Bidwill, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Bidwill is a suburb
of Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Bidwill is located 48 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district
, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown
and is part of the Greater Western Sydney
region.
(1815-1853) appointed as botanist in charge at the Botanic Gardens in 1847. Prior to settlement and colonisation of Australia
, Bidwill and the surrounding area was inhabited by the Darug tribe
.
Bidwill was dominated by the development of public housing in the 1960s and 1970s. In recent times, Bidwill has been associated with social and economic problems. These have resulted in an increase of crime and such trouble as riots.
, which have larger shopping centres, banking facilities and railway stations.
Limited commercial facilities such as supermarket
s and service station
s are available at Emerton
and Plumpton
rather than in Bidwill itself. A small supermarket complex existed at Bidwill in the 1990s, which was closed partly due to crime.
By road Bidwill is adjacent to the Westlink M7
motorway which can provide very easy access to the Great Western Highway
and the M4 Motorway
, providing road access to the western sections of the city and eastward to the Sydney CBD.
This suburb is linked by several private bus companies to the train stations located at Mount Druitt
and St Marys
.
Cycleways running through Bidwill run from Poppondetta Park to Mt Druitt and the M7 cycleway, which in turn connects to the cycleways on the M4 and M2
Motorways.
Upon completing year 10 at the Bidwill campus, students continuing public education can either move on to Chifley College Senior Campus located in Mount Druitt, or continue their final years at Bidwill Campus.
As of the 2001 Census, 1077 residents were enrolled at or below high school
level. A further 178 residents were enrolled in post-secondary courses.
Census
of Population and Housing, the population of the Bidwill postcode area was 4, 577 people, in an area of 1.4 square kilometres.
The population was 52.8% females, 47.2?% males.
9.3% of the population identified themselves as an indigenous Australian
, including 0.2% who identified themselves as being Torres Strait Islanders
. This is much greater than the average of 2.1% for the entire state of New South Wales
. 21.7% of the population was born overseas.
The five strongest religious affiliations in the area were in descending order:
Roman Catholic, Anglican, no religion, Uniting Church in Australia
and Islam
.
houses and extensive terrace-style complexes. The houses are gradually transferring to private ownership and as this continues these government-built premises are being replaced with privately built, modern homes, similar to those being built in other areas of Sydney.
Most local housing is owned by either the Department of Housing or Aboriginal Housing Office.
The three most common forms of dwelling were in decreasing order:
a separate house;
a semi-detached
, row or terrace house, or townhouse;
a flat, unit or apartment.
For federal elections, Bidwill is in the safe Labor
electoral division of Chifley
. This seat is currently held by current parliamentary Speaker
Roger Price
, of the Australian Labor Party. He was last re-elected in the 2007 elections. The seat has been held continuously by the Australian Labor Party since it was proclaimed in 1984.
During the 2004 election, Price enjoyed strong support from voters in the Bidwill area compared to the rest of the electorate, achieving a positive swing locally against an overall negative swing of 0.65%.
For NSW state elections, Bidwill is in the Electoral district of Mount Druitt
. This seat is currently held by Richard Amery
, of the Australian Labor Party. It has been held by a Labor candidate since it was proclaimed in 1971.
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...
. Bidwill is located 48 kilometres 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 City of Blacktown
City of Blacktown
The City of Blacktown is a Local Government Area in the heart of Western Sydney, situated on the Cumberland Plain, approximately 35 km from Sydney CBD. It is bounded by the Local Government Areas of Penrith, Parramatta, Fairfield, Holroyd, Hawkesbury and The Hills Shire. It occupies an area...
and is part 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
Bidwill takes its name from John Carne BidwillJohn Carne Bidwill
John Carne Bidwill was an English botanist who documented plant life in New Zealand. He is attributed with the discovery of several Australian plant species.-Life in England:...
(1815-1853) appointed as botanist in charge at the Botanic Gardens in 1847. Prior to settlement and colonisation of Australia
History of Australia (1788-1850)
The history of Australia from 1788–1850 covers the early colonies period of Australia's history, from the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Sydney to establish the penal colony of New South Wales in 1788 to the European exploration of the continent and establishment of other colonies...
, Bidwill and the surrounding area was inhabited by the Darug tribe
Darug people
The Darug people are a language group of Indigenous Australians, who are traditional custodians of much of what is modern day Sydney. There is some dispute about the extent of the Darug nation. Some historians believe the coastal Eora people were a separate tribe to the Darug...
.
Bidwill was dominated by the development of public housing in the 1960s and 1970s. In recent times, Bidwill has been associated with social and economic problems. These have resulted in an increase of crime and such trouble as riots.
Commercial areas
Bidwill is primarily a residential suburb with extremely limited commercial activity. It is quite close to the suburbs of Mount Druitt and St MarysSt Marys, New South Wales
St Marys is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. St Marys is located 45 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith....
, which have larger shopping centres, banking facilities and railway stations.
Limited commercial facilities such as supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s and service station
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
s are available at Emerton
Emerton, New South Wales
Emerton is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Emerton is located 46 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region....
and Plumpton
Plumpton, New South Wales
Plumpton is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Plumpton is located 46 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region....
rather than in Bidwill itself. A small supermarket complex existed at Bidwill in the 1990s, which was closed partly due to crime.
