Berala is a western

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...

 suburb

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...

 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...

, located 20 kilometres west of the 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 Auburn

Auburn Council

Auburn Council is the governing body of a local government area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, about 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district...

.

History

Berala is derived from Bareela, an Aboriginal word for a musk duck

Musk Duck

The Musk Duck is a highly aquatic, stiff-tailed duck native to southern Australia. It is the only living member of the genus Biziura. An extinct relative, the New Zealand Musk Duck or de Lautour's Duck , once occurred on New Zealand, but is only known from prehistoric subfossil bones...

. The area was originally swampy and attracted wild birds. When the railway line was being extended from Lidcombe

Lidcombe, New South Wales

Lidcombe is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. Lidcombe is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council....

 to Regents Park

Regents Park, New South Wales

Alternate uses: Regents Park Regents Park is a western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Regents Park is located 22 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council.-History:The suburb took its name from a local...

, the names Torrington, Sidmouth and Bareela were considered. The station opened in 1912, the public school in 1924 and the post office in 1927.

Transport

Berala railway station is on the Inner West line and the loop portion of the Bankstown Line of the CityRail

CityRail

CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...

 network. Bus services run between Auburn

Auburn, New South Wales

Auburn is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. Auburn is located 19 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Auburn Council.-History:...

 and Bankstown

Bankstown, New South Wales

Bankstown is a suburb of south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bankstown is located 20 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Bankstown.-History:Prior to European...

.

Commercial area

A small group of shops is located beside the railway station. A 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...

 under construction beside the railway station has now ceased due to many problems.

Demographics

According to the 2006 Census, there were 7886 residents, with a majority stating that both their parents were born overseas (5655 people, or 71.7%). The countries of origin were China (more than one third) and Lebanon, Vietnam, Croatia, UK, the Philippines, and Australia. The response for both parents born in Australia was 13.9%, which is well below the national average of 50.7%.

Schools

Berala Public School is the local public primary school. St Peter Chanel Catholic Primary School caters for primary aged children mainly of Roman Catholic denomination. There is also Trinity Junior Catholic College (formerly known as St Peter Chanel Girls High School).

Sport and recreation

Coleman Park comprises two full-size soccer fields, two mini soccer fields, a baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 field, a children's recreation area and basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 facilities. The Lidcombe Waratahs soccer club is based there.

The Berala Bears is a junior rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 team that plays in the Canterbury Bulldogs

Canterbury Bulldogs

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...

 Junior Rugby League competition. Their colours are gold and black, and their home ground is at Guilfoyle Park in the neighbouring suburb of Regents Park. Former Berala Bears players include Brisbane Broncos

Brisbane Broncos

The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...

 forward Terry Matterson

Terry Matterson

Terry Matterson is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player. He has been the coach for the Castleford Tigers of Europe's Super League since 2005....

, Canterbury Bulldogs

Canterbury Bulldogs

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...

 winger Matt Utai

Matt Utai

Matthew Utai is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Wests Tigers in the NRL and has previously represented both New Zealand and Samoa. His usual position is on the wing.-Playing career:...

, South Sydney Rabbitohs

South Sydney Rabbitohs

The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...

 half Jeremy Smith, and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...

 forward Anthony Watmough

Anthony Watmough

Anthony Watmough is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the National Rugby League...

.