Baulkham Hills, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Baulkham Hills is a suburb
in the north-west of Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Baulkham Hills is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district
in the local government area of The Hills Shire. Baulkham Hills is in the Hills District of the Greater Western Sydney
region.
people, who are believed to be a clan of the Drug
people, who occupied all the land to the immediate west of Sydney. The best-known Aboriginal
person from that time is Pemulwuy
, a Bidjigal leader who led the Indigenous resistance movement against the British forces, including sacking farms in Castle Hill
, before his eventual capture and execution by the British militia.
The Bidjigal people are today commemorated by Bidjigal Reserve
which straddles the suburbs of Castle Hill
, Baulkham Hills, North Rocks, and West Pennant Hills.
The first European settler in the Baulkham Hills Shire was William Joyce. In 1794, he was given a grant of 30 acres (121,000 m²) in what became Baulkham Hills. The name Baulkham Hills was given to the area by Andrew McDougall, a settler from Buckholm Hills, County of Roxburgh, Scotland
. The name, which reminded McDougall of his homeland, was officially recognised in 1902.
, exiting at Windsor Road.
Baulkham Hills is serviced by the Hillsbus bus company, which provides services to the nearby commercial centres of Castle Hill, Parramatta
and frequent services to the Sydney CBD. Hillsbus provides services to the City via routes 610/610X, 614/614X and 615/615X. The 610/610X service can also be caught in the westbound direction, which services Kellyville
and Rouse Hill
. Services are also provided to St. Leonards
, Milsons Point
and North Sydney
, through the route 612. 612, in the westbound direction, provides a service to Kellyville Ridge
and Stanhope Gardens
.
metrobus
route M61 services Baulkham Hills, providing a high frequency service to Castle Hill and the Sydney CBD. Route M60 provides a high frequency service to the areas around Parramatta, Pennant Hills and Hornsby.
There is no railway station at Baulkham Hills. In the past, there was the Rogans Hill line, connecting the suburb to Parramatta. Railway Street near Baulkham Hills Junction is a reminder of this. It was closed down in 1930 due to traffic problems on Windsor Road and large financial losses. Land owned by the rail authority was sold to the Hills Bowling Club in the mid 1970s to build their two front bowling greens.
shopping centre
, located on the intersection of Windsor Road and Old Northern Road. It features supermarkets operated by Coles, a Woolworths
, and Aldi
plus 70 specialty shops. A redevelopment was completed in 2008 to significantly expand the floor space of the centre.
In the northern part of the suburb there is another shopping centre called Norwest Marketown, together with many other businesses. The Norwest Business Park
located nearby, is partially in Baulkham Hills and mostly in Bella Vista
.
, move the operations to the Norwest Business Park, which is expected to be completed in 2009.
(previously known as Excelsior Reserve), with native fauna such as koala, swamp wallaby, echidna, and eastern water dragon. Smaller reserves include the Sophia Doyle reserve and the Crestwood Reserve, which are habitat to brushtail and ringtail possums and a wide range of birds and lizards.
The Baulkham Hills Shire Bushland Conservation Committee is a voluntary committee of Council that assists with the management of the Shire's bushland.
Baulkham Hills High School
also has an Army Cadet
Unit, which is open only to students at Baulkham Hills High School.
denominations. Notably, the headquarters of Hillsong
is located in this suburb. Africa Inland Mission International has an office in the area too, with a Baha'i Spiritual Assembly also being located in the suburb.
where many residents make use of them.
, Something With Numbers
, Parkway Drive, and The Getaway Plan
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
in the north-west of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, in the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Baulkham Hills is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
in the local government area of The Hills Shire. Baulkham Hills is in the Hills District of the Greater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...
region.
History
The land that is now called Baulkham Hills was originally home to the BidjigalBidjigal
The Bidjigal people are a group of Indigenous Australians living to the West of Sydney. Their geographical location is confusing, as they seem to have been based in southern Sydney, in the region between the Cooks River and the Georges River and yet also seem to have inhabited land in...
people, who are believed to be a clan of the Drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
people, who occupied all the land to the immediate west of Sydney. The best-known Aboriginal
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
person from that time is Pemulwuy
Pemulwuy
Pemulwuy was an Aboriginal Australian man born around 1750 in the area of Botany Bay in New South Wales. He is noted for his resistance to the European settlement of Australia which began with the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. He is believed to have been a member of the Bidjigal clan of...
, a Bidjigal leader who led the Indigenous resistance movement against the British forces, including sacking farms in Castle Hill
Castle Hill, New South Wales
Castle Hill is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Castle Hill is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Hills District of the Greater Western Sydney region...
, before his eventual capture and execution by the British militia.
