Castle Hill, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
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. Castle Hill is the administrative centre of the local government area of The Hills Shire and part of the suburb is located in the local government area of Hornsby Shire
.
people, who are believed to be a clan of the Dharuk
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 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
.
and an excursion from Parramatta
who reached the Hills in April 1791. Their aim was to find new country for settlement and farming to feed their struggling Sydney
colony.
Governor King
began a government farm there on 8 July 1801, referring to it as Castle Hill on 1 March 1802. The majority of the convicts who worked the prison farm were Irish, many having been transported for agitation against British rule, they were deemed 'politicals' and exiled for life, never to return.
The first free settler in Castle Hill was Frenchman, Baron Verincourt de Clambe, who received a grant of 200 acres (800,000 m²) in 1802. It has been suggested that de Clambe's house "The Hermitage" was commonly called 'The Castle' by locals, because of the Baron's noble status.
In 1804
, the convicts rebelled in the Castle Hill convict rebellion
, also known as the second 'Battle of Vinegar Hill'. Overpowering their guards and marching on towards Parramatta having torched a hut at the prison farm to signal fellow convicts at the Hawkesbury (which they either ignored or did not see). However, they were vastly outgunned and outnumbered by British troops. About fifteen to twenty were killed in the first skirmish at the western gates of the Governor's Domain. The main group headed west pursued by the Red Coats and a citizen militia under protection of Martial Law
and posse comitatus
. Where the Rouse Hill Regional Town is, it is believed a twenty-minute skirmish happened where more were killed.
Martial Law was declared across the whole of the colony and was allowed to cloak the activities of the military and their militia as convicts were deemed 'to be in a state of insurrection'. Martial Law progressed for seven days, throughout which muskets were heard to fire day and night. The government-controlled newspaper reported only 133 convicts were involved, but over 600 left Castle Hill in the hope of joining with another 1,100 from the Hawkesbury plains. The population of the colony at the time was around 5,000, thus the panic that beset the administration and general population. The Rev. Marsden, known amongst many as the flogging parson, put about his old story that all the Irish wanted to do was to rebel and secure ships to sail home in, but what they wanted was a New Ireland, a free and democratic home for all. Nine were hanged, with three left hanging dead in gibbets for many months as a reminder for all.
In later years the area became filled with market gardens and orchards which supplied Sydney. As Sydney expanded, the orchards disappeared and were replaced with a sprawl of suburban dwellings, retail and commercial establishments and light industry. The Hills Shire Council commemorates the shire's former status as an orange-growing area with the Orange Blossom Festival each year.
In the past Castle Hill was serviced by the Rogans Hill railway line to Parramatta to take the rural area's produce to the city. However, it was closed in 1932, due to competition with buses, trucks and cars.
Local landmarks include Castle Hill House (circa 1844) on Old Northern Road, which has a local government heritage listing; the public school (1879), Old Northern Road, also with a LG heritage listing; the former parsonage (1866), Parsonage Road; and the former church, Old Northern Road, now converted to commercial use.
shopping centre, with two department stores as well as two Event cinema multiplexes (giving a total of 16 Cinemas). A new library
and community centre, with a unit apartment building on its upper floors, opened next to Castle Towers in 2004.
Work has been started by the local council to convert the stretch of Old Northern Road between Castle Mall and Castle Towers, into a plaza walk way. The main traffic road would therefore be diverted through the nearby, Terminus Street. A $500 million plan to add 60,000 square metres to the Castle Towers Shopping District is currently being tabled by The Hills Shire Council and, if approved, Castle Towers will become the largest shopping centre in New South Wales, with a total of 170,000 square metres of active floorspace. Work on the centre is scheduled to be completed by 2012.
Castle Hill also has a light industrial area at the suburb's western side. It is linked with the commercial area by Showground Road. The Hills Shire Council chamber, the Hills Centre
performing arts complex, and the Castle Hill Showground all situated next to the industrial area.
