and almost all the churches of the Congregational Union ...
* Holroyd New Life Church
Transport
Greystanes is primarily accessible by road. At the Greystanes M4 Junction several major roads meet including: the
Cumberland Highway
The Cumberland Highway is a long urban highway located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The highway links the Pacific Highway (A1/B83) and Pacific Motorway ( M1) at Pearces Corner, Wahroonga in the northeast with the Hume Highway (A22/A ...
, the
Great Western Highway
Great Western Highway (also known as Broadway from to , Parramatta Road from Chippendale to , and Church Street through Parramatta) is a state highway in New South Wales, Australia. From east to west, the highway links Sydney with Bathurst, ...
and the
M4 Western Motorway
The M4 Motorway is a dual carriageway partially tolled motorway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia that is designated as the M4 route. The M4 designation is part of the wider A4 and M4 route designation, the M4 runs parallel/below grou ...
. The fastest route from the Sydney CBD is via the M4 Western Motorway, exiting at the
Cumberland Highway
The Cumberland Highway is a long urban highway located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The highway links the Pacific Highway (A1/B83) and Pacific Motorway ( M1) at Pearces Corner, Wahroonga in the northeast with the Hume Highway (A22/A ...
.
Greystanes is serviced by Region 3
Transit Systems Sydney
Transit Systems NSW, previously known as Transit Systems Sydney, is a bus operator in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is a subsidiary of Transit Systems.
History
In November 2012, Transit Systems was awarded a contract by Transport for ...
bus services with routes linking to
Parramatta railway station
Parramatta railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Western line, serving Parramatta in New South Wales, Australia. It is served by Sydney Trains T1 Western Line, T2 Inner West & Leppington and T5 Cumberland ...
and
Blacktown railway station
Blacktown railway station is located on the Main Western line, serving the Sydney suburb of Blacktown. It is served by Sydney Trains T1 Western Line and T5 Cumberland Line services and NSW TrainLink Intercity Blue Mountains Line and regional ...
on the T1
North Shore & Western Line
The North Shore & Western Line (numbered T1, coloured orange) is a commuter rail line operated by Sydney Trains in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It serves the North Shore, parts of the Inner West and Western Suburbs.
It was previously t ...
and
Merrylands railway station
Merrylands railway station is located on the Main South line, serving the Sydney suburb of Merrylands. It is served by Sydney Trains T2 Inner West & Leppington and T5 Cumberland line services.
History
Merrylands station opened on 6 July 1878 ...
and
Liverpool railway station on the T2
Inner West & Leppington Line
The Inner West & Leppington Line (numbered T2, coloured light blue) is a commuter rail service currently operated by Sydney Trains, serving the inner west and south-western regions of Sydney, Australia. Consisting of 37 stops, the service comm ...
of the
Sydney Trains
Sydney Trains is the operator of the suburban passenger rail network serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The network is a hybrid urban- suburban rail system with a central underground core that covers over of track and 170 ...
network.
Commercial areas
Greystanes Shopping Centre (owned by SCA Property Group) is a semi-enclosed, single level neighbourhood shopping centre anchored by
Woolworths
Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to:
Businesses
* F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores
* Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shops ...
along with 27 speciality shops. It opened in 1978 and was refurbished in 2014.
Education
Greystanes is serviced by a number of educational institutions including many child-care centres,
Department of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
schools including Greystanes Public School, Beresford Rd Primary School, Ringrose Primary School, Widemere Public School,
Greystanes High School
Greystanes High School is a publicly funded Comprehensive school, comprehensive co-educational secondary school located in Greystanes, New South Wales, Australia.
Layout
The school comprises eight blocks, including a Canteen (place), canteen ...
,
Holroyd High School and two
Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta
There has been Catholic education in the Diocese of Parramatta since before the Second World War. There are 76 Catholic systemic schools in the diocese (54 primary and 22 secondary) with a total student population of around 41,000. There are als ...
schools which include Our Lady Queen of Peace Primary School and
St Pauls Catholic College (originally St. Simon Stock High School and later Newman High School).
