Yagoona, New South Wales
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Yagoona, 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 ...
of 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 ...
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 ...
, is located 20 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 ...
, 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 a part of the South-western Sydney region. Yagoona is an
Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
word meaning 'now' or 'today'. It was the site of the first
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
restaurant to open in Australia in December 1971.


History

Before European settlement, the area was originally occupied by the
Bediagal The Bidjigal (also spelt Bediagal, Bejigal, Bedegal or Biddegal) people are an Aboriginal Australian people whose traditional lands are modern-day western, north-western, south-eastern, and southern Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. The l ...
people. The area now known as Yagoona—
Bass Hill Bass Hill, () a suburb of local government area City of Canterbury-Bankstown, is located 23 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a part of the South-western Sydney regi ...
, and north Bankstown—was once known as Irish Town, due to the high concentration of
Irish rebels Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
transported here from
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
in the late 1700s. Land grants were issued to Irish families and finally the suburb of Yagoona was created in 1927. St Matthew's Anglican Church was built on Liverpool Road (now
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 ...
) in 1861 to cater for the
Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
of the district as well as to function as a school.


Commercial area

The main commercial area is located on the Hume Highway (Liverpool Road), near
Yagoona railway station Yagoona railway station is located on the Bankstown line, serving the Sydney suburb of Yagoona. It is served by Sydney Trains T3 Bankstown line services. History Yagoona station opened on 16 July 1928, when the Bankstown line was extended fro ...
. In 1963, the
Westfield Group Westfield Group was an Australian shopping centre company that existed from 1960 to 2014, when it split into two independent companies: Scentre Group, which owns and operates the Australian and New Zealand Westfield shopping centre portfolio; ...
built a supermarket on a vacant lot on the highway; the store opened as Coles New World, later became
Franklins Franklins was an Australian discount supermarket chain selling packaged groceries and perishables throughout New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. It sold the "No Frills" home brand generic products. In 2011 the chain was ...
, and then an
IGA Iga may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Ambush at Iga Pass, a 1958 Japanese film * Iga no Kagemaru, Japanese manga series * Iga, a set of characters from the Japanese novel '' The Kouga Ninja Scrolls'' Biology * ''Iga'' (beetle), a gen ...
. Yagoona was home to the first McDonald's restaurant in Australia, opened in 1971, but it closed in 1994. In July 2021, it was confirmed that a new McDonalds restaurant will open on the very same site as the first restaurant in Australia, coinciding with the franchise's 50th anniversary celebrations in the country. The restaurant opened on 17 December 2021. Over recent years this shopping strip has been in economic decline as a consequence of major banks (
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
, National Australia and
Westpac Westpac Banking Corporation, known simply as Westpac, is an Australian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered at Westpac Place in Sydney, New South Wales. Established in 1817 as the Bank of New South Wales, it ...
) and retailers leaving. Residents now find it more convenient to shop at nearby
Bass Hill Plaza Bass Hill Plaza is a shopping centre in the suburb of Bass Hill in Sydney's south-west. The centre is anchored by strong performing Woolworths, Aldi, Kmart and over 50 specialty stores. Bass Hill Plaza was formerly anchored by Franklins and Targ ...
or further away at
Bankstown Central Bankstown Central (previously known as Centro Bankstown and Bankstown Square) is a shopping centre in the suburb of Bankstown in South Western Sydney. Transport The Bankstown line offers frequent services to Bankstown station which is a sh ...
or
Westfield Parramatta Westfield Parramatta is a large shopping centre in the suburb of Parramatta in Greater Western Sydney. Transport The North Shore & Western, Inner West & Leppington and Cumberland Line offer frequent services to Westfield Parramatta. Westfie ...
. There have been some plans to rejuvenate the town centre in Yagoona in recent years by Bankstown City Council. "''Initial suggestions, already supported by residents and visitors, include a larger supermarket, a new community centre, improved shopping environment, and a variation in housing.''" Retailers here include an IGA Supermarket, a
KFC KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...
fast food outlet,
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 ...
, a number of discount stores, mixed businesses, three pharmacies, a fruit shop, bakery, a newsagent, a real estate agent, several cafés, furniture stores and medical centres. Another Australia Post is on Dargan Street, Yagoona West. In 2006 a
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
store opened in the town centre (where the Blockbuster videos store was once located and previously a
Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert at d ...
), which later was suspiciously destroyed in early January 2010. The fancy dress store next to the medical centre/pharmacy was originally occupied by the post office. Previous businesses in and around the main commercial area include Top Video (burnt down in 1995), Video Ezy, State Bank (which closed in the 90's and is now a medical centre and pharmacy), a fruit and vegetable market and a liquor store next to the supermarket (now both furniture stores), Franklins supermarket (now IGA), a newsagency next to the railway station (later a cafe until an explosion closed it), a photo shop (now a discount store). The head office of RSPCA NSW, plus a shelter, is located along Rookwood Road in this suburb.


Transport

Yagoona railway station Yagoona railway station is located on the Bankstown line, serving the Sydney suburb of Yagoona. It is served by Sydney Trains T3 Bankstown line services. History Yagoona station opened on 16 July 1928, when the Bankstown line was extended fro ...
is on the Bankstown line of the Sydney Trains network. A number of bus services link Yagoona to Bankstown and Parramatta. Yagoona is located some 5 – 10 minutes from Bankstown Central Business District and about 10 – 15 minutes from Parramatta CBD. The Hume Highway cuts through Yagoona and is the main road access for Yagoona to Liverpool and Sydney City; and Rookwood Road connects south to Stacey Street/Fairford Road (Entrance to the M5), and north to Silverwater Road (Access to the M4). A 30-metre pedestrian bridge costing A$2.3 million linking the side footpaths of Hume Highway was built in 2006, primarily to ensure easy and safe access travel in this area for the students of Yagoona Primary School. Lifts are located at each end to ensure
easy access Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i.e ...
for those with disabilities. The construction of the bridge was funded by the
Government of New South Wales The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of New South Wales. It is currently held by a coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party. The Governmen ...
. The bridge will also help streamline Hume Highway traffic by removing the previous set of traffic lights.


Schools

There are three Primary Schools in Yagoona: * Yagoona Public School * Christ the King Catholic School * Al Sadiq College is an
Alawite The Alawis, Alawites ( ar, علوية ''Alawīyah''), or pejoratively Nusayris ( ar, نصيرية ''Nuṣayrīyah'') are an ethnoreligious group that lives primarily in Levant and follows Alawism, a sect of Islam that originated from Shia Isl ...
Muslim School (Kindergarten and Years 1 to 4) that was recently built close to Yagoona's Town Centre, at 178 Cooper Road, to cater for the growing Alawite population. There are no high schools in the suburb. Most students attend high schools in adjoining suburbs, normally Birrong, Bass Hill, Bankstown, Condell Park or Sefton.


Parks

Yagoona is home to Gazzard Park, George Green Oval, Gillman Reserve, Middleton Park, Graf Park and O'Neill Park. All the parks contain various sporting facilities and play equipment.


Churches

Yagoona has seven places of worship. These include: * Yagoona Anglican Church * Yagoona Baptist Church which is now Graceway Church * Christ the King Catholic Church * Yagoona Christadelphian Ecclesia * Prayer on Wheels Yagoona * Lutheran Church of Australia * Christian Mission Fellowship


Demographics

In the 2016 Census, there were 18,013 people in Yagoona, 50.6% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were Vietnam 11.8%, Lebanon 8.3%, Republic of Macedonia 2.1%, China 2.1% and New Zealand 1.2%. 29.2% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Arabic 25.9%, Vietnamese 15.9%, Macedonian 3.5%, Cantonese 2.8% and Greek 2.0%. The most common responses for religion were Islam 26.3%, Catholic 24.0% and No Religion 10.3%.


Culture


Yagoona Autumn Fair

Each year an Autumn Fair was hosted in Yagoona's Gazzard Park, designed to allow the community to express their aims and objectives, as well as to raise funds for community projects and work. Its final year was around 2009. Events include a ticket raffle, Yagoona Scouts $1 sausage sizzle, free rides, a non-stop stage show, face painting and more. On at least one occasion, the fair was held in the Spring rather than Autumn. 2007 Autumn Fair Pictures Yagoona Autumn Fair stalls.jpg, Stalls Yagoona Autumn Fair 2007.jpg, Big Slide Yagoona Autumn Fair rides.jpg, Jumping Castle Yagoona Autumn Fair - Lotus Elise police car.jpg, Lotus Exige Police Car on Display


Popular culture

Footy Legends ''Footy Legends'' is a 2006 Australian film, directed and co-written by Khoa Do, produced by Megan McMurchy, starring Khoa's older brother and co-writer Anh Do, Angus Sampson, Emma Lung and Claudia Karvan. It was filmed in and around the Sydne ...
, written by
Khoa Khoa, khoya, khowa or mawa is a dairy food widely used in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, encompassing India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is made of either dried whole milk or milk thickened by heating in an open iron pan. It is l ...
and
Anh Do Anh Do (born 2 June 1977) is a Vietnamese-born Australian author, actor, comedian, and painter. He has appeared on Australian TV shows such as ''Thank God You're Here'' and ''Good News Week'', and was runner-up on ''Dancing with the Stars'' in ...
, directed by the former and starring the latter, is a drama movie set in Yagoona. It makes references to the social issues in the area and revolves around an amateur rugby league team consisting of socially disaffected people.


Sport

The local sports team is the football team, a member of the Bankstown District Amateur Football Association. The Lions' home-ground is at O'Neill Park. A (now defunct)
Indoor Cricket Indoor cricket is a variant of and shares many basic concepts with cricket. The game is most often played between two teams each consisting of six or eight players.
,
Vietnamese Australian }) are Australians of Vietnamese ancestry. Vietnamese Australians are one of the largest groups within the global Vietnamese diaspora. At the 2021 census, 334,781 people stated that they had Vietnamese ancestry (whether alone or in combination wi ...
actor and stand-up comedian *
Khoa Do Khoa Do (Vietnamese: ''Đỗ Khoa'', ), is a film director, screenwriter, and philanthropist. He received the Young Australian of the Year Award in 2005. Early life and family The Do family left Vietnam in 1980 as Vietnamese refugees, fleeing S ...
, actor, writer and director (brother of Anh Do)


References

{{City of Canterbury-Bankstown topics, state=collapsed City of Canterbury-Bankstown Suburbs of Sydney Muslim enclaves