The Bidjigal people are today commemorated by Bidjigal Reserve
Bidjigal Reserve
The Bidjigal Reserve is a reserve in the shire of Baulkham Hills, to the north-west of Sydney. The reserve lies in the suburbs of North Rocks, Northmead, Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, West Pennant Hills, and Carlingford. The reserve lies south of Richard Webb Reserve in West Pennant Hills, and...
which straddles the suburbs of Castle Hill
Castle Hill, New South Wales
Castle Hill is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Castle Hill is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Hills District of the Greater Western Sydney region...
, Baulkham Hills, North Rocks, and West Pennant Hills.
The first European settler in the Baulkham Hills Shire was William Joyce. In 1794, he was given a grant of 30 acres (121,000 m²) in what became Baulkham Hills. The name Baulkham Hills was given to the area by Andrew McDougall, a settler from Buckholm Hills, County of Roxburgh, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The name, which reminded McDougall of his homeland, was officially recognised in 1902.
Transport
Baulkham Hills is primarily accessible by road. At the intersection known as Baulkham Hills Junction several major roads meet including: Seven Hills Road, Old Northern Road and Windsor Road. The fastest route from the Sydney CBD is via the M2 Hills MotorwayM2 Hills Motorway
The M2 Hills Motorway is a motorway in north-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network. West of Pennant Hills Road, the M2 is also part of the National Highway.-History:Previously, Sydney's western suburbs were poorly served...
, exiting at Windsor Road.
Baulkham Hills is serviced by the Hillsbus bus company, which provides services to the nearby commercial centres of Castle Hill, Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
and frequent services to the Sydney CBD. Hillsbus provides services to the City via routes 610/610X, 614/614X and 615/615X. The 610/610X service can also be caught in the westbound direction, which services Kellyville
Kellyville, New South Wales
Kellyville is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kellyville is located 36 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of The Hills Shire, part of the Hills District region.-History:...
and Rouse Hill
Rouse Hill, New South Wales
Rouse Hill is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rouse Hill is located 42 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of The Hills Shire...
. Services are also provided to St. Leonards
St Leonards, New South Wales
St Leonards is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. St Leonards is located 5 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of Municipality of Lane Cove, North Sydney Council and the City of...
, Milsons Point
Milsons Point, New South Wales
Milsons Point is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of North Sydney Council....
and North Sydney
North Sydney, New South Wales
North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney...
, through the route 612. 612, in the westbound direction, provides a service to Kellyville Ridge
Kellyville Ridge, New South Wales
Kellyville Ridge is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kellyville Ridge is located 41 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of City of Blacktown...
and Stanhope Gardens
Stanhope Gardens, New South Wales
Stanhope Gardens is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Stanhope Gardens is located 39 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of City of Blacktown...
.
metrobus
Metrobus (Sydney)
Metrobus is a high frequency, high capacity public transportation network in Sydney that links key employment and growth centres. Metrobuses run every 10 minutes during peak periods, 15 minutes during off-peak weekday periods, and 20 minutes on weekends, with the intention of making timetables...
route M61 services Baulkham Hills, providing a high frequency service to Castle Hill and the Sydney CBD. Route M60 provides a high frequency service to the areas around Parramatta, Pennant Hills and Hornsby.
There is no railway station at Baulkham Hills. In the past, there was the Rogans Hill line, connecting the suburb to Parramatta. Railway Street near Baulkham Hills Junction is a reminder of this. It was closed down in 1930 due to traffic problems on Windsor Road and large financial losses. Land owned by the rail authority was sold to the Hills Bowling Club in the mid 1970s to build their two front bowling greens.
Commercial area
Baulkham Hills has a StocklandStockland
Stockland may refer to:* Stockland, a multinational company.* Stockland, Devon, a small village in Devon, UK.* Stockland Bristol a village in Somerset, UK...
shopping centre
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, located on the intersection of Windsor Road and Old Northern Road. It features supermarkets operated by Coles, a Woolworths
Woolworths (supermarkets)
Woolworths is the largest supermarket chain in Australia, owned by Woolworths Limited.-History:Woolworths Limited was founded in 1924, with the first store opening up in Sydney's Imperial Arcade.-2008 rebranding:...
, and Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
plus 70 specialty shops. A redevelopment was completed in 2008 to significantly expand the floor space of the centre.
In the northern part of the suburb there is another shopping centre called Norwest Marketown, together with many other businesses. The Norwest Business Park
Norwest Business Park
The Norwest Business Park is a business park in the suburb of Bella Vista, New South Wales in Australia. Norwest Business is bordered by Windsor Road to the East, and Old Windsor Road to the West, with Norwest Boulevard stretching the length of the park between the two main arterial roads. It is...
located nearby, is partially in Baulkham Hills and mostly in Bella Vista
Bella Vista, New South Wales
Bella Vista is a suburb of north-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bella Vista is located 33 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the The Hills Shire. Bella Vista is part of the Greater Western Sydney region and the Hills...
