Canterbury-Bankstown is a customary region of Sydney, Australia, in Inner South-Western Sydney. The region is located to the north of the St George region (from which it is separated by

Wolli Creek Wolli Creek () is an urban watercourse of the Cooks River catchment located in the southern suburbs of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Wolli Creek rises south of Narwee, within Beverly Hills Park, Beverly Hills. The ...

) and to the south of 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) ...

region (from which it is separated by the

Cooks River The Cooks River, a semi-mature tide-dominated drowned valley estuary, is a tributary of Botany Bay, located in south-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The course of the urban waterway has been altered to accommodate various developme ...

). The suburbs of the Canterbury-Bankstown region are not specific to 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 federated state, state, province, division (politica ...

of the

City of Canterbury-Bankstown Canterbury-Bankstown Council, trading as the City of Canterbury Bankstown and stylised as CBCity, is a Local government areas of New South Wales, local government area in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Th ...

, but includes many of them. The

Bankstown railway line The Bankstown railway line is a suburban railway which traverses the Inner West (Sydney), Inner West and Canterbury-Bankstown areas of Sydney. West of it is used by Lidcombe & Bankstown Line, T6 Lidcombe & Bankstown services, while east of Bank ...

serves many of the suburbs in this region.

History

The original inhabitants of Canterbury and Bankstown were the

Gweagal The Gweagal (also spelt Gwiyagal) are a clan of the Tharawal, Dharawal people of Aboriginal Australians. Their descendants are Traditional owners, traditional custodians of the southern areas of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Country The ...

Bidjigal 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 ...

, (also known as Bediagal) and a small portion of the

Dharug The Dharug or Darug people, are a nation of Aboriginal Australian clans, who share ties of kinship, country and culture. In pre-colonial times, they lived as hunters in the region of current day Sydney. The Darug speak one of two dialects o ...

people. Five years after the

first fleet The First Fleet were eleven British ships which transported a group of settlers to mainland Australia, marking the beginning of the History of Australia (1788–1850), European colonisation of Australia. It consisted of two Royal Navy vessel ...

arrived in

Sydney Cove Sydney Cove (Eora language, Eora: ) is a bay on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, one of several harbours in Port Jackson, on the coast of Sydney, New South Wales. Sydney Cove is a focal point for community celebrations, due to its central ...

in 1788, a man by the name of Rev Richard Johnson, a chaplain aboard the First Fleet, was the first to receive a land grant of 40 hectares in what is now known as the 'Canterbury–Bankstown region'. The land was located in the Ashbury-

Hurlstone Park Hurlstone Park is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Hurlstone Park is located nine kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is mostly in the local government area of the City of Canterbur ...

area. He named his estate 'Canterbury Vale', presumably after the See of

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

in England. The date of the grant was May 1793 although he (Johnson) occupied the land months earlier. Johnson also cultivated land around his cottage in Bridge St Sydney and at another location called the Brickfield near Central Station. Johnson was praised by

Watkin Tench Lieutenant General Watkin Tench (6 October 1758 – 7 May 1833) was a British military officer who is best known for publishing two books describing his experiences in the First Fleet, which established the first European settlement in Australia ...

as being one of the best farmers in the colony. The first ambulance to service the area was in 1908. It was called the 'Canterbury District Ambulance Corps' and it used volunteers to transport patients to the hospital. A stretcher on wheels with a hooded cover over it (hand litter) was used to transport patients to the Western Suburbs Hospital. If a patient lived in an area around Belmore, the hand litter was transported by train from Campsie to Belmore, then it was pushed along the rough unsealed roads to the patients home, back to Belmore station, then taken by train to Campsie Station and along the streets to hospital. The Canterbury District Memorial Hospital commenced business on 26 October 1929. The hospital was opened by Secretary for Public Works Buttenshaw. Prior to the opening of the hospital n Canterbury residents attended the Western Suburbs Hospital or the cottage hospital located in

Marrickville Marrickville is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Marrickville is located south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the largest suburb in the Inner West Council local government ...

, which was established in 1895. In 1940, the events of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

were made known to the residents of Canterbury-Bankstown. Men and women who were drafted had to report for duty at a drill hall located on Canterbury Road Belmore. Camps were set up in Canterbury Race Course and surrounding parks in the region. In that same year thousands of Australian troops travelled along the goods line to

Darling Harbour Darling Harbour is a harbour and neighborhood adjacent to the city centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, that is made up of a large recreational and pedestrian precinct that is situated on western outskirts of the Sydney central busines ...