The largest residential area in Castle Hill is located at the two sides of Showground Road, sandwiched between the commercial and the industrial area. Smaller residential areas are located at the east of the commercial area, as well as the suburb's north-east (part of Hornsby Shire, separated by Old Northern Road and Castle Hill Road). These consist almost entirely of free-standing houses. Several government and private schools, as well as an RSL
Club, are located within these areas. To the North of Showground Road lies suburban, with approximately 1000 homes, the Samuel Gilbert Public School, Castle Glen Oval and the Knightsbridge Shopping Court. South of Showground Road, and to the east of Old Northern Road, lies the East Excelsior section of the suburb, known for its leafy streets, mature gardens and established homes on large land parcels, which is adjacent to Bidjigal Reserve. Managed by a community Trust, Bidjigal Reserve is about 186ha of bushland located within the Sydney suburbs of Castle Hill, West Pennant Hills, North Rocks and Baulkham Hills. There are many walking trails, and three marked tracks: Platypus loops along creeks from the entrance at Excelsior Ave; Burraga follows creeks and climbs Bald Hill from Platypus track, and the Murri Yanna begins at Aiken Road or Heidi Place and follows Darling Mills Creek to North Parramatta.
, which closed in 1932. There have been various plans to build railway lines through the suburb but none have ever progressed past the proposal stage.
Castle Hill is well served by private buses such as Hillsbus which provides express services to Sydney CBD, as well as Parramatta
, Pennant Hills
, Macquarie Park
, Baulkham Hills
, Rouse Hill
, Cherrybrook
and Busways, which provides services to Stanhope Gardens, Kellyville
, Glenwood
, Bella Vista
and Blacktown. Castle Hill is served by the following services
The North West Rail Link has been announced by the NSW Government for the Hills District which is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
began operating between Parramatta and Baulkham Hills. The extension of the line to Castle Hill was officially opened with great fanfare on 30 July 1910. Major works were undertaken in 1922 to convert the line into a railway, and trains began servicing Castle Hill on 28 January 1923. In 1924, the railway line was extended beyond Castle Hill to Rogans Hill
. Stations and stops were provided at Mons Road, Woollen Mills (Northmead), Moxham Road, Model Farms, Junction Road, Baulkham Hills, Cross Street, Southleigh (Excelsior Avenue), Parsonage Lane, Castle Hill and Rogans Hill. As a cost cutting measure, the state Labor
government of Jack Lang
closed the line on 31 January 1932, amid much public protest.
Castle Hill Players put on six plays a year at the Pavilion Theatre in the grounds of the Castle Hill Showground. They recently celebrated 40 years of the Pavilion Theatre.
The Powerhouse Discovery Centre Collection Stores at Castle Hill is part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, along with the Powerhouse Museum in Darling Harbour and Sydney Observatory at the Rocks. The Powerhouse Discovery Centre is the Museum’s off-site storage and collection care facility, located on the corner of Windsor and Showground roads in Castle Hill. The Museum’s unique and diverse collection of 385,000 objects spans history, science, technology, design, industry, decorative arts, music, transport and space exploration. The Discovery Centre houses 40 per cent of the collection (by volume), or about 50,000 objects and is now open to the general public.
Access programs include monthly public open days (on the second Saturday of each month); themed supervised tours into stores on site; educational programs and workshops, tours for school groups and special-interest groups; school holiday programs; community engagement programs; regional partnership events; and specialist/industry and professional development programs. These provide insight not only to the Powerhouse collection but to the important preservation undertaken there.
The Hills Craft Markets are open the fourth Sunday of each month, except January. A variety of arts and crafts and foods are offered for sale. Children can enjoy plaster painting, music, riding and playing in the showground.
In late March the annual Castle Hill Agricultural Show is held at the Castle Hill Showground. This show dates back to the 1880s and reflects the heritage of the Hills District. The show is mainly agricultural with many sheep, cattle and horse competitions on every year. The Castle Hill show also includes novelty games and items, showbags and educational stalls. The show runs for three days over the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).
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...
. Castle Hill 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 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. Castle Hill is the administrative centre of the local government area of The Hills Shire and part of the suburb is located in the local government area of Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire is a Local Government Area in the Northern region of Sydney, Australia. The Shire stretches from the suburb of Eastwood in the south to the Hawkesbury River town of Wisemans Ferry, some to the north...
.
Indigenous history
The land that is now called Castle Hill 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 Dharuk
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...
people, who occupied all the land to the immediate 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...
. 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 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
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, Baulkham Hills
Baulkham Hills, New South Wales
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...
, North Rocks
North Rocks, New South Wales
North Rocks is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Rocks is located 26 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of The Hills Shire, in the Hills District.-History:...
and West Pennant Hills
West Pennant Hills, New South Wales
West Pennant Hills is a suburb located in the Hills District region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. West Pennant Hills is located 25 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of Hornsby Shire and The Hills Shire...
.
European settlement
The first European visitors to the district were Governor PhillipArthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
and an excursion from 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...
who reached the Hills in April 1791. Their aim was to find new country for settlement and farming to feed their struggling 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...
colony.
Governor King
Philip Gidley King
Captain Philip Gidley King RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He is best known as the official founder of the first European settlement on Norfolk Island and as the third Governor of New South Wales.-Early years and establishment of Norfolk Island settlement:King was born...
began a government farm there on 8 July 1801, referring to it as Castle Hill on 1 March 1802. The majority of the convicts who worked the prison farm were Irish, many having been transported for agitation against British rule, they were deemed 'politicals' and exiled for life, never to return.
The first free settler in Castle Hill was Frenchman, Baron Verincourt de Clambe, who received a grant of 200 acres (800,000 m²) in 1802. It has been suggested that de Clambe's house "The Hermitage" was commonly called 'The Castle' by locals, because of the Baron's noble status.
In 1804
1804 in Australia
See also:1803 in Australia,other events of 1804,1805 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.- Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales – Captain Philip King...
, the convicts rebelled in the Castle Hill convict rebellion
Castle Hill convict rebellion
The Castle Hill Rebellion of 4 March 1804, also called the Second Battle of Vinegar Hill, was a large-scale rebellion by Irish convicts against British colonial authority in Australia...
, also known as the second 'Battle of Vinegar Hill'. Overpowering their guards and marching on towards Parramatta having torched a hut at the prison farm to signal fellow convicts at the Hawkesbury (which they either ignored or did not see). However, they were vastly outgunned and outnumbered by British troops. About fifteen to twenty were killed in the first skirmish at the western gates of the Governor's Domain. The main group headed west pursued by the Red Coats and a citizen militia under protection of Martial Law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
and posse comitatus
Posse comitatus (common law)
Posse comitatus or sheriff's posse is the common-law or statute law authority of a county sheriff or other law officer to conscript any able-bodied males to assist him in keeping the peace or to pursue and arrest a felon, similar to the concept of the "hue and cry"...
. Where the Rouse Hill Regional Town is, it is believed a twenty-minute skirmish happened where more were killed.
Martial Law was declared across the whole of the colony and was allowed to cloak the activities of the military and their militia as convicts were deemed 'to be in a state of insurrection'. Martial Law progressed for seven days, throughout which muskets were heard to fire day and night. The government-controlled newspaper reported only 133 convicts were involved, but over 600 left Castle Hill in the hope of joining with another 1,100 from the Hawkesbury plains. The population of the colony at the time was around 5,000, thus the panic that beset the administration and general population. The Rev. Marsden, known amongst many as the flogging parson, put about his old story that all the Irish wanted to do was to rebel and secure ships to sail home in, but what they wanted was a New Ireland, a free and democratic home for all. Nine were hanged, with three left hanging dead in gibbets for many months as a reminder for all.
In later years the area became filled with market gardens and orchards which supplied Sydney. As Sydney expanded, the orchards disappeared and were replaced with a sprawl of suburban dwellings, retail and commercial establishments and light industry. The Hills Shire Council commemorates the shire's former status as an orange-growing area with the Orange Blossom Festival each year.
In the past Castle Hill was serviced by the Rogans Hill railway line to Parramatta to take the rural area's produce to the city. However, it was closed in 1932, due to competition with buses, trucks and cars.
Local landmarks include Castle Hill House (circa 1844) on Old Northern Road, which has a local government heritage listing; the public school (1879), Old Northern Road, also with a LG heritage listing; the former parsonage (1866), Parsonage Road; and the former church, Old Northern Road, now converted to commercial use.
Commercial areas
Castle Hill's commercial area centres around a section of the Old Northern Road at the suburb's eastern side. Its southern side is an older, traditional shopping strip, with the modest-sized Castle Mall shopping centre. Its northern side is dominated by the large Castle TowersCastle Towers
Castle Towers Shopping Centre, or known locally, simply as "Towers", is a large shopping centre in Castle Hill, New South Wales, Australia...
shopping centre, with two department stores as well as two Event cinema multiplexes (giving a total of 16 Cinemas). A new library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and community centre, with a unit apartment building on its upper floors, opened next to Castle Towers in 2004.
Work has been started by the local council to convert the stretch of Old Northern Road between Castle Mall and Castle Towers, into a plaza walk way. The main traffic road would therefore be diverted through the nearby, Terminus Street. A $500 million plan to add 60,000 square metres to the Castle Towers Shopping District is currently being tabled by The Hills Shire Council and, if approved, Castle Towers will become the largest shopping centre in New South Wales, with a total of 170,000 square metres of active floorspace. Work on the centre is scheduled to be completed by 2012.
Castle Hill also has a light industrial area at the suburb's western side. It is linked with the commercial area by Showground Road. The Hills Shire Council chamber, the Hills Centre
Hills Centre
The Hills Centre is an entertainment complex in Castle Hill, in the Hills District, North-West of Sydney....
performing arts complex, and the Castle Hill Showground all situated next to the industrial area.
Residential areas
Castle Hill is a mix of low to medium density housing with exception to a few apartment complexes. In 2005 year under the NSW Housing Strategy Hume Avenue was rezoned to medium density, to allow for low rise unit, and town house developments.The largest residential area in Castle Hill is located at the two sides of Showground Road, sandwiched between the commercial and the industrial area. Smaller residential areas are located at the east of the commercial area, as well as the suburb's north-east (part of Hornsby Shire, separated by Old Northern Road and Castle Hill Road). These consist almost entirely of free-standing houses. Several government and private schools, as well as an RSL
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
Club, are located within these areas. To the North of Showground Road lies suburban, with approximately 1000 homes, the Samuel Gilbert Public School, Castle Glen Oval and the Knightsbridge Shopping Court. South of Showground Road, and to the east of Old Northern Road, lies the East Excelsior section of the suburb, known for its leafy streets, mature gardens and established homes on large land parcels, which is adjacent to Bidjigal Reserve. Managed by a community Trust, Bidjigal Reserve is about 186ha of bushland located within the Sydney suburbs of Castle Hill, West Pennant Hills, North Rocks and Baulkham Hills. There are many walking trails, and three marked tracks: Platypus loops along creeks from the entrance at Excelsior Ave; Burraga follows creeks and climbs Bald Hill from Platypus track, and the Murri Yanna begins at Aiken Road or Heidi Place and follows Darling Mills Creek to North Parramatta.
Transport
The bulk of Castle Hill residents own private vehicles and travel to work using these, however bus services service the suburb. Castle Hill was once served by the Rogans Hill railway line to ParramattaParramatta, 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...
, which closed in 1932. There have been various plans to build railway lines through the suburb but none have ever progressed past the proposal stage.
Castle Hill is well served by private buses such as Hillsbus which provides express services to Sydney CBD, as well as 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...
, Pennant Hills
Pennant Hills, New South Wales
Pennant Hills is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Pennant Hills is located 25 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire...
, Macquarie Park
Macquarie Park, New South Wales
Macquarie Park is a suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Park is located 12 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Ryde...
, Baulkham Hills
Baulkham Hills, New South Wales
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...
, 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...
, Cherrybrook
Cherrybrook, New South Wales
Cherrybrook is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cherrybrook is located 27 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire...
and Busways, which provides services to Stanhope Gardens, 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:...
, Glenwood
Glenwood, New South Wales
Glenwood is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Glenwood is located 40 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Blacktown...
, 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...
and Blacktown. Castle Hill is served by the following services
- M60 - ParramattaParramatta, New South WalesParramatta 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...
to HornsbyHornsby, New South Wales* Highest Maximum Temperature: 42 °C* Lowest Maximum Temperature: 4.9 °C* Warmest Month: January* Coolest Month: July* Highest Precipitation: February* Lowest Precipitation: July-Notable residents:... - M61 - Castle Hill to Railway SquareRailway Square, SydneyThe area is not a true square but is a confluence of Broadway, Lee Street, Pitt Street and George Street. The University of Technology, Central railway station and the now closed Kent Brewery are adjacent to Railway Square.-History:...
- 600 - Castle Hill to ParramattaParramatta, New South WalesParramatta 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...
- 603 - GlenhavenGlenhaven, New South WalesGlenhaven is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Glenhaven is located 32 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:...
to ParramattaParramatta, New South WalesParramatta 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... - 604 - Castle Hill to ParramattaParramatta, New South WalesParramatta 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...
- 610 - Rouse Hill Town CentreRouse Hill, New South WalesRouse 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...
to Railway SquareRailway Square, SydneyThe area is not a true square but is a confluence of Broadway, Lee Street, Pitt Street and George Street. The University of Technology, Central railway station and the now closed Kent Brewery are adjacent to Railway Square.-History:... - 610X - Rouse Hill Town CentreRouse Hill, New South WalesRouse 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...
to Railway SquareRailway Square, SydneyThe area is not a true square but is a confluence of Broadway, Lee Street, Pitt Street and George Street. The University of Technology, Central railway station and the now closed Kent Brewery are adjacent to Railway Square.-History:... - 612 - Riley T-Way Station to Milsons PointMilsons Point, New South WalesMilsons 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....
- 619 - Castle Hill to Macquarie ParkMacquarie Park, New South WalesMacquarie Park is a suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Park is located 12 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Ryde...
- 621 - Castle Hill to Town HallTown Hall railway station, SydneyTown Hall railway station is the second-busiest railway station on the CityRail network , located in Sydney, Australia. Located underground, it is situated in the Sydney central business district, under the street in front of the Sydney Town Hall, about 1.2 km north of Central.- History :The...
peak hour to Macquarie ParkMacquarie Park, New South WalesMacquarie Park is a suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Park is located 12 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Ryde...
only - 632 - Castlewood Estate to HornsbyHornsby, New South Wales* Highest Maximum Temperature: 42 °C* Lowest Maximum Temperature: 4.9 °C* Warmest Month: January* Coolest Month: July* Highest Precipitation: February* Lowest Precipitation: July-Notable residents:...
- 633 - Castle Hill to Pennant HillsPennant Hills, New South WalesPennant Hills is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Pennant Hills is located 25 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire...
- 635 - Castle Hill to BeecroftBeecroft, New South WalesBeecroft is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Beecroft is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. Beecroft is considered to be in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney.- History :Beecroft...
- 637 - Castle Hill to GlenorieGlenorie, New South WalesGlenorie is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Glenorie is located 44 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of The Hills Shire and Hornsby Shire. Glenorie is part of the Hills District.-Aboriginal culture:The...
- 638 - Castle Hill to BerrileeBerrilee, New South WalesBerrilee is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Berrilee is located 38 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Hornsby Shire and is part of the North Shore region....
- 639 - Castle Hill to KenthurstKenthurst, New South WalesKenthurst is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kenthurst is located 39 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of The Hills Shire and part of the Hills District region....
- 644 - Castle Hill to Round CornerDural, New South WalesDural is a semi-rural suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Dural is located 36 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of Hornsby Shire and The Hills Shire. Dural is part of the Hills District, in Northern Sydney...
- 651 - Castle Hill to Macquarie CentreMacquarie CentreMacquarie Centre is a regional sized shopping centre located between Herring, Waterloo and Talevera Roads in the suburb of Macquarie Park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and opposite Macquarie University's main campus....
occasionally to Town Hall railway station, SydneyTown Hall railway station, SydneyTown Hall railway station is the second-busiest railway station on the CityRail network , located in Sydney, Australia. Located underground, it is situated in the Sydney central business district, under the street in front of the Sydney Town Hall, about 1.2 km north of Central.- History :The... - 715 - Castle Hill to Seven HillsSeven Hills, New South WalesSeven Hills is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Seven Hills is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Blacktown. Seven Hills is part of the Greater Western Sydney region...
- 745 - Castle Hill to GlendenningGlendenning, New South WalesGlendenning is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Glendenning is located 44 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.-History:Glendenning was...
- T60 - Castle Hill to ParramattaParramatta, New South WalesParramatta 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...
- T62 - Castle Hill to ParramattaParramatta, New South WalesParramatta 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...
- T70 - Castle Hill to BlacktownBlacktown, New South WalesBlacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of City of Blacktown.Blacktown is the largest...
- T71 - Castle Hill to BlacktownBlacktown, New South WalesBlacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of City of Blacktown.Blacktown is the largest...
The North West Rail Link has been announced by the NSW Government for the Hills District which is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
Castle Hill railway
In 1902, a steam tram lineTrams in Sydney
The Sydney tramway network once served Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia. In its heyday, it was the largest in Australia, the second largest in the Commonwealth , and one of the largest in the world. It was extremely intensively worked, with about 1,600 cars in service at any...
began operating between Parramatta and Baulkham Hills. The extension of the line to Castle Hill was officially opened with great fanfare on 30 July 1910. Major works were undertaken in 1922 to convert the line into a railway, and trains began servicing Castle Hill on 28 January 1923. In 1924, the railway line was extended beyond Castle Hill to Rogans Hill
Rogans Hill, New South Wales
Rogans Hills is a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Baulkham Hills Shire, and was named after John Rogan, a pioneer who had been given a grant of land in the area by Governor Macquarie in 1818. Its main attractions are Oakhill College and the Anglican Retirement Villages...
. Stations and stops were provided at Mons Road, Woollen Mills (Northmead), Moxham Road, Model Farms, Junction Road, Baulkham Hills, Cross Street, Southleigh (Excelsior Avenue), Parsonage Lane, Castle Hill and Rogans Hill. As a cost cutting measure, the state 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...
government of Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
closed the line on 31 January 1932, amid much public protest.
Education
- Gilroy CollegeGilroy CollegeGilroy Catholic College is a co-educational Roman Catholic secondary school for students from Year 7 through to Year 12 located in Castle Hill, New South Wales, Australia, a suburb of Sydney.-History:...
- Catholic High School - William Clarke CollegeWilliam Clarke CollegeWilliam Clarke College is an Anglican co-educational high school founded in 1988. It is located in Kellyville, in the north-west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The college takes its name from William Branwhite Clarke, an Anglican clergyman who arrived in Australia during 1839...
- Private Anglican School, K-12 - Oakhill CollegeOakhill CollegeOakhill College is a Catholic, co-educational, secondary, day school, located in Castle Hill, New South Wales, a suburb in the Hills District of the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
- private college - St. Bernadette's - Catholic Co-Educational Primary School
- Castle Hill High SchoolCastle Hill High SchoolFor schools of the same name, see Castle High SchoolCastle Hill High School, located in Castle Street, Castle Hill, New South Wales, Australia, is a comprehensive co-ed school with students ranging from year 7 to year 12...
- Public High School - Castle Hill Public - Public Primary School
- Excelsior Public - Public Primary School
- Samuel Gilbert Public School - Public Primary School
- St. Angela's - Catholic Co-Educational Primary School
- Oakhill Drive Public School - Public Primary 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...
- Public Secondary School - Castle Hill House - vocational centre run by Redeemer Baptist Church
Culture
The Hills Centre for the Performing Arts is atheatre and convention venue located on Showground Road, Castle Hill. Opened in late 1988 and under the ownership of the The Hills Shire Council it is one of the largest venues of this type in New South Wales.Castle Hill Players put on six plays a year at the Pavilion Theatre in the grounds of the Castle Hill Showground. They recently celebrated 40 years of the Pavilion Theatre.
The Powerhouse Discovery Centre Collection Stores at Castle Hill is part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, along with the Powerhouse Museum in Darling Harbour and Sydney Observatory at the Rocks. The Powerhouse Discovery Centre is the Museum’s off-site storage and collection care facility, located on the corner of Windsor and Showground roads in Castle Hill. The Museum’s unique and diverse collection of 385,000 objects spans history, science, technology, design, industry, decorative arts, music, transport and space exploration. The Discovery Centre houses 40 per cent of the collection (by volume), or about 50,000 objects and is now open to the general public.
Access programs include monthly public open days (on the second Saturday of each month); themed supervised tours into stores on site; educational programs and workshops, tours for school groups and special-interest groups; school holiday programs; community engagement programs; regional partnership events; and specialist/industry and professional development programs. These provide insight not only to the Powerhouse collection but to the important preservation undertaken there.
The Hills Craft Markets are open the fourth Sunday of each month, except January. A variety of arts and crafts and foods are offered for sale. Children can enjoy plaster painting, music, riding and playing in the showground.
In late March the annual Castle Hill Agricultural Show is held at the Castle Hill Showground. This show dates back to the 1880s and reflects the heritage of the Hills District. The show is mainly agricultural with many sheep, cattle and horse competitions on every year. The Castle Hill show also includes novelty games and items, showbags and educational stalls. The show runs for three days over the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).
Lifestyle
In 2008, The Hills Shire (formerly known as Baulkham Hills Shire) ranked 4th amongst all LGAs in Sydney and 12th amongst the 590 LGAs nationally in terms of Quality of Life.Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of the suburb include:- Patrick WhitePatrick WhitePatrick Victor Martindale White , an Australian author, is widely regarded as an important English-language novelist of the 20th century. From 1935 until his death, he published 12 novels, two short-story collections and eight plays.White's fiction employs humour, florid prose, shifting narrative...
- Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winning author lived at 74 Showground Road on a small property where he and his partner had a small holding. White depicted life in the then rural area in several works including the play The Season at Sarsaparilla (1962). - Ray WarrenRay WarrenRay "Rabbits" Warren in Junee, New South Wales is an Australian sports commentator, most famous for his coverage of televised professional rugby league matches on the Nine Network. On occasion he is referred to as "The Voice of Rugby League". Ray also calls the action for Australian swimming team...
- Sports Commentator, nicknamed "Rabbits" or "Rabbs", best known for his passionate commentary of Rugby League matches and Swimming championships. His voice has become synonymous with important rugby league matches in Australia, and he is renowned for his proficient ability to take over from fellow-commentators when anything interesting happens on the field.