Strathfield 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 ...
. It is located 12 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 ...
and is the administrative centre of the
Municipality of Strathfield. A small section of the suburb north of the railway line lies within the
City of Canada Bay
The City of Canada Bay is a local government area in the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The city was formed on 1 December 2000, following the merger of Concord and Drummoyne councils. The city covers an area of and as at the ...
, while the area east of The Boulevard lies within the
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 ...
.
North Strathfield
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 B ...
and
Strathfield South are separate suburbs to the north and south, respectively.
History
The Strathfield district lies between the
Concord
Concord may refer to:
Meaning "agreement"
* Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony)
* Harmony, in music
* Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...
Plains to the north and 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 ...
to the south, and was originally occupied by the
Wangal
The Wangal people ( Wanegal or Won-gal,) are a clan of the Dharug ( ?) Aboriginal people whose heirs are custodians of the lands and waters of what is now the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, centred around the Municipality of Strathfie ...
clan. European colonisation in present-day Strathfield commenced in 1793 with the issue of land grants in the area of "Liberty Plains", an area including present-day Strathfield as well as surrounding areas, where the first free settlers received land grants. In 1808, a grant was made to James Wilshire, which forms the largest part of the current suburb of Strathfield. This grant was bounded by present-day The Boulevarde, Chalmers Street and
Liverpool Road
Liverpool Road is a street in Islington, North London. It covers a distance of between Islington High Street and Holloway Road, running roughly parallel to Upper Street through the area of Barnsbury. It contains several attractive terraces o ...
.
Wiltshire's grant by Governor Macquarie in 1808
egranted 1810followed representations from Lord Nelson, a relation by marriage of Wilshire.
In the west, Wiltshire's grant neighboured an area that was granted in 1823 to the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
, to support clergy in the colony, which covered the western part of present-day Strathfield and Flemington (Homebush West). The church lands were sold in 1841
[
Ownership of Wiltshire's grant 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 (]Redmire
Redmire is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is about west of Leyburn in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales.
Transport
Redmire is the terminus of the Wensleydale Railway. The Ministry of ...
) in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
, England,[ or could be named after the "red clay of the Strathfield area".
]
Birth of Strathfield
The railway came to Strathfield in 1855, with Homebush station
Homebush railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Suburban line in Homebush in the Municipality of Strathfield local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed and built by the New South Wa ...
built as one of the initial four stations on the railway line between Sydney and Parramatta
Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...
. A station was sited here because of the presence of Homebush Racecourse north of Parramatta Road. The arrival of the railway spurred residential development. Subdivision of the "Redmire Estate" began in 1867, which led to residential development forming the village of "Redmire" or "Redmyre". 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
Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, Southeast England, southeast England. Located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers River Thames, Thames and River Kennet, Kennet, the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 mot ...
. It may have also been named after the transport ship of the same name that transported many immigrants – including Sir 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 be ...
– 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 hough some of the wording on the plaque is incorrect Hough may refer to:
* Hamstringing, or severing the Achilles tendon of an animal
* the leg or shin of an animal (in the Scots language), from which the dish potted hough is made
* Hough (surname)
Communities United Kingdom
* Hough, Alderley E ...
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'." In 1877, development had progressed sufficiently to justify the addition of a halt on the railway line at Redmyre, east of existing Homebush station. The Village of Homebush Estate, part of which forms the northern part of today's Strathfield, was subdivided in 1878.
By 1885, sufficient numbers of people resided in the district to enable incorporation of its own local government. "Strathfield" as a geographical name was first established when Strathfield Council was proclaimed on 2 June 1885 by the Governor of NSW, Sir Augustus Loftus, after residents of the Redmire area petitioned the New South Wales State government for the establishment of local government. The new local government area included parts of the three established residential areas of Redmire (now central Strathfield), Homebush (now Homebush South and northern Strathfield) and Druitt Town (now southern Strathfield). Residents in Homebush and Druitt Town formed their own unsuccessful counter-petition. It is likely that the region was named Strathfield to neutralise the rivalry between Homebush and Redmire. The railway station was also renamed "Strathfield" in 1885, and it became an important interchange station when the Great Northern Railway was opened the following year, between Strathfield and Hornsby.
Strathfield Council
Strathfield Council was incorporated in 1885 and included parts of the then-established suburbs of Redmire, Homebush and Druitt Town. The part of Redmire incorporated into Strathfield Council included the central part of today's suburb of Strathfield, the part of Homebush incorporated into Strathfield included the southern part of today's suburb of Homebush as well as the northern part of today's Strathfield (Village of Homebush or Homebush South), and the part of Druitt Town incorporated into Strathfield included the southern part of today's Strathfield. In directories, addresses in all three areas were included under "Strathfield" after the council was established.
The adjoining areas of Flemington, North Homebush and southern Druitt Town was unincorporated. The southern part of Flemington was annexed to Strathfield Council in 1892 (now the southern part of Homebush West and the western part of Strathfield), which increased the size of the Council area by about 50%. The Council formed three wards – Flemington, Homebush and Strathfield – and Aldermen was elected to represent their ward at Council. Wards were abolished in 1916. Today's suburb of Strathfield encompasses the entire Council area as enlarged in 1892, except for a small area immediately to the south of Homebush and Flemington stations. When the separate Municipality of Homebush was amalgamated with Strathfield Council in 1947, the former village centres immediately south of Homebush and Flemington stations were carved out of Strathfield and joined with the east and west parts of Homebush Council areas respectively to create the modern suburbs of Homebush and Homebush West.
Meanwhile, the southern part of Druitt Town which was not incorporated into Strathfield became part of Enfield Council, then was amalgamated into Strathfield Council in 1949 and renamed "Strathfield South".
The eastern part of former Redmire - renamed Strathfield - became part of Burwood Council. The boundary between Strathfield and Burwood was a straight line running north–south aligned with the Boulevarde, and as a result there was a small portion to the north of Strathfield Council boundaries and west of Burwood Council boundaries that was not part of either council. This portion became part of Concord Council (later combined into the City of Canada Bay
The City of Canada Bay is a local government area in the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The city was formed on 1 December 2000, following the merger of Concord and Drummoyne councils. The city covers an area of and as at the ...
). This has resulted in the modern suburb of Strathfield being split between the three councils.
Residential and commercial development
The suburb of Strathfield became a popular residential suburb in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The building of Strathfield station, and its expansion into a major suburban, intercity and interstate station, with direct services to Sydney Central, Melbourne and Canberra, helped to make the suburb one of the most accessible in Sydney by rail. It was also close to major road and water transport routes. Members of Sydney's business elite, such as the family of William Arnott and David Jones, built various large homes in Strathfield. After federation, Strathfield continued to be favoured by business and political leaders, with prime ministers Earle Page
Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page (8 August 188020 December 1961) was an Australian surgeon and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Australia, holding office for 19 days after the death of Joseph Lyons in 1939. He was the leade ...
, George Reid
Sir George Houston Reid, (25 February 1845 – 12 September 1918) was an Australian politician who led the Reid Government as the fourth Prime Minister of Australia from 1904 to 1905, having previously been Premier of New South Wales f ...
and Frank Forde
Francis Michael Forde (18 July 189028 January 1983) was an Australian politician who served as prime minister of Australia from 6 to 13 July 1945. He was the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1932 to 1946. He served as pri ...
all having lived in the suburb, and Billy Hughes
William Morris Hughes (25 September 1862 – 28 October 1952) was an Australian politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Australia, in office from 1915 to 1923. He is best known for leading the country during World War I, but ...
lived in the part of "Strathfield" which is now Homebush South. Page, for example, chose to live in Strathfield because of its direct rail services to Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, then the seat of federal parliament, and his electorate on the north coast of New South Wales. Some of the large homes built in this period were purchased by private schools, and the unusually large number of private and public schools in the one suburb further increased residential demand.
Following the introduction of the Local Government Act in 1919, Strathfield Council was one of the first to proclaim the major part of its area a residential district by proclamation in 1920. Strathfield underwent suburban subdivision in the early 20th century, with more suburban houses on smaller lots being built rather than the substantial mansions with expansive grounds built in the earlier period. Nevertheless, it remained a popular residential area. In 1977, Strathfield was the most expensive suburb in metropolitan Sydney measured by median house price.[Domain]
What Sydney prices looked like 40 years ago when Bankstown was more expensive than Leichhardt
/ref>
More significant commercial development took place in the last quarter of the 20th century, with a "modern" shopping centre, Strathfield Plaza, opening in 1981, accompanied by the first high rise residential apartment building in the suburb. More towers followed in the next few decades, concentrated around the station.
Strathfield Murders
On 17 August 1991, seven people were killed, when Wade Frankum stabbed a fifteen-year-old girl to death, before running amok with a rifle
A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...
in the Strathfield Plaza shopping mall, and then turning the weapon on himself. This is commonly known as the Strathfield Massacre. A Memorial plaque is located at Churchill Avenue, Strathfield.
Heritage listings
Strathfield has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* 25A Barker Road: Mount St Mary Campus of the Australian Catholic University
Mount St Mary Campus of the Australian Catholic University is a major campus of the Australian Catholic University, located in Strathfield, Municipality of Strathfield, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The main building of the campus, forme ...
*Great Southern and Western railway: Strathfield rail underbridges
The Strathfield rail underbridges are heritage-listed railway bridges located on the Main Southern and Main Western railway lines, in Strathfield in the Municipality of Strathfield local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The under ...
* Great Southern and Western railway: Strathfield railway station
* 62 The Boulevarde: Trinity Uniting Church, Strathfield
The Trinity Uniting Church is a heritage-listed Uniting church located at 62 The Boulevarde, in the Sydney suburb of Strathfield in the Municipality of Burwood local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by George Sydne ...
Schools
Strathfield has an unusually large concentration of educational institutions in one suburb.
The government schools located in Strathfield include the two secondary schools Strathfield Girls High School and Strathfield South High School. The catchment of Strathfield Girls stretches north to Concord West, west to Homebush West and east to the western part of Burwood, but does not include the southern-most section of the suburb of Strathfield itself. Strathfield South High School is co-educational, and its catchment includes the southern-most section of Strathfield, as well as the suburbs further south including parts of Chullora and Greenacre, Belfield, Strathfield South, Enfield and Croydon Park. A boys' high school is located in nearby Homebush.
Two government comprehensive primary schools are located in Strathfield, Marie Bashir Public School in north-central Strathfield and Strathfield South Public School. Two others are located nearby to the north: Homebush Public School in Homebush, which also serves the northernmost part of Strathfield, and Strathfield North Public School in the separate suburb of North Strathfield. Chalmers Road Public School, also located in Strathfield, is a state government school for students aged four to eighteen years with moderate or severe intellectual disabilities.
A large number of independent or church-affiliated schools are also located in Strathfield. These include:
* St Patrick's College is an independent, Roman Catholic, day school for boys.
* Santa Sabina College
, motto_translation = Truth
, established =
, slogan = Shake the world
, principal = Paulina Skerman
, chairperson = Tony Woods
, location = Strathfield, In ...
is an independent, Roman Catholic, Dominican, day school for girls K-12 and boys K-4. The primary school is known as Santa Maria Del Monte.
* Meriden Anglican School for Girls is an independent, Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
, day school
A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children and adolescents are given instructions during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compar ...
for girls..
* Trinity Grammar School Preparatory School
Trinity Grammar School is a multi-campus Independent school, independent Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican Single-sex education, single-sex Pre-school education, early learning, Primary school, primary and Secondary school, secondary day scho ...
campus is on The Boulevarde and has classes from Pre-Kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...
to Year 6.
* St Martha's Primary School is a Roman Catholic primary school.
Strathfield is also home to a major campus of the Australian Catholic University
Australian Catholic University (ACU) is a public university in Australia. It has seven Australian campuses and also maintains a campus in Rome.
History
Australian Catholic University was opened on 1 January 1991 following the amalgamatio ...
, the former home of the Christian Brothers novitiate
The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...
and Catholic Teachers' College. The Seminary of the Good Shepherd, which trains Catholic priests, straddles the boundary between Strathfield and Homebush. In addition, the Catholic Institute of Sydney
The Catholic Institute of Sydney, a tertiary educational facility that is a member institution of the Sydney College of Divinity, delivers theological studies at both undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. The institute is located in , in ...
, where priests for the Archdiocese of Sydney, and other theologians and ministers, are trained, is located in Strathfield, on a site which was originally the NSW Society for the Blind, and later an Australia Post
Australia Post, formally the Australian Postal Corporation, is the government business enterprise that provides postal services in Australia. The head office of Australia Post is located in Bourke Street, Melbourne, which also serves as a post o ...
training centre. Nearby, 'Arnottholme', the former home of William Arnott, is used by the NSW Department of Education, including as a training facility for teachers.
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, Strathfield
The Trinity Uniting Church is a heritage-listed Uniting church located at 62 The Boulevarde, in the Sydney suburb of Strathfield in the Municipality of Burwood local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by George Sydne ...
* Western Sydney Chinese Christian Church
Residential landscape
Strathfield has a long history as a "desirable suburb for Sydney's better classes", especially prior to the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North Shore. The view of the bridg ...
allowed residential development to flourish on the North Shore. Although the Inner West region became eclipsed by the Eastern Suburbs and the North Shore as premium residential areas, Strathfield with its boulevardes, large houses and established schools remained a popular suburb for residents. Even in 1977, Strathfield was the most expensive suburb in metropolitan Sydney by median house price. In December 2021, Strathfield (post code area 2135) was the 13th most expensive area by postcode in Australia, when measured by median house price. Of the top 20 most expensive post code areas (all of which are in metropolitan Sydney), Strathfield was the only one which was located outside the Eastern Suburbs, North Shore or Northern Beaches regions.
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 Victorian, 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 ...
, Interwar period
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...
architecture, Californian Bungalow and contemporary periods. One of the oldest surviving houses built in the 1870s is Fairholm which is now a retirement village called Strathfield Gardens
Strathfield Gardens in Strathfield, New South Wales, Australia, was previously called Fairholm. It is a building of historical significance and is listed in the NSW Heritage Register. It was built in the 1870s, and external additions were made to i ...
.
Primarily these have been replaced by modern, multimillion-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.
In the vicinity of Homebush Road, a number of noted tree-lined avenues follow an oblique street pattern established by the development of the Village of Homebush in the late 19th century, and are noted for the grand, historic houses built in the late 19th and early 20th centursies. These include Albert Road, historically known as one of Sydney's most prestigious streets and was lined by landmark mansions. Some of these have been replaced by institutions and others have been subdivided, but the street retains some of the most prestigious houses in the area;. and Redmyre Road, a wide boulevard which retains most of its Victorian mansions and large Federation-era houses.
Further to the southeast, a pocket of the suburb bounded by Hunter Street, Carrington Avenue, Homebush Road and the Boulevarde is known in the real estate press as the "Golden Mile", because it contains some of the most desirable and highly sought-after real estate in the area. Examples of prestigious addresses in this area include homes located on Cotswold Road, Strathfield Avenue, Llandilo Avenue, Agnes and Highgate Street.
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
An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are ma ...
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 became independent school campuses:
Holyrood – Santa Sabina
* Brunyarra
Brunyarra, now known as Del Monte, is a historic house in the Sydney suburb of Strathfield. The house is now located within the grounds of Santa Maria Del Monte, the junior campus of Santa Sabina College, and is situated on the corner of The Bou ...
– Santa Maria Del Monte
* Lauriston
Lauriston ( )
is an area of central Edinburgh, Scotland, and home to a number of significant historic buildings. It lies south of Edinburgh Castle and the Grassmarket, and north of The Meadows public park.
Lauriston is the former locatio ...
– Santa Maria Del Monte
* Llandilo – Trinity Grammar School
* Somerset – Trinity Grammar School
* Milverton – Trinity Grammar School
* Riccarton/The Briars – Meriden and partially demolished
* Wariora – Meriden and now demolished
* Lingwood/Branxton – PLC Sydney and now Meriden School
* Selbourne – Meriden and now demolished
* Telerah – Wadham Preparatory School
Wadham Preparatory School was an independent day, co-educational, preparatory school founded on Christian principles. The school was located at 9–11 Wallis Avenue Strathfield, New South Wales, Australia.
History
The school was establishe ...
, later purchased by Meriden and now demolished
Commercial area and transport
Strathfield's commercial town centre
A town centre is 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 s ...
is centred on a town square south of the station, and includes the Strathfield Plaza shopping centre which includes Woolworths and other stores, as well as a large number of cafes, restaurants and other stores located around the square and along Albert Road, Churchill Avenue, Redmyre Road and the Boulevarde. Strathfield's town centre is particularly known for a large concentration of Korean restaurants and shops catering to Korean cultural needs. The area is often called Little Korea.
Other commercial areas in the suburb include a small commercial area immediately north of the station, a commercial area along the southern boundary concentrated around the intersection of the Boulevarde and Liverpool Road (part of a town centre around the former Enfield Town Hall). The northern parts of Strathfield are served by the Homebush and Flemington village centres, which were carved out of the suburb of Strathfield after 1947.
There are also some car dealerships and other commercial premises along Parramatta Road and Liverpool Road, on the northern and southern boundaries of the suburb.
Strathfield railway station is a major interchange on 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 ...
and NSW TrainLink
NSW TrainLink is a train and coach operator in Australia, providing services throughout New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, along with limited interstate services into Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Its primary interc ...
networks, and has long been an interchange for several of Sydney's suburban lines, as well as intercity services and interstate services. However, intercity services from Strathfield significantly reduced in 2013. With the upgrading of the East Hills line
The East Hills railway line serves the southern and south-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The line opened to East Hills in 1931 and was extended to connect to the Main South line in 1987. Most services along the line form part of the Ai ...
, intercity trains heading southwest to Canberra and Melbourne from Sydney Central began to use that line, leaving only intercity trains to the north and west to continue using Strathfield station. The bus station located on the town square, immediately south of the station, is an interchange for buses serving 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) ...
.
In the west, Strathfield is bounded by the A3 arterial road, linking Strathfield with the St George region, where it joins the A1 road (Princes Highway
Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...
) towards Sutherland Shire
Sutherland Shire is a local government area in the southern region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sutherland Shire comprises an area of and as at the had an estimated population of . Sutherland Shire is colloquially ...
and the south coast, while in the north it connects Strathfield with Ryde
Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...
and Pymble
Pymble is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pymble is north of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council.
West Pymble is a separate suburb ...
and Gordon
Gordon may refer to:
People
* Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters
* Gordon (surname), the surname
* Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War
* Clan Gordon, ...
, where it intersects with the A1 road again and then proceeds towards the Northern Beaches
The Northern Beaches is a region within Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, near the Pacific coast. This area extends south to the entrance of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), west to Middle Harbour and north to the entra ...
.
Strathfield is bounded in the north by 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, ...
(Parramatta Road
Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, connecting the Sydney CBD with Parramatta. It is the easternmost part of the Great Western Highway. Since the 1990s its role has been a ...
) and in the south by the Hume Highway
Hume Highway, inclusive of the sections now known as Hume Freeway and Hume Motorway, is one of Australia's major inter-city national highways, running for between Melbourne in the southwest and Sydney in the northeast. Upgrading of the route ...
(Liverpool Road
Liverpool Road is a street in Islington, North London. It covers a distance of between Islington High Street and Holloway Road, running roughly parallel to Upper Street through the area of Barnsbury. It contains several attractive terraces o ...
), both major arterial roads. The Great Western Highway links Strathfield east to Ashfield, where it splits with Parramatta Road proceeding to east towards Broadway and the southern City and the A4 road proceeding northeast to the Sydney CBD
The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main 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 city centre is often refer ...
and Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North Shore. The view of the bridg ...
. To the west, it leads to Parramatta
Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...
, Blacktown
Blacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Greater Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located west of the Sydney central business district. It is one of the most multicultural places within Grea ...
, Penrith and beyond. The Hume Highway links Strathfield east to Ashfield, where it joins Parramatta Road, and west to Bankstown
Bankstown is a suburb south west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 16 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is located in the local government area of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, hav ...
, Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
and Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. 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 ...
largely parallels the Great Western Highway but lies outside Strathfield suburb boundaries. The exit at Concord Road in North Strathfield
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 B ...
serves Strathfield.
Two local arterial routes serving the Inner West, formed by Concord Road-Raw Square-The Boulevarde (north-south, formerly part of Metroad 3 and State Route 27) and Beresford Road-Albert Road-Redmyre Road-Morwick Street (west-east), join and intersect in central Strathfield in a complex pattern.
Demographics
According to the , Strathfield had a total population of 25,813 people. 34.6% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were China 10.3%, India 10.1%, South Korea 9.8%, Nepal 5.3% and Vietnam 2.7%. The most common ancestries were Chinese 19.6%, Indian 10.0%, Korean 9.9%, English 7.4% and Australian 6.9% with 75.6% of people having both parents born overseas.
29.1% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Korean 10.9%, Mandarin 10.6%, Cantonese 7.6%, Nepali 5.3% and Tamil 4.0%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 23.3%, Catholic 23.1% and Hinduism 16.2%.
Residents
The following were either born or have lived at some time in the suburb of Strathfield:
Architecture
* George Sydney Jones
This is a list of Australian architects.
A
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B
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C
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D
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E
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F
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(1868–1927), architect of Trinity Congregational Church and the following Strathfield houses; ''Springfort'' (1894); ''Darenth'' (1895); ''Bickley'' (1894); ''Treghre'' (1899); and ''Luleo'' (1912).
* Harry Kent (1852–1938), architect, alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...
for the Municipality of Strathfield and architect of the Strathfield Town Hall.
Business
* William Arnott, founder of Arnott's Biscuits
Arnott's Biscuits Limited is an Australian producer of biscuits and snack food. Founded in 1865, they are the largest producer of biscuits in Australia and a subsidiary of KKR.
History
In 1847, Scottish immigrant William Arnott opened a ...
.
* Sir Robert Crichton-Brown (1919–2013), businessman, soldier and sailor, lived in Strathfield in the 1920s and 1930
* Charles Hoskins, Charles Henry Hoskins (1851-1926), industrialist and businessman, lived in Strathfield during the 1890s and 1900s.
* Edward Lloyd Jones
Edward Lloyd Jones (23 April 1874 – 2 February 1934) was an Australian Shorthorn cattle breeder and chairman of David Jones Limited. David Jones was founded in Sydney in 1838 and is the world's oldest continuously operating department store st ...
(1844–1894), head of the department store David Jones Limited
David Jones Pty Limited, trading as David Jones (colloquially DJs), is an Australian High-End department store, owned since 2014 by South African retail group Woolworths Holdings Limited.
David Jones was founded in 1838 by David Jones, a Welsh ...
, and his son;
* Edward Lloyd Jones
Edward Lloyd Jones (23 April 1874 – 2 February 1934) was an Australian Shorthorn cattle breeder and chairman of David Jones Limited. David Jones was founded in Sydney in 1838 and is the world's oldest continuously operating department store st ...
(1874–1934), Shorthorn cattle breeder and former chairman of David Jones Limited, and his brother;
* Charles Lloyd Jones
Sir Charles Lloyd Jones (28 May 187830 July 1958) was an Australian businessman and patron of the arts, serving as Chairman of David Jones Limited from 1920 to his death in 1958.
Early life and background
Jones was born in 1878 in Burwood, New ...
(1878–1958), former chairman of David Jones Limited and former chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Commission
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owned ...
.
Education
* rian Rees(1929–2016), eadmaster of Merchant Taylors, Charterhouse and Rugby School, UK was born in Strathfield.
Fashion and society
* Lady McMahon (1932–2010), spouse
A spouse is a significant other in a marriage. In certain contexts, it can also apply to a civil union or common-law marriage. Although a spouse is a form of significant other, the latter term also includes non-marital partners who play a social ...
of the 20th Prime Minister of Australia, was born in Strathfield.
Law
* David Wilson KC (1879–1965), barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
and company director.
Medicine
* Sir Philip Sydney Jones
Sir Philip Sydney Jones (15 April 1836 – 18 September 1918) was an Australian medical practitioner and University of Sydney vice-chancellor 1904–1906. He was knighted in 1905 for his services to the treatment of tubercuulosis. He carried out ...
(1836–1918), medical practitioner and University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
vice-chancellor lived at Llandilo on The Boulevarde.
Politics
* Sir George Houston Reid, Prime Minister of Australia, 4th Prime Minister of Australia.
* Earl Page
Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page (8 August 188020 December 1961) was an Australian surgeon and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Australia, holding office for 19 days after the death of Joseph Lyons in 1939. He was the leade ...
(1880–1961), 11th Prime Minister of Australia.
* Frank Forde
Francis Michael Forde (18 July 189028 January 1983) was an Australian politician who served as prime minister of Australia from 6 to 13 July 1945. He was the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1932 to 1946. He served as pri ...
, Prime Minister of Australia, 15th Prime Minister of Australia.
Religion
* Rev Professor Hubert Cunliffe-Jones
Hubert Cunliffe-Jones (30 March 1905 – 3 January 1991) 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. ...
(1905–1991): Congregational church
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
minister, chair of the Congregational Union of England and Wales
The Congregational Union of England and Wales brought together churches in England and Wales in the Congregational tradition between 1831 and 1966.