, ready to embark for the Middle East. In 1940 the department of Civil Aviation purchased 250 hectares of land in Bankstown for the construction of Bankstown Airport and an RAAF Station was formed. The facility was a secondary airport to Mascot Airport. In 1942 a command bunker (Sydney Air Defence Headquarters) of semi underground construction was established on the corner of Edgar and Marion Street Bankstown. The bunker was manned by No. 1 Fighter Sector RAAF, members of the No.2 Volunteer Air Observer Corps, the WAAAF's, the

RAAF The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the governor-general of Aus ...

and the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

. The primary use of the Sydney Air Defence Headquarters was the location, tracking and interception of all planes in the eastern area of the South West Pacific. In 1941, WAAAF's were posted to Bankstown. The women were trained as clerks, wireless telegraphists, mess orderlies,

drill instructors A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors. Australia Aust ...

and drivers, a portion of these women were assigned to work in the command centre (Bankstown Bunker) located on Black Charlies Hill. In 1942, Belmore House, the current sight of today's Roselands Shopping Centre was used by the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

for the training of troops. Tents on the property were used to house an infantry battalion and an ambulance corps. The site was vacated after a year. Units of the US Air Force were based in Bankstown after 1942, earning the suburb the nickname 'Yankstown'. Also in 1942 a military hospital was established for the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

Herne Bay Herne Bay is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in South East England. It is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne, Kent, Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury loca ...

, now known as Riverwood. It was the largest military hospital in Australia during

. Known as the 118 General Hospital it consisted of 490 timber barracks-type buildings, which could house a total of 4,250 beds and accommodate up to 1,250 patients and 3,500 staff. Within the same year 16 US fighter planes that were based at Bankstown airport flew over Canterbury racecourse at low altitude during a race meet. This was to let the Australian public, especially those of the district to know that they, their allies were there for their protection. Regardless of these events, punters were annoyed at the disruption caused. From 1944 to 1945, a Volunteer Air Observer Corps operated in Bankstown. These volunteers were both male and female, were of 15 to 60 years of age and were given several weeks training. There were over 300 volunteers who worked in shifts that the air force called 'flights' 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This freed RAAF personnel for other duties. In 1945 Bankstown Airport was occupied by the British

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...

, known as HMS Nabberley, and the

by 1946.

Suburbs

The Canterbury-Bankstown region is not an exact area, although the following suburbs are usually agreed to be a part of the region: *

Bankstown Bankstown is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 19 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Canterbury-Bankstown region. Bankstown is the administrative centre ...

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 reg ...

* Belfield (partially) * Belmore *

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

(partially) *

Birrong Birrong, a suburb of local government area City of Canterbury-Bankstown, is located 22 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 region. ...

* Campsie *

Chester Hill Chester Hill is a suburb of Sydney, located 25 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Chester Hill is mostly in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, with a minor part in the northeast in ...

Chullora Chullora, a suburb in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown local government area, is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Greater Western Sydney region. Th ...

* Clemton Park * Condell Park * Croydon Park (partially) *

Earlwood Earlwood is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Earlwood is located 10 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is part of the Canterbury-Bankstown area. It is in the local government area o ...

* East Hills *

Georges Hall Georges Hall, a suburb of local government area City of Canterbury-Bankstown, is located 24 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the South-western Sydney regi ...

* Greenacre *

Kingsgrove Kingsgrove is a suburb in Southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Kingsgrove is south-west of the Sydney central business district and lies across the Local government in Australia, local government areas of the City of Canterbury-Banksto ...

(partially) * Lakemba * Lansdowne * Leightonfield *

Milperra Milperra, a suburb of Local government in Australia, local government area City of Canterbury-Bankstown, is located 24 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a part of the South ...

* Mount Lewis * Narwee (partially) *

Padstow Padstow (; ) is a town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary, approximately northwest of Wadebridge, ...

Padstow Heights Padstow Heights is a suburb of local government area of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, located 22 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is a part of the South-western Sy ...

Panania Panania (), a suburb of local government area City of Canterbury-Bankstown, is located 23 kilometres inner 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 ...

* Picnic Point * Potts Hill * Punchbowl *

Regents Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically between Marylebone and ...

* Revesby *

Revesby Heights Revesby Heights, a suburb of local government area City of Canterbury-Bankstown, is 24 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is a part of the South-western Sydney region. R ...

* Riverwood (partially) *

Roselands Roselands is a suburb to the south-western Sydney, south-west of the Sydney CBD, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Roselands is located 16 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the City of Canterbury-Banksto ...

* Sefton * Villawood *

Wiley Park Wiley Park is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wiley Park is located 17 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown. History The now comprising ...

Yagoona Yagoona, a suburb of the Local government in Australia, local government area City of Canterbury-Bankstown, is located 20 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is a part of ...

Residents

The Canterbury-Bankstown region is characterised by high-density housing towards the east and larger family homes towards the west with large natural parklands toward the south, such as those around Salt Pan Creek. Suburbs within the region have a multicultural nature. Young families and couples are opting to live in the Canterbury-Bankstown region as a cheaper alternative to living in Sydney's Inner West, while at the same time residents of the region are suffering heavily from mortgage repossession which is forcing poorer families to move into Sydney's Outer Western Suburbs. Like Sydney's inner west, Canterbury-Bankstown is multi-cultural. There is a significant Chinese, Indian, Korean, Fijian, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Greek, Italian, Yugoslav and African population. This is also reflected in the variety and style of many local businesses and cultural institutions. Notable former residents include the former Prime Minister

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. His eleven-year tenure as prime min ...

and

Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and trade unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996. He held office as the leader of the Labor Party (ALP), having previously ser ...

and Olympian

Ian Thorpe Ian James Thorpe (born 13 October 1982) is an Australian retired swimmer who specialised in freestyle swimming, freestyle, but also competed in backstroke and the medley swimming, individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the se ...

. The

Australian Bureau of Statistics The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is an List of Australian Government entities, Australian Government agency that collects and analyses statistics on economic, population, Natural environment, environmental, and social issues to advi ...

defines two statistical areas (SAL3) called "Canterbury" and "Bankstown" respectively, which together largely correlate with the customary definitions of the Canterbury–Bankstown region. Based on the

2021 Australian census The 2021 Australian census, simply called the 2021 Census, was the eighteenth national Census of Population and Housing in Australia. The 2021 Census took place on 10 August 2021, and was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). ...

: * SAL3 "Canterbury" had a population of 141,091, with a median age of 36. 25.3% of people had a highest educational qualification of bachelor or above, compared to 27.8% across the state. The largest population groups by ancestry were Chinese (13.6%), Lebanese (11.8%), Australian (11.0%), Greek (9.6%) and English (8.9%). 44.2% of people were born in Australia, and the next most popular places of birth were China (7.0%), Lebanon (4.9%), Bangladesh (3.7%), Vietnam (3.3%) and Greece (3.3%). The most popular responses for religion were Islam (22.6%), Catholic (21.0%), no religion (17.8%), Eastern Orthodox (11.7%) and not stated (8.1%). 29.1% of people spoke only English at home, and the next popular responses for languages used at home were Arabic (13.2%), Greek (7.8%), Mandarin (6.8%), Bengali (4.7%) and Cantonese (4.2%). * SAL3 "Bankstown" had a population of 186,245, with a median age of 36. 21.7% of people had a highest educational qualification of bachelor or above, compared to 27.8% across the state. The largest population groups by ancestry were Lebanese (16.8%), Australian (16.0%), English (12.8%), Vietnamese (9.7%) and Chinese (8.6%). 53.4% of people were born in Australia, and the next most popular places of birth were Vietnam (7.7%), Lebanon (6.7%), China (3.3%), Pakistan (1.3%) and India (1.3%). The most popular responses for religion were Islam (25.6%), Catholic (22.2%), no religion (15.3%), not stated (7.7%) and Eastern Orthodox (6.9%). 36.7% of people spoke only English at home, and the next popular responses for languages used at home were Arabic (21.2%), Vietnamese (10.1%), Mandarin (3.3%), Greek (2.8%) and Cantonese (2.7%).

Government

The Canterbury-Bankstown region is mostly governed by the

, a

local government authority 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, province, division, or territory. The phras ...

in Sydney. The federal divisions of Barton,

Banks A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. As banks ...