Holroyd High School houses an Intensive English Centre which provides a specialised program to non-English speaking migrants and refugees so that they can better participate in Australian society.
Parks and recreation
![Greystaneswaterbridge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Greystaneswaterbridge.jpg)
Greystanes contains a large number of parks, ovals, and sporting facilities, as well as a
golf course
A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...
. The south side of Greystanes features the
Lower Prospect Canal Reserve
The Lower Prospect Canal Reserve is a heritage-listed former farm and public water supply canal and now bushy corridor and nature reserve stretching through the heart of suburban Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The lineal corridor stretches ...
what is simply known by residents as the Canal. Small neighbourhood parks are scattered around the suburb. One prominent park is the ''Canal Road Park'', which is 70 metres above sea level and thus features a panoramic lookout of southwest Sydney.
Originally it was a water canal once used to transport water from the Prospect Reservoir, but has since been decommissioned and converted into a cycle and walkway. Despite this, it is still referred to by its original function. The Canal features the regionally well-known
Boothtown Aqueduct
The Boothtown Aqueduct is a heritage-listed 19th-century water bridge in Greystanes, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1888, the aqueduct was built to cross a valley to carry water from Prospect Reservoir to residents of Greater ...
(as its original function was) located on Macquarie Rd, Greystanes.
The south-west of Greystanes contains the Gipps Road Sporting Complex and the Rosford Street Reserve, which consist of multiple ovals suitable for sports such as football and cricket. Around the ovals are large, open fields, suitable for other forms of recreation and a small BMX track in Rosford Street Reserve. A small-bore rifle club is located on Hyland Road, near the aforementioned sporting complexes and the Hyland Road Youth Centre. The Cumberland Country Golf Club is located to the geographic centre of the suburb.
Population
Demographics
According to the , there were 23,511 residents of Greystanes. Of these:
* 49.4% were male and 50.6% were female
* The median age was 39 years. Children aged 0–14 years made up 21% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 18.9% of the population.
* 62.9% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were Lebanon 4.5%, India 2.9%, Malta 2.5%, China 1.5% and Philippines 1.3%.
* The most common ancestries were Australian 21%, English 16.4%, Lebanese 15.5%, Maltese 6.2% and Italian 6.1%.
* 55.4% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Arabic 13%, Maltese 2.3%, Greek 2.1%, Turkish 1.7% and Croatian 1.6%.
* The most common responses for religion were Catholic 44.7%, No Religion 13%, Islam 8.3%, Anglican 7.4%, and Eastern Orthodox 5.8%.
Material was copied from this source, which is available under
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Politics
Greystanes is within the local government area of
Cumberland Council
Cumberland Council is the local authority for Cumberland in England. It is a unitary authority, the structural change order names the new Cumberland Council as only a district council. It will operate as a shadow authority until taking up its pow ...
, with Viv May appointed as Administrator until elections in September 2017.
At the state level,
Hugh McDermott (Labor) is the State MP for
Prospect
Prospect may refer to:
General
* Prospect (marketing), a marketing term describing a potential customer
* Prospect (sports), any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team
* Prospect (mining ...
and
Julia Finn
Julia Dorothy Finn is an Australian politician who is the member for Granville in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. Finn is a member of the Labor's NSW Left faction.
Career
Finn holds a masters degree in environmental science and work ...
(Labor) is the State MP for
Granville. At the federal level,
Chris Bowen
Christopher Eyles Guy Bowen (born 17 January 1973) is an Australian politician who has been Minister for Climate Change and Energy in the Albanese government since June 2022. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was first elec ...
(Labor) is the Federal MP for
McMahon
McMahon, also spelled MacMahon (older Irish orthography: ; reformed Irish orthography: ), is a surname of Irish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic ''Mac'' ''Mathghamhna'' meaning 'son of the bear'.
The surname came into use around the 11th cen ...
.
References
{{Sydney Cumberland suburbs
Suburbs of Sydney
Populated places established in 1799
Cumberland Council, New South Wales