The Congregational churches emerged from the Puritan movement, each church operating independently ...
and a professor at the University of Manchester
, mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity
, established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...
was the son of the Rev Walter Cunliffe-Jones of the Strathfield-Homebush Congregational church (now Uniting Church – Korean Parish).
Science
* F. J. Duarte: author and physicist
A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...
, lived in Leicester Avenue, Strathfield.
Entertainment
* Bang Chan
Stray Kids (; often abbreviated as SKZ) is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment through the 2017 reality show of the same name. The group is composed of eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin ...
, member and leader of the South Korean boy band Stray Kids
Stray Kids (; often abbreviated as SKZ) is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment through the 2017 reality show of the same name. The group is composed of eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin ...
, lived in Strathfield for some time during his teenage years.
Sport
* Alan Davidson (1929−2021), cricketer
* Daphne Akhurst
Daphne Jessie Akhurst (22 April 1903 – 9 January 1933) known also by her married name Daphne Cozens, was an Australian tennis player.
Akhurst won the women's singles title at the Australian Open, Australian Championships five times between ...
(1903–1933), tennis player
Other people
* Katharine Gatty, suffragette
*Anu Singh
The death of Joe Cinque occurred in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory on 26 October 1997. Cinque's coffee was laced with rohypnol, a sedative, at a dinner party, after which he was injected with a lethal dose of heroin by his girlfriend Anu ...
, convicted of murdering her boyfriend
*Derek Percy
Derek Ernest Percy (15 September 1948 – 23 July 2013) was an Australian suspected serial killer and convicted child killer who was also a person of interest linked to the mysterious deaths and disappearances of multiple children in the 1960s, i ...
, convicted child killer
Culture
Strathfield has made an impact on the indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
and indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...
scene, producing bands such as Prince Vlad & the Gargoyle Impalers, Lunatic Fringe, The Mexican Spitfires
The Mexican Spitfires were an Australian indie rock–indie pop band formed in 1986. The original lineup consisted of Price Conlan on drums, Stephen McCowage on lead guitar, Tim O'Reilly on bass and vocals, Michael Quinlan on rhythm guitar and v ...
and Women of Troy. It has also inspired pop songs
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...
such as The Mexican Spitfires
The Mexican Spitfires were an Australian indie rock–indie pop band formed in 1986. The original lineup consisted of Price Conlan on drums, Stephen McCowage on lead guitar, Tim O'Reilly on bass and vocals, Michael Quinlan on rhythm guitar and v ...
's song "Rookwood" about Rookwood Cemetery
Rookwood Cemetery (officially named Rookwood Necropolis) is a heritage-listed cemetery in Rookwood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest necropolis in the Southern Hemisphere and is the world's largest remaining operating ...
and the legendary Blitzkrieg punk rock of Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman is an Australian punk rock band formed by Deniz Tek and Rob Younger in Sydney in 1974. The group influenced the work of many successful, mainstream bands, and are now considered instrumental in Australia's musical growth.
Hist ...
's classic mid-1970s "Murder City Nights". Indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...
legend Grant McLennan
Grant William McLennan (12 February 19586 May 2006) was an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter-guitarist. He co-founded the Go-Betweens with Robert Forster in Brisbane in 1977. In addition to his work with the Go-Betweens (1977–89, ...
of The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout it ...
also called Carrington Avenue, Strathfield home for a few years in the 1990s.
Gallery
File:Strathfield Glen Luna.JPG, Glen Luna, a house on Carrington Street, has been converted into apartments.
File:Santa Sabina College 2 Holyrood.JPG, Holyrood, a house on The Boulvarde, has become part of Santa Sabina.
File:StAnnes AnglicanChurch Strathfield EndView.jpg, St Anne's Anglican Church
File:Santa Sabina College 1.JPG, Santa Sabina College
File:Trinity1930.jpg, Trinity Grammar 1930
File:Strathfield LGA Town Hal c.1915l.jpg, Strathfield council chambers (c. 1915)
File:StrathfieldMunicipalCouncilChambers..jpg, Strathfield Council Chambers present day
References
External links
* http://www.strathfieldheritage.org
* Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA
A Creative Commons (CC) license is one of several public copyright license
A public license or public copyright licenses is a license by which a copyright holder as licensor can grant additional copyright permissions to any and all pers ...
] (Koreans in Sydney)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strathfield, New South Wales
Strathfield, New South Wales,
History of New South Wales, Strathfield area, History of the
Populated places established in 1885