, Blaxland, Grayndler and Watson are located within part or all of the region of Canterbury-Bankstown. The state electoral districts of

, East Hills and Lakemba are located within part or all of the region. It is a relatively safe region for the

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

party.

Economy

Multinational companies such as

Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...

and Cosentino have based Australian operations in the region. There is also major investment by local and foreign companies in the aviation, print media and retail.

Commercial areas

The biggest commercial areas in the Canterbury-Bankstown area are located at

, Campsie and

. Bankstown is the largest central business district in the region and features a large shopping centre called Bankstown Central. Roselands also features a large shopping centre called

Roselands Shopping Centre Roselands Shopping Centre (previously known as Centro Roselands) is a shopping centre in the suburb of Roselands in South Western Sydney. Transport Roselands Shopping Centre has bus connections to Greater Western Sydney, Inner West, St George ...

. The Canterbury–Bankstown region also has a variety of Vietnamese, Lebanese, Greek, Italian, Spanish, African and Australian

restaurants A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in app ...

delicatessens A delicatessen or deli is a grocery that sells a selection of fine, exotic, or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessens originated in Germany (contemporary spelling: ) during the 18th century and spread to the United States in the mid-19th centur ...

, sweet shops, grocery and fresh food markets.

Transport

Canterbury, Liverpool and Punchbowl Roads are the main roads through the area. The

M5 Motorway The M5 is a motorway in England linking the Midlands with the South West England, South West. It runs from junction 8 of the M6 motorway, M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Brom ...

runs through the Bankstown area and close to the southern boundary of the Canterbury area, and provides a motorway connection from this region east to

Sydney Airport Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport — colloquially Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney Airport or Mascot Airport — is an international airport serving Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district, in the subu ...

and west to Liverpool and beyond and (via the M8 Motorway and

WestConnex WestConnex in Sydney, Australia is the largest and longest road tunnel in Australia, with a length of 22 km. A joint project of the New South Wales and Australian Federal governments, the motorway scheme created around motorway with 6-10 lan ...

) the

region and beyond. Public transport in the region includes trains and buses. The Lidcombe & Bankstown Line runs from to . The

Airport & South Line The Airport & South Line (numbered T8, coloured green; commonly called the East Hills Line) is a commuter rail service operated by Sydney Trains, connecting the Sydney central business district with the southwestern suburbs via Sydney Airport. ...

runs from the

City Circle The City Circle is a mostly-underground railway line located in the Sydney central business district and Haymarket, New South Wales, Haymarket, in New South Wales, Australia, that forms the core of Sydney's passenger rail network. The lines are ...

and passes through the southern part of Canterbury-Bankstown, with all stations services that terminate at and limited stops services which continue onto . This line also provides a direct connection from the region to

. There are various bus routes provided largely by the privately owned companies

Transit Systems Transit Systems Group is an Australian-based public transport company, which also operates overseas through its subsidiary Tower Transit Group. Transit Systems Group is a subsidiary of the Kelsian Group, formerly SeaLink Travel Group. History ...

and

U-Go Mobility U-Go Mobility is a bus company in Sydney, Australia, that operates services in Region 10, which serves South Western Sydney, and Sutherland Shire. It is a 50:50 joint venture between UGL and Go-Ahead Group. History On 22 December 2022, U-Go Mo ...

Education

The Canterbury-Bankstown region is home to the Bankstown Campus of

Western Sydney University Western Sydney University, formerly the University of Western Sydney, is an Australian multi-campus public research university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university in its current form was founde ...

Health

The former City of Canterbury is served by the Sydney Local Health District of NSW Health, which also covers the Inner West region. Canterbury Hospital, a historic public hospital operated by the Sydney Local Health District is in the region. The former City of Bankstown is served by the South Western Sydney Health District of NSW Health, which also covers an expansive area to the south and west of Sydney as far south as the Southern Highlands.

Notable organisations

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilitated by ...

Sydney Olympic Football Club Sydney Olympic Football Club is an Australian semi-professional soccer club, based in Belmore, Sydney, New South Wales, that plays in the National Premier Leagues NSW. The club was founded as Pan-Hellenic Soccer Club in 1957 by Greek immigrant ...

* Canterbury-Bankstown Express, local newspaper

References

{{coord missing, New South Wales Regions of Sydney Sydney in World War II