.
Hospital
The Hills Private Hospital on Windsor Road (near the corner of Merindah Road) includes Emergency for private patients and has a very large Maternity Ward. The current hospital site will be redeveloped into a rehabilitation centre when the hospital's owners, HealthscopeHealthscope
Healthscope is an Australian company which operates private hospitals, a pathology business and medical centres. The company is headquartered in St. Kilda Road, Melbourne. The company operates medical/surgical hospitals as well as a number of psychiatric and rehabilitation clinics...
, move the operations to the Norwest Business Park, which is expected to be completed in 2009.
Parks and reserves
Baulkham Hills features a number of parks and reserves, such as the Bidjigal ReserveBidjigal Reserve
The Bidjigal Reserve is a reserve in the shire of Baulkham Hills, to the north-west of Sydney. The reserve lies in the suburbs of North Rocks, Northmead, Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, West Pennant Hills, and Carlingford. The reserve lies south of Richard Webb Reserve in West Pennant Hills, and...
(previously known as Excelsior Reserve), with native fauna such as koala, swamp wallaby, echidna, and eastern water dragon. Smaller reserves include the Sophia Doyle reserve and the Crestwood Reserve, which are habitat to brushtail and ringtail possums and a wide range of birds and lizards.
The Baulkham Hills Shire Bushland Conservation Committee is a voluntary committee of Council that assists with the management of the Shire's bushland.
Schools
- Matthew Pearce Public School
- Crestwood High School
- Crestwood Public School
- Baulkham Hills High SchoolBaulkham Hills High SchoolBaulkham Hills High School is an academically selective high school located in Baulkham Hills. The school was established in 1971 by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, and currently caters for approximately 1200 students from Years 7 to 12.The school is noted for its...
- Model Farms High SchoolModel Farms High SchoolModel Farms High School is a public high school in Baulkham Hills, a suburb in the northwest Sydney, New South Wales. The school is named so because the area was set up to demonstrate farming practices to convicts and others who wished to start a farm when the first settlers arrived...
- Baulkham Hills North Public School
- Jasper Road Public School
- St. Michael's Catholic School
- Davin Griffiths-Jones School of Performing Arts
Baulkham Hills High School
Baulkham Hills High School
Baulkham Hills High School is an academically selective high school located in Baulkham Hills. The school was established in 1971 by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, and currently caters for approximately 1200 students from Years 7 to 12.The school is noted for its...
also has an Army Cadet
Australian Army Cadets
The Australian Army Cadets is a youth organisation that is involved with progressive training of youths in military and adventurous activities. The programme has more than 19,000 Army Cadets between the ages of 12½ and 19 based in 236 units around Australia...
Unit, which is open only to students at Baulkham Hills High School.
Places of worship
Baulkham Hills belongs to the area known as the "Bible Belt" of Sydney. Indeed, it has some 15 places of worship belonging to various ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denominations. Notably, the headquarters of Hillsong
Hillsong Church
Hillsong Church is a Pentecostal megachurch affiliated with Australian Christian Churches and located in Sydney, Australia. The church's senior pastors, Brian and Bobbie Houston, began the church in 1983 as the Hills Christian Life Centre in Baulkham Hills...
is located in this suburb. Africa Inland Mission International has an office in the area too, with a Baha'i Spiritual Assembly also being located in the suburb.
Culture
Baulkham Hills has a public library. It does not have a theatre or a cinema; although these are found in the adjacent suburb of Castle HillCastle Hill, New South Wales
Castle Hill is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Castle Hill is located 31 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Hills District of the Greater Western Sydney region...
where many residents make use of them.
Events
The annual Orange Blossom Festival is held in Baulkham Hills Shire each September. The HYPE Festival is held every April during National Youth Week and again in September during the Orange Blossom festival and attracts large crowds of youths each year. It has featured high-profile Australian music acts such as GerlingGerling
Gerling were an alternative guitar and electronic act from Australia. They formed in 1993, and are based in Sydney.-History:The band formed in 1993 with the line-up of Darren Cross , Presser and Brad Herdson...
, Something With Numbers
Something with Numbers
Something with Numbers is a rock band based in Australia. The band was formed on the New South Wales Central Coast, in Australia, in 2001. They have released an EP and three studio albums in their 7 year career...
, Parkway Drive, and The Getaway Plan
The Getaway Plan
The Getaway Plan are an Australian alternative rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 2004. The band comprises vocalist and guitarist Matthew Wright, guitarist Clint Splattering, bassist Dave Anderson and drummer Aaron Barnett....
Notable residents
- Delta GoodremDelta GoodremDelta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...
, pop singer and actress was raised in Baulkham Hills. Her parents continue to reside in the suburb. - Jana Pittman, Australian Olympic Athlete.