Transport
In the 2001 census, for people travelling to work using just one method of transportation from this postcode, 66.3% travelled in a car as the driver, 17.4% travelled in a car as passenger, 4.6% took the train 4.0% took the bus, 3.6% travelled by truck, 2.5% walked and 0.5% travelled by motorcycle. Public transport through this area is provided by Busways.By road Bidwill is adjacent to the Westlink M7
Westlink M7
Westlink M7 - formerly Western Sydney Orbital - is one of Sydney, Australia's urban motorways and a part of Metroad 7 and the Sydney Orbital Network. It connects three Metroads: M5 at Prestons, M4 at Eastern Creek and M2 at Baulkham Hills...
motorway which can provide very easy access to the Great Western Highway
Great Western Highway
The Great Western Highway is a highway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs 210 km from Sydney to Bathurst.Starting as Broadway at the intersection of City Road near the fringe of the Sydney CBD, and becoming Parramatta Road to Parramatta itself, the Great Western Highway heads due west from...
and the M4 Motorway
M4 Western Motorway
The M4 Western Motorway,, is a motorway in central Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, providing road access to the western sections of the city and eastward to the Sydney CBD.
This suburb is linked by several private bus companies to the train stations located at Mount Druitt
Mount Druitt, New South Wales
Mount Druitt is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mount Druitt is located 43 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown, and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.There are numerous...
and St Marys
St Marys, New South Wales
St Marys is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. St Marys is located 45 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith....
.
Cycleways running through Bidwill run from Poppondetta Park to Mt Druitt and the M7 cycleway, which in turn connects to the cycleways on the M4 and M2
M2 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...
Motorways.
Education
Bidwill Primary School and the Bidwill campus of Chifley College share a campus with a pre-school. Combined, these separate organisations provide care and education from pre-school (3 years) to Year 12 (17-18 years).Upon completing year 10 at the Bidwill campus, students continuing public education can either move on to Chifley College Senior Campus located in Mount Druitt, or continue their final years at Bidwill Campus.
As of the 2001 Census, 1077 residents were enrolled at or below high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
level. A further 178 residents were enrolled in post-secondary courses.
Population
In the 2001 Australian Bureau of StatisticsAustralian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of Population and Housing, the population of the Bidwill postcode area was 4, 577 people, in an area of 1.4 square kilometres.
The population was 52.8% females, 47.2?% males.
9.3% of the population identified themselves as an indigenous Australian
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
, including 0.2% who identified themselves as being Torres Strait Islanders
Torres Strait Islanders
Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. They are culturally and genetically linked to Melanesian peoples and those of Papua New Guinea....
. This is much greater than the average of 2.1% for the entire 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...
. 21.7% of the population was born overseas.
The five strongest religious affiliations in the area were in descending order:
Roman Catholic, Anglican, no religion, Uniting Church in Australia
Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Housing
Housing is very heavily dominated by public housing built throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with large numbers of freestanding fibroFibro
Fibro, the shortened form of "Fibrous Cement" - or "Fibrous Asbestos Cement", FAC, is a building material made of compressed fibres cemented into rigid sheets....
houses and extensive terrace-style complexes. The houses are gradually transferring to private ownership and as this continues these government-built premises are being replaced with privately built, modern homes, similar to those being built in other areas of Sydney.
Most local housing is owned by either the Department of Housing or Aboriginal Housing Office.
The three most common forms of dwelling were in decreasing order:
a separate house;
a semi-detached
Semi-detached
Semi-detached housing consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin...
, row or terrace house, or townhouse;
a flat, unit or apartment.
Politics
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For federal elections, Bidwill is in the safe Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
electoral division of Chifley
Division of Chifley
-References:*...
. This seat is currently held by current parliamentary Speaker
Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia. The presiding officer in the upper house is the President of the Senate....
Roger Price
Roger Price (Australian politician)
Leo Roger Spurway Price is a former Australian politician. He was elected as a member of the Australian House of Representatives at the 1984 election, representing the Division of Chifley in western Sydney, New South Wales, for the Australian Labor Party until his retirement before the 2010...
, of the Australian Labor Party. He was last re-elected in the 2007 elections. The seat has been held continuously by the Australian Labor Party since it was proclaimed in 1984.
During the 2004 election, Price enjoyed strong support from voters in the Bidwill area compared to the rest of the electorate, achieving a positive swing locally against an overall negative swing of 0.65%.
For NSW state elections, Bidwill is in the Electoral district of Mount Druitt
Electoral district of Mount Druitt
Mount Druitt is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a 89.01 km² urban electorate in Sydney's outer west, taking in the suburbs of Mount Druitt, Marsden Park, and Arndell Park. There were 45,408 voters enrolled in time for the 2003...
. This seat is currently held by Richard Amery
Richard Amery
Richard Sanderson Amery MP , an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Mount Druitt for the Australian Labor Party since 1991...
, of the Australian Labor Party. It has been held by a Labor candidate since it was proclaimed in 1971.
External links
- Image of Bidwill's boundaries, from the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales.