City of Rockdale
Encyclopedia
Southern Sydney
This article refers to an area the same as a combination of St George and SutherlandSouthern Sydney is a general term which is used to describe the southern metropolitan area of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia....
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...
. The city centre is located 12 kilometres south-south-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...
, on the western shores of Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
. The city is part of the St George
St George, New South Wales
St George Area is an unofficial name applied to a group of southern suburbs in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The area includes all the suburbs in the local government areas of the City of Hurstville, the City of Rockdale and the Municipality of Kogarah...
area which contains the three local government areas of the City of Rockdale, City of Hurstville
City of Hurstville
The City of Hurstville is a Local Government Area in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The city centre is located 17km SSW of the Sydney central business district and west of Botany Bay....
and Municipality of Kogarah
Municipality of Kogarah
The Municipality of Kogarah is a Local Government Area in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The centre of the municipality is located 14km SSW of the Sydney central business district and west of Botany Bay....
.
The City of Rockdale has been previously known as the Municipality of West Botany and the Municipality of Rockdale. The City of Rockdale was declared in 1995.
Suburbs in the local government area
Suburbs in the City of Rockdale are:- ArncliffeArncliffe, New South WalesArncliffe is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Arncliffe is located 11 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Rockdale. Arncliffe is part of the St George area.Arncliffe is located south of the...
- BanksiaBanksia, New South WalesBanksia is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Banksia is located 12 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Rockdale and is part of the St George area....
- Bardwell ParkBardwell Park, New South WalesBardwell Park is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bardwell Park is located 12 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Bardwell Park is in the local government area of the City of Rockdale. The postcode is 2207...
- Bardwell ValleyBardwell Valley, New South WalesBardwell Valley is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bardwell Valley is located approximately 12 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Rockdale and is part of the St George area.Bardwell Valley...
- BexleyBexley, New South WalesBexley is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bexley is located 14 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Rockdale and is part of the St George area.-History:...
- Bexley NorthBexley North, New South WalesBexley North is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 13 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Bexley North is in the local government area of the City of Rockdale.-History:James Chandler named...
- Brighton-Le-SandsBrighton-Le-Sands, New South WalesBrighton-Le-Sands , is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Brighton-Le-Sands is located 13 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, on the western shore of Botany Bay...
- CarltonCarlton, New South WalesCarlton is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Carlton is located 15 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Carlton lies across the boundary of two local government areas, the Municipality of Kogarah and the...
- Dolls PointDolls Point, New South WalesDolls Point is a small suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Dolls Point is located 17km south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Dolls Point is in the local government area of the City of Rockdale.Dolls Point takes its name...
- KingsgroveKingsgrove, New South WalesKingsgrove is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kingsgrove is located 13 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Rockdale, the City of Hurstville and the City of Canterbury...
- KogarahKogarah, New South WalesKogarah is a suburb of southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kogarah is located 14 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is considered to be the centre of the St George area...
- KyeemaghKyeemagh, New South WalesKyeemagh is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kyeemagh is located 12 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, on the western shore of Botany Bay. Kyeemagh is in the local government area of the City of Rockdale and is part of the St George...
- MontereyMonterey, New South WalesMonterey is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Monterey is located 15km south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Monterey is in the local government area of the City of Rockdale....
- RamsgateRamsgate, New South WalesRamsgate is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ramsgate is located 16 km south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Ramsgate is in the local government area of the City of Rockdale...
- Ramsgate BeachRamsgate Beach, New South WalesRamsgate Beach is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ramsgate Beach is located 16 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the City of Rockdale and is part of the St George area. The postcode is 2217. Ramsgate is a separate suburb, to the...
- RockdaleRockdale, New South WalesRockdale is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rockdale is located 13 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area...
- SandringhamSandringham, New South WalesSandringham is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sandringham is located 18 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area. Sandringham is in the local government area of the City of Rockdale.Sandringham is a quiet...
- Sans SouciSans Souci, New South WalesSans Souci is a southern Sydney suburb in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sans Souci is 17 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Rockdale and the Municipality of Kogarah. It is part of the St George area.Sans...
- Sydney AirportSydney AirportSydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
- TurrellaTurrella, New South WalesTurrella is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Turrella is located 10 km south of the Sydney central business district on the southern bank of Wolli Creek. Turrella is in the local government area of the City of Rockdale and is part of the St George...
- Wolli CreekWolli Creek, New South WalesFor the urban waterway see Wolli CreekWolli Creek is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It sits beside the Wolli Creek and Cooks River waterways...
The City of Rockdale also manages and maintains the following localities:
- Bardwell Creek
- Cooks Cove
- Lady Robinson BeachLady Robinson BeachLady Robinsons Beach is the stretch of beach between the mouth of the Cooks River and the mouth of Georges River on the western shore of Botany Bay. Originally the beach was known as Seven Mile Beach. The beach was renamed after the wife of the then Governor, Sir Hercules Robinson...
- Muddy Creek
- Rocky Point
- Sandringham Bay
- St Kilda Point
History
The City of Rockdale was originally known as the West Botany Municipality. The Municipality of West Botany was declared on the 13th January 1871 and covered nine square miles in 1884. It included much of the land which was later used to build Sydney AirportSydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
. The West Botany name was officially changed to Rockdale
Rockdale, New South Wales
Rockdale is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rockdale is located 13 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area...
in 1887, when land was being sub-divided for residential development. Among the main developers during this period was Frederick Jamison Gibbes, a Member of Parliament whose name is perpetuated by Gibbes Street in Banksia
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
.
The area of the municipality was reduced when the mouth of Cooks River
Cooks River
The Cooks River is a 23 kilometre long urban waterway of south-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia emptying into Botany Bay. The course of the river has been altered to accommodate various developments along its shore...
was moved further south of its original position in the mid 1940s, to allow for the extension of Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
. Only a small part of the airport remains in the local government area today. As the city's population increased, more suburbs were created within its boundaries. The Municipality of Rockdale was declared a city in 1995, and is now known as the City of Rockdale.
Demographics
According to the 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...
, the City of Rockdale had a population of 92,126 in 2006. Indigenous peoples accounted for .5% of this or 452 peoples. 45,810 people were born in 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...
which was 49.7% of the population.
There was a mixture of ancestries recorded in the City of Rockdale. The most numerous are:
| Country of Birth | Number | % |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 45,810 | 49.7% |
| China | 5,060 | 5.5% |
| Greece | 3,226 | 3.5% |
| Macedonia | 3,133 | 3.4% |
| Lebanon | 2,870 | 3.1% |
| New Zealand | 2,051 | 2.2% |
38,135 people spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
only which was 41.4% of the population.
| Language | Number of Speakers | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 38,135 | 41.4% |
| Greek | 8,700 | 9.4% |
| Arabic | 8,315 | 9.0% |
| Macedonian | 5,002 | 5.4% |
| Cantonese | 4,168 | 4.5% |
| Mandarin | 3,957 | 4.3% |
Council
Rockdale City Council is composed of fifteen councillors elected proportionally. The area is divided into five wards, each electing three councillors. The mayor is not directly elected. The current makeup of the council is as follows:| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Labor Party 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... |
5 | |
| Liberal Party of Australia Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
5 | |
| Independents Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
3 | |
| The Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which... |
1 | |
| Yvonne Bellamy Independents | 1 | |
| Total | 15 | |
The current council, elected in 2008, is:
| Ward | First Ward | Angelo Anestis | 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... |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yvonne Bellamy | Yvonne Bellamy Independents | ||||
| Peter Poulos | Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
Deputy Mayor | |||
| Second Ward | Shaoquett Moselmane Shaoquett Moselmane Shaoquett Moselmane MLC , an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 2009, representing the Australian Labor Party.-Early years and background:... |
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... |
|||
| Michael Nagi | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
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| Jan Brennan | Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
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| Third Ward | Bill Saravinovski | 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... |
Mayor | ||
| John La Mela | Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
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| Lesa De Leau | Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which... |
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| Fourth Ward | Joe Awada | 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... |
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| Liz Barlow | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
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| Judy Feeney | Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
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| Fifth Ward | Shane O'Brien | 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... |
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| John Flowers | Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
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| James Macdonald | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |